Hamster vs Titra
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hamster | Titra |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 49 · Fair | 79 · Good |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,126 | ★ 498 |
| First released | 2008 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Toggl, RescueTime | Toggl, Harvest, Clockify |
What are Hamster and Titra?
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
Titra
Titra is an open-source time and project tracking tool. It is designed to be fast and simple, offering project management, time entry, and billing reports.
- Fast time entry
- Project and customer tracking
- Billing reports and exports
- Optional integrations
Hamster vs Titra: key differences
Hamster is written in Python, while Titra is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Hamster versus MIT for Titra. Hamster is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Titra. Hamster is the more established project (first released 2008), while Titra arrived in 2019. Hamster has the considerably larger community, at 1,126 GitHub stars versus 498. Titra lists first-class Docker deployment; Hamster does not.
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 Titra if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Hamster or Titra 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 Hamster and Titra free and open-source?
Yes. Hamster is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Titra under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hamster and Titra with Docker?
Hamster: check the project docs for container support. Titra: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Hamster or Titra?
Hamster has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Titra. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.