TimeTracker vs TimeTagger
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
TimeTracker
Self-hosted web-based time tracking for teams
VS
TimeTagger
Tag-based time tracker with an interactive timeline
| Feature | TimeTracker | TimeTagger |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 71 · Good |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 628 | ★ 1,789 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Toggl, Harvest | Toggl, Harvest |
What are TimeTracker and TimeTagger?
TimeTracker
TimeTracker is a self-hosted web-based time tracking application for freelancers, teams, and businesses. It manages projects, logs billable time, and generates invoices, keeping all data under your control.
- Project-based time logging
- Invoice generation
- Multi-user accounts
- Self-hosted data control
TimeTagger
TimeTagger is an open-source time tracking app with an interactive timeline interface. Records are organized with hashtags, making reporting fast and flexible.
- Interactive timeline view
- Hashtag-based organization
- Live reporting
- Works offline as a PWA
TimeTracker vs TimeTagger: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — MIT for TimeTracker versus GPL-3.0 for TimeTagger. TimeTagger is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for TimeTracker. TimeTagger is the more established project (first released 2021), while TimeTracker arrived in 2024. TimeTagger has the considerably larger community, at 1,789 GitHub stars versus 628.
Why pick each one
Choose TimeTracker if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose TimeTagger if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is TimeTracker or TimeTagger better?
TimeTagger is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider TimeTracker if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are TimeTracker and TimeTagger free and open-source?
Yes. TimeTracker is licensed under MIT and TimeTagger under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run TimeTracker and TimeTagger with Docker?
TimeTracker: yes. TimeTagger: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, TimeTracker or TimeTagger?
TimeTagger has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for TimeTracker. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.