Timeular alternatives: 6 open-source picks
Timeular costs $9/mo — $108 a year. These 6 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Super Productivity, solidtime and TimeTagger. All 6 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
A local project timer with reminders, reports and no plastic eight-sided desk ornament required.
licenseMIT
runson your machine
installInstall the Windows/macOS/Linux/Android app, use the web app, or add the PWA
dataTasks, notes and work logs are local-first and export as JSON; optional sync writes a JSON payload to the user's WebDAV, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or filesystem backend
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs TimeularIts timer and reminders live inside a personal task manager, not a full timesheet service with Timeular's physical Tracker, team reporting and billing-oriented administration.
facts verified 2026-08-11
Modern multi-user timers, clients and billable rates in one Compose stack; the desktop apps are still beta.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup, or self-host with the official Docker Compose examples and PostgreSQL
dataSelf-hosted organizations, projects, clients, tasks and time entries live in PostgreSQL; deployment settings and secrets live in environment files on the host
the catch vs TimeularIt supplies modern web timesheets and billing, but its desktop apps remain immature and it has no Timeular physical Tracker or polished automatic-activity workflow.
setupSelf-hosting requires Docker, PostgreSQL, application-key generation, database migrations, SMTP and a TLS reverse proxy
facts verified 2026-08-11
A lean timeline, tags and PDF or CSV reports in one container; it is built for individuals, not payroll departments.
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installRun locally with pip, or deploy the official Docker Compose image on a server
dataTime records, tags and user data live in a SQLite database on the local machine or self-hosted server
the catch vs TimeularIt is an elegant individual timeline, but lacks Timeular's physical control, native desktop capture, reminders ecosystem and team administration.
setupRemote or multi-user use requires Docker or Python hosting plus bcrypt credentials or a trusted authentication reverse proxy
facts verified 2026-08-11
A tiny tag-based timer with useful dashboards in one container; invoices and mobile apps never arrive.
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour server
installRun the official Docker image/Compose file, or download a Linux server binary
dataUsers, tags, dashboards and time spans live in a SQLite database in the mounted /opt/traggo/data directory
the catch vs TimeularIt is a tiny tag-based web timer with no native apps, automatic activity evidence, reminders ecosystem or Timeular physical Tracker.
setupYou must host the web server, persist its data volume, change the default administrator password and add TLS/reverse-proxying for internet access
facts verified 2026-08-11
Automatic, privacy-first time tracker that logs app and browser usage locally.
licenseMPL-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Professional time tracking with invoicing, teams, and exports.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: ActivityWatch · Kimai
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Timeular alternative
Easiest to get running
Super Productivity — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Super Productivity, with 21,156 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 6, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Runs on your own machine, no server
Super Productivity — nothing to host, your data stays on your disk.
Works on your phone
Super Productivity has a mobile app on iOS and Android.
what you give up by leaving Timeular
- physical tracker option, mobile apps, calendar integration, team features, and sync
- cross-device history
- team timesheets and payroll
- behavioral datasets
- blocking across every platform
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Timeular alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Productivity | MIT | one-click install | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android | 21,156 | 2026-08 |
| solidtime | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, macos, windows, linux, self-hosted | 8,846 | 2026-07 |
| TimeTagger | GPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 1,768 | 2026-05 |
| Traggo | GPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 1,615 | 2026-07 |
| ActivityWatch | MPL-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 14,000 | 2026-08 |
| Kimai | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 4,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Timeular
People still pay for Timeular because the timer is simple, but people pay for frictionless capture and a history they trust enough to invoice or change habits from. The recurring cost buys idle detection, permissions, app metadata, privacy, notifications, sync, reports, integrations, and backups, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $108 a year.
questions about switching from Timeular
Is there an open-source alternative to Timeular?
Yes: Super Productivity, solidtime, TimeTagger and 3 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Timeular?
Our verdict is YES. Super Productivity (21k stars), ActivityWatch (14k stars), solidtime (9k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Timeular — self-host in one command and stop paying $9/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/timeular.
What is the easiest open-source Timeular alternative to set up?
Super Productivity — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Timeular alternative?
By GitHub stars, Super Productivity (21,156). ActivityWatch is next with 14,000.
