Hubstaff vs TimeCamp: Full Comparison
Hubstaff gives you screenshots, activity levels, GPS tracking, and payroll payouts. TimeCamp gives you automatic tracking and a free plan for unlimited users.
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Our quick verdict on both tools
Pick Hubstaff if you manage remote or field staff and want screenshots, activity rates, GPS, and payroll paid out from one place. Pick TimeCamp if you want a genuinely free plan with no user limit and a desktop app that tracks time automatically, without asking staff to start a timer.
Start tracking freeWhat this comparison covers
Hubstaff and TimeCamp are both time tracking tools, compared here side by side so you can see how they differ.
If neither tool fits because you bill clients and need live project profitability, TimeTracker is worth a look as a third option.
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
TimeCamp
The free plan allows unlimited users and unlimited projects, unusual in this market, with automatic keyword-based background tracking.
- Best for
- Small to mid-size teams and agencies that want low-effort, automatic time tracking plus invoicing.
- Pricing
- Free forever with unlimited users and unlimited projects. Billed annually: Starter $3.99 (invoicing and time off included), Premium $6.99, Ultimate $9.99 per user a month, plus a quote-only Enterprise tier. An AI time tracker is billed by token use on every tier, about $6 a user a month.
- Automatic tracking via desktop app
- Optional screenshots and activity monitoring
- Attendance, overtime, time-off tracking
- Billable time and project budgeting
- Invoicing on Starter, expenses on Ultimate
- Geofencing, Enterprise plan only
- 26 tools for project sync, 80+ browser plugin
- AI time tracker, billed by token use
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 need proof that remote staff are actually working, not just clocked in.
Optional screenshots and an activity score from keyboard and mouse use give managers real evidence, not just a logged number of hours.See how
Your staff work from different job sites and you need to confirm where they clocked in.
GPS tracking and geofenced job sites tie a clock-in to a real location, useful for field crews and outsourced teams.See how
You want hours to turn into a paycheck without a separate payroll tool.
Automated payroll payouts take tracked hours straight to payment, cutting out a manual step at the end of each pay period.See how
You manage a mix of office staff and field workers on one team.
The same platform covers desk-based activity monitoring and GPS-based field tracking, so you are not running two separate tools.See how
You want to see which apps and websites staff use during paid hours.
App and URL usage tracking shows where time actually goes, beyond just a total hours number.See how
Choose TimeCamp when…
You want a free plan that does not cap out as your team grows.
TimeCamp's free plan allows unlimited users and unlimited projects, which is rare in this market and removes the pressure to upgrade early.See how
You do not want to rely on staff remembering to start a timer.
The desktop app tracks time automatically in the background, so hours get captured even when someone forgets to click start.See how
You want budgeting and invoicing bundled in rather than sold as a costly add-on.
Billable time, project budgeting, and invoicing come as part of TimeCamp's plans instead of separate paid extras.See how
You want to keep monitoring lighter than full screenshots and activity scoring.
Screenshots and detailed activity monitoring are optional add-ons rather than the core of the product, which suits a team that only wants time data.See how
You track attendance, overtime, and time off alongside project hours.
Attendance and time-off tracking sit next to project time in the same reports, useful for teams that need both HR and billing views.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
Frequently asked questions
- Is Hubstaff more expensive than TimeCamp?
- TimeCamp has a genuinely free plan with unlimited users and projects. Hubstaff has no permanent free plan, and its paid tiers start close to TimeCamp's own paid Starter tier. See how billing setups compare on the billing page.
- Which tool gives better proof that staff are working?
- Hubstaff wins here. Screenshots, an activity score from keyboard and mouse use, and GPS geofencing give a manager real evidence, part of its employee monitoring approach. TimeCamp offers optional screenshots too, but its core strength is automatic background tracking, not detailed activity scoring.
- Does TimeCamp track time automatically?
- Yes. Its desktop app runs in the background and tracks time by app and keyword, without needing someone to press start. This ties into time tracking workflows where staff often forget to log hours manually. Hubstaff needs a timer start, though it also has idle detection to flag gaps.
- Does Hubstaff include payroll?
- Yes. Hubstaff can turn tracked hours into an automated payroll payout, useful for payroll integration with distributed or outsourced teams. TimeCamp exports timesheets for an external payroll tool instead of paying staff directly.
- Which tool is better for a field service business?
- Hubstaff has the edge here, with GPS tracking and geofenced job sites built for GPS time tracking on real job sites. TimeCamp also offers geofencing, but Hubstaff's field-focused tools are more developed.
- Can I invoice clients from either tool?
- Both can, but they gate it differently. TimeCamp bundles invoicing and expense tracking into its top tier, while Hubstaff focuses more on payroll than client invoicing. Either way, invoices should reflect reports and dashboards you already trust, so check the export format before you commit.
- Is TimeCamp's free plan really unlimited?
- Yes, unlimited users and unlimited projects on the free plan, which is unusual in this market. It suits a team doing simple time tracking by task without needing budgets or approvals yet.
- Which tool is easier to set up for a new manager?
- TimeCamp's automatic tracking needs almost no staff training since the desktop app runs on its own. Hubstaff takes a little more setup because you configure remote team management settings like screenshot frequency and geofences up front.
- Do employees tend to dislike monitoring features in either tool?
- Hubstaff's screenshots and activity scoring can feel invasive to some staff, since it is built around proof of work for productivity tracking. TimeCamp's monitoring is optional and lighter by default, which some teams find easier to introduce.
- What if neither Hubstaff nor TimeCamp fits our billing needs?
- Both are built more around monitoring and attendance than client billing. If you bill clients hourly and want live project profit, budgets, and invoicing tied together, it is worth checking our Hubstaff alternatives page for a broader set of options beyond these two.
Ready to see which tool fits your team?
Both Hubstaff and TimeCamp offer free trials or free plans, so you can test the workflow that matters most to you before you commit.
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