HourStack
Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.
Time tracking as a calendar: you block out what you intend to do, then compare it against what actually happened, rather than only totalling hours.
Build a planning calendar that also tracks. STACK - SQLite, a small Node app, one week-view page THE MODEL - A block has a planned start, a planned duration, a task and an optional actual start and end - Planned and actual are separate fields on one row — that is the entire product idea THE WEEK VIEW - Seven columns, hours down the side, blocks positioned absolutely - Drag to move, drag the edge to resize, snapping to fifteen minutes - Keyboard alternatives for both, or it is unusable for some people TRACKING - Starting a block sets its actual start; stopping sets the end - Never overwrite the plan with the actual: the difference is the report THE REPORT - Planned against actual per project per week, and the ratio - That ratio is the only number here that changes how you estimate Include the schema, the week grid and the variance query.
What you lose
- A weekly calendar where planned and tracked time sit on the same grid
- Integrations that pull tasks from other trackers into the plan
- Reports comparing estimate against actual per project
If you would rather not build
- A paper planner, which is what this digitises
- Toggl Track with its planning add-on
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
88/100
Verdict yes at 88. Two pairs of timestamps on one row. Keeping the plan after the fact is what makes the report worth reading.
History
tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about HourStack
answered from the record above
Is HourStack free?
No — the plan we track is $12 a month. Professional at around $12 per user per month billed monthly, cheaper annually.
Can you replace HourStack by building your own?
YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 88 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does HourStack cost?
$12 a month on Professional — $144 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing HourStack?
A weekly calendar where planned and tracked time sit on the same grid; Integrations that pull tasks from other trackers into the plan; Reports comparing estimate against actual per project. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to HourStack?
Yes: Kimai, Traggo. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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