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.

Features

JSON API

Featuring an extensive JSON API for reading and writing data, so external apps and custom tools can communicate with Kimai.

Customer Portal

Share client and project statistics and timesheets with anyone using a secret URL, optionally password protected.

Teams

Teams connects users into logical groups, like departments. Limit access to data by assigning customers and projects to your teams.

SAML

Log in and register users with SAML via your existing SSO identity provider, like Google Workspace, Authentik or Azure Active Directory.

Invoicing

Configurable invoice templates, options for entry grouping, configurable invoice numbers, and multiple formats like PDF and DOCX.

Reports and analyses

Analysis of recorded times by users, customers, projects, activities, tags, time periods and more.

Toggl 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.

Super fast response from support with efficient assistance. Simply MEGA! Thank you very much!

mj

EquiCon GmbH

I don’t need to write much: Great software, friendly and fast support!

Ulrich Eckermann

ipm intranet projekt management gmbh

We have been extremely satisfied users of Kimai for over a year now. Runs reliably and stably, sufficient range of features, easy to use and above all 1-A support - fast, friendly and above all technically competent 😎👍

Stefan Möhrle

corewire GmbH

I really like Kimai, it’s free it is working really well and you can use API! 😍💖💖 You can deploy it just in minutes!!!

Oskar

Kimai combines usability and high data protection standards - a rare find in project management tools. Easy to setup and use right away, with many options for adapting it to specific needs and processes. One tip for first-users: Projects have to be set up in Administration in order to be able to start time tracking - so far that’s the only thing that got me searching.

Great work!

Meredith

Project Manager

We have been using KIMAI for many years, previously self-hosted at an internet provider, and for some time now in the cloud. The data model fits our business field perfectly, in which we bill certain projects based on effort and others at a fixed price (budgeted). Both billing models are supported by KIMAI. For budgeted projects, we keep track of the respective consumption of time and costs in relation to the budget (burndown). For time-and-materials projects, we export all billable hours along with the stored hourly rates monthly or quarterly as a basis for the invoices, which we create with another invoicing/accounting software.

In addition to what I consider a very practical data model and the logical structure, the cloud solution is also very well designed in terms of look and feel, modern and intuitive to use. I find everything where I expect it to be. Numerous small features, such as hiding columns or the filter options, make work easier. In addition, a great deal is configurable, so I am not forced to adapt my processes to KIMAI; instead, I can adapt KIMAI to my needs.

Support responds very quickly. I have also been able to submit several suggestions that were actually implemented promptly. I have not yet experienced such implementation strength with any other provider of cloud solutions.

Out of conviction and free of charge, I have shown KIMAI to befriended business partners from completely different industries, recommended it to them, and supported them in setting it up.

From my point of view, an absolute recommendation, very professional and well thought out. You can tell from the software its maturity and from the manufacturer the experience in this field.

J. Setzer

bizzworxx data expert

Pulse of Europe e.V. is a citizens’ movement dedicated to European unity. We rely on many small and micro-donations. Before every new issue, I ask myself: Can I justify this to our donors? With Kimai, the answer is a resounding “YES”: Not only the generosity toward NGOs and the lightning-fast, always helpful support, but also the ease of use and the range of features justify this decision to use Kimai every single day.

Wolf Peter K.

Pulse of Europe e.V.

All 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

Install

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 :

Get started

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 :

Open source software

Available on-premises

Available in the cloud

Server location

Your choice

Hetzner Cloud
Germany (Falkenstein)

USA

Max. customers

Unlimited

Max. projects

Unlimited

Max. activities

Unlimited

JSON API

Invoicing

Data export

SAML

Support

Forum (GitHub)

Email, Forum

Backups

Daily

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

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.

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toggl track alternative

Kimai vs toggl track: Which time tracking software fits your team best in 2026?