TimeLeak vs Screenpipe (2026): a Sip vs the Firehose
3 min read · TimeLeak
Screenpipe is the maximalist local option: continuous screen recording (plus microphone, if you let it), OCR on everything, a local database your AI tools can query. Open-source core you can build yourself; the packaged app has been reported around $400 lifetime. It's genuinely impressive engineering aimed increasingly at developers building AI-agent memory.
TimeLeak is the minimalist bet: one frame and one metadata line every 5 seconds, screen only, never the mic — and instead of a database to query, one evening brief that names your time leaks and their fixes.
| TimeLeak | Screenpipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | 5-second samples, screen only | continuous 24/7 recording + optional audio |
| Resource cost | light — idle-skip, downscaled JPEGs, 7-day prune | heavy; HN threads report serious CPU on long sessions |
| Microphone | never — no mic code exists | optional meeting transcription (mind consent laws) |
| Output | daily fix-list brief | searchable archive + plugins ("pipes") |
| Audience | anyone who wants their 30 minutes back | developers building on their own data |
| Price | free watcher; Pro $19 one-time ($19-class) | free to build; paid packaged tiers |
The honest take
If you're a developer who wants an always-on local memory to build agents against, Screenpipe is the real thing — budget the disk, the CPU, and the setup evening. If what you want is to find out why your days evaporate and fix it, recording everything is overkill: the leaks show up fine at 5-second resolution, and the brief costs a cent, not a database.
FAQ
Is Screenpipe's meeting transcription a reason to pick it?
Only if everyone on your calls has consented — recording audio of other people has legal weight screenshots of your own screen don't. TimeLeak deliberately has no microphone capability and auto-redacts meeting apps.
Can TimeLeak search my past like Screenpipe?
No — 7 days of raw data, then it's gone. TimeLeak trades the archive for lightness and a bounded privacy exposure.