{"securityAudit":null,"logoUrl":"/logos/kimai.png","id":"kimai","slug":"kimai","name":"Kimai","summary":"Time tracking with timesheets, reports and invoices from tracked hours.","type":"free_oss","hasFreePlan":false,"license":{"spdx":"AGPL-3.0","type":"copyleft","needsReview":false},"trust":{"status":"verified","reasons":[]},"pricing":{"model":"free","basePrice":0,"perSeat":null,"perLocation":null,"estHostingMonthly":11,"label":"$0 + ~$11/mo hosting"},"setupEffort":null,"setupLevel":"one_click","aiMaturity":"none","worksWith":[],"problemIds":["accounting-5","cleaning-2","home-improvement-1","hvac-plumbing-1","landscaping-1","restaurants-2","accounting-1","cleaning-4","cleaning-5","home-improvement-2","hvac-plumbing-3","landscaping-2"],"rating":null,"securityAudits":[],"url":"https://www.kimai.org","aiCapabilities":"None built in.","byoAiKey":false,"priceNotes":"Free license. Hosting estimate: ~EUR 3-5 (about $3.50-6) per user/mo on Kimai Cloud; self-host VPS $5","pricingSourceUrl":null,"priceCheckedAt":"2026-11-05","complianceFlags":[],"affiliate":false,"oss":{"repoUrl":"https://github.com/kimai/kimai","licenseSpdx":"AGPL-3.0","licenseType":"copyleft","licenseReview":"auto","copyleftNote":"AGPL-3.0: commercial use allowed; share modified source if you offer a modified version to others over a network.","openCoreNote":"Core AGPL; a plugin store sells paid (and free) plugins that add features.","stars":5137,"lastReleaseAt":"2026-10-25","latestReleaseTag":null,"backing":"Maintained by Kevin Papst / Kimai project, funded by kimai.cloud and plugin sales.","hostedOptions":"Official Kimai Cloud (hosted in Germany): EUR 2.99-3.99/user/mo billed annually or EUR 3.99-4.99 monthly, 30-day free trial. Cloudron one-click. Self-host via Docker.","securityNote":"35 advisories in last 12 months, mostly low/medium (1 critical: default APP_SECRET in Docker image enabling cookie forgery, patched 2.58.0; also a 2FA bypass on the API, CVE-2026-52827, patched). Run current 2.71.x."},"trustChecks":[{"key":"admin_verified","label":"Admin-verified listing","pass":true,"note":"Reviewed by the Catervas team: links and prices checked Nov 5, 2026","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"license","label":"License verified","pass":true,"note":"AGPL-3.0 is on the license allow-list","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/kimai/kimai","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"maintenance","label":"Active maintenance","pass":true,"note":"Last release or commit 2026-10-25","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/kimai/kimai","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"security","label":"No open critical security advisories","pass":true,"note":"No unpatched critical or high advisories found. Keep it on the latest release.","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"privacy","label":"Privacy and data policy","pass":true,"note":"Self-hosted: your data stays on your own hosting.","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"backing","label":"Company or foundation backing","pass":true,"note":"Maintained by Kevin Papst / Kimai project, funded by kimai.cloud and plugin sales.","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/kimai/kimai","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"}],"problems":[{"id":"accounting-1","industryId":"accounting","rank":1,"title":"Staff shortage and tax-season burnout","summary":"Finding qualified staff is a top issue for most CPA firms, and the pipeline of new accountants is thin. Workload peaks every tax season.","theme":"hiring","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Staff log time per client and engagement with budgets and per-client rates, so out-of-scope work shows up and gets invoiced instead of written off. Utilization reports also show who is overloaded in tax season."},{"id":"accounting-5","industryId":"accounting","rank":5,"title":"Getting paid: slow fees, paper checks and unbilled extra work","summary":"Most accounting firms are paid late, and many still collect mostly by paper check. Extra work outside the agreed scope often goes unbilled.","theme":"cash-flow","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Staff log time per client and engagement with budgets and per-client rates, so out-of-scope work shows up and gets invoiced instead of written off. Utilization reports also show who is overloaded in tax season."},{"id":"cleaning-2","industryId":"cleaning","rank":2,"title":"Keeping clients: uneven quality and no proof of work","summary":"After labor, losing customers is the biggest worry, and many clients are cutting cleaning budgets. Inspections and proof of work help keep accounts.","theme":"other","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Punch-in/punch-out time tracking per employee, customer and job with rates and budgets: shows true labor cost and overtime exposure, gives a time record per cleaning visit as proof of work, compares actual hours to bids, and turns hours into invoices."},{"id":"cleaning-4","industryId":"cleaning","rank":4,"title":"Bidding and pricing jobs profitably as costs rise","summary":"Janitorial margins are razor thin while wages and supply costs keep rising. Clients still push for lower bids.","theme":"pricing-costs","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Punch-in/punch-out time tracking per employee, customer and job with rates and budgets: shows true labor cost and overtime exposure, gives a time record per cleaning visit as proof of work, compares actual hours to bids, and turns hours into invoices."},{"id":"cleaning-5","industryId":"cleaning","rank":5,"title":"Cash flow and back-office overload: invoices, payroll, sales tax","summary":"Many cleaners juggle five to seven apps for payroll, accounting and invoicing. Overdue invoices are getting more common for small businesses.","theme":"cash-flow","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Punch-in/punch-out time tracking per employee, customer and job with rates and budgets: shows true labor cost and overtime exposure, gives a time record per cleaning visit as proof of work, compares actual hours to bids, and turns hours into invoices."},{"id":"home-improvement-1","industryId":"home-improvement","rank":1,"title":"Hiring and keeping skilled crews","summary":"Builders report the worst trade labor shortages in decades, especially carpenters, framers and drywall installers. Labor costs keep rising for the same work.","theme":"hiring","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Crew time tracking by job/customer with punch-in/out, budgets and reports: shows true labor hours per job to fix underpriced estimates, supports accurate payroll (fewer pay disputes that drive turnover) and turns billable hours into invoices."},{"id":"home-improvement-2","industryId":"home-improvement","rank":2,"title":"Rising costs make fast, accurate estimates and margins hard","summary":"Material, labor and insurance costs keep climbing, and tariffs add uncertainty. Contractors need quick, accurate estimates to protect their margins.","theme":"pricing-costs","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Crew time tracking by job/customer with punch-in/out, budgets and reports: shows true labor hours per job to fix underpriced estimates, supports accurate payroll (fewer pay disputes that drive turnover) and turns billable hours into invoices."},{"id":"hvac-plumbing-1","industryId":"hvac-plumbing","rank":1,"title":"Hiring and keeping skilled, licensed techs","summary":"Finding and keeping licensed techs is the most-cited problem in trade surveys. Many workers are near retirement and few young workers are coming in.","theme":"hiring","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Crew time tracking by job/customer with punch-in/out, budgets and reports: shows true labor hours per job to fix underpriced estimates, supports accurate payroll (fewer pay disputes that drive turnover) and turns billable hours into invoices."},{"id":"hvac-plumbing-3","industryId":"hvac-plumbing","rank":3,"title":"Cash flow: slow payment, collections and late invoices","summary":"Trade contractors pay for labor, equipment and materials long before they get paid. Many wait about two months after billing.","theme":"cash-flow","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Crew time tracking by job/customer with punch-in/out, budgets and reports: shows true labor hours per job to fix underpriced estimates, supports accurate payroll (fewer pay disputes that drive turnover) and turns billable hours into invoices."},{"id":"landscaping-1","industryId":"landscaping","rank":1,"title":"Hiring and keeping crews as labor costs rise","summary":"Finding and keeping reliable crew members is the industry's top worry. Wages keep climbing and many firms depend on capped H-2B seasonal visas.","theme":"hiring","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Crew time tracking by job/customer with punch-in/out, budgets and reports: shows true labor hours per job to fix underpriced estimates, supports accurate payroll (fewer pay disputes that drive turnover) and turns billable hours into invoices."},{"id":"landscaping-2","industryId":"landscaping","rank":2,"title":"Underpricing, slow estimates and lowball competition","summary":"Costs are rising faster than many owners feel they can charge, and low-ball competitors are a top concern. Quoting is also a big time sink.","theme":"pricing-costs","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Crew time tracking by job/customer with punch-in/out, budgets and reports: shows true labor hours per job to fix underpriced estimates, supports accurate payroll (fewer pay disputes that drive turnover) and turns billable hours into invoices."},{"id":"restaurants-2","industryId":"restaurants","rank":2,"title":"Rising labor costs and wage-law rules squeeze margins","summary":"Many operators were not profitable in 2025 and labor costs are up sharply. Maryland's stacked wage rules make scheduling to sales a survival issue.","theme":"pricing-costs","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Punch-in/punch-out time tracking per employee, customer and job with rates and budgets: shows true labor cost and overtime exposure, gives a time record per cleaning visit as proof of work, compares actual hours to bids, and turns hours into invoices."}],"integrations":[],"setupGuide":null,"reviews":[]}