Clockify
Time tracking and timesheets for teams and freelancers
Kimai
Professional open-source time-tracking for freelancers and teams
Web-based multi-user time-tracking application with invoicing, budgets, advanced reporting, and multi-language support. Self-hosted or cloud-deployed for freelancers and organizations.
Overview
Professional Time-Tracking for Modern Teams
Kimai is a feature-rich time-tracking application designed to serve freelancers, small businesses, and large organizations with hundreds of users. Built on Symfony and PHP, it delivers enterprise-grade capabilities through a responsive web interface that supports over 30 languages and multiple timezones.
Core Capabilities
The platform handles complete project time management with multi-timer and punch-in/punch-out modes, customizable user and project-specific rates, and comprehensive budget tracking for both time and money. Teams benefit from flexible role-based permissions, customer and project hierarchies, and advanced filtering across all time entries. Authentication options include SAML, LDAP, and database providers, with optional two-factor authentication for enhanced security.
Deployment & Integration
Kimai ships with a JSON API for integrations and supports plugin extensions for custom functionality. Self-hosting requires PHP 8.1.3+, MariaDB or MySQL, and standard PHP extensions. Docker images and various deployment guides cover Caddy, Apache, and cloud platforms. Organizations preferring managed solutions can opt for the official Kimai Cloud service. The project maintains active development with regular releases every few weeks.
Highlights
Multi-user time-tracking with invoicing, data exports, and advanced reporting
Customizable rates, budgets, and role-based team permissions
SAML/LDAP authentication with two-factor authentication (TOTP)
JSON API, plugin marketplace, and 30+ language translations
Pros
- Comprehensive feature set rivals commercial time-tracking platforms
- Flexible deployment options including Docker and self-hosted configurations
- Active development with regular releases and community input
- Extensive authentication options and enterprise-grade security features
Considerations
- Requires PHP expertise and server infrastructure for self-hosting
- Subdirectory installations not supported, requires subdomain or root domain
- AGPL-3.0 license requires source disclosure for modified versions
- Learning curve for advanced features like custom rates and team permissions
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Fit guide
Great for
- Freelancers needing client invoicing and project-based time tracking
- Companies requiring multi-user time management with role-based access
- Organizations with SAML/LDAP infrastructure seeking integrated authentication
- Teams wanting self-hosted solutions with full data control
Not ideal when
- Users seeking simple personal time-tracking without multi-user features
- Organizations unable to host PHP applications or manage server infrastructure
- Teams requiring subdirectory deployment on shared domains
- Projects needing permissive licensing for proprietary modifications
How teams use it
Freelance Client Billing
Track billable hours across multiple clients with custom rates, generate professional invoices, and export time reports for transparent client communication.
Agency Project Management
Monitor team capacity across concurrent projects, enforce time and money budgets, and produce detailed reports for stakeholder updates and profitability analysis.
Enterprise Resource Planning
Integrate with existing LDAP/SAML infrastructure, manage hundreds of users with granular permissions, and maintain compliance through secure two-factor authentication.
Remote Team Coordination
Enable distributed teams to log hours across multiple timezones, use punch-in/punch-out for shift tracking, and consolidate data for payroll processing.
Tech snapshot
PHP85%
Twig10%
JavaScript4%
SCSS1%
CSS1%
Dockerfile1%
Frequently asked questions
What are the minimum server requirements for self-hosting Kimai?
Kimai requires PHP 8.1.3 or higher (supports 8.2, 8.3, 8.4), MariaDB or MySQL database, a webserver with subdomain or root domain, and standard PHP extensions including gd, intl, mbstring, pdo, and xml.
Can Kimai handle multiple users and teams?
Yes, Kimai is designed for multi-user environments ranging from individual freelancers to companies with hundreds of users. It includes customizable role-based permissions, team management, and multi-timezone support.
Does Kimai support invoicing and billing?
Kimai includes built-in invoicing capabilities with support for user, customer, and project-specific rates. It can generate invoices and export time data for billing purposes.
What authentication methods does Kimai support?
Kimai supports database authentication, SAML, and LDAP integration. It also offers two-factor authentication (2FA) using TOTP for enhanced security.
Is there a managed cloud option instead of self-hosting?
Yes, Kimai offers an official cloud-hosted version at Kimai Cloud for users who prefer not to manage their own infrastructure.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 4,371
- Watchers
- 4,371
- Forks
- 719
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age9 years old
Last commit3 days ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languagePHP
Last synced 4 hours ago