Hamster vs Kimai2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Hamster
Desktop time tracker for individual productivity
VS
Kimai2
Multi-user application for time-tracking with support for mobile
| Feature | Hamster | Kimai2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Time Tracking | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 200 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,127 | ★ 4,871 |
| First released | 2008 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Toggl, RescueTime | Hamster, RescueTime, Toggl Track |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Kimai2 if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Hamster or Kimai2 better?
Neither is universally better. Kimai2 has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hamster and Kimai2 free and open-source?
Yes. Hamster is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Kimai2 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hamster and Kimai2 with Docker?
Hamster: check the project docs for container support. Kimai2: check the project docs for container support.