Hamster vs Traggo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hamster | Traggo |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,126 | ★ 1,632 |
| First released | 2008 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Toggl, RescueTime | Toggl, Clockify |
What are Hamster and Traggo?
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
Traggo
Traggo is a tag-based time tracking tool. Instead of fixed projects and tasks, every tracked entry is described by tags, giving flexible reporting and analysis.
- Tag-based time entries
- Flexible custom dashboards
- Single binary deployment
- Lightweight resource usage
Hamster vs Traggo: key differences
Hamster is written in Python, while Traggo is built with Go. Hamster is the more established project (first released 2008), while Traggo arrived in 2019. Traggo 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 Traggo if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Hamster or Traggo better?
Neither is universally better. Traggo has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hamster and Traggo free and open-source?
Yes. Hamster is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Traggo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hamster and Traggo with Docker?
Hamster: check the project docs for container support. Traggo: yes.