Kimai

Overview

Kimai is a completely free, open-source time tracking software that can be self-hosted, making it an excellent choice for developers, agencies, and privacy-conscious organizations who want complete control over their data.

Core Philosophy

Complete Freedom

• 100% Free: No subscription fees ever
• Open Source: Full access to source code
• Self-Hostable: Deploy on your own servers
• No Vendor Lock-In: Own and control all your data
• Community-Driven: Active development community

Privacy-First

• Data stays on your infrastructure
• No third-party data sharing
• Full GDPR compliance control
• Complete audit trail
• No cloud dependency

Key Features

Time Tracking

Core Capabilities:

• Start/stop timers
• Manual time entry
• Project-based tracking
• Client management
• Activity categorization
• Task-level time logging

Advanced Features:

• Multiple concurrent timers
• Time entry templates
• Recurring tasks
• Time entry locking
• Historical data editing

Project & Client Management

Organization:

• Unlimited projects and clients
• Hierarchical project structure
• Project budgets and time limits
• Client-specific settings
• Custom fields and metadata

Reporting:

• Billable vs non-billable time
• Project time summaries
• Client reports
• Team productivity analysis
• Export to multiple formats

User & Team Features

User Management:

• Unlimited users
• Role-based permissions
• Team assignment
• Individual dashboards
• User-specific rates

Collaboration:

• Team time tracking
• Shared projects
• Comment threads
• Activity logs
• Team calendars

Plugin Ecosystem

Customer Portal Plugin

• Allow clients to view their time entries
• Transparent billing
• Client-specific dashboards
• Time approval workflows

Invoicing

• Generate invoices from tracked time
• Multiple currency support
• Tax calculations
• Custom invoice templates

Additional Plugins

• Expense tracking
• Calendar integration
• Budget monitoring
• Custom reporting
• API extensions

Technical Specifications

Self-Hosting Requirements

Server Requirements:

• PHP 8.1 or higher
• MySQL or PostgreSQL database
• Web server (Apache/Nginx)
• Modern web browser

Deployment Options:

• Traditional server hosting
• Docker containers
• Kubernetes
• Cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• On-premises infrastructure

Integration Capabilities

API:

• RESTful API
• Comprehensive documentation
• Webhook support
• Third-party integrations
• Custom development support

Data Export:

• CSV export
• PDF reports
• Excel compatibility
• JSON data dumps
• Database backups

Use Cases

Software Development Agencies

• Track billable hours per client
• Project time allocation
• Developer productivity metrics
• Client billing transparency

Freelancers & Consultants

• Multiple client management
• Invoice generation
• Work hour documentation
• Completely free solution

Privacy-Conscious Organizations

• Full data control
• On-premises hosting
• No third-party access
• GDPR compliance

Non-Profits & Educational Institutions

• Zero licensing costs
• Unlimited users
• Full feature access
• Community support

Advantages Over SaaS Solutions

Cost Benefits

• Zero ongoing fees
• No per-user charges
• No feature restrictions
• No upgrade costs
• One-time setup only

Data Control

• Complete data ownership
• No vendor access
• Custom backup strategies
• Long-term data retention
• Migration freedom

Customization

• Source code access
• Custom feature development
• Branding customization
• Workflow adaptation
• Plugin development

Community & Support

Community Resources

• Active user forum
• GitHub repository
• Documentation wiki
• Community plugins
• Regular updates

Support Options

• Community support (free)
• Professional support available
• Custom development services
• Training materials
• Video tutorials

Best For

• Development agencies wanting free tracking
• Privacy-focused organizations
• Companies with self-hosting capability
• Budget-conscious teams
• Organizations requiring data sovereignty
• Teams wanting unlimited users
• Open-source advocates

Getting Started

1. Download: Get latest version from kimai.org
2. Install: Deploy on your server
3. Configure: Set up users and projects
4. Customize: Install plugins as needed
5. Track: Start logging time

Pricing

Software: Completely FREE

Costs: Only hosting infrastructure (your choice):

• Shared hosting: $5-20/month
• VPS: $10-50/month
• Cloud instances: Variable
• On-premises: Hardware costs only

No subscription fees, no per-user costs, no feature restrictions