Kimai alternative
The Kimai alternative for teams that don't want to run a server
Kimai is a genuinely good open-source time tracker. If you enjoy running your own PHP/MySQL stack, patching it, and owning every byte of your data, it's hard to beat — and it's free.
Janus is for the other team: the one that wants to track time on Monday morning without first standing up a server, configuring a database, and adding "apply the security update" to someone's backlog. It's hosted, it's zero-ops, and the bill is flat.
The short version: pick Kimai if running and owning the software yourself is a feature, not a chore. Pick Janus if you'd rather your team spent that time billing clients than babysitting a server — and you want the timer to live in your editor and your AI assistant, not just a browser tab.
Janus vs Kimai
| Janus | Kimai | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Hosted SaaS — nothing to run or patch | Self-host (your server) or paid Kimai Cloud |
| Setup time | Sign up, start the timer | Provision a server, install PHP/MySQL, configure |
| Pricing | $29.99/mo flat, 250 users included | Free self-hosted (your infra + time) / paid cloud |
| Upgrades & security | We patch it; you don't notice | You own updates, backups, and patching |
| AI / editor workflow | MCP server + /janus Claude skill | None |
| Reports | Summary, detailed, per-project; CSV + PDF | Built-in, configurable; invoicing module |
| Support | Direct support on every plan | Community (self-host) / paid for cloud SLA |
Where Kimai wins
No tool is best at everything, and we'd rather you pick the right one than the one with the loudest landing page. Here's where Kimai genuinely beats Janus:
It's free if you self-host
Kimai's source is free and you can run it on a $5 VPS. Janus is paid after the trial. If your time budget is cheaper than $29.99/mo and you like running servers, Kimai wins on raw cost.
Full data ownership & open source
With self-hosted Kimai the data never leaves your infrastructure and you can read/modify the source. Janus is hosted — your data lives on our servers. If air-gapped or fully self-owned is a hard requirement, Kimai is the right call.
Built-in invoicing
Kimai ships an invoicing module. Janus exports clean CSV/PDF you feed into your invoicing tool, but it does not generate invoices itself. If you want time-to-invoice in one app, Kimai has it.
Deep configurability
Years of plugins, custom fields, and config knobs. Janus is deliberately lean. Power users who want to tune everything will find Kimai more flexible.
FAQ
- Is Janus open source like Kimai?
- No. Janus is a hosted SaaS, not an open-source self-hosted app. The trade is zero-ops convenience and support for source access and self-hosting. If open source is a must-have, Kimai is the better fit.
- Do I still have to run a server with Janus?
- No. That's the whole point of choosing Janus over Kimai — there's nothing to provision, patch, or back up. You sign up and start tracking; we run the infrastructure.
- How does pricing compare?
- Self-hosted Kimai is free in license but costs your server + maintenance time. Janus is $29.99/month flat with 250 users included — no per-seat math — after a 14-day free trial.
- Can I migrate my Kimai data to Janus?
- You can export time entries from Kimai as CSV and import the data you need. Get in touch via support and we'll help you map the fields.
More comparisons
Skip the server. Track the time.
Flat $29.99/month, 250 users included. 14 days free.
Try Janus free →Larger team? Get in touch for a custom plan.