What Is Hubstaff and What Does It Do?
Hubstaff is time tracking and productivity software for hybrid and distributed teams. It records employee time across devices, turns that time into productivity and cost data, and can convert approved hours into payments. It fits teams that need visibility into where hours go and how that maps to project cost and payroll — not just a simple timer.
The Core Problem It Solves
Distributed and hybrid teams often lose the link between hours worked, work completed, and money spent. Hubstaff connects those three:
- Time — captured per task, project, and client
- Productivity — activity rates, app and URL usage, optional screenshots
- Cost and pay — approved hours flow into budgets, profitability views, and payments
The stated goal is transparency and performance support rather than micromanagement, with settings and visibility customizable per team.
Main Capabilities
Multi-device time tracking
Track time on desktop, web, or mobile. Use a start-and-stop timer, or GPS-based tracking for field teams working across locations.
Customizable productivity monitoring
Activity rates, app and URL tracking, and optional screenshots. Visibility and settings are adjustable, so you decide how much monitoring applies and who sees it.
Project tracking and profitability
Assign time to projects, set budgets, and watch real-time cost data. This is aimed at managing margins, monitoring project spend, and identifying which work drives revenue.
Workforce analytics
Tracked time becomes utilization trends, capacity gaps, cost drivers, and reporting. Enterprise-grade Insights is positioned for consistent, decision-ready reporting across departments.
Automated global payments
Set pay frequencies, streamline approvals, and pay based on approved time. Payments go out in multiple currencies through payment integrations from within the app, with visibility into payouts and costs.
Who It Suits
| If your team... | Hubstaff is a reasonable fit |
|---|---|
| Works across locations or time zones | Yes — multi-device and GPS tracking |
| Bills or budgets by project | Yes — project budgets and margin data |
| Pays contractors or staff globally | Yes — multi-currency payments from approved time |
| Only needs a bare timer | Probably more than you need |
Hubstaff states it is used by 140,000+ global users.
Getting Started
- Create an account or book a demo.
- Start the free 14-day trial — no credit card required, cancel anytime.
- Set up projects and clients, then decide which monitoring features (activity, apps/URLs, screenshots) to enable and who can see them.
- Track time, review Insights, and connect approved hours to budgets and payments.
Pricing details are not covered here; see the pricing page for current plans.