Timewarrior vs TimeCase
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Timewarrior | TimeCase |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 0 · At risk |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | C++ | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,663 | ★ 21 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Toggl | Clockify, Toggl |
What are Timewarrior and TimeCase?
Timewarrior
Timewarrior is a command-line time tracking utility that records start and stop times of tracked activities. It offers flexible tagging, reports, and analytics for personal productivity.
- Pure command-line workflow
- Tag-based tracking
- Flexible reports and charts
- Integrates with Taskwarrior
TimeCase
TimeCase is a free, open-source, self-hosted time tracking web application for recording hours against projects and clients. It provides reporting to review how time is spent over a period.
- Project and client time logging
- Time reports
- Multi-user support
- Self-hosted deployment
Timewarrior vs TimeCase: key differences
Timewarrior is written in C++, while TimeCase is built with PHP. Timewarrior is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for TimeCase. Timewarrior is the more established project (first released 2016), while TimeCase arrived in 2020. Timewarrior has the considerably larger community, at 1,663 GitHub stars versus 21. TimeCase lists first-class Docker deployment; Timewarrior does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Timewarrior if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose TimeCase if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Timewarrior or TimeCase better?
Timewarrior is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider TimeCase if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Timewarrior and TimeCase free and open-source?
Yes. Timewarrior is licensed under MIT and TimeCase under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Timewarrior and TimeCase with Docker?
Timewarrior: check the project docs for container support. TimeCase: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Timewarrior or TimeCase?
Timewarrior has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for TimeCase. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.