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Which desktop app should I install?

One app per platform, one web app that needs no install, and a table of what each of them can actually do.

2 minutes read
  • Web
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux

There is one app per platform and one web app that needs no install at all. Start from the computer you actually work on.

Start from the computer you work on

Windows

Windows 7, 8.1 or newer, 64 bit. Download the installer from the download page and run it; administrator rights are needed once. If you are rolling the app out to more than a handful of machines, take the MSI package instead: it can be deployed with Group Policy or your device management tool.

macOS

On macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, install from the Mac App Store. That build is signed, sandboxed and keeps itself up to date. macOS asks for screen recording and accessibility permission the first time; without them the app still records hours, but not applications or screenshots.

On macOS 12 and 13 the App Store build cannot be installed. Use the direct download instead, from the same page.

Linux

The Linux app is in early access and is not published yet. Until it is, record your hours in the web app as manual time entries. When it ships, a GNOME Wayland session will also want the Worktivity Window Tracker extension for application tracking; without the extension it still records time, websites and activity level, and says on screen that application tracking is off.

The web app, with nothing installed

The web app is where administrators work: timesheets, reports, projects, tasks, invoices and settings. It does not track by itself. Hours that no desktop app recorded are added there as manual time entries and approved by an admin.

What differs between them

The same account works everywhere; only the platform and the way you install differ. On a narrow screen the table scrolls sideways.

The four Worktivity apps compared capability by capability, with notes on the conditional cases.
CapabilityWindowsWindows 7 and newermacOSmacOS 14 and newerLinuxEarly accessWeb appNo install
Start and end a shiftYesYesYesNo1
BreaksYesYesYesNo
Clock in automaticallyNoYes2NoNo
Work notesYesYesYesNo
TasksYesYesPartial3Yes
Application trackingYesYesPartial4No
Browser host trackingPartial5YesYesNo
ScreenshotsYesYesYesNo
Offline queueYesYesYesNo
Launch at startupYesYesYesNo
Tray or menu bar counterNo6YesPartial7No
Dark themeYesYesYesYes
English, Turkish and GermanYesYesYesPartial8
Automatic updatesPartial9YesPartial10Yes
Distributed through a storeNoYesNo11No

Notes

  1. 1The web app does not track by itself. Hours that no desktop app recorded are added as manual time entries and approved by an admin.
  2. 2Clocking in automatically is a plan feature and an organization setting. Only the Mac App Store build acts on it today.
  3. 3The Linux app lists tasks and lets you pick one. Creating and editing tasks opens the web app.
  4. 4On a GNOME Wayland session, application tracking needs the Worktivity Window Tracker extension. Without it time, websites and activity level are still recorded, and the app says on screen that application tracking is off.
  5. 5The address bar can only be read in Chromium based browsers. A Firefox window returns nothing.
  6. 6The Windows build has no tray icon; open the window to see the counter.
  7. 7GNOME has had no tray area since version 3.26, so this depends on the user having an AppIndicator extension installed.
  8. 8The web app interface is English for now. Turkish and German are wired up but not translated yet.
  9. 9The update is not downloaded on its own; the user starts it from Settings.
  10. 10The Snap package refreshes itself. The .deb and .rpm packages are updated by hand.
  11. 11The Linux app is in early access: the package is built and measured, but the store listing is not open yet.

Still not sure

  1. On a Mac running macOS 14 or newer: install from the Mac App Store.
  2. On Windows, for more than a handful of machines: take the MSI package.
  3. On Linux, or on a computer you are not allowed to install software on: use the web app and add manual time entries.
  4. Anything else: the installer on the download page is the right one.

What changed in each release is listed in the changelog.

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