- Hubstaff vs ActivTrak: two tools, two different ideas of what monitoring means
- Quick comparison: Hubstaff vs ActivTrak vs actiTIME
- What is Hubstaff?
- What is ActivTrak?
- What is actiTIME?
- Time tracking
- Productivity monitoring
- GPS and field operations
- Project tracking and finances
- Pricing comparison
- Who should use each tool?
- Frequently asked questions
- The bottom line
- Resources
Hubstaff vs ActivTrak: two tools, two different ideas of what monitoring means
Short answer: Hubstaff and ActivTrak both monitor how your team spends their time, but they approach it differently. Hubstaff is a time tracking platform with GPS, screenshots, and payroll built in. ActivTrak is a workforce analytics tool focused on behavioral insights, productivity trends, and burnout detection. Hubstaff is better for field teams and operational control; ActivTrak is better for understanding productivity patterns in knowledge workers. If you want project financial tracking without the monitoring layer, actiTIME takes a different approach entirely.
Choose Hubstaff if: you need GPS tracking for field workers, payroll processing, or screenshot-based accountability. Hubstaff is a more complete operational tool for managing distributed teams across multiple locations.
Choose ActivTrak if: you’re trying to understand how your office or remote knowledge workers actually spend their days. ActivTrak’s focus time analysis, workload balance reports, and burnout risk indicators are better suited to improving team performance than enforcing compliance.
Quick comparison: Hubstaff vs ActivTrak vs actiTIME
| Feature | Hubstaff | ActivTrak | actiTIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free version | No (14-day trial) | Yes (3 users, 30-day data) | Yes (up to 3 users, permanent) |
| Screenshots | Yes | Yes | No |
| GPS tracking | Yes | No | No |
| App / website tracking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Payroll processing | Yes | No | No |
| Focus time analysis | No | Yes | No |
| Burnout / workload alerts | No | Yes | No |
| Project budgets | Yes | No | Yes |
| Billing rates | Yes | No | Yes |
| Project profitability | Yes | No | Yes |
| Leave & overtime tracking | Yes | No | Yes |
| Self-hosted option | No | No | Yes |
| Annual billing only | No | Yes | Yes |
What is Hubstaff?
Hubstaff is a workforce management platform built for remote and field-based teams. It tracks time, takes screenshots at set intervals, logs GPS location, monitors app and URL usage, and processes payroll. Pricing starts at $4.99 per seat per month (annual, 2-seat minimum) and goes up to $25 for Enterprise. GPS and activity monitoring require Grow ($7.50); screenshots and payroll require Team ($10).
Hubstaff also tracks project budgets and billing rates, which makes it a more operationally complete tool than ActivTrak.
What is ActivTrak?
ActivTrak is a workforce analytics platform focused on behavioral insights rather than surveillance. It tracks which apps and websites employees use and produces reports on productivity trends, focus time, work patterns, and team workload. The data is meant to help managers identify coaching opportunities and prevent burnout, not just monitor compliance. ActivTrak does not track GPS location or process payroll.
ActivTrak’s free version supports 3 users with 30 days of data history. Paid plans are annual-only: Essentials $10 per user per month, Essentials Plus $15, Professional $19. Screenshots are an add-on, not included by default.
What is actiTIME?
actiTIME is project time tracking software that connects hours to project costs, billing rates, and profitability. No monitoring, no screenshots, no GPS. It covers project budgets, billing rates by work type, cost of work, leave, and overtime in one product with no feature tiers. Free for up to 3 users, from $5 per user per month online, or $120 per user one-time for self-hosted. Used for 20+ years in 130+ countries.
See also: actiTIME vs Hubstaff 2026: Full Comparison
Time tracking
| Feature | Hubstaff | ActivTrak | actiTIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual timer | Yes | No | Yes |
| Automatic passive tracking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes (iOS, Android) | Limited | Yes (iOS, Android) |
| Browser extension | Yes | No | Yes |
| Clock-in / clock-out | Yes | No | Yes |
Winner: Hubstaff for manual tracking and clock-in. ActivTrak does not have a manual timer — it observes passively. actiTIME has manual tracking but no passive monitoring.
Productivity monitoring
| Feature | Hubstaff | ActivTrak | actiTIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| App and website tracking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Screenshots | Yes | Add-on | No |
| Activity level scores | Yes | Yes | No |
| Focus time analysis | No | Yes | No |
| Team workload heatmaps | No | Yes | No |
| Burnout risk indicators | No | Yes | No |
| Coaching insights | No | Yes | No |
Winner: ActivTrak for workforce analytics. The focus time and workload analysis are genuinely useful for managing knowledge worker performance. Hubstaff’s monitoring is more about compliance than insight.
GPS and field operations
| Feature | Hubstaff | ActivTrak | actiTIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS tracking | Yes | No | No |
| Geofenced clock-in | Yes | No | No |
| Job site management | Yes | No | No |
| Route tracking | Yes | No | No |
Winner: Hubstaff by default. ActivTrak has no location tracking at all.
Project tracking and finances
| Feature | Hubstaff | ActivTrak | actiTIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project budgets | Yes | No | Yes |
| Billing rates | Yes | No | Yes |
| Project profitability | Yes | No | Yes |
| Task-level tracking | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cost of work reporting | Limited | No | Yes |
Winner: actiTIME for project financials. ActivTrak has no project financial features. Hubstaff tracks budgets but doesn’t go as deep on cost-of-work and profitability as actiTIME.
Pricing comparison
Hubstaff pricing (annual billing)
| Tier | Price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $4.99/seat/month (min 2) | Time tracking, invoicing, basic reports |
| Grow | $7.50/seat/month | GPS, activity levels, project budgets |
| Team | $10/seat/month | Screenshots, payroll, approvals, expenses |
| Enterprise | $25/seat/month | SSO, custom onboarding, dedicated support |
See also: Hubstaff Pricing 2026: Plans, True Costs & Hidden Fees
ActivTrak pricing (annual billing only)
| Tier | Price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (3 users, 30-day data) | Basic productivity reports, activity logs |
| Essentials | $10/user/month | Productivity reports, focus time, coaching insights, 6-month data |
| Essentials Plus | $15/user/month | Workload balance, burnout alerts, team benchmarks |
| Professional | $19/user/month | SSO, API access, 1-year data history, custom dashboards |
Note: ActivTrak is annual billing only. Screenshots are an add-on at extra cost.
actiTIME pricing
| Option | Price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (up to 3 users) | Time tracking, projects, reports, permanent |
| Online | From $5/user/month or $1,250/month (200+ users) | All features, leave & overtime, API, QuickBooks |
| Self-hosted | $120/user, one-time | Full features, own server, no monthly fees |
Cost comparison for 10 users (annual)
| Tool & tier | Monthly cost | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hubstaff Grow | $75/month | $900/year |
| Hubstaff Team | $100/month | $1,200/year |
| ActivTrak Essentials | $100/month | $1,200/year |
| ActivTrak Professional | $190/month | $2,280/year |
| actiTIME Online | $50/month | $600/year |
Who should use each tool?
Hubstaff: Field service companies, construction, logistics, or any business where knowing where workers are is part of operations. Also good for remote teams that need screenshot accountability and payroll in one platform.
ActivTrak: Knowledge-worker companies, professional services, and software teams looking to understand productivity patterns without screenshots at every interval. The burnout and workload tools make it a more humane monitoring option for office and remote desk workers.
actiTIME: Project-based teams that need financial visibility into their work. If your goal is accurate project costing, billing, and profitability rather than monitoring activity, actiTIME answers those questions directly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Hubstaff and ActivTrak?
Hubstaff is an operational workforce management tool with GPS, payroll, and project tracking. ActivTrak is a productivity analytics platform focused on behavioral insights and performance coaching. Hubstaff monitors what employees do; ActivTrak tries to explain why productivity varies.
Does ActivTrak take screenshots?
Screenshots are an add-on in ActivTrak, not included by default in any tier. This is different from Hubstaff where screenshots are part of the Team tier.
Does Hubstaff have productivity analytics?
Basic activity monitoring, yes. Hubstaff tracks app and URL usage and calculates activity levels. It doesn’t have the focus time analysis, workload heatmaps, or burnout indicators that ActivTrak offers.
Is ActivTrak available without annual billing?
No. ActivTrak’s paid plans are available on annual billing only. Monthly billing is not offered.
Can actiTIME replace Hubstaff?
For project time tracking, yes. For workforce monitoring, GPS tracking, or payroll, no. actiTIME is a project-focused tool and doesn’t include any employee monitoring features.
Which tool is better for remote teams?
For remote teams focused on productivity and performance, ActivTrak’s analytics give better insights. For remote teams where accountability and payroll matter more than analytics, Hubstaff is the more complete package.
The bottom line
Hubstaff and ActivTrak are built for different versions of the same problem. Hubstaff handles operational control across field and remote teams. ActivTrak helps knowledge-worker managers understand performance patterns without aggressive screenshot monitoring. If you need project financial tracking instead of activity monitoring, try actiTIME.
Resources
- Hubstaff pricing (verified June 2026): hubstaff.com/pricing
- ActivTrak pricing (verified June 2026): activtrak.com/pricing
- actiTIME pricing (verified June 2026): actitime.com/pricing
