TimeCase vs timetrace
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | TimeCase | timetrace |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 0 · At risk | 13 · At risk |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21 | ★ 794 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Clockify, Toggl | Clockify, Toggl |
What are TimeCase and timetrace?
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
timetrace
timetrace is a simple command-line time tracker that records hours spent on projects and tasks directly from the terminal. It stores records as local files and produces reports for billing and review.
- Terminal-based tracking
- Local file storage
- Project and task records
- Reporting commands
TimeCase vs timetrace: key differences
TimeCase is written in PHP, while timetrace is built with Go. Licensing differs — MIT for TimeCase versus GPL-3.0 for timetrace. Timetrace is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for TimeCase. Timetrace has the considerably larger community, at 794 GitHub stars versus 21. TimeCase lists first-class Docker deployment; timetrace does not.
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 timetrace if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is TimeCase or timetrace better?
timetrace 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 timetrace free and open-source?
Yes. TimeCase is licensed under MIT and timetrace under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run TimeCase and timetrace with Docker?
TimeCase: yes. timetrace: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, TimeCase or timetrace?
timetrace 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.