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Hubstaff and Timely are both versatile time tracking software with diverse feature sets. From productivity monitoring and reporting to invoicing and GPS tracking, both options are reliable, intuitive solutions for businesses of all sizes.
While there’s no perfect software solution, you can aspire to find the best fit for your business. In this guide, we’ll explore Hubstaff and Timely to help you discover which better suits the unique needs of your team.
112,000+ businesses trust Hubstaff for time tracking
Hubstaff vs. Timely:
Which one is right for you?
| Feature | Hubstaff | Timely |
|---|---|---|
Time Tracking |
|
|
Location Tracking |
|
|
Productivity Monitoring |
Workforce analytics and employee monitoring features. |
No employee monitoring capabilities. |
Reporting Features |
|
|
Invoicing |
|
|
Project budgeting |
|
|
Scheduling |
|
|
Payroll |
In-app payments across multiple payroll integrations. |
No in-app payment capabilities |
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Time tracking features and timesheets
Hubstaff blends time tracking and timesheets to simplify timekeeping. The automatic timer helps users track time for various tasks and projects and converts it to itemized timesheets. Users can edit entries, add time manually, or write notes. One-click submissions and approvals reduce admin time and streamline payments.
Like Hubstaff, Timely boasts intuitive time tracking and seamless integrations that allow users to track time to specific tasks. Both tools also feature idle timeout settings that ensure the clock stops running when users stop working.
The verdict: Both tools are intuitive time tracking and timesheet solutions. However, Hubstaff fits better into the payment process, but we’ll touch on that later.
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Location tracking
Timers aren’t the only way to track time. Hubstaff’s GPS time tracking system lets users create geofenced Job sites to automate clock-ins and clock-outs. Anytime a worker enters or leaves a Job site, the timer will start or stop accordingly.
Timely has a location tracking app for iOS and Android that tracks how long you spent in certain locations, but you can’t automate clock-ins and clock-outs with geofences like you can with Hubstaff.
The verdict: Timely is a solid choice for those who rarely use GPS tracking. However, if you employ teams frequently in the field or on the move, Hubstaff’s robust GPS and route tracking features win out here.
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Productivity monitoring and optional screenshots
Hubstaff’s productivity monitoring features include keyboard and mouse activity, app and URL usage, and optional screenshots. Customizable dashboards make it easier for managers and team members to monitor the metrics that matter most to them.
Timely’s memory app is similar to the Hubstaff corporate app, working in the background to gauge how long you’re spending on each task. Timely prides itself on not having employee monitoring features, but it also lacks productivity data that isn’t time-based.
The verdict: If you’re opposed to employee monitoring features, you might be tempted to go with Timely. That said, Hubstaff gives you full control over what information is monitored while providing real-time employee productivity data and additional insights at an affordable cost.
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Reporting features
Both Timely and Hubstaff have detailed reports for both billable and unbillable hours to help users gain a better understanding of their time tracking data. With Hubstaff, users have access to over 20 different reports for time, employee productivity, budgets, expenses, and more. You can schedule these reports and send them out directly from the app via email.
Timely allows you to pull reports based on hours, clients, projects, people, or their tagging system. You can apply these filters and export reports and share them with your team.
The verdict: Hubstaff offers more reporting options than Timely due to more in-depth workforce analytics. The convenience factor of scheduling and sending reports directly from the app makes Hubstaff a better option here.
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Automatic invoicing
Hubstaff users can create their own custom invoices, set bill rates, add automatic line items, and send and receive payments directly from the app. Like Hubstaff, Timely users can create their own invoices complete with custom branding. However, users need to rely on the Quickbooks integration and manual exports to send invoices.
The verdict: Both tools allow you to create custom invoices, but Hubstaff users can email invoices and receive payments without leaving the app or relying on third-party integrations.
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Project budgeting
Project budgeting is a staple of premier time tracking software like Hubstaff and Timely. In Hubstaff, users can set project rates, create estimates, and set up notifications to alert them when they’re in danger of going over budget.
With Timely, users have a lot of the same abilities as Hubstaff. Recurring project budgets help with future project scoping and a notification system helps teams stay on track and make changes to the budget on the fly.
The verdict: Both Timely and Hubstaff are strong project budgeting tools with real-time project alerts, but the ability to set project limits and send reports from the app sets Hubstaff apart here.
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Shift scheduling
Hubstaff’s shift scheduling features are an added wrinkle for global teams in customer support, field service, or other hourly industries. Plan shifts and track late, missed, or abandoned shifts to simplify scheduling and leave management.
Unfortunately, Timely lacks shift scheduling features at this time.
The verdict: Timely’s lack of shift scheduling features makes Hubstaff the obvious choice here.
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Payroll management
Simplify payments with Hubstaff’s automatic payroll features. Set pay rates, approve timesheets in one click, and streamline payroll across an array of integrations with tools like PayPal, Payoneer, and Wise. The best part? You can manage the whole payroll process, from time tracking to payments, right from the Hubstaff app.
The verdict: Timely allows you to export timesheets and integrates with other tools, but you won’t be able to pay teams on their preferred payment platform without leaving the app like you can using Hubstaff.
Each month, Hubstaff tracks:
What our 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.”
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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.”
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Co-founder at Tallyfy
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Your questions, answered
Hubstaff vs. Timely:
A pricing comparison
Hubstaff
Starter ($7/user/month). Includes basic app and URL tracking, invoices, and a basic payment functionality.
Grow ($9/user/month). Includes Hubstaff Tasks, project budgets, full reports, work breaks, and idle timeout.
Team ($12/user/month). Includes Hubstaff Insights, app and website tracking, timesheet approvals, unlimited screenshots, payments, unlimited integrations, schedules, and overtime tracking.
Enterprise ($25/user/month, billed annually). Includes enterprise-level features like HIPAA compliance, SOC-2 Type II compliance, single sign-on, and the Hubstaff Corporate app.
Timely
Starter ($11/user/month)
20 projects
Up to 5 users
Premium ($20/user/month)
Unlimited projects
Up to 50 users
Unlimited ($28/user/month)
Unlimited projects
Unlimited users
Hubstaff vs. Timely:
The final verdict
Both Hubstaff and Timely are powerful time tracking tools for global teams, but there are some key differences. Each tool offers intuitive time tracking, timesheets, and GPS tracking, but Hubstaff provides more value with geofenced time tracking, shift scheduling, and in-app payment capabilities for a more affordable price.
At the end of the day, the decision really comes down to your stance on employee monitoring. Timely takes a staunch anti-monitoring approach that’s appealing to users who are concerned about the long-term effects monitoring can have on their team. But that said, Hubstaff gives administrators the control to enable or disable monitoring features to fit their management style.
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