Jibble vs Kimai

Compare Jibble and Kimai on pricing, features, platforms, and ratings — both Time Tracking tools, Freemium vs Freemium / Open Source pricing to decide which…

At a Glance

 JibbleKimai
Primary categoryTime TrackingTime Tracking
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium / Open Source
Starting priceFreeFree (self-hosted); Kimai Cloud from EUR 2.99/user/month
Free planYesYes
Free trialYesYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Mac, WindowsWeb
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documented
Public APIYesYes

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Jibble

Free — Free forever
Premium — $4.49/user/month billed annually
Ultimate — $7.99/user/month billed annually
Enterprise — Custom pricing annual contract

Kimai

Self-Hosted — Free N/A
Kimai Cloud Standard — EUR 2.99/user/month (annual), EUR 3.99 monthly Monthly or annual
Kimai Cloud Professional — EUR 3.99/user/month (annual), EUR 4.99 monthly Monthly or annual

Pros & Cons

Jibble

Pros

  • Unlimited users on a genuinely free-forever plan with no credit card required
  • Biometric facial recognition and geofencing help prevent buddy punching even on the free tier
  • Works across web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and shared kiosk devices
  • Fast setup and simple interface suited to non-technical hourly workforces
  • Strong offline support for field, construction and remote teams

Cons

  • Advanced reporting, screenshots and priority support require paid Premium or Ultimate tiers
  • Premium and Ultimate prices rose sharply in March 2026, roughly 60 to 80 percent higher than before
  • Less scheduling and shift-planning depth than dedicated workforce platforms like Deputy or When I Work
  • Some users report occasional GPS or facial recognition accuracy issues on older mobile devices
  • Support responsiveness can be slower for customers on the free plan

Kimai

Pros

  • Free, self-hostable open-source core with no user limits
  • Low per-seat pricing on Kimai Cloud compared to many SaaS competitors
  • Extensive JSON API and plugin ecosystem for customization
  • GDPR-compliant hosting option in Germany
  • Active development with a long project history since 2006

Cons

  • Self-hosting requires server setup and maintenance effort
  • Advanced features like approvals and expense tracking require the Professional plan or plugins
  • Smaller company behind the product compared to large SaaS time-tracking vendors
  • Interface may feel less polished than premium commercial competitors
  • Non-profit discount pricing requires annual billing

Use Cases

Jibble

  • Field service and construction attendance — GPS-verified clock-ins and geofencing confirm crews are on the correct job site before hours are logged, reducing payroll disputes.
  • Shift-based retail and hospitality teams — Kiosk mode lets multiple hourly staff clock in on one shared device with facial recognition to prevent buddy punching.
  • Remote and distributed agency billing — Project-level time tracking and automated timesheets let agencies convert tracked hours directly into client invoices.

Kimai

  • Freelance time and invoice tracking — Freelancers track billable hours per client and generate invoices automatically.
  • Agency project time management — Agencies track team hours across multiple clients and projects with approval workflows.
  • Self-hosted internal time tracking — Companies with data-residency requirements self-host Kimai to keep full control of timesheet data.

Read the full Jibble review · Read the full Kimai review