# 6 Best Open Source Alternatives for DeskTime

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/desktime
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Looking for the best open source alternative for DeskTime? Compare 6 verified free and open source alternatives to DeskTime (Midday, SolidTime, Kimai) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs.

## DeskTime Overview & Subscription Cost
- **Product**: DeskTime
- **Category**: [analytics](https://caniforkit.com/category/analytics)
- **Paid Subscription Price**: $35/month per seat
- **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $420/year
- **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $2,100/year
- **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $4,200/year
- **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens)
- **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for DeskTime or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 6 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Midday.

## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives

| Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Midday](https://caniforkit.com/fork/midday) | Open Source | Open Source | Local | ★ 15.1k | [Compare vs DeskTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-midday) |
| [SolidTime](https://caniforkit.com/fork/solidtime) | Open Source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 9.1k | [Compare vs DeskTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-solidtime) |
| [Kimai](https://caniforkit.com/fork/kimai) | Open Source | AGPL-3.0+ | Self-host | ★ 5.1k | [Compare vs DeskTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-kimai) |
| [Wakapi](https://caniforkit.com/fork/wakapi) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 4.5k | [Compare vs DeskTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-wakapi) |
| [TimeScribe](https://caniforkit.com/fork/timescribe) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 933 | [Compare vs DeskTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-timescribe) |
| [Ever Teams](https://caniforkit.com/fork/ever-teams) | Open Source | Open Source | Local | ★ 603 | [Compare vs DeskTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-ever-teams) |

## In-Depth Alternative Profiles

### Midday
- **Fork Page**: [Midday Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/midday)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [DeskTime vs Midday](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-midday)
- **Official Website**: https://midday.ai/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/midday-ai/midday
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Local
- **GitHub Stars**: 15.1k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: desktop, cross-platform, one-click install
- **Summary**: All-in-one tool for freelancers and small businesses to manage finances, track time, store files, and send invoices efficiently.
- **The Catch vs DeskTime**: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/midday-ai/midday or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- **Data Storage**: All application data lives locally on your own machine.

### SolidTime
- **Fork Page**: [SolidTime Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/solidtime)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [DeskTime vs SolidTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-solidtime)
- **Official Website**: https://www.solidtime.io
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/solidtime-io/solidtime
- **License**: AGPL-3.0
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 9.1k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: desktop, web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Seamlessly track time across multiple projects, generate insightful reports, and optimize your open source contributions.
- **The Catch vs DeskTime**: solidtime’s desktop clients remain less mature and its approvals, scheduling, payroll, and management reporting are much thinner than Hubstaff’s.
- **Installation**: Create a managed account or deploy the official Docker Compose self-hosting stack
- **Setup**: Self-hosting needs Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, environment and application keys, mail configuration, persistent storage, migrations, and a reverse proxy with TLS
- **Data Storage**: Users, organizations, projects, clients, and time entries live in PostgreSQL, with application state in persistent Docker volumes, on solidtime's service or the user's host

### Kimai
- **Fork Page**: [Kimai Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/kimai)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [DeskTime vs Kimai](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-kimai)
- **Official Website**: https://kimai.cloud
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/kimai/kimai
- **License**: AGPL-3.0+
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 5.1k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, self-host, real ops
- **Summary**: Open-source time tracking solution for businesses of all sizes. Manage projects, track billable hours, and generate insightful reports.
- **The Catch vs DeskTime**: Kimai matches timesheets and billing well, but its native-client, offline-mobile, approval, integration, and zero-administration experience is less polished than Harvest's.
- **Installation**: Official Docker Compose stack
- **Setup**: A non-expert needs Docker, a domain and TLS, database and application secrets, email configuration, backups, upgrades, and optional plugins for some workflows.
- **Data Storage**: Users, projects, activities, rates, and timesheets live in MySQL or MariaDB; plugins, configuration, and generated files live in persistent server volumes.

### Wakapi
- **Fork Page**: [Wakapi Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/wakapi)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [DeskTime vs Wakapi](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-wakapi)
- **Official Website**: https://wakapi.dev/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/muety/wakapi
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 4.5k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Open-source, self-hosted time tracking solution for developers. Analyze coding habits, improve productivity, and visualize progress.
- **The Catch vs DeskTime**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed DeskTime.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/muety/wakapi or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### TimeScribe
- **Fork Page**: [TimeScribe Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/timescribe)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [DeskTime vs TimeScribe](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-timescribe)
- **Official Website**: https://timescribe.app
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/winbigfox/timescribe
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 933
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Advanced time tracking and productivity analytics tool that captures detailed work patterns, generates comprehensive reports, and helps optimize workflow efficiency.
- **The Catch vs DeskTime**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed DeskTime.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/winbigfox/timescribe or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Ever Teams
- **Fork Page**: [Ever Teams Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/ever-teams)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [DeskTime vs Ever Teams](https://caniforkit.com/vs/desktime-vs-ever-teams)
- **Official Website**: https://ever.team
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/ever-co/ever-teams
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Local
- **GitHub Stars**: 603
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: desktop, cross-platform, one-click install
- **Summary**: Ever Teams offers an all-in-one solution for work management, time tracking, and team collaboration with integrations for popular tools.
- **The Catch vs DeskTime**: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/ever-co/ever-teams or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- **Data Storage**: All application data lives locally on your own machine.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best free alternative to DeskTime?
The top free alternative to DeskTime is Midday (open source, Open Source). All-in-one tool for freelancers and small businesses to manage finances, track time, store files, and send invoices efficiently. Other popular DeskTime replacements include SolidTime, Kimai, Wakapi.

### How much does switching from DeskTime to a free alternative save?
DeskTime starts at $35/month per seat ($420/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Midday saves $2,100 per year in software subscription fees.

### What is the catch when switching away from DeskTime?
While Midday replaces core DeskTime features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.

## Related

- [analytics Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/analytics)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)