If you're searching for an alternative to Hubstaff, you're probably looking for a time-tracking and productivity solution that better fits your team's needs. Whether you're seeking a more affordable pricing, a simpler interface or additional features, you'll find many options in this article. Let's explore the top Hubstaff alternatives, compare their features, pricing and benefits, to help you choose the right tool of your business.
What are Hubstaff's top limitations?
While Hubstaff offers many benefits, it's important to consider its limitations before exploring alternatives. Some of the top limitations of Hubstaff include:
- Complex user interface: Hubstaff’s user interface is not exactly easy to use, especially if you’re tech-savvy or if you have team members who aren’t familiar with trackers. Finding and using certain features may require a learning curve.
- Lack of advanced project management features: Hubstaff focuses on time-tracking and monitoring and its users have to use other tools to manage their tasks and resources, which makes their workflows even more complex.
- Limited reporting capabilities: Hubstaff offers basic reporting features, but users needing more detailed insights into team members performances, project progress or financial metrics will need a more robust solution.
- Expensive pricing for larger teams: businesses with larger teams may find Hubstaff expensive compared to competitors that offer similar functionality at a lower cost. In addition, since Hubstaff lacks task and resource management features, teams need to integrate it with other tools, which adds an extra layer of cost and makes Hubstaff a more costly option compare to all-in-one platforms.
What to look for in a Hubstaff alternative?
Here are some of the most important features to watch out for:
- Time tracking and productivity analysis: the best alternative should let you track the time spent on tasks, generate timesheets, measure activity levels per task, and analyze data to get useful insights.
- Project management features: a Hubstaff alternative should provide project management tools that let you do a variety of work-related processes. These could be something as simple as assigning tasks and monitoring project budgets to setting deadlines and updating progress. It could also incluse resource management features.
- Integration capability: integration with other tools is essential to ensure a smooth workflow. Look for alternatives that integrate with project management tools like Bonsai, communication platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams, or other business software.
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1. Bonsai - Best Hubstaff alternative for agencies
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Bonsai is an advanced project and client management software, with a user-friendly interface, a rich set of features, and multiple plans and pricing options. It makes project management easier and faster, while also handling invoicing, payments, and contracts.
Why choose Bonsai over Hubstaff?
- All-in-one project management: Bonsai integrates all aspects of your workflow in one simple and accessible platform. It lets you create projects, manage tasks, track time, send invoices and manage clients.
- Smart invoicing and payments: Never lose track of where your money goes or where it’s supposed to go. Bonsai lets you be on top of unpaid invoices, sends automatic payment reminders, and accepts payments directly, eliminating the need for extra financial apps.
- Easy contract creation and signing: Bonsai stands out from its competitors by making contract creation effortless. It allows freelancers to draft, send, and sign legal contracts in minutes.
- Flexible time tracking: Bonsai allows users to log time manually or automatically, and syncs the recorded hours to your invoices. Its time tracking feature is both user-friendly and adaptable, supporting different work preferences.
- Effective client management: The time tracking tool helps you manage each client’s contact information, project status, and payment history, enhancing your business relationships. In addition, Bonsai provides a client portal, making it easy to assign tasks to a clients and share updates.
Let's dive into Bonsai's top features.
Project management
Create projects, assign tasks, set deadlines, tasks estimates and easily track progress using a Gantt chart or Kanban board. Track time using the integrated timers on tasks and compare the time tracked against estimates.
Resource management
Use Bonsai's resource planning tool to allocate work, log time off and balance workloads. You'll get a clear view of where your team's time is spent and get instant reports.
Budgeting
Tracking your budgets is easy with Bonsai. When creating a project, select if it's fee or time-based, then track time spent on the project and get budget warnings when you hit your budget. Bonsai also lets you manage recurring budgets in case you work on retainers with longer-term clients.
Client management
Bonsai provides client management features allowing agencies to create and send proposals, contracts, forms and collaborate with clients all within the platform. It offers a client portal that allow users to share documents and project updates, assign tasks to clients and more.
Bonsai and Hubstaff are both great tools for project management and time tracking. However, Bonsai has the edge over Hubstaff by automating financial processes and managing contracts.
2. Toggl
Advantages
With Toggl, users can enjoy features like one-click timers, timeline recording, project and team management, detailed reporting, and integration with various productivity tools. They can also use mobile and desktop apps to track their time from anywhere.
Disadvantages
There were complaints over Toggl’s user interface, and the absence of an offline mode can be a problem for those with unreliable internet connections. Moreover, the free version does not have many of the advanced time management features that the premium plans offer.
How Much Does It Cost?
Toggl follows a freemium model, with its basic features being free. Users who want more features can opt for the Starter plan at $9 per user/month, the Premium plan at $18 per user/month, or the Enterprise plan with custom pricing.
What Do Customers Say?
User reviews on Toggl are mostly positive, with customers liking its ease and usefulness for tracking work hours, though some also pointed out the limitations.
3. Time-doctor
Advantages
A popular pick, Time Doctor lets users track their time for tasks and projects, monitor their team’s activity through screenshots and videos, and generate comprehensive reports on their performance. They can also manage payroll and invoicing, and integrate with common productivity tools like Asana, Slack, and Github.
Disadvantages
Time Doctor does not support offline tracking, which can be an issue for those with poor internet connections. Some users also feel uncomfortable with the constant monitoring feature. It also lacks a scheduling tool to plan ahead.
How Much Does It Cost?
Time Doctor charges monthly fees, ranging from $7 per user for the Basic plan, $10 for the Standard plan, and $20 for the Premium plan. Users can try the software for free for 14 days before deciding to subscribe.
What Do Customers Say?
The software has mostly positive feedback from loyal Time Doctor fans. They like the detailed productivity tracking and the user-friendly interface, but they are worried about the privacy implications of constant monitoring.
4. Workpuls
Advantages
Want to know what your team is up to, right now? Workpuls lets you see how much they get done, how long they work on different things, and what they do online. It also labels the activities based on productivity, based on the job or department of each employee.
Disadvantages
Workpuls won’t help you if you want to manage your projects. And, it gives you a lot of data, but its reports can be a hassle to make.
How Much Does It Cost?
Workpuls has plans for everyone, starting at $6 per employee per month. You can pick the one that works for you and your wallet. And the best part? You can try it out for free for a week.
What Do Customers Say?
Customers like its easy-to-use interface and detailed tracking, but say that it may need some manual corrections to classify activities accurately.
5. Desktime
Advantages
DeskTime lets you see what your team does online, offline, and by project. It also tracks what they use on their computers, and how long they use them. If you want to be less micromanage-y, you can give them some privacy, and track their leaves. DeskTime also goes well with other tools, and lets you rate time by how productive it is.
Disadvantages
DeskTime doesn’t do invoicing or billing, which might be a deal-breaker for some businesses. And, some employees might feel like you’re snooping on them.
How Much Does It Cost?
DeskTime has a free plan for one user with basic time tracking. If you want more, you’ll have to pay $7/month per user. You can try it out for free for 14 days to see if it’s worth it, though.
What Do Customers Say?
Users have given DeskTime good ratings for its simplicity, reliability, and productivity tracking, but some have said that the user interface needs an improvement.
6. Rescuetime
Advantages
RescueTime helps track how you spend your time, block the websites that distract you, and set your own goals. It works on any device, no matter what you use: Windows, Mac, Android, or Linux. Convenience and focus in one, what’s not to love?
Disadvantages
RescueTime only lets you enter time manually if you pay for the premium version, which some users might not like. It can also feel like Big Brother with all its tracking. It also doesn’t have a way to work offline or export your data.
How Much Does It Cost?
Basic tracking is free. If you want more features, like alerts, focus time sessions, and detailed reports, you’ll have to pay $12/month or $78/year for the premium plan. RescueTime also has plans for teams if you run a business. And the best part? You can try it out for free for 14 days.
What Do Customers Say?
User reviews are mostly positive, liking the tool’s ability to improve productivity with accurate and automatic time-tracking. However, some think the premium version is expensive.
7. Harvest
Advantages
Harvest is known for its strong time tracking system, which lets you log hours per project. It also uses an invoicing system that pulls hours logged, expense integration, and detailed report generation for project analysis. Lastly, the app also has mobile applications and desktop widgets for on-the-spot time tracking and management..
Disadvantages
Despite those features, Harvest’s weakness is its invoice customization. This is an issue if trying to match your company branding. It also only has basic project management tools, which may not be enough if you need advanced project management functionalities.
How Much Does It Cost?
Harvest is not the cheapest, but it’s also not the most premium at $12 per user per month. It also offers a free plan for a single user managing up to two projects. They also have a 30-day free trial for their paid plans. If you’re a non-profit organization or educational institution, they have special discounts.
What Do Customers Say?
Users like its simple, user-friendly interface, its way of organizing and presenting data, and its quality customer service. However, they also note its limitations in project management and customization.
8. Timecamp
Advantages
TimeCamp’s big draw is how it tracks your time automatically and provides an invoice based on hours worked. What’s more, the app also lets you track project time and cost, manage attendance, and generate detailed reports. It also lets you integrate with popular apps for project management, communication, and accounting.
TimeCamp is best for individual users, small businesses, and large enterprises and works on desktop and mobile devices.
Disadvantages
Admittedly, TimeCamp is hard to use at first, as it’s known to have quite a steep learning curve. The user interface is not very intuitive and the customer service may be slow sometimes.
How Much Does It Cost?
TimeCamp is free if you are a solo user. If you need more features, or if you need to onboard more members, you can pay from $5.25 per user per month, billed annually. The price increases depending on the features you require.
What Do Customers Say?
Based on customer reviews, TimeCamp has helped many businesses increase their productivity and accountability. However, some users have faced technical issues and trouble in using the software.
9. Activtrak
Advantages
ActivTrak collects and analyzes data on user activities, behaviors, and time usage. It also provides real-time monitoring and alerts for any unusual or suspicious activities.
It also has features like access management, website and app tracking, time & attendance tracking, and powerful analytics tools. It has a stealth mode that allows invisible tracking of activities to protect employee privacy.
Disadvantages
However, ActivTrak has some limitations as well. It does not have GPS tracking or phone call recording. Some users have reported problems with setup and software lags. The stealth mode may also cause privacy issues for some.
How Much Does It Cost?
ActivTrak has a free plan for small businesses with limited features. For more features, ActivTrak has a premium plan with pricing starting at $7.20 per user per month. They have detailed pricing on their official website.
What Do Customers Say?
Users like its low cost and useful features. However, they have mixed opinions about ease of use and customer support.
10. Timely
Advantages
Timely uses artificial intelligence to automatically record all the work activities and help users balance their workload and avoid burnout. It has a user-friendly dashboard for easy management of clients and projects. It helps with automatic time tracking, detailed reporting, and project and team scheduling.
Disadvantages
Some users may find the Timely’s UI a bit complex, but you do get used to it. Another con is how Timely’s AI-based automatic time tracking feature may not always capture the time spent on specific tasks accurately.
How Much Does It Cost?
The ‘Solo’ plan starts at $7 per month if you’re just going to use it as one person, while prices for business plans depend on the number of employees. As always, they offer a free trial for new users.
What Do Customers Say?
Many praise Timely’s time tracking. Some reviews also state that despite the clunkiness, they do eventually get used to the UI. Its project management tools also received praise. However, some users have different views about its pricing structure and find it a bit expensive.
Quiz: What is the best Hubstaff alternative for your business?
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