Hubstaff vs Toggl Track
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Time Tracking fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
· ⭐ Ratings from G2 (real user reviews)
26/100
$7 starting
Growing remote-first businesses, agencies, and field-service teams that want to track time, pay people, bill clients, an
💰 Pricing
Starting at $7
🔧 Features
✓ Time Tracking✓ Project Mgmt✓ Gps✓ Payroll
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Comprehensive tracking: Hubstaff’s desktop and mobile apps automatically record time with idle detection, an on/off timer, and weekly auto-stop reminders. It also logs which websites you visit and which applications you use, down to the exact URL or window title. This is a huge plus for managers who need to verify that hours billed to clients reflect actual work, especially for agencies or consultancies with hourly contracts.
- Integrated payroll: Rather than exporting timesheets to external payroll software, Hubstaff lets you set pay rates per member and run payroll directly from the platform. You can pay contractors via PayPal, Payoneer, Wise, or direct deposit, and the system calculates overtime and tracks paid time off. This eliminates a separate payroll tool and reduces administrative work significantly.
- GPS and location tracking: For field teams or remote staff, Hubstaff provides location-focused features like GPS tracking, geofencing, and location history. You can set up a geofence around a client site and automatically start the clock when the employee enters that area. This is ideal for construction, delivery, or home services where you need to know hours and locations precisely.
- Strong integration ecosystem: Hubstaff integrates with 40+ popular tools including QuickBooks, Xero, Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack, and GitHub, and offers a webhook API. Especially valuable is the two-way integration with project management tools — you can start a timer from a task in Asana, and the tracked time is synced back to that task. This reduces friction and keeps timesheets accurate.
⚠ Watch out for
- Privacy concerns: The same features that make Hubstaff powerful also make it controversial. The app/URL tracking and optional screenshot capture (at random intervals, with privacy filters) can feel like an invasion of privacy. For roles that don’t involve computer work — like creative brainstorming or phone calls — this monitoring could record unproductive time unfairly. We recommend discussing this with employees before any rollout.
- Paywalled features: The entry-level Starter plan at $7/user/month is only useful for automatic tracking. Critical features like payroll, billable rates, expenses, and advanced reporting belong to Grow or higher tiers. So the cost per user can rise quickly: to get payroll you need the $11/user/month Grow plan, and full custom reports require the $18/user/month Scale plan.
- Basic project management: While Hubstaff includes project and task creation, the workflow is simplistic compared to dedicated PM tools. You can assign tasks, set budgets, and view time by project, but there’s no Gantt chart, dependency management, or kanban board. If you need robust project planning, you’ll likely want to pair Hubstaff with a dedicated PM app.
- Mobile app could be more polished: The mobile app for iOS and Android is functional for round-the-clock GPS tracking, but some users report it can be battery-intensive, and the interface feels less intuitive than the desktop version. Occasionally, geofencing does not trigger reliably, causing missed clock-ins — though this is anecdotally improved.
🎯 Best for
Growing remote-first businesses, agencies, and field-service teams that want to track time, pay people, bill clients, and measure project profitability in one system.
🚫 Who should skip
Freelancers or small teams that only need a simple start-stop timer and do not want optional monitoring or payroll features.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — the basic timer is easy, but configuring pay rates, integrations, tracking rules, and privacy settings requires thought.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Hubstaff is a robust choice for businesses that need detailed time tracking with integrated payroll and invoicing, especially for remote, field, or agency teams. If you're a freelancer or small team that just needs basic timesheets, look elsewhere — the free plan is too limited, and the paid feature
70/100
$10 starting
Freelancers, consultants, and agencies that need a fast and reliable way to log billable hours and generate detailed tim
★ Best
💰 Pricing
Starting at $10
🔧 Features
✓ Time Tracking✓ Reports✓ 100 Integrations✓ 80000 Businesses
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- One-click timer with idle detection makes tracking nearly effortless. You can start a timer with a single click, and the app automatically detects idle time, asking if you want to discard it. This reduces the friction of manual time entry and ensures accuracy. The reporting engine is powerful and customizable. You can filter time entries by project, client, user, tag, or time range, and view data as graphs, bar charts, or detailed tables. Exporting to CSV or PDF is straightforward, making it easy to share client reports or export data for invoicing. With over 100 integrations, Toggl Track connects with popular tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack, and QuickBooks. This allows you to start timers directly from your project management tool and automatically log time, saving you from double-entry. The free plan is generous for solo users, offering unlimited time tracking, projects, and clients. For a freelancer just starting out, the free tier provides enough functionality to manage time without upfront cost. The user interface is clean and intuitive, with keyboard shortcuts for quick actions. The web app, desktop app for Windows/Mac, and mobile apps are well-designed, and the data syncs seamlessly across devices.
- The reporting suite is a standout feature, letting you slice and dice time data by project, client, user, or tag. You can create custom reports, schedule them via email, and export to CSV or PDF. This is invaluable for agencies generating client invoices or tracking team productivity. The tool offers robust project and client management. You can organize time entries under projects, assign billable rates, and track profitability when using paid plans. This feature is essential for consultants and agencies that need to measure margins. Idle detection is a smart feature that detects when you've stopped working and prompts you to discard or keep the time. This prevents accidental over-recording of time and encourages accurate timekeeping. Toggl Track includes a Pomodoro timer built into the web and desktop apps, which helps users who work in focused sprints. It's a nice bonus that enhances productivity, though it's not a unique selling point. The integration ecosystem is extensive, with native integrations for Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack, and many more. Connecting these tools allows you to start timers from within your existing workflows, reducing the learning curve.
- Toggl Track's free plan is one of the most generous in the industry. You get unlimited time tracking, projects, and clients, with no time limit on the free tier. This is perfect for freelancers or small teams testing the waters before committing to a paid plan. The reporting capabilities beyond the free tier are robust. Paid plans add billable rates, labor costs, and rounding rules, which are crucial for accurate client billing. The ability to see profits by project helps you manage your business effectively. Idle detection is one of the smartest features. It automatically detects when you stop using your computer and prompts you to remove that time from your records. This saves you from accidentally recording hours you didn't work. The API is well-documented, allowing developers to build custom integrations or pull data into other systems. This flexibility is valuable for teams with unique reporting needs. The keyboard shortcuts are a nice touch. You can start/stop a timer with a global shortcut, which is a huge time-saver for those who toggle tasks frequently.
- The reporting engine is comprehensive, with filters for project, client, user, tag, and date range. You can visualize data as weekly summaries, bar charts, or detailed tables, and export to CSV or PDF. This makes it easy to analyze time expenditure and identify inefficiencies. For agencies, the ability to set billable rates and labor costs (on premium plans) allows you to track profitability accurately. You can see how much you've earned per project, per client, or per user, which is critical for financial planning. The tool's role-based access control lets you manage team permissions, ensuring only admins can change rates or access sensitive data. This is a boon for larger organizations. Toggl Track integrates with calendar apps like Google Calendar and Outlook, allowing you to see your time entries alongside your calendar events. This gives you a holistic view of your day. The mobile app is decent for on-the-go tracking, with a widget for quick start/stop. However, it lacks some nuances of the desktop version, such as bulk editing.
- The one-click timer is the heart of Toggl Track. It's so simple that you can start tracking with a single click, and the app runs in the background. The auto-start feature (on desktop) allows you to set a default timer that begins when the app opens, which is handy for routine tasks. Toggl Track offers detailed project and client management. You can assign hourly rates, set billable status, and organize work by projects and tasks. This is essential for freelancers who need to invoice accurately. The tool provides a weekly timesheet view that shows your total hours per day, making it easy to review and adjust. This is useful for weekly planning and ensuring you meet your time goals. The reporting feature is not just about viewing data; it allows you to schedule reports to be emailed to you daily or weekly. This automates the reporting process, so you don't have to remember to generate them manually. Toggl Track has a strong community and a wealth of online resources, including tutorials, webinars, and a help center. This support helps users maximize the tool's potential.
⚠ Watch out for
- There's no built-in invoicing or expense tracking. While Toggl Track is great for capturing time, you'll need separate software like FreshBooks or QuickBooks to send invoices and record expenses. This adds cost and complexity to your workflow, especially for freelancers who manage everything themselves. The free tier is quite basic. It doesn't include billable rates, rounding, or labor costs, which are essential for many businesses to calculate profitability. To get these features, you'll need to upgrade to the Starter or Premium plan, which might not be justifiable for small teams with tight budgets. The mobile app can be clunky. Reassigning time entries, editing multiple entries at once, or navigating through reports is not as smooth as on the desktop. This can be frustrating for users who frequently track time on the go. Advanced features like project budgets, time estimates, and alerts are only available on the higher-tier plans. This means that if you want to monitor project progress against estimates, you'll need to pay more. The reporting interface, while powerful, has a learning curve. It may take some time to figure out how to create custom reports and use filters effectively. However, once mastered, it's a valuable tool.
- No built-in invoicing means you'll have to export reports and manually create invoices in third-party tools. This extra step is time-consuming and can lead to errors if not careful. The free plan lacks essential features like billable rates and rounding. If you're a freelancer who needs to track billable amounts, you'll be forced to upgrade, which may feel like a paywall for basic functionality. The mobile app is not as polished as the desktop version. Performing complex tasks like editing multiple entries or setting up project rates on the go is difficult, making it less useful for remote workers who are always on the move. The tool doesn't offer a native calendar integration for iOS/Android that allows you to schedule time blocks directly from the calendar. There is a calendar view, but it's not as interactive as other time tracking apps like Harvest. Customer support is only available via email and chat, with no phone support. For a tool that is used by businesses, this might be a downside for those who need immediate assistance.
- The lack of invoicing means you'll need to use additional tools for billing. This creates a disjointed workflow, and you'll have to manually reconcile time entries with invoices. Toggl Track's free tier is limited to 5 projects and 100 time entries. While that's fine for a single user, it might be too restrictive for freelancers who juggle numerous clients and projects. The mobile app's user interface is not optimized for quick edits. For example, reassigning a time entry to a different project requires several taps, which is inefficient when you need to correct entries on the fly. Advanced features like project budgets, time estimates, and alerts are locked behind the Premium plan. These are useful for project managers who need to monitor progress, but the extra cost may be a barrier. There is no option to track time offline on the web app. If you're in an area without internet, you can't start a timer, which can be a problem for remote workers in areas with sparse connectivity.
- The absence of invoicing is a significant gap. Even the most basic time tracking tools often have this feature, so its absence here is notable. You'll have to integrate with other apps like QuickBooks or FreshBooks, which adds an extra monthly subscription. The free plan's limitations are more restrictive than some competitors. For example, Clockify offers unlimited projects and time entries on its free tier, whereas Toggl Track caps yours. This may push small teams to either upgrade or switch. The mobile app is not great for complex edits. Editing multiple time entries at once is cumbersome, and the interface feels cramped on smaller screens. Toggl Track lacks a dedicated desktop widget that shows a live timer. While the app runs in the background, you might not always have a clear visual indicator of what you're tracking. The reporting can be overwhelming for new users, with many options. However, the learning curve is manageable with practice.
- No invoicing and expense tracking is a deal-breaker for some businesses. You'll need to invest in separate tools, which may cost more than the time tracking software itself. The free plan is too limited for many businesses. It's not just about features; the project cap of 5 and time entry cap of 100 can be hitting the ceiling quickly for a busy freelancer. The mobile app's design is outdated. It lacks the modern interface of the desktop version, and certain actions like changing project assignments are not as intuitive. Toggl Track doesn't offer a 'time off' or 'leave' tracking feature, which some teams might want. You'd need to track that manually or use a separate HR tool. The support team is responsive but not available 24/7. If you're in a different timezone, you may have to wait for a response, though the help center is comprehensive.
🎯 Best for
Freelancers, consultants, and agencies that need a fast and reliable way to log billable hours and generate detailed time reports without a steep learning curve.
🚫 Who should skip
Teams that need full project management, invoicing, or expense tracking within the same tool should skip Toggl — it's a time tracker, not an all-in-one business suite.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — the timer is literally one click, but understanding report filters and settings may take a few hours to fully master.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Toggl Track is a strong choice for freelancers and small agencies that need an easy-to-use time tracker with robust reporting and integrations. However, its lack of invoicing and premium features on the free plan means you may need to pair it with other tools. For teams requiring built-in billing an
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseHubstaffToggl Track
Tracking remote employee productivity and time95—
Hubstaff tracks active and idle time, app/URL usage, optional screenshots, and p
Client billing and invoices based on billable hours90—
You can set billable rates per project/client, track accurate hours, and generat
GPS and geofenced tracking for field employees88—
Mobile GPS records where work happens, and geofences can control or validate clo
Payroll and contractor payment processing82—
Higher tiers support pay rates, payroll reports, and payments to employees/contr
Project profitability and budget monitoring80—
Hubstaff calculates labor costs against project budgets in real time, making it
Freelancer Time Tracking & Billing—95
One-click timers and per-client/project reporting make it trivial to capture bil
Agency Client Reporting—90
It supports multiple clients, projects, and billable rates, and powerful reports
Remote Team Productivity Monitoring—85
The team dashboard shows who's working on what in real time, and integrations wi
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Hubstaff if...
- You are: Growing remote-first businesses, agencies, and field-service teams that want to track time, pay people, bill clients, an
- 👍 Detailed time tracking with idle detection, app/URL activity, and optional screenshot capture.
- 👍 Built-in payroll and contractor payment options directly from recorded hours and pay rates, not just
- 👍 Wide integration ecosystem for accounting, project management, and communication tools, plus an API
- 💰 From $7/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Screenshot and activity monitoring can feel invasive and may not fit privacy-con
Choose Toggl Track if...
- You are: Freelancers, consultants, and agencies that need a fast and reliable way to log billable hours and generate detailed tim
- 👍 Effortless one-click timer with auto-start and idle detection that makes time capture nearly frictio
- 👍 Comprehensive reporting with filterable breakdowns by project, client, user, and tag — exportable as
- 👍 100+ integrations, including popular tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, and Slack, so most existing wor
- 💰 From $10/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: No built-in invoicing or expense tracking, so you'll need separate software for
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Hubstaff cost?
Hubstaff offers a free single-user plan and paid per-user subscription tiers. Advanced features like payroll, invoicing, and team management require higher-priced plans, so total cost depends on team size and feature needs.
Can Hubstaff track time automatically without employees clicking a start/stop button?
Yes. Desktop and mobile apps have automatic timer options, but most teams use a start/stop timer or manual time entry. Hubstaff also records idle time, app/URL usage, and can prompt activity to keep tracking accurate.
Does Hubstaff take screenshots? Can that feature be disabled?
Hubstaff can take optional screenshots at random intervals, but admins control this setting and can enable/disable it per team or user. It can also be set to only capture blurry screenshots or disable screenshots entirely.
Can I run payroll for employees and pay contractors through Hubstaff?
Hubstaff has payroll and contractor payment features on higher tiers, including pay rate rules, automatic timesheet-to-payroll processing, and payments to workers in supported countries. For full coverage in your region, check current Hubstaff documentation.
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