Hubstaff review 2026: time tracking, screenshots, GPS, and payroll features, full pricing breakdown, pros, cons, and top workforce management alternatives.
Hubstaff grew out of a personal problem: founders Dave Nevogt and Jared Brown were managing freelance and remote workers in 2012 and couldn't find software that reliably tracked hours and productivity across a distributed team, so they built their own. Based in Indianapolis, the company has since scaled to serve tens of thousands of organizations that need to track time, monitor activity, and pay distributed workers without relying on the honor system.
The product spans desktop, mobile, and browser clients, all feeding a central dashboard that combines timesheets, screenshots, activity levels, GPS data, and payroll in one place -- positioning Hubstaff as much a workforce management suite as a pure time tracker.
Automatic time tracking runs across desktop, mobile, and a Chrome extension, syncing one-click timers to specific projects and tasks in real time. Optional activity monitoring captures screenshots at configurable intervals along with keyboard/mouse activity levels and app or URL usage, giving managers visibility into how tracked time was spent -- a feature that can be disabled per team for organizations that prefer lighter-touch tracking.
For field teams, GPS tracking and geofencing let the mobile app automatically start and stop timers when workers enter or leave a defined job-site radius. Hubstaff also handles the operational side of workforce management: project budgets that track cost against time, automated timesheets with manager approval workflows, client invoicing generated from billed hours, and integrated payroll that pays teams directly through PayPal, Wise, Deel, Payoneer, or Gusto.
Hubstaff prices per seat with a two-seat minimum on every paid plan except Enterprise. Starter costs roughly 7 dollars per seat per month (about 4.99 dollars billed annually), Grow runs about 9 dollars per seat per month (roughly 7.50 annually), and Team costs about 12 dollars per seat per month (roughly 10 dollars annually), each tier unlocking more automation, integrations, and reporting depth.
Enterprise is priced around 25 dollars per seat per month with expanded controls, priority support, and advanced reporting for larger organizations. A limited single-user Free plan exists for individuals, and annual billing across all tiers typically works out to roughly two months free compared to paying monthly.
Hubstaff was founded in 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana by Dave Nevogt and Jared Brown, who built it to manage their own remote and freelance workers.
Yes, Hubstaff offers a limited free plan for a single user; paid plans require a minimum of two seats.
Paid plans range from roughly 7 dollars per seat per month (Starter) up to about 25 dollars per seat per month (Enterprise), with lower rates available on annual billing.
Screenshot capture is optional and configurable; teams can enable or disable it and set the frequency, and Hubstaff also tracks keyboard/mouse activity levels and app usage as separate optional settings.
Yes, the mobile app supports GPS tracking and geofencing that can automatically start or stop timers when a worker enters or leaves a defined job-site radius.
Yes, Hubstaff can pay team members directly from approved timesheets through PayPal, Wise, Deel, Payoneer, or Gusto.