Hubstaff vs OnTheClock: Full Comparison
Hubstaff tracks screenshots, activity levels, and GPS, then pays teams out automatically. OnTheClock keeps it simple with GPS and PTO on its base plan.
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Our quick verdict on both tools
Pick Hubstaff if you manage remote or outsourced staff and need screenshots, activity levels, or GPS to prove work got done, plus payroll that runs off those hours. Pick OnTheClock if you run a small business and want a clean time clock with GPS, PTO, and scheduling included without paying for monitoring you do not need.
Start tracking freeWhat this comparison covers
Hubstaff and OnTheClock are both time tracking tools, compared here side by side so you can see how they differ.
If neither fits, TimeTracker is worth a look too, especially for agencies that bill clients by the hour and want budgets and invoicing tied to tracked time.
Compare the two products at a glance
Both tools solve time tracking. Here is what each one includes, side by side.
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
OnTheClock
GPS tracking, geofencing, and PTO accrual come standard on the base plan, features most rivals gate behind higher tiers.
- Best for
- Small businesses that want a simple time clock with GPS, PTO, and scheduling included at the base tier.
- Pricing
- No free plan, 30-day trial. $4 per employee a month plus a $5 monthly base fee, so 2 employees is $13 a month. Payroll adds $6 per employee plus a $40 base fee, and a one-time $250 onboarding fee.
- GPS tracking and geofencing
- Biometric and IP punch verification
- PTO and leave tracking with accruals
- Drag-and-drop employee scheduling
- Project and job costing
- Tips, bonus, commission 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 Hubstaff when…
You manage remote or outsourced workers and need proof that billed hours match real work.
Optional screenshots and activity levels from keyboard and mouse use give you evidence for every hour logged, not just a total.See how
You run a hybrid team with both office staff and field workers on one platform.
Desk-based activity tracking and GPS-tracked field hours live in the same account, so you are not running two separate tools.See how
You want payroll to run automatically off tracked hours without a separate payout step.
Automated payroll payouts pull straight from tracked time, so no one has to export hours into another system by hand.See how
You need visibility into how your team's non-billable time is actually spent.
App and URL usage tracking shows where the workday went, useful on a distributed team that mixes billable and non-billable work.See how
You are comfortable with monitoring depth in exchange for stronger proof of work.
Idle detection plus optional screenshots with a blur option give you a middle ground between full surveillance and no visibility at all.See how
Choose OnTheClock when…
You run a small business and want a clock that just works, with no learning curve.
A clean, intuitive dashboard means staff and managers are both up and running the same day, backed by strong review scores for ease of use.See how
You want GPS and geofencing without paying for a higher-priced plan first.
GPS tracking and geofencing come standard on the base plan, a feature many rivals reserve for a premium tier.See how
You need to track PTO and leave accrual alongside regular hours.
PTO and leave tracking with accruals is built in from the start, so you are not bolting on a second system for time off.See how
You want to plan shifts and coverage in the same place you track hours.
Drag-and-drop scheduling sits next to the time clock, so shift plans and actual punches live in one dashboard.See how
You track tips, bonuses, or commissions on top of hourly pay.
Tips, bonus, and commission tracking are built in, which suits hourly retail or service staff whose pay is not just base wages.See how
You do not want to pay for screenshot or activity-level monitoring you will not use.
OnTheClock skips activity monitoring entirely and focuses on clock accuracy, so you are not paying for surveillance features built for a different kind of team.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→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→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→Use cases this solves
Compare other tools
Frequently asked questions
- Is Hubstaff more expensive than OnTheClock?
- Hubstaff has no permanent free plan and starts around $4.99 a user a month, rising to $25 plus for Enterprise. OnTheClock is priced closer to $4 an employee a month plus a small base fee, though payroll is a separate add-on. If cost is the deciding factor, weigh what each plan actually includes on the billing page.
- Which tool is better for monitoring remote employees?
- Hubstaff is built for this. Screenshots, activity levels, and app and URL tracking give you detail most rivals do not offer, useful for teams doing non-billable time tracking as well as client work. OnTheClock does not offer this kind of activity monitoring at all, since it is built around simple clock in and out, not desk activity.
- Does OnTheClock have GPS tracking like Hubstaff?
- Yes. Both track GPS. OnTheClock includes GPS tracking and geofencing on its base plan. Hubstaff also offers GPS tracking with geofenced job sites. For crews tracking hours by job, see how time tracking by task keeps each site's hours separate.
- Which tool handles payroll better?
- Hubstaff runs automated payroll payouts straight off tracked hours, which suits teams paying contractors in different countries. OnTheClock covers overtime tracking well too, but its payroll runs as a separate paid add-on rather than being built into the base plan.
- Does OnTheClock track PTO and time off?
- Yes, and it is one of OnTheClock's strengths. PTO and leave tracking with accruals come standard, see leave and PTO tracking. Hubstaff focuses more on activity and payroll than on leave management.
- Is Hubstaff's screenshot monitoring optional?
- Screenshots are optional and can be blurred, but activity levels from keyboard and mouse use still get tracked whenever the timer runs. If that feels invasive for your team, look at how simple time tracking can be with OnTheClock instead, which skips activity monitoring entirely.
- Which tool is easier for a small business to set up?
- OnTheClock is the simpler setup. Its dashboard is clean and reviewers consistently rate it easy to learn. Hubstaff takes a bit more configuration since it covers reports and dashboards plus monitoring settings, screenshot frequency, and payroll rules to set up.
- Can I plan shifts and coverage with these tools?
- OnTheClock has it built in. Its drag-and-drop scheduling is built for shift-based small businesses. See how teams handle resource planning for the bigger picture. Hubstaff does not list scheduling as a feature. Its focus is monitoring and payroll, not shift planning.
- Does either tool track tips or commissions?
- OnTheClock tracks tips, bonuses, and commissions alongside hourly pay, which fits retail or service staff paid beyond a flat rate, similar in spirit to how overtime tracking adds extra pay rules on top of base hours. Hubstaff does not track these pay types directly.
- What if neither Hubstaff nor OnTheClock fits our team?
- If you bill clients by the hour and want project budgets and invoicing tied to tracked time, TimeTracker is worth a look too. For a wider list of options, see the Hubstaff alternatives page.
Not sure which time clock fits your team?
Hubstaff and OnTheClock solve different problems. Weigh monitoring depth against simplicity, then check pricing and features side by side before you commit.
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