Hubstaff in 2024: Detailed Review of Features, Pros, and Cons

If you’re searching for a time tracking tool that boosts productivity and simplifies workflow management, Hubstaff could be just what you need. It is packed with features like GPS tracking via its mobile app to monitor your staff’s locations and payroll integration to streamline payments.

Hubstaff also includes project management tools, making it ideal for managing remote teams and field workers. Its real-time tracking and reporting tools ensure you stay on top of your team’s performance.

Hubstaff time tracking and project management tool reviewHubstaff time tracking and project management tool review

In this review, we’ll explore Hubstaff’s key features, pricing, and integrations to help you determine if it’s the right fit for your business in 2024.

What is Hubstaff?

In a nutshell, Hubstaff is a time tracking and productivity tool tailored for teams and businesses that need to keep track of work hours and tasks.

Whether you’re on a desktop, mobile, or using GPS for field teams, it helps by turning tracked time into automated timesheets, simplifying payroll, invoicing, and budgets.

Beyond just tracking, Hubstaff provides real-time productivity insights, allowing managers to monitor activity without overstepping privacy boundaries.

Visit Hubstaff

How Hubstaff Works

Getting started with Hubstaff is simple. Just download the time tracking app on your device — whether it’s Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, or even using the Chrome extension.

Downloading Hubstaff time tracking app on different devicesDownloading Hubstaff time tracking app on different devices

Employees hit the Play button to start tracking time, which they can assign to specific projects or tasks. Hubstaff then generates real-time reports that show how projects are progressing and whether teams are staying on budget.

Selecting project and clicking play button in HubstaffSelecting project and clicking play button in Hubstaff
Choose a project and hit play to begin tracking.
Setting Up Hubstaff as a Business Owner

To create an organization, select “Create organization” during the setup. You can create multiple organizations to manage different clients, keeping their projects and data separate. After naming your organization, invite your team via email, and choose your subscription plan and billing period.

Creating an organization in Hubstaff during setupCreating an organization in Hubstaff during setup

If you’re setting up Hubstaff as an organization owner, the first step is inviting your team members. Once you send the invitation, team members can join by clicking the “Accept Invite” button in their email.

Accepting invite email to join organization in HubstaffAccepting invite email to join organization in Hubstaff

Once everything is set up, your team can start tracking time. You’ll have access to activity reports, project monitoring, and payment management from the Hubstaff dashboard.

Key Features of Hubstaff

1. Easy Time Tracking

At the core of Hubstaff is its time tracking tool, which works on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Chrome extensions. Employees can start and stop tracking their work with a single click, assigning time to specific tasks, projects, or work orders.

This simple process allows businesses to efficiently monitor hours, ensuring all time is accurately recorded. Managers can use the tracked data to generate detailed time reports, improving workflow, estimating future projects, and keeping teams on track.

2. Employee Monitoring

Hubstaff helps boost productivity by capturing screenshots and monitoring app and website usage. You can customize how often screenshots are taken, typically every 10 minutes.

Setting screenshot frequency in HubstaffSetting screenshot frequency in Hubstaff
You can choose to capture screenshots at 1x, 2x, or 3x per 10-minute interval by default.

For privacy, Hubstaff allows you to blur screenshots or limit data collection, maintaining a balance between tracking and respecting privacy. Importantly, Hubstaff does not track keystrokes or use webcams.

Blurring screenshots option in Hubstaff for privacyBlurring screenshots option in Hubstaff for privacy
To enable this, go to Settings > Features > Activity > Screenshot Blur. Even with blurred screenshots, you can still monitor activity levels.

Managers can view, filter, and take notes on screenshots, with the option to delete unnecessary ones, making activity reviews more contextual and efficient.

3. Payroll and Invoicing

Hubstaff excels in automating payroll based on billable hours, integrating smoothly with platforms like PayPal, Payoneer, and Wise to manage payments for local and international employees.

It also offers invoicing tools, allowing you to create detailed invoices, add taxes, discounts, and automatically generate line items from tracked time.

Creating and sending invoices in HubstaffCreating and sending invoices in Hubstaff

Client invoicing is available on all plans, with team invoicing in the Team and Enterprise plans.

4. Project Management Tools

Hubstaff enhances project management with features like project budgets, task tracking, and integrations with popular tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira.

You can set and monitor budgets, track expenses, and receive alerts when a project nears its limit, helping teams stay on track, manage resources, and avoid budget overruns.

5. Tool Integrations

Hubstaff integrates with over 30 popular tools across several categories, from project management platforms like Trello, ClickUp, and Asana, to accounting solutions like QuickBooks and FreshBooks.

For a full list of Hubstaff integrations, including more details about each tool, check out the table below.

CategoryIntegration/Add-onDescription
Help DeskFreshdeskTrack time on Freshdesk tickets. Learn more.
ZendeskTrack time on assigned Zendesk tickets. Learn more.
CRMSalesforceTrack time spent on Salesforce tasks. Learn more.
Project ManagementClickUpTrack time, manage budgets, and view work in progress. Learn more.
MondayManage people and projects using Monday with Hubstaff. Learn more.
WrikeTrack exact time to Wrike tasks. Learn more.
Zoho ProjectsTrack time on tasks assigned in Zoho Projects. Learn more.
Hubstaff TasksAgile, visual project management with time tracking integration. Learn more.
Active CollabTrack time spent on Active Collab tasks. Learn more.
AsanaView tasks, due dates, and updates for time tracking. Learn more.
BreezeTrack time on assigned Breeze tasks with Hubstaff. Learn more.
GitHubTrack time spent on GitHub issues with Hubstaff. Learn more.
GitLabTrack time on GitLab issues and close them when finished. Learn more.
InsightlyTrack time to Insightly tasks using Hubstaff. Learn more.
JiraTrack time on assigned Jira issues. Learn more.
LiquidPlannerTrack time on assigned tasks with Hubstaff. Learn more.
MavenlinkTrack time and tasks with Mavenlink integration. Learn more.
PaymoTrack time to Paymo projects and tasks. Learn more.
Pivotal TrackerTrack time on Pivotal Tracker stories. Learn more.
PodioSync projects and track time to tasks. Learn more.
RedboothTrack time on assigned Redbooth tasks. Learn more.
RedmineTrack time with this open source web app integration. Learn more.
Teamwork ProjectsTrack time spent on Teamwork tasks. Learn more.
TrelloTrack time on Trello cards via Hubstaff. Learn more.
UnfuddleTrack time spent on Unfuddle tickets. Learn more.
CommunicationSlackReceive notifications when tracking starts or tasks are completed. Learn more.
Payments & InvoicingFreshBooksTrack time directly to FreshBooks tasks. Learn more.
BitwageAutomatic payments to team members. Learn more.
PayoneerMake manual or automatic payments to your team. Learn more.
PayPalAutomatically or manually pay your team. Learn more.
QuickbooksExport time tracked to Quickbooks for invoicing. Learn more.
WiseSend payments automatically or manually through Wise. Learn more.
GustoIntegrate payroll easily with Gusto. Learn more.
DeelStreamline payments for international employees and contractors. Learn more.

Hubstaff Pricing

Here’s an overall look at Hubstaff’s pricing tiers:

  • Starter: $4.99/user/month – Covers basic time tracking and reports.
  • Grow: $7.50/user/month – Adds project budgets and task management.
  • Team: $10.00/user/month – Includes advanced reporting, scheduling, and team management tools.
  • Enterprise: $25.00/user/month – Offers complete customization, unlimited integrations, and premium features.

All plans come with a 14-day free trial to explore Hubstaff’s features before committing.

Here’s more detail on what each Hubstaff plan offers:

FeatureStarter ($4.99/seat/mo)Grow ($7.50/seat/mo)Team ($10.00/seat/mo)Enterprise ($25.00/seat/mo)
Free TrialYesYesYesYes
Seats2 seat min.2 seat min.2 seat min.Billed annually
Time TrackingYesYesYesYes
TasksNoYesYesYes
ScreenshotsLimitedLimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
App & URL TrackingLimitedLimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
IntegrationsNo1 integrationUnlimitedUnlimited
Project BudgetsNoYesYesYes
Payments & PayrollLimitedLimitedYesYes
SupportTwo-day email SLAOne-day email SLAChat and one-day email SLAConcierge setup, two-hour email SLA
Advanced FeaturesNoNoInsights, Teams, Overtime, Time Off & HolidaysLocations, SOC-2 compliance, Corporate app
Optional Add-ons for Hubstaff

Hubstaff also offers a variety of optional add-ons to customize your plan, making it more flexible for different business needs.

These add-ons come at an extra cost, allowing Hubstaff to adapt to specific operations.

FeatureDescriptionPrice (per seat/mo)
InsightsCategorizes work time, smart notifications, tracks focus time, and detects suspicious activity.Starts at $3
More ScreenshotsUp to 10 screenshots every 10 minutes, including secondary monitors.Starts at $3
TasksKanban and timeline views, task comments, labels, and attachments.Starts at $3
Data RetentionExtends retention of time, activity, and finances data to 6 years.Starts at $2
LocationsMobile location tracking, geofences, and job site management.Starts at $4
Corporate AppTracks time in the background on company-owned devices with account provisioning.Starts at $3

Visit Hubstaff

Hubstaff vs. Competitors

FeatureHubstaffToggl TrackHarvestClockifyRescueTimeTimelyTime Doctor
Free PlanNoYesNoYesYesNoNo
Pricing$4.99/moFrom $9From $12From $3.99From $6From $10From $7
Time TrackingManual, GPSManualAuto/ManualManual, unlimited usersAuto focus trackingAI-poweredManual, screenshots
Project ManagementTasks, budgetsBasic tasksDetailed trackingTasks, reportsProductivity focusTask managementTasks, timelines
Invoicing & PayrollIntegratedNoYesNoNoNoYes
Integrations30+ toolsBasic toolsProject tools80+ toolsMinimalMany platformsPopular tools
ScreenshotsYesNoNoNoNoNoYes
Mobile AppiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, Android
ReportingDetailed insightsBasic reportsTime/project reportsBasic reportsProductivity reportsAI-poweredAdvanced analytics

Best Uses for Hubstaff

Hubstaff is ideal for businesses looking to manage teams, track time, and simplify operations. With its time-tracking and automation features, it helps streamline productivity across various industries.

  • Remote and distributed teams: Excellent for managing remote workers and tracking their productivity.
  • Time tracking: Offers real-time monitoring and GPS location tracking.
  • Project management: Helps with time and task tracking for accurate billing.
  • Field services & consulting: Tracks billable hours for multiple clients.
  • Automation: Simplifies tasks with automated timesheets, payroll, and invoicing.

Limitations of Hubstaff

While Hubstaff offers many useful features, there are certain scenarios where it might not be the best fit for your business. Here’s a look at where, in our opinion, Hubstaff might fall short:

  • Teams needing extensive customer support: Lower-tier plans come with limited support.
  • Businesses requiring video screen recording: Hubstaff does not offer this feature.
  • Teams looking for a free plan: Hubstaff lacks a permanent free version, unlike some alternatives.
  • Small businesses with simple needs: May be too complex for those who don’t need detailed tracking.
  • Organizations needing built-in features: Many features are add-ons, potentially increasing costs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How does Hubstaff track time?

Hubstaff tracks time by allowing users to start and stop a timer. Time entries are assigned to specific tasks or projects and are automatically logged into timesheets.

2. Can Hubstaff integrate with other tools like Asana or Trello?

Yes, Hubstaff integrates with over 30 tools, including Asana, Trello, and ClickUp, for seamless project management.

3. Does Hubstaff take screenshots, and how often?

Yes, Hubstaff takes screenshots every 10 minutes by default, but this can be adjusted or turned off.

4. What platforms does Hubstaff support?

Hubstaff supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and has a Chrome extension.

5. Is there a free trial for Hubstaff?

Yes, Hubstaff offers a 14-day free trial for all plans.

6. Can Hubstaff track GPS locations for field teams?

Yes, Hubstaff offers GPS location tracking and geofencing for mobile teams.

7. How does Hubstaff handle payroll and invoicing?

Hubstaff integrates with platforms like PayPal, Wise, and QuickBooks to automate payroll and invoicing based on time tracked.

8. What privacy measures does Hubstaff offer for employees?

Hubstaff allows employees to blur screenshots and does not track keystrokes, email, or webcam activity, ensuring privacy is respected.

The post Hubstaff in 2024: Detailed Review of Features, Pros, and Cons appeared first on Hongkiat.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.