Everhour vs Kimai
Everhour is time tracking that lives inside your project management tool, while Kimai is open-source time tracking application that you can self-host. The biggest difference up front: Kimai is free, while Everhour starts at $8.50/user/mo. Everhour is built for teams already using asana, jira, or trello who want integrated time tracking, whereas Kimai targets teams that want full control over their time tracking data via self-hosting.
At a glance
| Everhour | Kimai | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams already using Asana, Jira, or Trello who want integrated time tracking | Teams that want full control over their time tracking data via self-hosting |
| Starting price | $8.50/user/mo | Free (self-hosted) |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| API | — | ✓ |
| Budgeting | ✓ | — |
| Multi-user | — | ✓ |
| PM integration | ✓ | — |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | — | ✓ |
| Time tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
Everhour
Strengths
- Seamless integration with Asana, Jira, Trello, ClickUp, and more
- Track time without leaving your project management tool
- Budget tracking and cost estimation per project
- Free plan for up to 5 users
Weaknesses
- Only useful if you use a supported project management tool
- Standalone mode is limited compared to dedicated trackers
- Reporting is basic on the free plan
- No mobile app — browser and desktop only
Kimai
Strengths
- Completely free and open source — no per-user fees
- Self-hosted means you own your data entirely
- Supports multi-user with roles and permissions
- Active development community with regular updates
Weaknesses
- Requires self-hosting — not a cloud SaaS you can just sign up for
- Setup requires technical knowledge (PHP, MySQL)
- Mobile experience is web-based, no native app
- Fewer integrations than commercial alternatives
The bottom line
Pricing: Kimai is completely free (Free, open source, self-hosted), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Everhour starts at $8.50/user/mo, but Free for up to 5 users. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Everhour offers Budgeting and PM integration that Kimai lacks. Kimai brings API, Multi-user and Self-hosting that Everhour does not have. Both share Reporting and Time tracking.
Open source: Kimai is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Everhour is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.
Where each tool shines: Everhour's biggest strengths are: seamless integration with asana, jira, trello, clickup, and more. track time without leaving your project management tool. Kimai's biggest strengths are: completely free and open source — no per-user fees. self-hosted means you own your data entirely.
Watch out for: With Everhour, users commonly note that only useful if you use a supported project management tool. With Kimai, the main complaint is that requires self-hosting — not a cloud saas you can just sign up for.
Choose Everhour if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams already using asana, jira, or trello who want integrated time tracking
- You specifically need Budgeting and PM integration
- You care about track time without leaving your project management tool
- The free tier works for you: free for up to 5 users
Choose Kimai if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want full control over their time tracking data via self-hosting
- Budget is a hard constraint — Kimai is free, Everhour is not
- You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
- You specifically need API and Multi-user
- You care about self-hosted means you own your data entirely
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