Productivity · Review · Updated 17 October 2026
Hubstaff reviewTime tracking, timesheets and payroll for remote and field teams, from $4.99 a seat
Excellent
Brent score, out of 5
Hubstaff is one of the most complete tools for paying remote and hourly teams accurately: time tracking, activity levels, timesheets, invoices and payroll in one place. It is cheap to start, but the useful features are spread across tiers and add-ons, and its screenshot and activity monitoring is not for every culture. Best for agencies and companies that bill or pay by the hour.
Price
Limited free plan; paid from $4.99/seat/month (USD, billed annually, 2-seat minimum)
Free option
Free plan
Best for
Agencies and outsourcing firms that bill clients by the hour
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Best for
- Agencies and outsourcing firms that bill clients by the hour
- Companies paying remote contractors based on tracked time
- Managers of distributed teams who need proof of work and project budgets
- Field teams that need scheduling and payroll in one tool (Team plan)
Skip it if
- Teams where screenshots and activity tracking would hurt trust
- Solo freelancers who just need a simple timer
- Salaried teams that do not track hours at all
When your team works remotely or by the hour, the hard questions are simple: how many hours did people actually work, on which project, and how much do you owe them or bill the client? Spreadsheets and honour-system timesheets get messy fast.
Hubstaff answers those questions in one app. People start a timer, Hubstaff records time and activity, and the hours flow into timesheets, client invoices and payroll.
This review covers what each Hubstaff plan really includes, the add-ons that change the price, and whether the monitoring features fit your team.
What is Hubstaff?
Hubstaff is time tracking and workforce management software for remote, hybrid and field teams. Team members track time through desktop, mobile or web apps against projects and tasks. Hubstaff records activity levels based on keyboard and mouse use, optional screenshots and app or URL usage, then turns the hours into timesheets, invoices and payments. Pricing is per seat, with monthly or annual billing.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Low entry price: Starter is $4.99/seat/month billed annually ($7 monthly)
- Time tracking, timesheets, activity levels, clients and invoices from the Starter plan
- Team plan adds payments and payroll, unlimited integrations and unlimited screenshots
- Project budgets, expenses and work breaks from the Grow plan
- Enterprise offers HIPAA and SOC 2 Type II compliance and SCIM provisioning
- 14-day trial with no card and a 30-day money-back guarantee
What could be better
- Every member needs a paid seat, including people who do not track time (view-only users excepted)
- Key features are add-ons on lower tiers, such as Insights at $2.50 to $3 per seat
- Starter and Grow limit screenshots and app/URL tracking; unlimited needs Team at $10
- Screenshot and activity monitoring can feel invasive to employees
Overall
Excellent
- Features4.6
- Ease of use4.3
- Value4.4
- Support4.1
Key features of Hubstaff
Time tracking and timesheets
Track time against projects and clients on desktop, mobile or web. Timesheets are built automatically, and managers can review and approve them before payroll or invoicing.
Activity levels and screenshots
Hubstaff measures activity from mouse and keyboard use and can take screenshots and log apps and URLs. Starter and Grow have limits; Team includes unlimited screenshots and app/URL tracking.
Invoices and payroll
Clients and invoices are included from Starter. The Team plan adds full payments and payroll, so tracked hours become contractor payouts without exporting to another tool.
Project budgets and expenses
Grow adds project budgets, expenses, idle timeout and work breaks. Budgets help agencies spot when a fixed-fee project is about to go over.
Insights add-on
Insights adds unusual activity detection, unproductive app and URL flags, focus and meeting time, and a team leaderboard for $2.50 per seat per month annually ($3 monthly).
Enterprise security
Enterprise adds higher API limits, ACH payment, HIPAA compliance, SOC 2 Type II compliance and SCIM user and group provisioning.
Hubstaff pricing
Checked 2026-10. Prices can change; confirm on Hubstaff’s site.
Free
$0
limited
- Time tracking and timesheets
- Limited screenshots and reports
- Activity levels
Starter
$4.99/seat/month
billed annually ($7 monthly), 2-seat minimum
- Clients and invoices
- Limited payments
- Limited app and URL tracking
Grow
$7.50/seat/month
billed annually ($9 monthly), 2-seat minimum
- Full reports
- 1 integration
- Project budgets and expenses
- Idle timeout and work breaks
Team
$10/seat/month
billed annually ($12 monthly), 2-seat minimum
- Unlimited screenshots and app/URL tracking
- Payments and payroll
- Unlimited integrations
- Teams
Enterprise
$25/seat/month
billed annually
- HIPAA and SOC 2 Type II
- SCIM provisioning
- Higher API limits
Watch out: Prices are in US dollars per seat; you pay for every member including those who do not track time (except free Project Viewers), seats added to monthly plans are charged at the full month, and removed seats are not refunded.
See current Hubstaff pricing →What people use Hubstaff for
An agency billing by the hour
A 15-person design agency tracks time per client project on Grow, watches project budgets, and sends invoices built from approved timesheets.
Paying offshore contractors
A startup with contractors in several countries uses the Team plan to track hours and pay them through Hubstaff payroll, with screenshots as proof of work.
Keeping fixed-fee projects profitable
A software consultancy sets budgets on fixed-price projects and gets warned when tracked hours approach the limit, before the margin disappears.
How to get started with Hubstaff
- 1
Start the 14-day free trial; no credit card is needed
- 2
Create your projects and clients, and set screenshot and activity settings your team agrees with
- 3
Invite team members and have them install the desktop or mobile app
- 4
Review the first week of timesheets and approve them
- 5
Turn approved hours into an invoice or payroll run, then choose a plan before the trial ends
Hubstaff alternatives
| Product | Choose it when |
|---|---|
| Hubstaff 4.4 | Agencies and outsourcing firms that bill clients by the hour |
| Toggl Track4.5 | Choose it for simple, low-friction time tracking without screenshots or monitoring. |
| Time Doctor | Choose it if you want a similar monitoring-focused tracker and want to compare reporting styles. |
| Clockify | Choose it if you need a generous free time tracker for a large team on a tight budget. |
Hubstaff: frequently asked questions
How much does Hubstaff cost?+
Starter is $4.99, Grow $7.50, Team $10 and Enterprise $25 per seat per month when billed annually in US dollars. Monthly billing is higher ($7, $9 and $12 for the first three), and paid plans start at two seats.
Is Hubstaff free?+
There is a limited free plan with time tracking, timesheets, activity levels and limited screenshots. Most teams use the 14-day free trial and then move to a paid plan.
Does Hubstaff take screenshots?+
Yes, if the admin enables it. Starter and Grow include limited screenshots; Team and above include unlimited screenshots, and an add-on allows up to 10 screenshots every 10 minutes.
Can Hubstaff pay my team?+
Yes. Limited payments are available on lower plans, and the Team plan includes payments and payroll so tracked hours turn into payouts.
Does Hubstaff offer refunds?+
Hubstaff offers a 30-day money-back guarantee from the start of a paid plan, not counting the free trial.
Is Hubstaff HIPAA compliant?+
HIPAA compliance and SOC 2 Type II compliance are listed on the Enterprise plan.
Final verdict
Is Hubstaff worth it?
If you pay or bill by the hour and want the hours, the invoices and the payouts to match without spreadsheets, Hubstaff is a proven option. Start the free 14-day trial, track one real week with your team, and see the timesheets before you pay for a seat.
Try Hubstaff freeAffiliate link · we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by
Amjid Ali, Founder and editor
Amjid Ali is a Melbourne-based AI and automation lead, author of five books on infrastructure, automation and digital transformation, and a corporate trainer whose courses on n8n, Proxmox, firewalls and ERP have taught thousands of IT professionals.
Last updated 17 October 2026 · How we review
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