Self-hosting Kimai with Docker the easy way

Kimai is a powerful, open-source time tracking solution that helps teams and freelancers manage their work hours efficiently. While Kimai offers a cloud version, you can self-host it for just €9/month using Sliplane! In this tutorial, we'll set up Kimai on Sliplane, giving you full control over your data while saving money compared to other hosting options.

Setup

1. Signup at sliplane.io, the signup is free and you can use your Github Account to login.
2. Create a server: if you just signed up you should already have a trial server that you can use for 48 hours for free. If not, go to > Servers and then click > Create Server
3. Create the MySQL service:
   • Go to your projects and click > Deploy Service (top right)
   • Select "Registry" as the service type
   • Use the image mysql:8.3
   • Add the following environment variables:
     • MYSQL_DATABASE: kimai
     • MYSQL_USER: kimaiuser
     • MYSQL_PASSWORD: useaverylongandsecurepassword (change this to a secure password)
     • MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: useaverylongandsecurepassword (change this to a secure password)
   • Click deploy and wait for the service to be up
   • Note down the service name (e.g., mysql)
4. Create the Kimai service:
   • Go to your projects and click > Deploy Service (top right)
   • Select "Registry" as the service type
   • Use the image kimai/kimai2:apache
   • Add the following environment variables:
     • ADMINMAIL: Your admin email
     • ADMINPASS: Your admin password
     • DATABASE_URL: mysql://kimaiuser:useaverylongandsecurepassword@mysql-1/kimai?charset=utf8mb4&serverVersion=8.3.0 (make sure the variables match the ones you used for the MySQL service)
   • Click deploy and wait for the service to be up
   • Open the domain provided by sliplane (you can find it in the service settings, it should be service-name.sliplane.app)
   • Follow the setup steps in the Kimai dashboard and you're done!

Comparison to other Hosting platforms

Of course you can also self-host Kimai with other cloud providers. Here is a pricing comparison for the most common ones:

• Note: Railway charges for actually used memory and cpu time. $66 is the max price, actual price might vary.

FAQ

You got questions? We got answers!

Is self-hosted Kimai the same as the official Kimai?

Yes! The self-hosted version includes all features of Kimai, including:

• Multi-user Support with role-based access control
• Project Management and customer organization
• Invoicing capabilities
• Detailed reporting and data export
• API Access for integrations
• Mobile-friendly interface
• Plugin system for extending functionality

Are there any usage based costs with sliplane?

Compute is always a flat, fixed price. The first 2 Terrabytes of bandwidth are free, afterwards you pay 2 euros/TB per month (14.8 in singapore)

How do I update the Kimai version?

If you used the latest tag, you can simply redeploy the service (there is a button on the dashboard for that). If you used a specific version, you can update it by changing the image tag in the Sliplane settings and redeploying the service.

What about security?

Sliplane handles the security basics for you:

• Automatic SSL/TLS certificates
• Regular security updates
• Daily backups
• 24/7 monitoring
• DDoS protection

You should still:

• Enable 2FA in Kimai
• Use strong passwords
• Regularly review user access