If you’re a developer, team lead, or project manager who lives inside GitHub most of the day, you’ve probably asked yourself at some point: “Is there a time tracking app that integrates with GitHub?” The short answer is yes—there are several. But the better question is: Which one is right for you and your workflow?
As someone who has worked in both startups and large dev teams, I’ve tried quite a few tools over the years—some clunky, some slick, and others somewhere in between. In this article, I’ll walk you through what I’ve learned about developer time tracking, how it fits into modern workflows, and which time tracking apps actually integrate well with GitHub without disrupting your coding rhythm.
Why Developer Time Tracking Matters
Time tracking in development often gets a bad rap. Developers worry it’ll become micromanagement or kill creativity. And let’s face it—most devs aren’t thrilled to hit a timer every time they dive into a new function or fix a bug. But here’s the thing: when done right, developer time tracking isn’t about surveillance—it’s about insight.
When you track your time well, you get answers to questions like:
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How long are you spending on bug fixes versus feature development?
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Are pull requests dragging on too long before they’re reviewed?
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Is technical debt slowing your progress in ways that aren’t obvious from ticket tracking alone?
These are all things GitHub itself won’t show you, even if you dig deep into commit histories. That’s where integrated time tracking tools come in. They don’t just monitor time—they connect it directly to your GitHub activity, offering context and clarity.
What to Look for in a GitHub-Integrated Time Tracker
There are a few key features that distinguish a good GitHub-compatible time tracker from a mediocre one. From experience, here are the ones that really matter:
1. Seamless GitHub Integration
The tool should connect directly to GitHub repositories, pull requests, commits, and issues. You shouldn’t have to manually match time entries to projects or tasks.
2. Minimal Workflow Disruption
A developer time tracking tool must not interfere with coding flow. Ideally, it should automate as much as possible or offer simple commands within GitHub (via bots or comments).
3. Clear Reporting and Insights
Time data should be more than just numbers. You want visual reports that show trends, bottlenecks, and resource allocation over time.
4. Support for Teams
Whether you’re a solo dev or part of a large team, the tool should adapt to different team sizes, offering admin dashboards, user roles, and team-based reports.
Let’s now look at some real-world tools that check these boxes.
Top Time Tracking Tools That Integrate with GitHub
I’ve had the chance to experiment with a number of time tracking solutions over the past few years. These are the ones that, in my view, stand out for their GitHub integrations and developer-first approach.
1. Toggl Track + GitHub (via third-party integrations)
Toggl Track is a classic in the time tracking space. While it doesn’t natively integrate with GitHub, you can connect the two using third-party automation tools like Zapier or Make (formerly Integromat). For example, you can set up workflows where starting a timer in Toggl corresponds to activity on a specific GitHub issue.
The downside here is the manual setup and the lack of deep native insights. Still, it’s a great lightweight solution for solo developers or teams already using Toggl.
2. Clockify with GitHub Integration
Clockify offers a more structured take on time tracking and has integrations that connect to GitHub issues. You can use browser extensions to start and stop timers directly from GitHub pages, which makes it easier to stay focused while keeping track of what you’re doing.
One of my favorite things about Clockify is its generous free tier and flexible reporting. For freelance developers juggling multiple GitHub repos and clients, this can be a real time-saver.
3. Everhour
Everhour takes things a step further by embedding itself inside GitHub’s UI using browser extensions. This means you can track time without ever leaving your GitHub dashboard. When you’re looking at an issue or pull request, Everhour adds buttons to let you log time right there.
This makes it especially useful for team leads who want to maintain visibility without constantly bugging developers for updates. Everhour also offers team reporting, budgets, and time estimates that map directly to GitHub issues.
4. WakaTime
This is the one I personally use the most. WakaTime is more than a timer—it’s a passive analytics tool built specifically for developers. It tracks how much time you spend coding in different languages, files, and even projects—without you ever needing to click “start” or “stop.”
When connected to GitHub, WakaTime gives you insights like:
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Coding time per project or repo
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Time spent on specific branches or PRs
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Historical activity across repos
If you want a completely hands-off approach to developer time tracking, WakaTime is probably your best bet.
Real-World Use Case: Time Tracking on a Collaborative GitHub Project
Not long ago, I was managing a distributed team working on an open-source tool hosted on GitHub. With contributors across different time zones, it was hard to know who was working on what, and how long tasks were taking.
We integrated Everhour into our workflow so contributors could track time on issues they picked up. For team members who preferred less manual input, WakaTime was running in the background. At the end of each week, we’d review the Everhour reports to see if any tasks were under- or over-estimated.
Over time, this data helped us identify better estimates for planning sprints and avoided the common “it’ll only take a few hours” trap. Even better—it helped our non-technical stakeholders understand the value of the engineering team’s efforts, since they could now see time and tasks in context.
Balancing Automation and Accountability
One of the most common concerns I hear from developers is that time tracking will feel like “spying.” And I totally get that. If you’ve ever had to write a daily time log or explain every 15-minute block of your day, you know how soul-crushing that can be.
That’s why the best time tracking apps for developers are built around trust and automation. Tools like WakaTime don’t ask you to justify your time. They simply track what you’re already doing and present the data in a meaningful way.
When time tracking becomes a tool for you, not just your manager, it shifts the dynamic. You begin to notice patterns in your work—when you’re most productive, which tasks drain your time, and where you might need to sharpen your focus.
Final Thoughts: Finding What Works for You
The right developer time tracking tool depends on how you and your team work. If you’re a solo freelancer, you might favor simplicity and flexibility. If you’re on a team, integration with GitHub issues and PRs can help streamline workflows and improve planning.
Personally, I don’t think time tracking is about perfection. It’s not about logging every second—it’s about getting a better picture of your work. And when you pair that insight with the powerful collaboration tools GitHub offers, you’re set up for smarter development cycles and better outcomes.
So, back to our original question: Is there a time tracking app that integrates with GitHub?
Yes—and several of them do it really well. The key is choosing one that fits naturally into your workflow, gives you meaningful data, and doesn’t interrupt the reason you’re here in the first place: building great software.
Whether you’re a solo dev or managing a distributed team, tools like Everhour, Clockify, and WakaTime can take the guesswork out of time management—and that’s a win for everyone involved.
