Compare/Head to head

Hubstaff vs Tickin

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Hubstaff

$5/user/mo 14 day free trial

Time tracking with screenshots, GPS, and payroll hooks, plus a 1-seat free plan and paid seats from $5/user/mo.

Where Hubstaff fits

  • Remote agencies that need screenshots and client invoices
  • Field teams that add GPS Locations on Team or Enterprise
  • Desks that want MCP or API access to time data
  • Solo freelancers who can live on the 1-seat free plan

Tickin

$1.60/employee/mo Free tier

Attendance, breaks and leave tracked inside Slack or Microsoft Teams, with approvals in a tap and a daily who's-out report. Free for up to 10 employees, then from $1.60 per employee a month billed annually. Best for small remote and hybrid teams that want HR basics where they already chat.

Where Tickin fits

  • Remote and hybrid teams that already run their day in Slack
  • Small companies that want free attendance and leave for up to 10 people
  • Teams that want payroll fed by the same hours later

At a glance

DetailHubstaffTickin
Starting price$5/user/mo$1.60/employee/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trial14 day free trialNot on record
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underTime & attendanceTime & attendance, Leave management, Payroll
Capterra4.5 from 1,613 reviewsNot enough reviews

Where they pull apart

Hubstaff

Stands out: First-party MCP server and a public REST API at developer.hubstaff.com, with a 14-day trial and no credit card.

Watch out: Starter caps screenshots and app/URL tracking at 500 per seat per month and allows only 5 clients. Grow allows one integration.

Not the right fit for

  • Restaurant Fair Workweek shift scheduling
  • Companies that refuse activity monitoring and screenshots

Tickin

Stands out: Everything runs from one /tickin command in Slack or Teams, so staff clock in and request leave where they already chat, and it is free for teams of up to 10.

Watch out: Microsoft Teams support is only on the $4.80 Scale plan, and paid prices are quoted billed annually. Payroll starts on Growth.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that do not use Slack or Teams
  • Microsoft Teams shops that want a cheap plan
  • Large enterprises that need an HRIS with deep integrations

Pros and cons

Hubstaff

  • 1-seat free plan plus a 14-day trial with no credit card
  • First-party MCP server and documented REST API
  • GPS Locations and payroll inside the same product on Team and above
  • Starter screenshot and client caps are tight for agencies
  • Grow is limited to one integration
  • Paid plans have a 2-seat minimum

Tickin

  • Free for up to 10 employees
  • Works inside Slack with one /tickin command
  • Monitoring off by default
  • Microsoft Teams only on the Scale plan
  • Paid prices are billed annually
  • No published API

What each one costs

Hubstaff

$5/user/mo

A 1-seat free plan covers individual freelancers. Paid seats start around $5/user/mo. Small Business Essentials is $144/year for 3 paid seats plus a free owner seat, annual only, with no add-ons. Insights is $2.50/seat/mo on Starter and Grow. Locations is $3.33/seat/mo on Team and included on Enterprise. Starter caps screenshots at 500 per seat per month. Paid plans have a 2-seat minimum. 14-day trial, no credit card. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Tickin

$1.60/employee/mo

Free covers attendance and leave for up to 10 employees, with no card. Starter is $1.60 per employee a month for any team size and adds overtime tracking, Growth is $2.40 and adds payroll, payslips, shift scheduling, multi-level approvals and CSV export, and Scale is $4.80 and adds projects and tasks, Microsoft Teams and weekly pay cycles. Paid prices are billed annually. Add-ons on paid plans include a desktop app with idle detection and GPS check-in, optional productivity monitoring and Tickin Meet video calls. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 30 Oct 2026

Common questions

Is Hubstaff cheaper than Tickin?
Tickin starts lower, at $1.60/employee/mo against $5/user/mo for Hubstaff. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Hubstaff or Tickin for free?
Tickin carries a free tier on our listing. Hubstaff offers a 14 day free trial.
Does Hubstaff or Tickin have an MCP server?
Hubstaff ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?