TimeTracker vs Toggl
The best self-hosted Toggl alternative: free, open source, with no subscription fees. Switch from Toggl and keep full control of your time-tracking data.
TimeTracker
$0/month
vs
Toggl
$10+/user/mo
A 10-person team saves ~$1,200 a year with TimeTracker — and keeps their data.
Toggl
Cloud-based time tracking. Popular but requires subscription for advanced features.
- $10+/user/month for Pro
- Data in the cloud
- Invoicing requires integration
TimeTracker
Self-hosted, open source. All features included, no recurring costs.
- Free, no per-user fees
- Data stays on your server
- Built-in invoicing & reports
| Feature | TimeTracker Winner | Toggl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 / month | $10+/user/mo |
| Self-hosted | Cloud only | |
| Open source | Proprietary | |
| Built-in invoicing | Integration needed | |
| Persistent server-side timers | ||
| Unlimited users | Per-user pricing | |
| Switch today | Switch today — it's free | |
Snapshot for comparison pages — May 2026 (re-check vendor sites before purchasing)
Automation & apps: what Toggl ships vs what you self-host
Toggl Track is a mature hosted product with first-party mobile apps and a documented public API. TimeTracker gives you the opposite trade-off: GPL source, Docker on your metal, and APIs that terminate on your HTTPS origin—ideal when automation must stay inside a VPC.
| Area | Toggl Track (SaaS) | TimeTracker (self-hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| Public HTTP API | Hosted API keys, vendor uptime SLA | Same-origin REST on your deployment; network policy is yours |
| Desktop & mobile clients | Official apps + reminders | Progressive web UI + server-side timers; package PWAs internally if needed |
| Data plane | Toggl-operated cloud | SQLite/PostgreSQL volumes beside your other regulated systems |
3-year TCO snapshot
Quick sanity check for finance: multiply seats × monthly rate × 36 months. TimeTracker's license is $0; your ops budget is servers and maintenance.
| Team size (billable seats) | Years | Illustrative Toggl cost (~$11+/seat/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ~$132 |
| 1 | 3 | ~$396 |
| 1 | 5 | ~$660 |
| 5 | 1 | ~$660 |
| 5 | 3 | ~$1,980 |
| 5 | 5 | ~$3,300 |
| 10 | 1 | ~$1,320 |
| 10 | 3 | ~$3,960 |
| 10 | 5 | ~$6,600 |
| 25 | 1 | ~$3,300 |
| 25 | 3 | ~$9,900 |
| 25 | 5 | ~$16,500 |
Illustrative math only—verify current vendor pricing, discounts, and tax in your region. TimeTracker infrastructure cost (VPS, backups) is separate but typically far below multi-year SaaS TCO at 5+ seats.
Practical migration checklist
- Export time entries, clients, projects, and rate cards from Toggl (Toggl Track → Reports → export CSV with all columns you need for reconstruction.).
- Stand up TimeTracker via Docker on staging; import or recreate structure—whichever is faster for your volume.
- Run parallel tracking for one payroll cycle; reconcile hours before you decommission the old system.
- Document URLs, API keys (if any), and backup cadence for your self-hosted instance.
Choose TimeTracker if…
- You want predictable cost at 5+ seats without haggling for discounts.
- Compliance or client contracts require data to stay in-house.
- You already run Docker for other internal tools.
- You need invoicing, reports, and audit trails in one codebase you can patch.
Still unsure? Try the live demo and read the full compare hub.
Ready to leave Toggl behind?
Switch today — it's free, it's yours forever, and your data never touches a vendor's cloud again.
No credit card · no per-seat fees · cancel-proof by design