Kimai

YES

Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.

Open-source time tracking for teams and freelancers: projects, activities, rates, exports and invoicing, hosted by them or on your own server.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Self-host it, or build the timer you actually need.

THE HONEST OPTION
- Kimai is free. Docker plus MySQL and you are done in an hour

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING SMALLER

STACK
- SQLite, a small Node app, one page

ENTRIES
- Start, end, project, note. An entry with no end is the running timer
- Only one running timer; starting a second stops the first, explicitly and visibly

STORE THE TRUTH
- Keep exact timestamps in UTC. Round only when producing an invoice, never in the record
- Rounding at write time destroys the data and cannot be undone

RATES
- Per project, with a history: a rate change applies from a date, not retrospectively

EXPORT
- CSV grouped by project and day, and a total in hours to two decimals

Include the schema, the single-timer rule and the rate history.

What you lose

A hosted instance kept updated and backed up
Exports and invoice templates already built for several countries
A plugin system covering the odd requirement you have not thought of yet

If you would rather not build

Toggl Track, for polish
A CSV and a script, which is genuinely enough for one person

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

Kimai

The product itself, free to self-host with Docker.

kimai/kimaifree · open source

ActivityWatch

Automatic activity recording, if you would rather not start timers.

ActivityWatch/activitywatchfree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

85/100

Verdict yes at 85. A timer is a start and an end. Keeping exact times and rounding only on the invoice is the rule that saves you later.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

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 Kimai

answered from the record above

Is Kimai free?

No — the plan we track is $6 a month. Cloud from around €6 per user per month; the software is free to self-host.

Can you replace Kimai by building your own?

YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 85 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Kimai cost?

$6 a month on Cloud — $72 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Kimai?

A hosted instance kept updated and backed up; Exports and invoice templates already built for several countries; A plugin system covering the odd requirement you have not thought of yet. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Kimai?

Yes: Kimai, ActivityWatch. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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