Hamster vs Solidtime
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Solidtime
Modern open-source time tracker for teams
| Feature | Hamster | Solidtime |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 49 · Fair | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,126 | ★ 8,929 |
| First released | 2008 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Toggl, RescueTime | Toggl, Clockify, Harvest |
What are Hamster and Solidtime?
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
Solidtime
Solidtime is a modern, open-source time tracking application built for freelancers and agencies. It supports projects, clients, billable rates, and team reporting.
- Project and client billing rates
- Team time reporting
- Modern responsive UI
- REST API
Hamster vs Solidtime: key differences
Hamster is written in Python, while Solidtime is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Hamster versus AGPL-3.0 for Solidtime. Hamster is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Solidtime. Hamster is the more established project (first released 2008), while Solidtime arrived in 2024. Solidtime has the considerably larger community, at 8,929 GitHub stars versus 1,126. Solidtime 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 Solidtime if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8.9k GitHub stars
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Hamster or Solidtime better?
Neither is universally better. Solidtime has the larger community, while Hamster is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Hamster and Solidtime free and open-source?
Yes. Hamster is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Solidtime under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hamster and Solidtime with Docker?
Hamster: check the project docs for container support. Solidtime: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Hamster or Solidtime?
Hamster has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Solidtime. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.