Hubstaff

Time tracking, productivity, and payroll for remote/field teams.

From $5/user/mo 14-day free trial 4.5 on Capterra MCP server API

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Bottom line

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

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

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

Overview

Hubstaff tracks time across desktop, web, and mobile, with optional screenshots, app and URL activity, project budgets, and payroll or invoicing hooks. Starter is basic tracking with 500 screenshots and 500 app/URL records per seat per month and a 5-client cap. Grow adds idle timeout, project budgets, expenses, scheduled reports, and one integration. Team unlocks unlimited screenshots, unlimited integrations, payroll, scheduling, time off, and timesheet approvals. Enterprise adds HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, SSO, SCIM, and higher API limits.

A 1-seat free plan exists for individual freelancers (100 screenshots per month). Paid plans have a 2-seat minimum. Small Business Essentials is $144/year for 3 paid seats plus a free owner seat, annual only, with no add-ons. Insights, extra screenshots, Tasks, Locations, and Silent app are add-ons on lower tiers. A 14-day trial runs with no credit card, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Who it's for

Best for

  • 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

Not ideal for

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

Key features

Time & activity. Timers with optional screenshots and app activity for managers.

GPS / jobs. Field location and job costing for mobile workers.

Payroll & invoices. Push approved hours to payroll or client invoices.

MCP server

First-party MCP confirmed on the vendor site: https://support.hubstaff.com/hubstaff-mcp-server/

Pricing

Starting price $5/user/mo
Free tier –
Free trial ✓ 14 days
PlanPriceWhat you get
Free$01 seat, individual freelancers
Paid seatsFrom ~$5/user/mo2-seat minimum
Small Business Essentials$144/yr3 paid seats + free owner seat, annual only
Insights add-on$2.50/seat/moOn Starter and Grow
Locations add-on$3.33/seat/moOn Team; included on Enterprise

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. Vendors change prices without notice.

See current pricing on Hubstaff (opens in a new tab)

Is Hubstaff expensive?

Hubstaff starts at $5/user/mo. We list 48 time & attendance tools in total. 8 have a free tier, and those with a public price typically start around $8 a month.

  • 21 quote-based
  • 8 free tier
  • 22 public price

Worked out automatically from every time & attendance listing, so it updates as the directory changes.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 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

Cons

  • Starter screenshot and client caps are tight for agencies
  • Grow is limited to one integration
  • Paid plans have a 2-seat minimum

Integrations

Jira Slack Deel Asana Trello GitHub ClickUp Gusto

From the vendor's own site (opens in a new tab).

What's new at Hubstaff

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How Hubstaff compares

See all Hubstaff alternatives, with what each one does differently and a head to head for every pairing.

ToolFree tierFromMCPAPICompare
Hubstaff (this tool) –$5/user/mo✓✓
Time Doctor Closer neighbor for screenshot productivity, with printed Basic/Standard/Premium rates and Time Doctor AI on every plan. –$7/user/mo–✓ Compare
Deputy Shift scheduling and labor compliance for hourly venues, not remote screenshot tracking. –$5/user/mo–– Compare
OnTheClock SMB time clock with scheduling and PTO, without activity screenshots. –$4/user/mo–– Compare
Buddy Punch Hourly time clocks from $4.99/user/mo if you do not need GPS or MCP. –$4.99/user/mo✓✓ Compare
Time Doctor

$7/user/mo API

Closer neighbor for screenshot productivity, with printed Basic/Standard/Premium rates and Time Doctor AI on every plan.

Deputy

$5/user/mo

Shift scheduling and labor compliance for hourly venues, not remote screenshot tracking.

OnTheClock

$4/user/mo

SMB time clock with scheduling and PTO, without activity screenshots.

Buddy Punch

$4.99/user/mo MCP API

Hourly time clocks from $4.99/user/mo if you do not need GPS or MCP.

Your next step

Shortlisting Hubstaff?

Frequently asked questions

What is Hubstaff?
Time tracking, productivity, and payroll for remote/field teams. Hubstaff tracks time with screenshots, activity, and GPS options, plus payroll and invoicing hooks for agencies and distributed teams. Hubstaff is listed under Time & attendance in the Work Insiders directory.
Is Hubstaff free?
No. Hubstaff is a paid product. It does offer a 14-day free trial.
Does Hubstaff have an MCP server or API?
Yes. Hubstaff has a first-party MCP server and a public API.
What are alternatives to Hubstaff?
Hubstaff alternatives worth comparing are Time Doctor, Deputy, OnTheClock and Buddy Punch. The comparison table above shows free tier, starting price, MCP and API side by side.