Self-Hosted Alternatives to Clockify

Why Replace Clockify?

Clockify’s free tier is generous — unlimited users and projects. But the free version lacks invoicing, budgeting, project templates, and detailed reports. The Pro plan costs $7.99/user/month, and Enterprise reaches $11.99/user/month. For a 10-person team, that’s $80-120/month for time tracking alone.

Updated February 2026: Verified with latest Docker images and configurations.

Beyond cost, Clockify stores all your time data on their servers. If you’re a consulting firm, agency, or freelancer, your billable hours are the foundation of your revenue. Self-hosting gives you complete ownership, offline access, and no risk of losing data if Clockify changes pricing or shuts down.

Best Alternatives

Kimai — Best Overall Replacement

Kimai is a full-featured time tracking application with project management, team administration, invoicing, and reporting. It supports multiple users with configurable permissions, making it the closest self-hosted equivalent to Clockify’s team features.

Key advantages over Clockify:

• Unlimited users and projects at no cost
• Built-in invoicing (no Pro plan needed)
• Activity and project-based tracking
• Customizable reports with export to CSV, PDF, and XLSX
• REST API for integrations

Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Kimai

TimeTagger — Best for Individual Use

TimeTagger takes a different approach with tag-based tracking and an interactive timeline view. Instead of creating projects and activities, you tag time entries with #hashtags. This makes it faster for solo users who don’t need team management.

Key advantages over Clockify:

• Tag-based tracking is faster than project hierarchies
• No database required — runs on SQLite
• Uses under 100 MB RAM
• Drag-and-drop timeline for editing entries

Read our full guide: How to Self-Host TimeTagger

Traggo — Best Lightweight Option

Traggo is a single-binary time tracker with tag-based organization. It’s even simpler than TimeTagger, with a minimal web UI and Go backend that uses almost no resources.

Key advantages over Clockify:

• Single binary, no dependencies
• Tag-based tracking
• Dashboard with time summaries and charts
• Uses under 30 MB RAM

Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Traggo

Migration Guide

Clockify exports time entries as CSV. Here’s how to migrate:

1. Export from Clockify: Go to Reports → Detailed → Export → CSV
2. Import to Kimai: Use Kimai’s CSV import plugin or the REST API to create time entries programmatically
3. Import to TimeTagger: TimeTagger doesn’t have a direct CSV import, but you can use its API to create entries from a migration script

What transfers:

• Time entries (start, end, description, project)
• Tags (map Clockify projects to tags)

What doesn’t transfer:

• Client and project hierarchy (must be recreated)
• Team member assignments
• Invoices and archived reports

Cost Comparison

	Clockify (10 users)	Self-Hosted Kimai
Monthly cost (Pro)	$79.90/month	$0 (your server)
Annual cost	$958.80/year	~$60/year (VPS share)
3-year cost	$2,876.40	~$180
Users included	10	Unlimited
Invoicing	Pro plan only	Included
Data ownership	Clockify’s servers	Your server
Offline access	No	Yes (on your network)

For individual users, Clockify’s free tier is hard to beat. But once you need team features, invoicing, or data privacy, self-hosting saves money from month one.

What You Give Up

• Mobile apps: Clockify has polished iOS and Android apps. Kimai has a mobile-responsive web UI but no native apps. TimeTagger works well on mobile browsers.
• Browser extension: Clockify’s Chrome/Firefox extensions for tracking from any website. Kimai has a Chrome extension community plugin.
• Integrations: Clockify integrates with 80+ tools natively. Self-hosted tools use REST APIs — you may need to build integrations yourself or use automation tools like n8n.
• Zero setup: Clockify works immediately after signup. Self-hosting requires 15-30 minutes of Docker setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kimai really free for unlimited users?

Yes. Kimai is open-source (MIT license) with no per-user fees, no feature gates, and no hidden limits. Install it on a $5/month VPS and add 50 users — cost stays $5/month. The only paid option is Kimai Cloud (hosted by the developer), which is separate from the self-hosted version.

Can I track time across multiple clients and projects like Clockify?

Kimai supports a Customer → Project → Activity hierarchy. Each time entry belongs to a specific customer, project, and activity. You can set different hourly rates per customer, per project, or per user-project combination. Reports filter by any dimension. This matches Clockify’s workspace/project model with more granularity.

Does Kimai have a Clockify-style browser extension for tracking?

Kimai has a community-built Chrome extension that adds a timer button to your browser toolbar. It’s simpler than Clockify’s extension (no deep integration with third-party tools), but handles start/stop timing and quick entry creation. For more advanced tracking, use Kimai’s REST API with n8n to build custom integrations.

How do I generate reports for clients from self-hosted time tracking?

Kimai includes built-in reporting with export to CSV, PDF, and XLSX. Filter by date range, customer, project, user, or tag. For invoicing, Kimai generates invoices from tracked time entries with customizable templates — select a date range, pick a customer, and create a branded PDF invoice. No Pro plan upgrade needed like Clockify requires.

Can TimeTagger or Traggo handle team time tracking?

TimeTagger and Traggo are designed for individual use. They support multiple users but lack team management features (role-based permissions, approval workflows, team reports). For teams of 2+, Kimai is the right choice. For solo freelancers who want speed over structure, TimeTagger’s hashtag-based tracking is faster than any project-based tool.

What’s the migration path from Clockify to Kimai?

Export your Clockify data as CSV from Reports → Detailed → Export. Use Kimai’s REST API to import entries programmatically — map Clockify’s project/task fields to Kimai’s project/activity hierarchy. Client records and team permissions need manual recreation. Community migration scripts exist on GitHub. Budget 30-60 minutes for a typical migration.

Can I access self-hosted time tracking on my phone?

Kimai’s web interface is fully responsive and works well in mobile browsers. Add it to your home screen as a PWA for an app-like experience. TimeTagger also works in mobile browsers with touch-optimized controls. The main gap vs Clockify: no offline time tracking — you need an internet connection to your server to start/stop timers.

Related

• Best Self-Hosted Time Tracking Tools
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to Toggl
• How to Self-Host Kimai
• How to Self-Host TimeTagger
• How to Self-Host Traggo
• Kimai vs Traggo