Best Alternatives To Hubstaff Shortlist
Here’s my pick of the 10 best software alternatives from the 20 tools reviewed.
If you’re managing a remote or hybrid team, you know that tracking time and monitoring productivity can quickly become challenging, especially when juggling multiple projects. Hubstaff is a popular choice for businesses looking to streamline these tasks, but it’s not the right fit for everyone. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives worth considering.
In this article, I’ve rounded up the best Hubstaff alternatives based on my hands-on testing of time tracking software and workforce management tools. I’ll walk you through options that offer robust employee monitoring, simple time tracking, and powerful reporting—helping you find the right fit for your team.
What Is Hubstaff?
Hubstaff is a time-tracking and productivity management tool designed to help remote teams, freelancers, and agencies monitor work hours and productivity. It caters to businesses wanting to accurately track project time, manage tasks, and analyze work habits to enhance efficiency. Hubstaff automates administrative tasks such as payroll, invoicing, and scheduling, saving time and improving project management.
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Pricing Comparison Summary
We’ve researched the pricing and availability of free trials and demo versions so you can make a much simpler side-by-side comparison.
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for employee monitoring | Free 7-day trial | From $6.40/seat/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 2 | Best for screenshot-based monitoring | Free 10-day trial + free demo available | From $6.49/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 3 | Best for productivity management | Free plan + 10-day free trial + free demo available | From $4.50/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 4 | Best for invoicing and budgeting | 14-day free trial + free plan + free demo available | From $2.49/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 5 | Best for flexible time tracking | Free plan + 30-day free trial available | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 6 | Best for shift scheduling | 31-day free trial + free demo available | From $5/user/month | Website | |
| 7 | Best for efficiency analysis | Free trial + free demo available | From $6.42/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 8 | Best for visual time tracking | 30-day free trial | From $7.50/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 9 | Best for distraction management | Free 14-day trial + free demo available | From $7/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 10 | Best for simplified project planning | 14-day free trial + free demo available | From $45/month (billed annually) | Website |
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Insightful
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Accelo
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.4 -
Forecast
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Best Hubstaff Alternative Reviews
Based on my extensive experience, I’ll provide a detailed analysis and overview of each Hubstaff alternative. You’ll learn about its pros and cons, key features, integrations, and best use cases.
Insightful is a workforce analytics and productivity insights tool. It's best for employee monitoring due to its real-time activity analysis.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I chose Insightful because it offers employee monitoring capabilities that rival Hubstaff. It has detailed real-time activity tracking and productivity insights, making it an excellent choice for businesses focused on employee oversight.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include employee monitoring, time tracking, automatic time mapping, and location insights.
Integrations include Slack, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, Freshbooks, and QuickBooks.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Complete employee monitoring features
- Positive reviews from a large customer base
- Supports remote, hybrid, and office work modes
Cons:
- More integration options may be needed
- Only a 7-day free trial
For businesses aiming to improve productivity and simplify operations, Monitask is a solid alternative to Hubstaff. It’s well-suited for remote teams, agencies, and e-commerce businesses, offering tools to manage employee time and improve workforce efficiency. Monitask helps address common challenges like tracking remote work activity and supporting project management, making it a practical option for teams focused on getting more done.
Why I Picked Monitask
I chose Monitask as a Hubstaff alternative because of its strong time tracking and productivity monitoring features. It includes online timesheets and remote employee monitoring, which are important for managing distributed teams. Its workforce analytics also provide clear insights into employee performance, supporting data-driven decision-making. Together, these features help improve productivity without the added complexity found in many similar tools.
Monitask Key Features
In addition to its core offerings, I also found several other features beneficial for your business needs.
- Clock-in/out Boards: This feature allows your team to log work hours accurately, ensuring precise time tracking.
- Computer Monitoring: Monitask enables monitoring of computer activity to maintain focus and productivity.
- Attendance Tracking: It helps manage and record employee attendance, facilitating efficient workforce management.
- Workforce Analytics: This feature provides insights into team performance, aiding in strategic decision-making.
Monitask Integrations
Native integrations are not currently listed by Monitask.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Built-in attendance and idle tracking
- Screenshot monitoring with privacy controls
- Simple time tracking for remote teams
Cons:
- Not ideal for large organizations
- Basic reporting for complex teams
Tailored for businesses aiming to optimize workforce performance, Apploye offers features that cater to diverse industries, including marketing agencies, software development teams, and virtual assistant companies. By addressing challenges like productivity tracking and streamlined project management, Apploye provides a comprehensive approach to managing remote and hybrid teams effectively.
Why I Picked Apploye
I picked Apploye as a Hubstaff alternative for its focus on productivity management and detailed reporting. The platform’s productivity-tracking feature lets you measure daily performance, helping ensure your team stays focused on their tasks. Additionally, advanced reporting tools provide workforce intelligence, enabling businesses to make informed decisions based on real-time data. These features collectively address the need for detailed monitoring and analytics, making it a compelling choice for those seeking alternatives.
Apploye Key Features
In addition to its productivity management capabilities, Apploye offers:
- Employee Monitoring: Provides real-time tracking of workforce activity, ensuring that your team remains productive throughout their work hours.
- Screenshot Monitoring: Captures screen activity at intervals, offering visibility into your team’s workflow and helping identify areas for improvement.
- Project & Task Management: Organizes projects efficiently, with tools that assist in task assignment, progress monitoring, and budget tracking.
- Payroll & Invoice: Automates payment processing, simplifying payroll management and invoicing for businesses.
Apploye Integrations
Integrations include ClickUp, Trello, Jira, and Asana.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Automatic time tracking reduces manual data entry
- Monitors employees effectively without feeling overly invasive
- Tracks team activity clearly for remote productivity monitoring
Cons:
- Activity detection sometimes misrepresents actual work engagement
- Idle detection activates incorrectly during team conversations
TimeCamp is a versatile time-tracking and project-management tool. It’s best for invoicing and budgeting because of its financial management features.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I chose TimeCamp because of its invoicing and budgeting features, which are essential for project-based work. Its ability to track time and expenses makes it a valuable alternative to Hubstaff, especially for those who need detailed financial reporting and invoicing capabilities.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include automatic time tracking, productivity tracking, and detailed reporting.
Integrations include Trello, Asana, Quickbooks, Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Xero, Jira, Salesforce, and Todoist.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Offers both desktop and mobile apps for tracking
- A wide array of integrations with popular tools
- Detailed invoicing and budgeting features
Cons:
- Interface requires some updating
- May have a learning curve for new users
Toggl Track is a time-tracking tool that simplifies project management and reporting. Due to its versatile features and ease of use, it's best for flexible time tracking.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I opted for Toggl Track because it offers flexibility in time tracking, which is essential for modern, dynamic work environments. Its user-friendly interface and feature set make it a good alternative to Hubstaff.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include a calendar view, offline tracking, mobile and desktop apps, one-click timers, favorites, and a timeline for auto-tracking app and browser activity.
Integrations include Google and Outlook Calendar, Toggl Plan, Salesforce, Jira, Quickbooks Online, automation apps like Zapier and Make, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Offers a free plan and a 30-day free trial for the Premium plan
- Integrates with over 100 tools
- Flexible time tracking with various modes and offline capabilities
Cons:
- There is a learning curve for some users
- The free plan is limited to 5 users
Deputy is a workforce management tool that simplifies the process of scheduling shifts, tracking time and attendance, and managing staff leave. It caters to industries requiring hourly workforce management.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I chose Deputy as it has a specific feature set for businesses dependent on shift work, especially those managing complex shift schedules. Its user-friendly interface and efficient shift scheduling capabilities make it a good alternative to Hubstaff.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include auto-scheduling, which helps managers quickly create conflict-free schedules and seamless integration with payroll systems. The tool also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android, allowing managers and employees to communicate and manage shifts on the go.
Integrations include Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, BambooHR, ADP, Square, Clover, Vend, Lightspeed, and Sage.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Seamless payroll integration
- Efficient shift scheduling and auto-scheduling
- User-friendly interface
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- Slight learning curve for new users
DeskTime is a tool designed to track time and analyze productivity. It can conduct efficiency analysis, offer detailed insights into time spent, and identify productivity trends.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I selected DeskTime because of its analysis capabilities for optimizing team performance. Its focus on providing actionable data on employee productivity positions it as a strong Hubstaff alternative.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include automatic time tracking that activates when a computer is used, URL and application tracking to monitor work activity, and project cost calculation based on hourly rates. It also provides shift scheduling and an absence calendar.
Integrations include Trello, Asana, Jira, GitLab, Zapier, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, iCal, QuickBooks, and Xero.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Project cost calculation with hourly rates
- Automatic time tracking capabilities
- In-depth productivity analytics
Cons:
- Integrations need improvement
- Screenshots can be considered privacy-intrusive
Timeular offers a visual time-tracking solution. Its unique approach involves logging hours using a physical time-tracking device and an interactive interface.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I chose Timeular because it provides a tangible way to track time, which is more engaging and less intrusive than traditional digital-only methods. Its visual and physical aspects make it stand out as a good alternative to the more conventional Hubstaff.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include automatic time tracking, which captures app, website, and document usage, and a physical time tracker that makes time management more interactive. The software also offers leave and work hours tracking, billable time tracking with automatic calculations, and personalized productivity insights.
Integrations include Jira, Trello, Slack, ClickUp, Xero, Zendesk, Todoist, Salesforce, GitLab, GitHub, and Basecamp.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Integrates with over 3,000 apps
- Automatic time tracking for apps, websites, and documents
- Unique physical time tracker for a tangible time tracking experience
Cons:
- GDPR compliance and anti-surveillance features may not be necessary for all users
- The physical tracker is sold separately, which could be an additional cost
RescueTime is a fully automated time-tracking software that tracks time spent on apps and websites. It offers tools to block distractions and generates detailed reports to enhance focus.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I chose RescueTime because of its approach to distraction management. It automates tracking and gives detailed insights into how one spends their time. It’s a good alternative to Hubstaff, which is focused on manual tracking and employee monitoring.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include automatic time tracking without manual entry, detailed reports on time spent on various activities, and the ability to block distracting websites and apps. It also offers offline time tracking to provide a complete view of your day.
Integrations include Asana, Slack, and calendar apps.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Detailed productivity reports
- Distraction blocking capabilities
- Automated time tracking
Cons:
- Some users may find it challenging to adjust to automated tracking
- May be less suitable for manual time-tracking needs
ProofHub is a project management tool that simplifies planning and collaboration for teams of all sizes. Its flat-rate pricing model, which includes unlimited users and features without per-user fees, makes it best for simplified project planning.
Why it's a good Hubstaff alternative:
I chose ProofHub because it offers a unique pricing structure that is cost-effective for teams with many users. Unlike Hubstaff, which charges per user, ProofHub's flat-rate pricing means larger teams can save money. Its focus on simplifying project planning makes it an excellent alternative for teams looking for an all-in-one solution.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include task management with boards and table views, Gantt charts for visual project planning, time tracking, custom roles, and reporting tools.
Integrations include Slack, Box, Dropbox, Google Calendar, Google Drive, One Drive, Freshbooks, and QuickBooks.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- A complete set of project management and collaboration features
- Unlimited users and projects in the Ultimate Control plan
- Flat-rate pricing with no per-user fee
Cons:
- No mention of advanced analytics or reporting features beyond the basic project and resource reports
- Storage space is capped at 15GB for the Essential plan and 100GB for the Ultimate Control plan
Other Hubstaff Alternatives
Below is a list of additional Hubstaff alternatives that I shortlisted, but did not make it to the top list.
- nTask
For integrated risk management
- Workfolio
For professional online portfolios
- Homebase
For team availability tracking
- Connecteam
For operational procedures
- GoodDay
For flexible work environments
- Time Doctor
For employee monitoring
- Teramind
For data loss prevention
- ClickUp
For task management features
- QuickBooks Time
For integrating with accounting software
- Clockify
For unlimited users and projects
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Selection Criteria For Hubstaff Alternatives
When choosing Hubstaff alternatives, I prioritize functionality and meeting specific use cases. The tools must boost productivity, simplify workflows, and address challenges like time tracking, team management, and project oversight.
I have personally tested and researched these tools to ensure they meet the following criteria.
Core Functionality: 25% of Total Weighting Score
- Accurate time tracking with manual and automatic options
- Efficient task and project management
- Integrated scheduling and shift planning
- Seamless team communication tools
- Comprehensive reporting and analytics
Additional Standout Features: 25% of Total Weighting Score
- Integrations with popular tools like Trello, Asana, QuickBooks, and Slack
- Offers automatic time tracking with AI-based activity categorization
- Provides customizable reports and detailed productivity analytics
- Fully functional mobile apps that support on-the-go management
- Enhanced location tracking features for field teams
Usability: 10% of Total Weighting Score
- Clean, user-friendly design with drag-and-drop functionality
- Simple, logical menu structures for quick access to features
- Options to personalize dashboards and reports
Onboarding: 10% of Total Weighting Score
- Availability of comprehensive training videos, tutorials, and webinars
- Guided tours that help new users get started quickly
- Assistance with data migration from previous tools
Customer Support: 10% of Total Weighting Score
- 24/7 support with live chat, email, and phone options
- Extensive documentation and FAQs
- Quick response times and helpful, knowledgeable staff.
Value For Money: 10% of Total Weighting Score
- Competitive pricing with clear tiers based on features
- Availability of a free trial period to test features
- Transparent pricing without unexpected costs
Customer Reviews: 10% of Total Weighting Score
- High average ratings and positive user feedback
- Consistent mentions of standout features and exceptional support
- Well-regarded in the industry with a solid track record
Why Look For A Hubstaff Alternative
You might be looking for an alternative to Hubstaff if you have any of the following issues.
- Cost Concerns: You may find the pricing model of Hubstaff to be outside your budget
- Features: You may seek additional or different features that Hubstaff does not offer
- User Experience: You may prefer a more intuitive or user-friendly interface
- Integration Needs: You may require better integration options with other tools and services.
- Support and Resources: You may want more customer support or educational resources
Alternatives to Hubstaff may offer features and benefits and meet specific needs that Hubstaff doesn’t. For example, they may better fit certain businesses due to cost, feature requirements, user experience, and support.
Hubstaff Key Features
Here are some of the key features of Hubstaff, to help you contrast and compare what alternative solutions offer:
- Time tracking: Accurately track work hours with GPS capabilities and screenshots to verify work, integrating with task management software for seamless project tracking.
- Productivity insights: Monitor employee productivity with real-time metrics and app usage insights.
- Payroll & payments: Process payroll online, create custom invoices, and track overtime for accurate payments.
- Integrations: Connect with over 35 popular tools like Jira, Slack, and Google Calendar to enhance workflow.
- Workforce management: Manage employee schedules, attendance, and team structures while integrating with collaboration tools to enhance communication.
- Project management: Manage project costs, track billable hours, and oversee client budgets effectively.
- Employee monitoring: Gain insights into productivity and maintain activity logs for better performance tracking.
- Privacy focus: Use options to blur sensitive data while maintaining productivity tracking without compromising privacy.
- Resources: Access a help center, blog, and resource hub for support and guidance.
- Free trial: Experience the software with a 14-day free trial to explore its capabilities.
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