What's installed on your Kimai server?
- Kimai 2 time tracking, from the official Docker image
- MySQL 8.4 database
- HTTPS through Caddy on an sslip.io address based on your IP, so you can start without a domain
- An account named admin, with a generated password shown in your panel
- A persistent volume for app data and plugins
- Time zone set to Europe/Istanbul
- Firewall with only ports 22, 80 and 443 open
What size do you need for Kimai?
Kimai's documentation lists software requirements only: PHP 8.2 or newer, plus MariaDB or MySQL. It gives no RAM figure, and the Docker image already includes PHP. As a rule of thumb, start a small team on 2 GB, since MySQL runs on the same server, and look at 4 GB as users and records grow. Kimai sets no user limit and publishes no capacity number. You can grow RAM and CPU separately from your panel, and your data and IP address stay the same.
| Use | Size | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| A few people | 2 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 40 GB NVMe | $4.01/mo | |
| Small team | 4 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 60 GB NVMe | $6.89/mo | |
| Company | 8 GB RAM · 4 vCore · 120 GB NVMe | $13.62/mo |
Who is it for?
- Freelancers and agencies who bill clients by the hour
- Teams that want to see hours per project and activity
- Small businesses that turn tracked hours into PDF or DOCX invoices
- Workplaces recording clock-in and clock-out with Kimai's time-clock mode
- Companies that would rather not hand time data to a third party
What happens after you order?
- Choose a size and pay.
- Your server starts and Kimai installs itself. Carry on when the App row in your panel says Kimai is ready.
- On the Overview tab, click Open app. The login is admin, and the password is in the Password row.
- Open your profile, pick a language, and set your time zone and email address. The install uses a placeholder address.
- Add your customers, projects and activities, then create accounts for your team.
- Start tracking, and pull reports or invoices when the period ends.
With every server
- Daily backups included in the price
- Unlimited traffic
- Full root access
- Scale RAM and CPU up or down later, and grow the disk
- Location: Istanbul · IST-1.
Good to know
- Outgoing email isn't set up. Password reset emails need your own SMTP service in the MAILER_URL and MAILER_FROM settings, and that service isn't included in the price.
- Kimai is open source under AGPL-3.0, with no usage fee. If you modify the code and offer it to others over a network, you have to share your changes.
- The Kimai store has both free and paid plugins. Paid ones aren't included in the price.
- The app only answers on its configured address (TRUSTED_HOSTS). Update SITE_ADI in the .env file when you move to your own domain.
- Updates are your responsibility. In /opt/seturack/kimai, run docker compose pull, then docker compose up -d.
- Your panel keeps showing the install password. If you change it, keep the new one safe yourself.
Kimai questions and answers
How many users can Kimai handle?
Kimai sets no user limit, and its website says you can use it with as many users as you want. There's no official capacity figure. Start a small team on 2 GB and scale up from your panel as usage grows.
Can Kimai create invoices?
Yes. Kimai builds invoices from tracked hours, with configurable templates and numbering, in PDF and DOCX formats. If you have a legal e-invoicing duty, check separately whether this covers it.
Can I change Kimai's language?
Yes. The interface starts in English, and each user picks their own language in their profile. Kimai is translated into more than 30 languages, including Turkish.
How do I install a Kimai plugin?
You have root access, so a plugin from the Kimai store goes in the /opt/kimai/var/plugins folder inside the container. That folder sits on a persistent volume. For the remaining steps, follow the plugin's own install notes.
How do I connect my own domain to Kimai?
Point your domain's A record at the server's IP address and add the name to the Caddy settings. Then change SITE_ADI in the .env file and run docker compose up -d, because Kimai only trusts the address set there.
Are my time records backed up?
Yes. Your server is backed up every night, the last 7 days are kept, and this is included in the price. Records live in MySQL on the server, and you can restore the whole server from your panel if you need to.