Hubstaff
Timely
| Feature | Hubstaff | Timely |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $4.99/mo | From $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-team-managers, field-service-companies, agencies, construction-teams | consultants, agencies, freelancers, remote-teams |
| Founded | 2012 | 2014 |
| Time Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Gps Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screenshots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Activity Levels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Payroll | ✓ | ✗ |
| Geofencing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automatic Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Memory Timeline | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project Budgets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reports | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Hubstaff Pros
- GPS and location tracking for field teams
- Automated payroll from tracked hours
- Activity level monitoring
- Geofencing for job sites
✗ Hubstaff Cons
- Can feel invasive to employees
- Screenshot feature raises privacy concerns
- No free plan available
✓ Timely Pros
- Automatic tracking
- No timers needed
- Privacy focused
- Beautiful design
✗ Timely Cons
- Expensive
- AI not always accurate
- Requires desktop app
The Verdict
Hubstaff is built for remote team managers and field service companies, with a focus on time-tracking and gps-tracking. Timely targets consultants and agencies and leads with automatic-tracking and memory-timeline.
Pricing is close: Hubstaff starts at $4.99/mo versus $9/mo for Timely — not a deciding factor on its own.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
Both tools are a solid fit for agencies — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.