If you’re picking between Hubstaff and Toggl Track, you’re not really comparing two versions of the same product. You’re choosing between two philosophies of how teams should track time.
Hubstaff is a workforce management platform that happens to include time tracking. It records what people are doing, when, and where, with screenshots, activity levels, GPS, and tight payroll integration. Toggl Track is the opposite: a clean, friction-light timer that respects the user, leaves no surveillance footprint, and focuses on making time entry effortless.
That single difference shapes everything else, pricing, features, UX, who each tool fits, and which one you should actually buy. This comparison walks through the head-to-head sections that matter, then lands on a clear recommendation by team type.
⚡ Quick Verdict
- →Pick Hubstaff if you’re managing remote employees or contractors and need monitoring, screenshots, GPS, or payroll automation.
- →Pick Toggl Track if you’re a freelancer or small team that wants simple, friction-free time tracking with no surveillance.
📑 Table of Contents
Hubstaff Overview
Hubstaff started as a time tracker with screenshots and has grown into a full workforce management platform. It tracks hours, captures activity levels (keyboard and mouse usage), takes optional screenshots, records GPS for field teams, and connects all of it to payroll, invoicing, and project budgeting.
It’s built for teams where someone other than the person doing the work needs visibility into the work. Agencies managing freelancers, BPOs running offshore teams, and construction or field-service businesses tracking on-site hours are the natural buyers. Hubstaff Tasks (their lightweight project tool) and Hubstaff Talent round out the suite, but the core product is monitoring and time accounting.
Toggl Track Overview
Toggl Track takes the opposite stance: time tracking should be invisible until the moment you use it, and never punitive. There are no screenshots, no activity monitoring, no GPS. You start a timer, you stop a timer, and Toggl reports show where your time went.
Freelancers, consultancies, and small agencies make up most of Toggl’s loyal user base. The free tier supports up to five users with no time limit, which is unusually generous, and the paid tiers add billable rates, time audits, and team scheduling without ever crossing into employee surveillance.
Pricing Compared
Hubstaff starts at $4.99 per user per month on the Starter plan, with Grow at $7.50 and Team at $10. The full Enterprise tier with HR integrations and custom roles is quote-based. Free trials are 14 days, and there’s a free tier limited to one user.
Toggl Track is free for up to five users with unlimited tracking. The Starter plan is $9 per user per month for billable rates and rounded reports. Premium at $18 adds time audits, scheduled reports, and required fields. Enterprise is custom-priced.
Per seat, Hubstaff is cheaper at the entry tier, but you’re paying for monitoring features many teams won’t use. Toggl’s free tier is hard to beat for solo users and small teams.
Features Compared
Hubstaff strengths: Screenshots (configurable interval), activity rate from keyboard and mouse, GPS and geofencing for field teams, automatic payroll and invoicing based on tracked hours, idle-time detection, and integrations with QuickBooks, Gusto, and PayPal for paying contractors.
Toggl Track strengths: One-click timer in 100+ tools via browser extension, Pomodoro mode, autotracker that suggests entries based on app usage (on-device only, no surveillance), detailed billable-rate handling, project profitability dashboards, and Toggl Insights for utilization analysis.
Hubstaff wins decisively on workforce-level features. Toggl wins on individual productivity and reporting depth.
User Experience
Hubstaff’s desktop app runs in the background, takes screenshots on the schedule you set, and logs activity. Workers see what’s being captured, which is by design, transparency is the differentiator versus stealth monitoring tools. But the experience is still “you are being measured.”
Toggl’s experience is dramatically lighter. The desktop app is a small window. The mobile app starts a timer in two taps. Browser extensions add a one-click button to Asana, Notion, Linear, Trello, Jira, and dozens of other tools so you never break flow. For users who fund their own subscriptions, freelancers, agency creatives, consultants, Toggl feels respectful in a way Hubstaff doesn’t try to be.
Integrations and Reporting
Both tools cover the standard integration list: Asana, Trello, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Google Calendar, and most major PM tools. Hubstaff adds deep payroll and accounting integrations (QuickBooks, Gusto, FreshBooks, Wise, Bitwage) that Toggl doesn’t try to match.
For reporting, both are strong. Toggl’s reports lean toward client billing, utilization, and profitability, the questions a freelancer or agency PM asks. Hubstaff’s reports lean toward attendance, work-vs-idle ratios, and labour cost, the questions an operations or HR lead asks.
Side-by-Side Table
| Feature | Hubstaff | Toggl Track |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $4.99/user/mo | Free (5 users), $9/user/mo paid |
| Free Plan | 1 user only | Up to 5 users, unlimited tracking |
| Screenshots | Yes (configurable) | No |
| Activity Monitoring | Yes (keyboard/mouse) | No |
| GPS Tracking | Yes (field teams) | No |
| Payroll & Invoicing | Built-in + integrations | Limited (Toggl Bill add-on) |
| Pomodoro / Autotracker | No | Yes |
| Browser Extension Coverage | Good | Excellent (100+ tools) |
| Mobile App | iOS, Android (with GPS) | iOS, Android (lightweight) |
| Best For | Managers of remote/contract teams | Freelancers, small agencies |
Which Should You Choose?
Pick Hubstaff if you manage a remote team where billable accuracy and accountability matter, run an agency that pays contractors hourly, operate a field-service or construction business that needs GPS, or want time tracking that flows directly into payroll without re-keying. Hubstaff is the operations leader’s tool.
Pick Toggl Track if you work solo or in a small team that funds its own subscription, want time tracking your team will actually use without resentment, value reporting depth and integrations more than surveillance, or simply don’t have a use case for screenshots or GPS. Toggl is the practitioner’s tool.
For most readers comparing these two, the deciding question is: are you tracking your team, or are your team members tracking themselves? Answer that and the pick is obvious.
⏱️ Try Hubstaff for Your Remote Team
Track hours, activity, and payroll, all in one platform built for distributed and field teams.
Start Free Hubstaff Trial →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hubstaff better than Toggl Track?
Better depends on what you need. Hubstaff is better for managing remote employees with monitoring, screenshots, and payroll integration. Toggl Track is better for freelancers and small teams who want simple time tracking without surveillance.
Does Toggl Track take screenshots like Hubstaff?
No. Toggl Track deliberately avoids screenshots, activity monitoring, and GPS. It’s positioned as a respectful, user-controlled time tracker.
Which is cheaper, Hubstaff or Toggl?
Per seat, Hubstaff starts cheaper at $4.99/user/month. But Toggl Track is free for up to five users, making it cheaper for small teams and solo freelancers.
Can Hubstaff and Toggl track GPS?
Hubstaff supports GPS tracking and geofencing for field teams. Toggl Track does not offer GPS tracking.
Which tool has better reporting?
Both are strong. Toggl’s reports emphasize client billing, utilization, and profitability. Hubstaff’s reports focus on attendance, work-vs-idle ratios, and labour cost.
Does either integrate with Asana, Notion, or Jira?
Yes, both integrate with all three. Toggl’s browser extension covers 100+ tools with one-click timers, which is slightly broader than Hubstaff’s coverage.
Is Hubstaff good for agencies?
Yes, Hubstaff is particularly strong for agencies that pay contractors hourly, manage offshore teams, or need invoicing automation tied to tracked hours. For a broader look at this category, see our roundup of best employee monitoring tools for outsourcing agencies.
Can I use Toggl Track for free forever?
Yes. Toggl Track’s free plan supports up to five users with unlimited time tracking, no time limits, and basic reporting, making it one of the most generous free tiers in time tracking.
Final Word
Hubstaff and Toggl aren’t really fighting for the same buyer. If you need to know what your remote workforce is doing in real time and pay them accurately, Hubstaff is built for that job. If you just want time entries that don’t get in your way, Toggl Track is the right choice. Pick the philosophy that matches your team, not the feature list. For broader context on which tools fit your workflow, see our roundup of best time tracking software for remote teams.