Kaneo vs Kimai2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted project management & tasks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Kaneo
Project management platform focused on simplicity and efficiency
VS
Kimai2
Multi-user application for time-tracking with support for mobile
| Feature | Kaneo | Kimai2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 200 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,637 | ★ 4,871 |
| First released | 2026 | 2023 |
| Replaces | — | Hamster, RescueTime, Toggl Track |
Why pick each one
Choose Kaneo if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7.6k GitHub stars
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 Kaneo or Kimai2 better?
Neither is universally better. Kaneo has the larger community, while Kimai2 is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Kaneo and Kimai2 free and open-source?
Yes. Kaneo is licensed under MIT and Kimai2 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kaneo and Kimai2 with Docker?
Kaneo: yes. Kimai2: check the project docs for container support.