Ever Teams vs Hamster
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Ever Teams | Hamster |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 49 · Fair |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 585 | ★ 1,126 |
| First released | 2022 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Hubstaff, Toggl | Toggl, RescueTime |
What are Ever Teams and Hamster?
Ever Teams
Ever Teams is an open-source work time tracking and team management application for productivity-focused organizations. It records hours against tasks and projects with timer modes and team activity views.
- Task-based time tracking
- Team activity view
- Timer modes
- Productivity reports
Hamster
Hamster is a free desktop time tracking application that helps individuals record how long they spend on activities. It groups entries by category and produces simple overviews and exports of tracked time.
- Activity categorization
- Daily and weekly overviews
- Local SQLite storage
- Export to common formats
Ever Teams vs Hamster: key differences
Ever Teams is written in TypeScript, while Hamster is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Ever Teams versus GPL-3.0 for Hamster. Hamster is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Ever Teams. Hamster is the more established project (first released 2008), while Ever Teams arrived in 2022. Ever Teams lists first-class Docker deployment; Hamster does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Ever Teams if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Hamster if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Ever Teams or Hamster better?
Hamster is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Ever Teams if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ever Teams and Hamster free and open-source?
Yes. Ever Teams is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Hamster under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ever Teams and Hamster with Docker?
Ever Teams: yes. Hamster: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Ever Teams or Hamster?
Hamster has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Ever Teams. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.