Kimai
Open-source time tracking for teams and freelancers
Founded
2006
Starting Price
Free
Category
Time Tracking
Last updated March 8, 2026
About Kimai
Kimai is a free and open-source time tracking application designed for freelancers, agencies, and organizations. It combines time tracking, expense management, and invoicing in one web-based tool, with support for unlimited users and self-hosting or cloud deployment.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Completely free and open-source with self-hosting option
- No user limits — scales from freelancers to large organizations
- Built-in invoicing eliminates need for separate billing software
- Strong data privacy with on-premise deployment
- Active development and extensive plugin ecosystem
Key Features
Time Tracking
Track work time with start/stop timers or manual entry, with support for parallel time recordings
Expense Tracking
Log project expenses alongside time entries for complete cost visibility
Invoicing
Generate invoices from tracked time with configurable templates in PDF, DOCX, and other formats
Reporting & Exports
Detailed reports on time spent by user, customer, project, or activity with export to Excel and CSV
Multi-User & Roles
Unlimited users with customizable permission structures and role-based access control
API & Integrations
Extensive JSON API for external apps, custom integrations, and plugin-based extensibility
Self-Hosting
Full on-premise deployment option for complete data control and privacy
Pricing
Self-Hosted
Free
- Unlimited users
- Full feature set
- Community support
- Plugin system
- Self-managed hosting
Best For
Freelancer Time Billing
Track billable hours per client and generate professional invoices directly from time entries
Agency Project Management
Monitor team time across multiple clients and projects with role-based access for managers and staff
Privacy-Conscious Organizations
Self-host time tracking to keep sensitive employee and client data fully under your control
Non-Profit Time Reporting
Track volunteer and staff hours for grant reporting at a fraction of commercial tool pricing
