Kimai
Best open source
toggl track alternative
Kimai is the #1 open-source time-tracking alternative for toggl track. Learn how Kimai measures up to toggl track, so you can choose the right solution for your business.
toggl track
vs.
Kimai
Kimai vs toggl track: Which time tracking software fits your team best in 2026?
Kimai is the #1 open-source time-tracking solution designed for teams and businesses seeking flexibility and control over their time tracking infrastructure. Discover why more than 5000 companies worldwide trust Kimai for their time tracking needs and find out how it compares to toggl track’s offerings. Whether you’re evaluating a new time tracking app, analyzing toggl track pricing options, or planning a toggl track migration, Kimai provides a compelling alternative with superior features and cost savings.
Choosing the right time tracking software can make a huge difference in productivity, transparency, and billing accuracy of a freelancer, an agency, or a business owner managing a big team.
When selecting a time tracking tool, most users consider:
- Features: Does it cover everything from tracking and reporting to invoicing and project management?
- Price: Is it affordable (or even free) for the size of your team?
- Flexibility: Can it adapt to your current workflow, integrations, and tech stack?
- Accessibility: Does it support both desktop and mobile platforms, and can it be self-hosted or cloud-based?
- Scalability: Will it still fit your needs as your business grows?
The year 2026 also brings focus on data privacy, automation, and team transparency in time management tools. At the same time the market offers a range of solutions for every use case, from solopreneurs to large enterprise teams, and you can always find the solution that best fits your needs.
Let’s explore the best time tracking tools for 2026 and see how Kimai compares with Toggl Track — two popular choices among professionals and successful teams worldwide.
Kimai features most used
Not all time tracking tools are created equal. The best solutions for agencies offer a specialized set of features to streamline your workflows.
JSON API
Featuring an extensive JSON API for reading and writing data, so external apps and custom tools can communicate with Kimai.
Read moreCustomer Portal
Share client and project statistics and timesheets with anyone using a secret URL, optionally password protected.
Read moreTeams
Teams connects users into logical groups, like departments. Limit access to data by assigning customers and projects to your teams.
Read moreSAML
Log in and register users with SAML via your existing SSO identity provider, like Google Workspace, Authentik or Azure Active Directory.
Read moreInvoicing
Configurable invoice templates, options for entry grouping, configurable invoice numbers, and multiple formats like PDF and DOCX.
Read moreReports and analyses
Analysis of recorded times by users, customers, projects, activities, tags, time periods and more.
Read moreToggl Track: {make-sure-it’s}-free time tracking
Toggl Track is one of the most well-known names in the time tracking category. It offers individuals and small teams a user-friendly interface and quick setup. However, its pricing structure can become restrictive as your team grows.
Pros of Toggl:
- Simple, minimalist interface
- Cloud-based system — no setup or hosting needed
- Integrations with many project management tools
Cons of Toggl:
- The free plan limited to five users (according to Toggle Track’s official website as of October 2025)
- Advanced reporting, team management, and billing features require paid plans starting from 9 Euro per user monthly
- No self-hosted option available — data stored on Toggl’s servers
Toggl Track is a solid entry-level tool, but as soon as your team scales, you might hit feature walls or sharp price increases that make open-source alternatives like Kimai more attractive.
Kimai vs. Toggl quick comparison
| Feature | Kimai (On-Premise) | Toggl Track |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free (limited), Paid from ~€9/user/month |
| Hosting | Self-hosted | Cloud only |
| Users | Unlimited | Up to 5 (free plan) |
| Invoicing | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Only with integrations |
| Customization | High (plugins, API) | Limited |
| Data privacy | Full control (self-hosted) | Managed by Toggl |
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a time tracking solution that grows with you, Kimai is more than just a Toggl alternative — it’s a complete open-source ecosystem for time management, reporting, and invoicing.
✅ No user limits
✅ No subscription fees
✅ No compromises on privacy or flexibility
👉 Start with Kimai Cloud or On-Premise version, both for free — and see why teams around the world are choosing Kimai.
Migration from toggl to Kimai
If you are currently using toggl, but looking for a GDPR-compliant or just a cheaper alternative, then Kimai might be the right tool for you.
Kimai has an CSV importer, that allows to transfer your toggl data. All you have to do is export the data like this:
Please read the importer documentation to find out more.
What users say about Kimai
At Kimai, we've designed our time tracking platform to meet the needs of agencies, teams, and freelancers. Our intuitive interface and powerful features help companies like yours work smarter and more profitably. You can now “listen” to the reviews of the real users.
I have been using Kimai for several years. First in a company as part of a project team. Later, when I started my own business on the side, I was looking for a simple time tracking tool and returned to Kimai. First self-installed, then in the cloud. For 3 euros in operating expenses per month, as a small part-time entrepreneur, I get exactly what I need: fast tracking, an overview of outstanding items, and lightning-fast billing with a clean timesheet. But even for huge projects with a large number of people, it remains clear, comprehensible, and easy for everyone to use. And the support, in the person of Kevin, responds quickly and comprehensively to everything you need. Many thanks for that!
Christoph van Bracht
GeschäftsführerI love how I can combine time tracking, expense tracking, and invoicing into one app without features hidden behind nagging subscriptions. I can click one button to invoice my clients now! Seriously a godsend. Also, the clean UI is well thought-out and simple to learn. Highly recommend this one!
Isaac Mailach
Media Composer and Studio CellistKimai is a super web platform for keeping tracks of our daily work, the interface is clean and very useful, just easy, couple clicks and data, and that is done. we have used since 5 years ago, and the reports are easy to run. only 1 time i have to support a ticket, because we forgot the password!. thanks for all the work here!
Mathias
IT ConsultingWe use Kimai as a self-hosted instance to manage working times, vacation and illness-days for ~40 employees. We love open source software and the passion Kevin Papst puts into that tool is a real gamechanger for us. There are a lot of features and settings to adjust, but it’s not too complicated to maintain the whole system. Hopefully Kimai will be our mate for the next years to support our own story as a company, that is developing impactful and open source software!
Daniel Kehne
Founder & CEOKimai runs on premise for us and is very reliable! I can only strongly recommend it. There is no better solution on the market!
Stefan Scherer
Inhaberthe best time tracking tool i used :) (and still do)
Paul Knulst
Senior Software EngineerWhen I started to identify a time reporting software for our medium size enterprise (~30 people distributed all over United States and Canada) in the software service industry for onsite and remote services, I had several programs in my mind. In my specification I had the following things to be covered
- Customer related time reporting
- Project related time reporting
- Time approval
- Various hierarchies in user and access levels
- Open data interface for potential interfaces to other software packages (such as various payroll software packages for Canada and US, ERP for invoicing)
- Time budget for hourly packages
- Time reporting to customers with time budget
- The data is mine and I always want to have access to it
- I would like to cr
Frank
ServiceI’ve always preferred self-hosting services, but when I discovered Kimai, I saw the value in their free cloud plan. Wanting to support the developers (being a developer myself), I upgraded to the paid version, and it’s been worth every penny.
Recently, I made a mistake that almost wiped out all my data. Despite my plan not officially including support, Kimai’s team was there for me. They responded quickly and had my issue resolved within half an hour, saving me from a potential disaster.
As a freelancer, Kimai has become an essential tool for managing clients, projects, and tasks. It lets me track time accurately and create professional invoices effortlessly. For anyone looking to stay organized and efficient, I highly recomm
...
Panagiotis Ntinis
Backend DeveloperAll your time-tracking needs in one platform
Time is money, and tracking it effectively has become a necessity for project-based teams. Kimai is a powerful time-tracker that's been the favorite of many businesses worldwide. But how does it stack up against toggl track? Dive into this comprehensive comparison to find out why businesses are choosing Kimai over toggl track
See the difference
Compare Kimai vs. toggl track: choose the options that make the most sense for your business.
Kimai
On-Premise
- Open source software :
- Available on-premises :
- Available in the cloud :
- Server location : Your choice
- Max. customers : Unlimited
- Max. projects : Unlimited
- Max. activities : Unlimited
- JSON API :
- Invoicing :
- Data export :
- SAML :
- Support : Forum (GitHub)
- Backups :
- TLS Certificate : Additional costs
- Custom domain : Additional costs
- Automatic upgrades :
- Server maintenance :
- IP access restriction :
- Custom content : Paid plugin
- Audit trail logs : Paid plugin
- Custom fields : Paid plugin
- Expense management : Paid plugin
- Task planning : Paid plugin
- Translations : Paid plugin
- Working hours, vacation, sickness, public holidays : Paid plugin
Kimai
Cloud
- Open source software :
- Available on-premises :
- Available in the cloud :
-
Server location
:
Hetzner Cloud
Germany (Falkenstein) - Max. customers : Unlimited
- Max. projects : Unlimited
- Max. activities : Unlimited
- JSON API :
- Invoicing :
- Data export :
- SAML :
- Support : Email, Forum
- Backups : Daily
- TLS Certificate :
- Custom domain :
- Automatic upgrades :
- Server maintenance :
- IP access restriction :
- Custom content :
- Audit trail logs :
- Custom fields :
- Expense management :
- Task planning :
- Translations :
- Working hours, vacation, sickness, public holidays :
toggl track
- Open source software :
- Available on-premises :
- Available in the cloud :
- Server location : USA
- Max. customers : Unlimited
- Max. projects : Unlimited
- Max. activities : Unlimited
- JSON API :
- Invoicing :
- Data export :
- SAML :
- Support :
- Backups :
- TLS Certificate :
- Custom domain : Additional costs
- Automatic upgrades :
- Server maintenance :
- IP access restriction :
- Custom content :
- Audit trail logs :
- Custom fields :
- Expense management :
- Task planning :
- Translations :
- Working hours, vacation, sickness, public holidays :
Germany (Falkenstein)
Please note that the above information were manually compiled on 2024-11-19 from the toggl track website. For the comparison, the best matching plans were chosen. Prices are subject to change. For the most current pricing, please visit the respective websites.
Kimai is open source
Kimai is #1 open-source time-tracking software, providing unparalleled transparency and flexibility. By choosing Kimai, you’re investing in a secure, cost-efficient solution with complete control over your data and the ability to customize it exactly as your team needs.
toggl track is a proprietary software, which includes a platform risk. Relying solely on a software vendor for code tweaks and feature implementations can feel and often is limiting.
Self-host with complete control
Kimai offers a self-hosted edition that puts data privacy to the front. With on-premises deployment, you maintain complete control over your sensitive business information, ensure compliance with stringent data protection regulations, and achieve a level of security that's often challenging with cloud-only solutions. Plus, Kimai's API allows seamless integration with your existing tools and workflows.
Unlike toggl track, which only operates in the cloud, Kimai gives you the flexibility to choose your deployment model.
EU-based data protection
If you decide to go with the cloud edition, you can be sure that your data is safe. With the headquarters located in Austria (EU), it is GDPR-compliant by default and all data is stored in Germany (Hetzner Cloud, Falkenstein). Learn more about our privacy-first approach
toggl track is located in the USA. Due to U.S. regulations such as the CLOUD Act, data hosted with U.S.-based providers may be subject to access requests by U.S. authorities — which can pose privacy concerns for organizations operating under EU data protection standards.
Conclusion
In today's digital age, data security is paramount. Kimai promises secure data protection and state-of-the-art encryption, ensuring that your business's sensitive information remains confidential.
Kimai offers a well-rounded solution that caters to a variety of workflows and use-cases for most project-based teams and companies. Its ease of use, integration capabilities, and commitment to data security and privacy make it a top choice for businesses seeking an efficient time-tracking software.