TimeCase vs TimeTagger
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
TimeTagger
Tag-based time tracker with an interactive timeline
| Feature | TimeCase | TimeTagger |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 0 · At risk | 71 · Good |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21 | ★ 1,789 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Clockify, Toggl | Toggl, Harvest |
What are TimeCase and TimeTagger?
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
TimeTagger
TimeTagger is an open-source time tracking app with an interactive timeline interface. Records are organized with hashtags, making reporting fast and flexible.
- Interactive timeline view
- Hashtag-based organization
- Live reporting
- Works offline as a PWA
TimeCase vs TimeTagger: key differences
TimeCase is written in PHP, while TimeTagger is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for TimeCase versus GPL-3.0 for TimeTagger. TimeTagger is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for TimeCase. TimeTagger has the considerably larger community, at 1,789 GitHub stars versus 21.
Why pick each one
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
Choose TimeTagger if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is TimeCase or TimeTagger better?
TimeTagger 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 TimeCase and TimeTagger free and open-source?
Yes. TimeCase is licensed under MIT and TimeTagger under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run TimeCase and TimeTagger with Docker?
TimeCase: yes. TimeTagger: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, TimeCase or TimeTagger?
TimeTagger has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for TimeCase. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.