TimeTagger vs Toggl
We give TimeTagger a 3.4 GPA and Toggl a 3.6, out of 4.0. TimeTagger grades higher on value for money. Toggl grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TimeTagger
Open-source time tracker built on tags and a timeline
Toggl
Team time tracker with billing reports and capacity planning
How we grade them
| 3.4GPATimeTaggerVery good | 3.6GPATogglExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe hosted basic plan is €3 a month billed annually, or €4 monthly, VAT included. That's well under what time trackers usually cost. There's a Lifetime plan too, at €144 once, for the same service. | BStarter is $9 a user a month billed annually, about what time trackers usually cost, and it brings billable rates and team reports. Monthly billing is $12, though. And timesheet approvals, profitability reports, Jira and Asana need Premium at $16, or $24 monthly. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree only if you host it. The open-source app costs nothing on your own server. The hosted service has no free tier, just a 14-day trial with no card, and after that you need a subscription to keep adding records. | AFree for up to 3 users, with manual and real-time timers, focus mode, Google and Outlook Calendar, and tasks on boards. A freelancer or a tiny team could stay on it. Billable rates and team-level reports start on Starter. |
| Features | AIt's a small tool for one person, and it does that job fully. Records sit on a timeline you can zoom and drag, any word starting with # becomes a tag, and the report button makes a PDF or CSV for any period. Targets and a Pomodoro mode are in there too. No projects, though. Tags do that work. | AStart a timer, log hours later or fill in a week at a time, or let it record the apps and sites you used on a private timeline. Then come billable rates, revenue and margin reports, tasks on boards and timelines with estimates, workload reports, and an AI you can ask about your hours. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. On the hosted service it's a web app: drag on the timeline, type a description, add a #tag. Host it yourself and the server, updates, authentication and backups are all yours. | BWe have no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You start a timer or type the hours in afterwards. Idle detection nudges you when the timer's running but your device has gone quiet. |
| Platforms and integrations | BIt's a web app with a documented web API and a command-line tool. It installs from the browser on Android, iOS and desktop, and keeps working offline. But it isn't in the App Store or Google Play, and no integrations are on record. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and a browser extension, with an API, an MCP server and links to Slack, Salesforce, QuickBooks Online, GitHub and both big calendars. No Linux desktop app is listed, and Jira and Asana wait for Premium. |
| Best for | a cheap solo tracker built on tags | team time tracking with planning built in |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: TimeTagger and Toggl. How we grade
Where they differ
- TimeTagger starts at €3 per month, billed annually (€4 billed monthly). Toggl starts at $9 per user / month, billed annually.
- Only Toggl lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Toggl lists a browser extension.
- TimeTagger is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- TimeTagger also covers reports.
- Toggl also covers tasks, kanban boards and Gantt & timelines.
At a glance
| TimeTagger | Toggl | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €3 per month, billed annually (€4 billed monthly) | $9 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | Self-hosted TimeTagger is free and open source (GPLv3). The hosted service at timetagger.app has no free tier: once the 14-day trial ends a subscription is needed to keep adding records. | Free for up to 3 users: manual and real-time timers, focus mode, Google and Outlook Calendar integrations, simple planning with tasks and boards, and personal-level insights. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the hosted service, no card required; a longer trial on request | 30-day free trial of all features, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Almar Klein scientific computing | Toggl |
| Price read from | timetagger.app | toggl.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
TimeTagger
- Freelancers who want a low-cost tracker and PDF reports for clients
- People who prefer tagging entries to setting up projects
- Developers who want to self-host their time data or script it through an API
Toggl
- Agencies and consultancies that bill clients by the hour
- Teams that want time tracking and capacity planning in one tool
- Freelancers and teams of up to 3 who can stay on the free plan
- Employers who want time data without screenshots or keystroke logging
Worth knowing
TimeTagger
- It is not in the App Store or Google Play; on phones it is installed as a web app from the browser.
- The hosted service has no free tier, and after a subscription lapses the app becomes read-only, though data can still be exported.
- Prices are set in euros; the vendor says buyers in most countries pay in their local currency.
- It is aimed at individuals: buying several subscriptions for a team is arranged by email.
Toggl
- The free plan stops at 3 users, and billable rates and team-level reports start on Starter.
- Timesheet approvals, profitability reports, the Jira and Asana integrations and SSO need Premium.
- Monthly billing costs more: $12 instead of $9 per user on Starter and $24 instead of $16 on Premium.
- Desktop apps are listed for Windows and macOS; none is listed for Linux.
Key features
TimeTagger
- Interactive timeline
- Records sit on a timeline that scrolls and zooms from a day to longer ranges. A record is created by dragging on the timeline and edited by dragging its start, its end or the whole block.
- Tags instead of projects
- Any word in a description that starts with # becomes a tag. Tags exist only through the records that use them, can be renamed in bulk, and filter the overview into a breakdown.
- PDF and CSV reports
- The report button builds a table for the selected period and tags. It saves as a PDF for billing clients or as CSV with durations in decimal hours for a spreadsheet.
- Targets and Pomodoro
- Targets can be set and progress followed against them, and a built-in Pomodoro mode structures work into focused sessions.
- Installable and usable offline
- TimeTagger is a progressive web app: it installs from the browser on Android, iOS and desktop, keeps working without a connection and syncs changes when back online.
- Web API and command line
- A documented web API and a separate CLI tool let records be read and timers started from scripts or a terminal. The source is on GitHub and can be run locally or self-hosted.
Toggl
- Timers and manual entries
- Start a timer, log hours afterwards or fill in a week at a time. Idle detection prompts you when the timer is running but the device has gone quiet.
- Automated tracking
- Toggl can record which apps and sites you used and lay them out on a private timeline. You decide which of them become time entries.
- Focus mode and Pomodoro
- Timed work sprints with a Pomodoro timer, plus reminders when logged time is under or over a threshold you set.
- Billing and profitability
- Billable rates by workspace, member or project start on Starter. Premium adds labor costs, fixed fee projects and reports on revenue, cost and margin.
- Capacity and project planning
- Tasks sit on boards, lists, timelines and calendars with estimates against tracked time. Utilization and workload reports account for time off and working hours.
- Toggl AI
- Ask in plain language about hours logged or projects over estimate, or have it log time and create tasks. An MCP server and CLI connect Toggl to Claude, Cursor or Codex.
Plans
TimeTagger
Self-hostedFree
The open-source app (GPLv3) on your own server. You handle hosting, updates, authentication and backups yourself.
Basic plan€3
per month, billed annually (€4 billed monthly), incl. VAT
The hosted service at timetagger.app: no server to manage, an account that syncs across devices, and daily data backups.
Lifetime plan€144
one-time payment, incl. VAT
The same as the basic plan, paid once and used indefinitely.
Toggl
Free$0
Up to 3 users. Timers, focus mode, calendar integrations, tasks and boards with estimates, and personal-level insights.
Starter$9
per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
Billable rates, team-level productivity and revenue reports, timeline views, milestones, and capacity basics such as PTO and public holidays.
Premium$16
per user / month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
Labor cost and profitability reports, fixed fee projects, project dashboards, timesheet approvals, Jira and Asana integrations, and SSO.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Premium plus personalized onboarding, a dedicated customer success manager, custom roles and custom solutions.
Ways to pay less
TimeTagger
- Lifetime license
Lifetime plan for €144
The pricing section offers a Lifetime plan at €144, paid once, with the same service as the basic subscription.
- Annual discount
€1 a month less with annual billing
The basic plan is €3 a month when billed annually, the default. Monthly billing costs €1 more a month, which the vendor attributes to transaction costs.
Toggl
- Annual discount
Up to 33.3% off with annual billing
The pricing page labels annual billing "Save 33.3%" and "4 months free". Premium is $16 per user a month annually against $24 monthly; Starter is $9 against $12, a 25% saving.
