Trying to decide between Hubstaff and Clockify? Both are popular time tracking software, but they’re built for very different types of teams. Hubstaff focuses on productivity insights and automation, while Clockify prioritizes flexible, low-cost time tracking.
On the surface, both tools offer core features like employee time tracking, team management, and reporting. But when you dig deeper, the differences start to matter — especially in how each tool handles productivity insights, automation, and scaling remote or distributed teams.
In this Hubstaff vs. Clockify comparison, we break down features, pricing, integrations, productivity tracking, and automation so you can decide which tool best fits your team’s work style.
112,000+ businesses trust Hubstaff for time tracking
Hubstaff vs. Clockify: At a glance
| Feature | Hubstaff | Clockify |
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Time Tracking |
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Device compatibility |
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Integrations |
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Productivity monitoring |
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Attendance tracking |
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Workforce analytics |
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Reporting |
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Payroll |
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Invoicing |
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Task Management |
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Customer support |
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Free trial |
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Best for (summary) | Teams needing time tracking with productivity insights, automation, and payroll | Freelancers and small teams that need free or low-cost time tracking |
Who each tool is for
There's no such thing as a perfect time tracking tool. The choice between Hubstaff and Clockify often boils down to the intended use case. Check out the table below and explore some areas where each tool excels.
| Use case | Best tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
Teams that need time tracking | Both | Both Hubstaff and Clockify provide reliable time tracking with start/stop timers, manual entry, and mobile + desktop apps. |
Teams that need productivity tools | Hubstaff | Hubstaff includes built-in activity monitoring, optional screenshots, and an Insights add-on for deeper visibility into focus time, utilization, and project health. |
Teams that need automated payroll | Hubstaff | Hubstaff automatically processes payments after timesheet approvals. It integrates with popular payment platforms like Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, and Gusto. |
Teams that need integrations | Clockify | Clockify offers a wider range of out-of-the-box integrations, making it easier to connect with third-party apps. |
Accurate time tracking and task switching
Both Hubstaff and Clockify make it easy to track time with start/stop timers, manual entries, and project selection. Users can switch between projects and track hours accurately with idle detection settings.
When it comes to tasks, Hubstaff supports workflow-oriented task management where you can create, assign, and organize tasks within projects. Clockify lets you enter basic tasks primarily for tagging time entries, but does not provide structured task workflows. If your team needs deeper task organization alongside time tracking, Hubstaff offers more robust support.
Winner: Hubstaff
Automated timesheets
Both Hubstaff and Clockify simplify timesheet management by allowing users to track time to tasks and projects and generate itemized timesheets in real time. Users can easily review their hours, create manual time entries, and leave notes before submitting them for manager approval.
The difference comes after approval. Hubstaff connects approved timesheets directly to built-in payment automation, allowing payouts from the app via platforms like PayPal, Wise, and Deel.
Clockify, on the other hand, doesn't offer integrated payroll. So, while it covers the basics well, you'll need to handle payouts separately in another tool if that's part of your workflow.
Winner: Hubstaff
“[Hubstaff] saves a lot of time and effort as we don't have to maintain sheets individually.”
Try Hubstaff on Your Time With Our Interactive Demo
Discover the ins and outs of our Clockify alternative with a feature-by-feature breakdown of time tracking, employee productivity, payroll, and more.
Productivity monitoring
Both Hubstaff and Clockify provide visibility into work activity during tracked time, but the depth and level of control differ.
Hubstaff’s productivity monitoring includes optional screenshots, activity levels, and app and URL tracking, giving teams clearer context around how tracked time is spent. To support transparency and privacy, screenshots can be blurred, disabled, or configured based on team preferences.
Clockify takes a lighter approach, offering basic activity percentages and screenshots for high-level visibility. It does not include app- or URL-level productivity insights, making it better suited for teams that want minimal activity data alongside time tracking.
Overall, both tools support activity visibility, but Hubstaff offers more configurable, privacy-aware options for teams that need deeper productivity context.
Winner: Depends on team needs
Productivity insights
While both Hubstaff and Clockify provide basic activity data, Hubstaff goes further with its AI-driven Insights add-on.
Insights adds workforce analytics on top of tracked time, including productivity trends, utilization patterns, unusual activity detection, focus time analysis, remote vs. in-office performance, and industry benchmarks. These insights help teams identify time drains, spot inefficiencies, and make more informed decisions about how work is structured.
Hubstaff also includes 20+ detailed reports that connect time tracking data to project progress and workforce utilization, giving managers clearer visibility into performance and capacity over time.
Winner: Hubstaff
“The time tracking is accurate, the activity levels help with accountability, and the screenshots give us visibility without micromanaging.”
Shift scheduling
Hubstaff and Clockify each offer standard employee scheduling features like shift planning, calendar views, recurring shifts, and the ability to compare scheduled vs. actual time worked. However, each offers some unique, useful scheduling features.
Hubstaff includes late or missed shift notifications to manage day-to-day changes on the fly. Clockify, on the other hand, adds features like drag-and-drop scheduling. Despite their differences, they're both powerful tools for managing employee schedules.
Winner: Tie
“Clockify is a versatile tool as it offers customizable reports, integrations with tools like Asana and Trello, and team collaboration features.”
Automated payments
While Clockify allows you to use timesheets as a reference for payroll, it lacks a fully integrated payroll system. Hubstaff, on the other hand, streamlines payroll by sending payments directly with platforms like PayPal, Wise, Deel, and Payoneer without leaving the Hubstaff app.
Once you’ve set pay rates and approved timesheets, Hubstaff automatically processes payments based on the tracked time and sends funds straight to your employees’ accounts.
Winner: Hubstaff
Automatic invoicing
Both Clockify and Hubstaff allow you to create invoices based on tracked time. Hubstaff takes it further by letting you not only create invoices but also email them directly to clients and receive payments right from the app.
This added benefit helps create a seamless workflow, from tracking time to getting paid, without switching between apps, and elevates Hubstaff over Clockify when it comes to invoicing.
Winner: Hubstaff
Integration options
When it comes to integrations, Clockify offers a wider range with over 80 connections with popular communication, project management, accounting, and CRM tools.
While it offers fewer integrations than Clockify, Hubstaff connects with essential platforms like Slack, Asana, Salesforce, and PayPal to streamline workflows for specific business needs.
Both tools integrate with key systems, making either great for enhancing productivity and simplifying processes. However, Clockify comes out on top because with significantly more integrations.
Winner: Clockify
Ease of use
Third-party reviews consistently rate both Hubstaff and Clockify as easy to use, with quick setup and minimal onboarding.
Clockify is often described as more data-dense, using a table-based interface that keeps time entries, projects, and tasks visible in one place.
Hubstaff is commonly noted for a more streamlined experience, with a lightweight background timer and a cleaner dashboard focused on tracked time and real-time visibility.
Winner: Tie
Each month, Hubstaff tracks:
What Hubstaff customers say
“We work in a lot of different industries, so I can’t always know what’s a 45-minute task and what’s a four-hour task. With tools like Hubstaff, you can tell. You then decide if a whole project should’ve taken 16 hours or if someone is just not the right fit.”
OneIMS President and Founder
“We believe — just like Hubstaff — that talent is everywhere and people should be able to work any time, anywhere, even in their pajamas,” says Kothari. “As a company, we believe in the same future of work as Hubstaff, which is great because our values align.”
Co-founder at Tallyfy
Pricing: Hubstaff vs Clockify
Hubstaff Plans
Hubstaff offers robust time tracking features with flexible plans to meet business needs. Even the basic plans provide enough functionality for small teams, with the ability to track time, manage payments, and monitor activity levels.
- Free plan. Includes time tracking, timesheets, activity levels, basic reports, and payments.
- Starter ($7.00/user/month). Includes limited app and URL tracking, limited screenshots, and payment functionality.
- Grow ($9.00/user/month). This includes tasks, project budgets, work breaks, idle timeouts, one integration, and more detailed reports.
- Team ($12.00/user/month). Includes unlimited screenshots, app & URL tracking, payments and payroll, unlimited integrations, scheduling, timesheet approvals, and overtime tracking.
- Enterprise ($25.00/user/month, billed annually). Provides enterprise-level features like higher API limits, single sign-on, SCIM, and enterprise deployment. Hubstaff is also up to date with GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC-2 Type II compliance.
Despite the slightly higher pricing, Hubstaff's pricing plans are ideal for businesses that want to automate admin tasks like payroll and invoicing while gaining detailed productivity insights. See for yourself – start your free 14-day trial.
Clockify Plans
Clockify offers some of the most competitive pricing among time tracking apps, with one of the most generous free versions available. It covers a wide range of features even in its entry-level plans, making it a great tool for businesses that need time tracking without a steep cost.
- Free plan. Includes basic time tracking, timesheets, project tracking, unlimited users, and reporting features.
- Basic ($4.99/user/month). Adds administrative controls like bulk editing, time audits, and project templates.
- Standard ($6.99/user/month). Includes invoicing, time off tracking, approvals, and attendance tracking.
- Pro ($9.99/user/month). Adds scheduling, forecasting, labor cost tracking, multiple currencies, GPS tracking feature, and screenshots.
- Enterprise ($14.99/user/month). Includes advanced security features like single sign-on, audit logs, and custom subdomains.
- Productivity Suite ($15.99/user/month). Adds team communication and project management features on top of the Enterprise plan’s features.
Clockify is excellent for those starting out or small teams looking for flexible, cost-effective plans.
Hubstaff vs. Clockify: Deciding factors
Choosing between Hubstaff and Clockify comes down to what your team needs most in a time tracking platform —a simple way to track time or a more built-out time tracking tool that also supports automated payments and invoicing.
If you’re a small team or just getting started with time tracking software, Clockify makes a strong case. Its free plan is generous, and the interface is straightforward once you get the hang of it. For basic tracking, managing projects, and keeping an eye on team hours, it covers a lot of ground without costing a cent.
Hubstaff, on the other hand, is built for teams that want to take things a step further. Features like built-in payroll, automated invoicing, and detailed productivity reporting can help reduce manual work and make things more efficient. These features stand out if your team is growing or you're managing remote workers across different roles and schedules.
In the end, both tools are solid, and they’re easy to try. Each offers a free trial, and getting set up doesn’t take long. The best move is to test them both in your workflow to see which one clicks with your team and best meets your day-to-day needs.
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