Clockify vs Hubstaff: Full Comparison
Clockify is a simple, low-cost timer with a real free plan and many integrations. Hubstaff adds screenshots, GPS, and payroll payouts for proof of work.
Free to start. No credit card needed.
Our quick verdict on both tools
Pick Clockify if you want a low-cost or free timer with wide integrations and do not need to watch how staff spend their time. Pick Hubstaff if you manage remote or field workers and want screenshots, GPS, and payroll built into the same tool.
Start tracking freeWhat this comparison covers
Clockify and Hubstaff are both time tracking tools, compared here side by side so you can see how they differ.
If neither tool fits, TimeTracker is worth a look too. It skips screenshots and activity scores and instead ties tracked hours straight to project budgets and client invoices.
Compare the two products at a glance
Both tools solve time tracking. Here is what each one includes, side by side.
Clockify
Priced lower than most competitors, and its Free plan (capped at 5 users) still includes timers, timesheets, and basic reports.
- Best for
- Freelancers and small to mid-size teams who want a low-cost or free time tracker for billing clients.
- Pricing
- Free plan cut from unlimited users to 5 in April 2026. Paid from $4.99/user/mo (Basic) up to $14.99/user/mo (Enterprise), billed monthly; annual is about 20% less.
- Timer, manual entry, and auto tracker
- Kiosk mode for shared-device clock in/out
- Timesheet approvals (Standard plan+)
- Invoicing and QuickBooks integration
- GPS and expense tracking (Pro plan+)
- 100+ app integrations, even on Free
- Labor cost vs billable rate reports
Hubstaff
Pairs time tracking with built-in workforce monitoring (screenshots, activity levels, GPS geofencing) and automated payroll payouts.
- Best for
- Distributed teams, agencies, and field service businesses that need proof-of-work tracking tied to payroll.
- Pricing
- No free plan, 14-day trial only. Billed annually: Starter $4.99, Grow $7.50, Team $10 per seat a month, all with a 2 seat minimum, and Enterprise $25. So the real floor is $9.98 a month, not $4.99.
- Start/stop timers with idle detection
- Optional screenshots with blur option
- Activity levels from keyboard/mouse use
- GPS and geofencing, a paid Team-plan add-on
- Automated payroll payouts
- App and URL usage tracking
See how they stack up
Pricing, best fit, and top strengths for both tools, side by side.
Pricing checked 2026-07-31. Confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Which one fits your team
Choose Clockify when…
You want a free plan that covers a small team with no cost at all.
Clockify's free plan works for up to 5 users and still includes timers, timesheets, and basic reports.See how
You do not want to monitor staff with screenshots or activity scores.
Clockify tracks hours without screenshots or keystroke logging by default, which suits a team that runs on trust.See how
You already use a lot of other apps and want the widest integration list.
Clockify connects to 100 plus apps even on its free plan, more than most rivals offer at that price.See how
You want the shortest possible learning curve for a new team.
Clockify's simple, familiar interface needs almost no training, which helps a team get started fast.See how
You want to tag and sort time entries without much setup.
Simple tagging covers lightweight organizing needs without a full monitoring system.See how
You bill clients for hours but do not need location tracking or payroll payouts.
Clockify's Pro plan adds invoicing, GPS, and expense tracking at a lower price than most monitoring-first tools.See how
You need kiosk mode for staff to clock in from a shared device.
Clockify's kiosk mode covers shared-device clock in and out without adding screenshot monitoring on top.See how
Choose Hubstaff when…
You manage remote staff and need proof of what they worked on, not just hours logged.
Hubstaff's screenshots and activity levels give a manager evidence of work, not just a number of hours.See how
You run field crews and need to confirm they clocked in at the right job site.
GPS tracking and geofenced job sites confirm a worker was on site when they clocked in, which a plain timer cannot do.See how
You want payroll to run automatically from tracked hours, without a separate payout step.
Hubstaff's automated payroll payouts turn tracked hours into paid staff without exporting to another tool first.See how
You manage a mix of office staff and field workers on one platform.
Hubstaff covers both desk-based monitoring and GPS-based field tracking in the same account, which a timer-only tool does not.See how
You need to see which apps and sites staff spend time on during work hours.
App and URL usage tracking shows where the workday actually goes, which Clockify does not offer at any tier.See how
You want activity levels calculated from keyboard and mouse use, not self-reported hours.
Activity levels give a manager a rough, ongoing signal of engagement instead of trusting the timer alone.See how
You outsource work and need to justify hours billed with real evidence.
Screenshots and activity data give an outsourcing client something to check against the invoice, beyond a plain timesheet.See how
Popular features
Employee time tracking your team will actually use
One click starts a timer, or people type hours in by hand. Every entry ties to a client, project, and task, so the record stays clean.
Explore Time Tracking→Bill for every hour you earn
Mark each entry billable or non-billable while you work. Approved hours roll straight into reports you can bill from.
Explore Billing→See where the time really goes
Break hours down by client, project, and team member. Find the work that pays off and the projects that run over.
Explore Reports & Dashboards→Use cases this solves
Frequently asked questions
- Is Clockify cheaper than Hubstaff?
- Yes, at the entry level. Clockify has a real free plan for up to 5 users, while Hubstaff has no permanent free tier and starts at about $4.99 a user a month. See how billing plans compare on the billing page.
- Does Clockify take screenshots like Hubstaff does?
- No. Clockify tracks time without screenshots or keystroke logging by default. Hubstaff offers optional screenshots with a blur option, which is one reason teams pick it for non-billable time tracking on internal or remote work.
- Which tool is better for a fully remote team?
- Hubstaff is built for remote and distributed teams, with screenshots, activity levels, and payroll payouts in one place. Clockify covers remote time tracking too, but without the monitoring layer Hubstaff adds.
- Can Hubstaff run payroll automatically from tracked hours?
- Yes. Hubstaff can pay staff automatically once hours are tracked, which fits teams that want rate management to flow straight into a payout. Clockify does not offer payroll payouts at any tier.
- Does Clockify have GPS tracking for field workers?
- Yes, but only on Clockify's Pro plan and up. Hubstaff includes GPS tracking and geofenced job sites more broadly, which matters for teams running project budgeting across multiple job sites.
- Which tool has more integrations?
- Clockify wins here. It connects to 100 plus apps, even on its free plan. Hubstaff's integration list is smaller, but it covers the core reporting most monitoring-focused teams need without extra tools.
- Is Hubstaff's activity monitoring too invasive for an office team?
- Some employees find screenshots and activity scores invasive, which is a fair concern. If your team just needs timesheet approvals without watching how staff spend each hour, Clockify is the lighter-touch option.
- Can both tools invoice clients directly?
- Clockify adds invoicing and a QuickBooks connection on its paid plans. Hubstaff focuses more on payroll than client invoicing, so if invoicing from tracked time matters most to you, check which plan on each tool actually includes it.
- What if neither Clockify nor Hubstaff fits my team?
- Both are solid tools built around different goals: Clockify for low-cost timing, Hubstaff for monitoring and payroll. If you bill clients and want budgets and invoices tied to the same hours, our Hubstaff alternatives page covers more options worth a look, including TimeTracker.
- Which tool should a small agency without field workers pick?
- A small agency working entirely at desks usually gets more value from Clockify's low cost and wide app list than from Hubstaff's field-focused GPS and geofencing. If billing hours accurately to clients matters more than monitoring activity, look at estimate vs actual reporting to see which tool covers that need best.
Not sure which one fits your team?
See how TimeTracker handles time tracking, project budgets, and client invoicing in one place, without screenshots or activity scores.
Try TimeTracker free