gtimelog vs Hamster
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
gtimelog
Minimalist time logging desktop application
VS
Hamster
Desktop time tracker for individual productivity
| Feature | gtimelog | Hamster |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 276 | ★ 1,127 |
| First released | 2008 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Toggl | Toggl, RescueTime |
Why pick each one
Choose gtimelog if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
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 gtimelog or Hamster better?
Neither is universally better. Hamster has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are gtimelog and Hamster free and open-source?
Yes. gtimelog is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Hamster under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gtimelog and Hamster with Docker?
gtimelog: check the project docs for container support. Hamster: check the project docs for container support.