Open-source self-hosted time tracking for complete data ownership
Kimai is a free, open-source time tracking application designed for self-hosting on any server. It provides multi-user time tracking, project and customer management, configurable reporting, plugin extensions, and a REST API — all deployable on the organisation's own infrastructure. For businesses requiring complete data sovereignty, GDPR compliance with EU server hosting, or custom time tracking functionality, Kimai is the leading open-source option.
Kimai is a strong fit if its core strengths match your workflow, budget, and support needs. Use the quick signals below before opening the full review.
Kimai's appeal is absolute: free software, self-hosted, complete data ownership, MIT licence permitting modification for any purpose. For technical organisations willing to manage their own infrastructure, Kimai delivers a capable time tracking platform with zero subscription cost.
Kimai runs on the organisation's own server — a VPS, a cloud VM, or on-premises hardware. All time tracking data lives in the organisation's database, processed by the organisation's server, without any third-party receiving the data. For GDPR compliance, healthcare data governance, or organisations with data residency requirements, self-hosting eliminates the third-party processor category from the compliance consideration entirely.
Kimai's plugin architecture extends core functionality: invoice generation creates PDF invoices from time entries, LDAP/Active Directory authentication integrates with existing identity infrastructure, calendar synchronisation exports time data to Google Calendar or Outlook, and custom plugins can be developed for organisation-specific requirements. The REST API enables integration with any internal tool via standard HTTP requests.
Kimai's free software does not mean free operations — a server costs $5–$20/month, updates require technical intervention, and backups require configuration. For organisations without a technical team to handle server administration, the apparent cost savings of self-hosting can be offset by operational overhead. Kimai Cloud offers managed hosting for organisations that want Kimai without the infrastructure responsibility.
Score: 7.4/10 — Best open-source time tracker for self-hosting; infrastructure responsibility and technical requirements are real costs.
Free
Free billed annually
$12/mo
$132/mo billed annually
Kimai is best for Developer teams and technical organisations that want full control over time tracking data on their own infrastructure, European businesses with GDPR data residency requirements who need EU-hosted or self-hosted time data, Organisations with unique time tracking requirements that can be addressed through Kimai's plugin system or custom API integration.
Yes. Kimai currently lists a free plan in ToolRankr data.
It has a free plan.
Kimai is reviewed using ToolRankr's scoring model for ease of use, value, features, support, and overall quality. Affiliate links may earn a commission, but sponsored labels do not change editorial scoring.
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