Hubstaff and Clockify are two well-known time tracking tools, but there are some differences in how they operate. Hubstaff’s time tracking generates automated timesheets linked to payroll, invoicing, and team operations to streamline workflows. Clockify offers flexible time tracking with manual setup and reporting, giving users control but requiring more effort.
140k global users trust Hubstaff for time tracking
Each month, Hubstaff tracks:
TL;DR: Is Hubstaff or Clockify better for your team?
Choose Hubstaff if:
- You want to convert time tracking data into timesheets for payments from a single place.
- You manage global teams and need structured operational workflows.
- You want a clear breakdown of time spent across projects and clients on a user-friendly platform.
- You want automatic tracking for larger teams to maintain consistent time data.
Choose Clockify if:
- You’re a solo user or manager of a small team in need of an intuitive free or low-cost time tracking tool.
- You like having flexible one-click time tracking with manual controls.
- Your priority doesn’t involve payroll or operational workflows.
Hubstaff vs. Clockify: Side by side
| Category | Hubstaff | Clockify |
|---|---|---|
Core focus | Time tracking with built-in productivity monitoring, workforce analytics, and payments in a single place. | Time tracking with manual controls for added flexibility. |
Time tracking | Structured project/task-based manual, automatic, and GPS tracking. Available on desktop, web, or mobile. | Manual timer for flexible tracking, doesn’t include automatic tracking. |
Monitoring | Includes activity tracking, apps/URLs usage, idle time, and optional screenshots. | Limited monitoring options for team activity and idle time detection. |
Workforce analytics | AI analytics surface utilization, capacity, benchmarks, focus time, reports, and more. | Limited reports with basic customization and a team dashboard. |
Payments & invoicing | Built-in payments workflows for budgeting, invoicing, overtime tracking, and more. | Includes basic invoicing but relies on external tools for payment workflows. |
Scheduling & time-off | Combines time tracking data synced to scheduling, attendance, and PTO. | Offers basic scheduling options for time allocation and planning. |
Report | Offers 20+ detailed reports for time tracking, activity, payments, workforce analytics, and more. | Basic reporting for time, expenses, assignments, and attendance. |
Pricing | Starts at $4.99/user/month with the Starter plan. Includes time tracking and productivity tools. | Starts with a free plan with basic time tracking for up to 5 users. |
Best for | Global teams that need structured operational workflows tied to time tracking. | Individuals and small teams with basic time tracking needs. |
Hubstaff vs. Clockify: Key differences
Explore how Hubstaff and Clockify features compare in this in-depth overview. We'll break down time tracking, workforce analytics, reporting, payments, and more, so you can decide quickly which tool is right for your business.
Organized workflows vs. flexible time tracking
Hubstaff
Track time to projects and tasks and turn time tracking data into automated timesheets for payments, invoicing, and project budgets. Hubstaff provides versatility with automatic, manual, and GPS time tracking.
Clockify
Clockify makes time tracking easy for small teams with timers, manual entries, and calendar-based tracking. It offers flexibility and control, but often requires more manual organization across projects and reports.
Key insight: Hubstaff’s time tracking supports multiple operational workflows for a wide array of larger teams. Clockify is best suited for smaller teams, offering flexible tracking with manual controls.
Built-in productivity monitoring vs. manual reporting
Hubstaff
Improve team accountability with clear visibility into work through Hubstaff’s built-in productivity tracking. See activity, app and URL usage, idle time, and optional screenshots, with the ability to customize these features at the role, project, or organizational level to optimize performance.
Clockify
Clockify helps teams view activity by project using timers, manual entries, and optional screenshots on paid plans. Its flexible setup is driven mainly by user input, with activity tracking as a supporting feature.
Key insight: Hubstaff adds deeper context with detailed activity signals, while Clockify relies more on manual time logs for a basic activity overview.
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.
Workforce analytics vs. manual analysis
Hubstaff
Hubstaff helps teams make data-driven decisions on burnout, workload imbalances, and team capacity issues with live, AI-powered workforce analytics. Surface key patterns in utilization, meeting time, and productivity trends to streamline workflows.
Clockify
Clockify provides time and cost analytics suitable for small teams managing projects. However, deeper analysis often requires manual filtering, customization, and exporting of reports.
Key insight: Hubstaff’s built-in Insights add-on paints a clear view of team performance with metrics like meeting vs. focus time, while Clockify metrics are more focused on time and cost tracking.
Reporting: structured insights vs. flexible reports
Hubstaff
Built-in reporting gives you access to 20+ detailed reports that connect time tracking to project costs, ROI, and productivity trends in one dashboard, helping you keep team performance, payments, expenses, and project budgets under control.
Clockify
Clockify offers reporting dashboards that make time and activity easy to understand. Multiple filtering and export options give users control over building and customizing reports.
Key insight: Hubstaff’s in-depth reporting helps leaders make informed business decisions, while Clockify offers fewer reports with flexible filters that help support small teams.
In-built payments workflow vs. manual processes
Hubstaff
Seamlessly connect time tracking with payroll, invoicing, and project budgets in a single workflow. You can then process accurate global payments via popular payment tools like PayPal, Payoneer, and Gusto, reducing manual admin work and overhead.
Clockify
Clockify focuses on time tracking and reporting. It includes billable hours, expenses, and invoicing on paid plans, but payroll workflows often require exporting timesheets and using external tools.
Key insight:
Hubstaff streamlines payment workflows in a single system, while Clockify relies more on manual processes and external software.
Scheduling: Team system vs. manual scaling
Hubstaff
Get clear visibility into team availability with staff scheduling, attendance tracking, PTO, and time-off management in one place. Hubstaff helps larger teams monitor attendance with alerts for late, missed, and abandoned shifts, making the entire scheduling process more efficient.
Clockify
Clockify's scheduling tools work for small teams and individuals to manage tasks and timelines. Managing larger teams with complex workforce data often takes more manual effort.
Key insight: Hubstaff’s scheduling is built for global team operations and resource planning, while Clockify’s scheduling is ideal for project planning and time allocation.
Hubstaff vs. Clockify pricing
| Plan tier | Hubstaff | Clockify |
|---|---|---|
Free | Doesn’t include a free plan, but there is a free, 14-day trial. | Basic free plan available for up to 5 users or individual use. |
Entry plan | $4.99/user/month Starter plan (billed annually). Includes time tracking and productivity tools. | $6.99/user/month Standard plan (billed annually). Includes attendance and time-off options. |
Mid tier | $7.50/user/month Grow plan (billed annually). Includes reporting, integrations, and advanced tools. | $9.99/user/month Pro plan (billed annually). Offers scheduling and forecasting. |
Advanced | $10/user/month Team plan (billed annually). Combines payments, scheduling, and advanced features. | $14.99/user/month Enterprise plan (billed annually). Includes Pro features and more. |
Enterprise | $25/user/month Enterprise plan (billed annually). Offers custom setup, advanced security, deployment options, and support. | $27.97/user/month Productivity Suite. Includes Enterprise features bundle. |
Summary: Hubstaff offers time tracking with built-in workforce analytics, payroll, and invoicing to streamline team operations. Clockify offers affordable, flexible tracking for small teams, but it often requires additional tools for payroll and analytics.
Setup, usability and support
Let’s look at how these two tools differ in terms of setup, usability, and support.
Hubstaff
- Requires initial setup but offers flexible customizations for organizational, project, and role-based permissions.
- Easy installation across desktop, mobile, or browser apps.
- Helps create a structured day-to-day experience as teams scale.
- Includes built-in timesheet approval workflow, reporting, payroll integrations, and management tools.
- Helps streamline complex operations for remote and distributed teams.
Hubstaff is popular among G2 reviewers for ease of use and accurate time tracking.
Clockify
- Free plan with fast and easy setup with minimal onboarding.
- Allows teams to start tracking time immediately with a simple timer.
- Flexible for individuals and small teams.
Where each tool fits best
Now that we have covered all the Hubstaff and Clockify features, let’s find out which one meets your team’s unique needs.
Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a time tracking platform with several built-in capabilities, including timesheets, payroll, and AI analytics. It’s ideal for global teams in need of workflows tied to time tracking, catering to the needs of agencies, BPOs, remote, and hybrid teams. It’s also great for organizations managing projects, payroll, staffing, and operations efficiently in a single platform. It’s a great option for virtually any use case.
Clockify
Clockify, on the other hand, offers a simple, clean time tracking platform with expense management and basic reporting. It’s a perfect solution that suits freelancers, startups, and small teams. If you need affordable, flexible time tracking without advanced workforce management features, Clockify is a great option.
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
Choosing between Hubstaff and Clockify
Hubstaff and Clockify solve different levels of time tracking and team management problems.
Enterprise-level global teams can benefit from Hubstaff’s powerful tracking capability, turning work hours into timesheets, payroll, reporting, and analytics for structured operations. It’s great for larger businesses looking for a high-level overview of all business operations in one platform.
Clockify is designed for small teams or individuals looking for basic time tracking, with a simple setup and a cost-effective entry point.
Choose Hubstaff if you:
- Need to manage projects, payroll, team operations, and workforce visibility in one system.
- Manage remote, hybrid, or distributed teams growing rapidly.
- Want structured workflows and operational insights to keep projects moving.
Choose Clockify if you:
- Need flexible time tracking with a free or low-cost option.
- Manage a small team or individual workload.
- Prefer simpler tools with lightweight workflows.