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Clockify vs Kimai: Which Time Tracker Prioritizes Your Privacy?

Explore how US-based Clockify and Germany's Kimai safeguard your data. Discover the best fit for your security needs today.

Last updated: February 6, 2026โ€ขReviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Kimai?

What You Gain

Gain full GDPR compliance and better data protection with Kimai.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Clockify may offer more advanced features and integrations.

Clockify has more features
Bottom Line

Switch to Kimai if privacy is your priority; otherwise, stay with Clockify.

At a Glance

Data Location
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ชDE

GDPR protected

Pricing

Clockify

Contact

Kimai

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaClockifyKimai
Server Location
US (AWS), EU (optional)EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalOptional
Data Portability
Full exportFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Clockify is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Kimai is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Clockify logo

Clockify

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

CAKE.com

VS
Switching to
Kimai logo

Kimai

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช

Kimai

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-hosted
EU-Based
Open Source
Self-Hostable
GDPR Compliant

Reasons to Switch

  • โœ“Kimai is open-source, allowing for custom modifications and flexibility.
  • โœ“GDPR compliance ensures data protection for EU-based users.
  • โœ“Self-hosted option gives control over data and server management.
  • โœ“Multi-user project management supports collaboration across teams.

Things to Consider

  • !Migration from Clockify may require manual data transfer efforts.
  • !Learning curve for users unfamiliar with open-source software setup.
  • !Limited customer support compared to dedicated services like Clockify.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~2-4 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~2-4 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create Kimai account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Clockify

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to Clockify

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Kimai today and take control of your data privacy.