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.
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 7000 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.
We love Kimai! It's a first class time tracking tool with so many features, that we hardly can't make use of. And their support is excellent too, even on bank holidays. Can’t recommend it enough.
Jürgen Haas
LakeDrops GmbHCollaboration with Kevin has been fantastic! His collaborative approach is top-notch, making our work smooth sailing. Kevin’s open communication style keeps us perfectly aligned.
Kristian Matic
assistant-virtual.comWhen 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 create plugins if I need to add features that do not yet exist
I continued my search but always came back to Kevin Papst’s time reporting software Kimai. So I installed it on a shared host. I continued to set up a few users and imported a few customers, projects and finally understood how activities are to be set up (global and local). This is a feature that surprised me even more. Well implemented! I finally rolled it out to a small group and then the entire team. The time reporting is now fully implemented within 2 months from first idea to fully operational.
Then the demands grow with the possibilities: I purchased a few plugins and these were installed as simple as the main software. Then, when I had even more requests that I didn’t find an answer by plugins, I reached out to the developer Kevin asking for help with changing a report and he simply answered to consider this for the entire software, not just a module for me. It may be within some of the next releases.
In summary, Kimai is a flexible time reporting package with active code, modern, responsive and fast user interface and a fast responding support.
Thanks, Kevin, for this nice software package!
Frank
Roptec GmbHI needed to find a good time tracker on short notice, and wanted it to be EU hosted and open source. Luckily, I found Kimai and have been very happy with it ever since, especially because it is very straightforward and intuitive to use. After using it for my initial project, the Kimai team helped me migrate my data for company use, now allowing us to roll it out for the entire team without losing the original data. Keep up the good work!
Brian Osborn
Linux New MediaAs a freelancer, time keeping is really important. Kimai makes it a breeze doing so. Thanks to the API I can automatically start and stop timings when arriving/leaving my customers' premises. And best of all, it’s from Europe! :-) Thanks for making such a nice software !
Steven Broos
BITSAll 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.