The Kimai Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Kimai in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Kimai
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source time tracking with invoicing, self-hosted or cloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among time tracking apps, read from Kimai’s own pages.
Made by Kevin Papst · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Kimai’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Kimai’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 8 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade
Kimai is an open-source, browser-based time tracker for project work. Time is recorded against customers, projects and activities, then analyzed in reports, exported, or turned into invoices from configurable templates. It can be installed on your own server at no cost under the AGPL 3 license, or used as Kimai Cloud, a paid service hosted in Germany and operated by the same developer.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Kimai, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Hosting it yourself needs SSH access to a server.
- 1
Best for open-source time tracking with invoices
It runs in the browser only, and any phone or desktop app is made by somebody else.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $3.35 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: €2.99 per user / month, billed annually (€3.99 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Self-hosted Kimai is free and open source (AGPL 3) with unlimited users, customers and projects. Extras such as expenses, custom fields and kiosk mode are paid plugins. The Kimai Cloud pricing page lists no free plan.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Project time tracking
Time is recorded against customers, projects and activities, with budgets and order numbers on projects. Every installation supports unlimited users with roles.
- 6
Invoicing
Invoices are created from timesheets with configurable templates and invoice numbers, grouping options for entries, and output formats such as PDF and DOCX.
- 7
Reports and exports
Recorded time is analyzed by user, customer, project, activity, tag and period. Timesheets export as XLSX, PDF, CSV or HTML, and exported records can be locked.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 8 of 42
That is against the other time tracking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Kimai you could make: time tracking, invoicing and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Kimai at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from €2.99 per user / month, billed annually (€3.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Kimai Cloud
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Kevin Papst, since 2006
- Category
- Time Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for open-source time tracking with invoices
Kimai is open-source time tracking with invoicing: host it yourself for nothing, or pay from €2.99 a user for the cloud version run by the same developer in Germany. It runs in the browser only, and any phone or desktop app is made by somebody else. Self-hosting needs a server and SSH, extras like expenses are paid plugins, nothing tracks by itself, and the cloud has no free plan after its 30-day trial.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Cloud Standard is €2.99 a user a month billed annually, or €3.99 monthly, and invoicing, exports and the API are already in it. That puts it in the cheaper quarter of the category. Professional is €3.99. Prices are in euros and exclude taxes. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free only if you host it. The open-source edition costs nothing on your own server, with unlimited users, customers and projects, and one person can stay on it. Extras like expenses are paid plugins, and Kimai Cloud has no free plan, just a 30-day trial. |
| Features | C | Time goes against customers, projects and activities, with budgets, reports, exports and invoices from your own templates, plus teams, roles and SAML login. But nothing tracks by itself, and on the self-hosted edition expenses, custom fields and kiosk mode are plugins you buy, expenses at €99. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. On the cloud it's a web app you sign in to, but it's one where you build the thing: customers, projects, activities and invoice templates before any of it reports. Hosting it yourself needs SSH access to a server. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A browser, and that's it from Kimai itself. There's a JSON API and a short list of links, GrandTotal, Bexio and VS Code, but every phone and desktop app on its integrations page is made by somebody else, and some of them cost money. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Kimai is for
- Fits if you want your time tracking data on a server you control
- Works for freelancers and agencies who invoice clients straight from timesheets
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want an official phone or desktop app, because Kimai itself only runs in the browser
- Not for you if you want a free hosted plan, as the cloud gives a 30-day trial and nothing after
- Tight if you self-host and need expenses, custom fields or kiosk mode, since they're paid plugins, expenses at €99
- Watch out: cloud prices are in euros before tax, and on Professional kiosk mode and SAML show only with annual billing
- Too light for automatic tracking, since nothing records by itself
Good to know
Good for
- Teams that want to host their own time tracking data
- Freelancers and agencies invoicing clients from timesheets
- Organizations that need EU hosting and open-source code
Worth knowing
- Cloud prices are in euros and exclude taxes; the pricing page lists no free cloud plan, only a 30-day trial.
- On Cloud Professional, kiosk mode, SAML single sign-on, a custom domain and IP access restriction are shown only with annual billing.
- Kimai runs in the browser; the mobile and desktop apps on its integrations page are made by third parties, and some are paid.
- Self-hosting needs SSH access to a server, and plugins such as expenses (99 €) are bought separately.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$3.35
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Kimai has a free plan. Paid plans start at €2.99 per user / month, billed annually (€3.99 billed monthly).
That puts it in the cheaper quarter of the category.
Self-hosted
Free
The open-source edition on your own server, installed with Docker or over SSH. Community support; some features are paid plugins.
Cloud Standard
€2.99
per user / month, billed annually (€3.99 billed monthly)
Hosted time tracking with billable hours, invoicing, data export, audit logs, the JSON API, 5 invoice templates and weekly backups.
Cloud Professional
€3.99
per user / month, billed annually (€4.99 billed monthly)
Adds working hour accounts, vacation and sick leave, expenses, custom fields, task management, a customer portal and daily backups.
The free plan
Self-hosted Kimai is free and open source (AGPL 3) with unlimited users, customers and projects. Extras such as expenses, custom fields and kiosk mode are paid plugins. The Kimai Cloud pricing page lists no free plan.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of Kimai Cloud
Read from kimai.org on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
20 to 25% off Kimai Cloud with annual billing
Kimai's discount page says paid cloud plans cost 20 to 25% less when paid annually: Standard is €2.99 against €3.99 a month, and Professional €3.99 against €4.99.
Stated on kimai.orgNonprofit
Discounted annual cloud plan for nonprofits
Nonprofits, schools and clubs that register with an official email address and message support get a reduced annual cloud plan after a manual review.
Stated on kimai.org
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source time tracking with invoicing, self-hosted or cloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, time tracking, invoicing, reports.
A browser, and that's it from Kimai itself.
- Project time tracking
- Time is recorded against customers, projects and activities, with budgets and order numbers on projects. Every installation supports unlimited users with roles.
- Invoicing
- Invoices are created from timesheets with configurable templates and invoice numbers, grouping options for entries, and output formats such as PDF and DOCX.
- Reports and exports
- Recorded time is analyzed by user, customer, project, activity, tag and period. Timesheets export as XLSX, PDF, CSV or HTML, and exported records can be locked.
- Teams and permissions
- Teams group users into units such as departments. Assigning customers and projects to a team limits who can see and record time on them.
- Login and security
- Supports LDAP and SAML login through providers such as Google Workspace, Azure AD or Authentik, plus optional two-factor authentication with TOTP tokens.
- JSON API and plugins
- A JSON API reads and writes data for external apps. Plugins add functions such as expenses, task planning and a kiosk mode with barcode or RFID scanning.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- GrandTotal
- Bexio
- VS Code
- Google Workspace
- Azure AD
Kimai is made by Kevin Papst, and has been around since 2006.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/42
Other time tracking apps it is graded above
Kimai's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 8 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 29 of 42) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at about $3.35 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.55 for the category: 3 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 43 time tracking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Kimai’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 26 of 42
- BFree plan and trialAbove 29 of 42
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 42
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 42
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 42
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 39 time tracking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Kimai is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Kimai you could make: time tracking, invoicing and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 24 of the 42 other time tracking apps grade higher. It costs $40.21 a year. Kimai is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Time tracking, invoicing and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, GrandTotal, Bexio and VS Code among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on and roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Kimai’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
solidtime, TimeTagger, Clockify, Toggl and Harvest
The 5 tools Kimai is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
solidtime
Free plan · from €8/mo
Open-source time tracker for freelancers and teams.
- Only solidtime lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only solidtime lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
TimeTagger
Free plan · from €3/mo
Open-source time tracker built on tags and a timeline.
- Kimai also covers invoicing.
- TimeTagger also covers Pomodoro timer.
- 3.2GPA
Clockify
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
Team time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users.
- Only Clockify lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Clockify lists a browser extension.
- Kimai is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Toggl
Free plan · from $9/mo
Team time tracker with billing reports and capacity planning.
- Only Toggl lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Toggl lists a browser extension.
- Kimai is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Harvest
Free plan · from $9/mo
Time tracking that turns logged hours into client invoices.
- Only Harvest lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Harvest lists a browser extension.
- Kimai is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Kimai free?
Kimai has a free plan. Self-hosted Kimai is free and open source (AGPL 3) with unlimited users, customers and projects.
How much does Kimai cost?
Kimai lists 3 plans. Self-hosted: Free.
What platforms does Kimai work on?
Kimai is available on Web.
Does Kimai offer any discounts?
Kimai publicly lists the following: 20 to 25% off Kimai Cloud with annual billing; Discounted annual cloud plan for nonprofits.
Does Kimai have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Kimai is listed for Web.
Does Kimai have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Kimai is listed for Web.
Is Kimai open source?
Yes. Kimai is open source, according to its own site.
Does Kimai have an API?
Yes. Kimai offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Kimai integrate with?
Kimai's listing names GrandTotal, Bexio, VS Code, Google Workspace and Azure AD.
Does Kimai have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of Kimai Cloud.
Who makes Kimai?
Kimai is made by Kevin Papst. It dates from 2006.
What are the alternatives to Kimai?
The closest alternatives to Kimai in our directory are solidtime, TimeTagger, Clockify, Toggl and Harvest.
How does Kimai compare with other time tracking apps?
Kimai's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 8 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 10.
Is Kimai good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Kimai B for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $3.35 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.55 for the category: 3 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Kimai?
The plain part of Kimai you could make: time tracking, invoicing and reports.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Kimai’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kimai's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-05.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Kevin Papst. Prices change, so check kimai.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Kimai, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/kimai
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Kimai: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/kimai
Know someone choosing between time tracking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/kimai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded time tracking apps after Kimai, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Time Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 43 time tracking apps we grade, compared
- Jibble Insider's GuideFree time clock and attendance tracker with GPS and face recognition3.4 GPA
- Clockify Insider's GuideTeam time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users3.2 GPA
- TimeCamp Insider's GuideTime tracking with attendance, billing and a free plan for any team3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Kimai’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Kimai is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Kevin Papst. Prices and plans change: check kimai.org before you buy.