What it does
TimeTagger is a tag-based time tracker with an interactive timeline and reporting. Users can run a timer, add a record after the work is done, or draw a time span directly on the timeline. Tags are derived from the description rather than a separate task hierarchy, and reports can be saved as CSV or PDF. The project exposes a web API and publishes its source under GPL-3.0.
For a week of freelance work, a user can start a timer with a short description, add tags such as #client or #meeting, and later review the timeline by date or tag. The guide also supports creating records retroactively and selecting a date range for a report; the result can be exported to CSV for further analysis or PDF for a client-facing summary.
The official project describes itself as open source, and its repository license identifies GNU GPL version 3. The hosted site offers a trial, but the pricing after that trial was not established in the pages reviewed. The tag-first model avoids imposing a client/project tree, but users who need nested task budgets should check whether free-text tags provide enough structure. No hosted account or self-hosted installation was created.
Strengths
- Allows live timing, retrospective entries and direct timeline editing.
- Reports can be filtered by date and tag and exported as CSV or PDF.
- The project provides a public web API and a GPL-3.0 source license.
Watch out for
- Tags come from descriptions rather than a built-in customer/project/task hierarchy.
Best for
- Individuals or freelancers who want a flexible tagged time journal
- Users who need CSV/PDF reports or a scriptable time-tracking API
Sources
- TimeTagger - Tag your time, get the insight (Oct 25, 2026)
- TimeTagger (Oct 25, 2026)
- How to track time using the web API (Oct 25, 2026)
- timetagger/LICENSE at main · almarklein/timetagger · GitHub (Oct 25, 2026)