Hubstaff vs Time Doctor (2026): Price, Screenshots and Field Coverage
Hubstaff and Time Doctor are the two time trackers with proof of work that remote and outsourced teams compare most, and they differ on one thing that matters more than the rest: Hubstaff makes screenshots optional and lets you blur them or switch them off per project, while Time Doctor includes screenshots on every plan and adds video recording on Premium. Hubstaff is cheaper for equivalent features, bills monthly with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and covers field staff with GPS job sites. Time Doctor is the choice only when a client contract requires continuous screen evidence.
This comparison uses October 2026 pricing from both vendors' pages, worked out at 5, 15 and 50 people, and the documented behavior of each tool rather than marketing claims. Both products carry the same underlying weakness, an activity score built from keyboard and mouse input, so the page also says when neither is the right answer.
The verdict
Hubstaff for most teams: screenshots are optional and blurrable, GPS job sites cover field staff, billing is monthly with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and the plan with attendance and payroll costs $7.50 against Time Doctor's $11.70.
Time Doctor only when a client or regulator requires continuous screen evidence: video recording, mouse-jiggler detection and an unusual-activity report on Premium are things Hubstaff does not have.
Neither if monitoring itself is the problem. Both score keyboard and mouse activity, and the alternatives pages for each cover the tools that do not.
Starting points by situation.
Side by side, October 2026
| Hubstaff | Time Doctor | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter $4.99 per seat per month, annual ($7 monthly) | Basic $6.70 per user per month, annual ($8 monthly) |
| Plan most teams need | Grow $7.50 (time off, overtime, scheduling); Team $10 (payroll, budgets) | Standard $11.70 (attendance, approvals, web and app reports, payroll) |
| Top plan | Enterprise $25 | Premium $16.70 (video, anomaly detection, SSO, API) |
| Minimum | 2 seats | None stated |
| Billing | Monthly or annual; 30-day money-back on paid plans | Monthly or annual (two months free annually); refund disputes are the largest cluster of its public complaints |
| Screenshots | Optional; off, blurred or 1 to 3 per 10 minutes, per project | On every plan; cannot be switched off |
| Video recording | No | Premium |
| Activity score | Keyboard and mouse ratio; can be disabled per project | Keyboard and mouse ratio plus productivity ratings by app; mouse-jiggler detection on Premium |
| Idle handling | Idle prompt with keep or discard | Idle detection; reviewers report disputes |
| GPS and job sites | Mobile GPS with job sites that clock in and out automatically | Android app; no job-site automation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox | Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android, Chrome; no iOS app |
| Payroll | Gusto, Deel, PayPal, Wise, QuickBooks from tracked hours | Payroll on Standard; HRIS and payroll integrations $200 per integration per month as add-ons |
| Data history | Not capped by plan | 3 months Basic, 6 months Standard, 2 years Premium |
| Trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days of Premium |
Monitoring: the real difference
Both products record time, activity levels and application use, and both compute an activity score from the share of tracked seconds with keyboard or mouse input. The difference is what happens to the screen. Hubstaff treats screenshots as a setting: off, blurred, or one to three captures per ten-minute block, chosen per project, so a company can photograph a client-billed project and leave internal work alone. Time Doctor includes screenshots on every plan, including Basic, and adds continuous video recording, mouse-jiggler and irregular-keyboard detection, and an unusual-activity report on Premium. For an outsourcing contract that requires screen evidence, that is the product. For everyone else it is the reason employees resent the tool.
Neither vendor's activity score measures work. A person reading a contract, on a call or thinking scores near zero on both, and both vendors say so in their own support material. Hubstaff lets you disable activity recording on projects such as calls and meetings; Time Doctor's productivity ratings by application go the other way and classify apps as productive or not. Our Hubstaff alternatives and Time Doctor alternatives pages cover what to use if the score itself is the problem.
What each costs at 5, 15 and 50 people
| Plan | 5 people | 15 people | 50 people | What the plan includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubstaff Starter ($4.99) | $24.95 | $74.85 | $249.50 | Time, activity, optional screenshots, limited reports |
| Hubstaff Grow ($7.50) | $37.50 | $112.50 | $375 | Adds time off, overtime, scheduling, idle and app tracking |
| Hubstaff Team ($10) | $50 | $150 | $500 | Adds payroll, budgets, invoicing, unlimited integrations |
| Time Doctor Basic ($6.70) | $33.50 | $100.50 | $335 | Time, screenshots, projects; 3 months of data |
| Time Doctor Standard ($11.70) | $58.50 | $175.50 | $585 | Adds attendance, approvals, app reports, payroll; 6 months of data |
| Time Doctor Premium ($16.70) | $83.50 | $250.50 | $835 | Adds video, anomaly detection, SSO, API; 2 years of data |
Monthly totals on annual billing at October 2026 published prices. Like for like, Hubstaff Grow against Time Doctor Standard, Hubstaff is 36% cheaper at every size, before Time Doctor's $200-a-month payroll integration add-on.
Which one fits
Two tools, so the chooser shows the better fit and the margin.
Each tool in detail
Hubstaff
Flexible monitoring, field coverage, monthly billingWhat it is
Hubstaff tracks time against projects with optional screenshots, activity levels, app and URL use, idle prompts, and on mobile GPS job sites that clock people in and out. Grow adds time off, overtime and scheduling; Team adds payroll, budgets and invoicing. Every seat that logs in is billed except a free Project Viewer role.
Where it wins
- Screenshots optional and configurable per project
- GPS job sites with automatic clock-in
- Cheaper at every tier for equivalent features, with monthly billing and a money-back window
- Linux agent and iOS app
Where it loses
- No video recording or anomaly detection
- Activity score still invites the same disputes
- 2-seat minimum and per-seat billing for managers who only view
- GPS and extra screenshot frequency are add-ons on lower tiers
Choose it if
Teams that need some proof of work and field coverage, and want to decide where screenshots apply.
Time Doctor
Maximum evidenceWhat it is
Time Doctor records screenshots on every plan, attendance, schedules, approvals, web and app reports with productivity ratings and payroll on Standard, and video recording, mouse-jiggler and keyboard anomaly detection, an executive dashboard, SSO, an open API and client login on Premium. Data history runs from three months to two years by plan.
Where it wins
- Video recording and anomaly detection on Premium
- Client login so a customer can see the evidence directly
- Attendance, schedules and approvals in one plan
- Two years of history on Premium
Where it loses
- Screenshots cannot be turned off on any plan
- Standard at $11.70 is the realistic price
- Trustpilot 1.2 of 5 across 235 reviews, concentrated on billing after cancellation
- No iOS app; no GPS job sites
Choose it if
Outsourcing firms whose contracts require screen evidence, with a cancellation process agreed in writing.
Moving between them
- Export the current tool's time, projects and reports to CSV; neither imports the other's screenshots.
- Invite members to the new tool first, then import projects and members from CSV so names and emails match.
- Set the screenshot and activity policy before the first person installs the agent, and issue a written monitoring notice where state law requires it (Connecticut, Delaware, New York); our monitoring policy template has the wording.
- Run both for one pay period and reconcile hours by project.
- Cancel in the account, keep the confirmation, and watch the card statement for two cycles. This matters more when leaving Time Doctor.
How this comparison was made
Both products were checked on the same criteria used across our tool reviews: what is recorded and how configurable it is, platforms, published pricing with minimums and add-ons, data history, billing and cancellation terms, and the employee experience. Prices were read from each vendor's pricing page in October 2026; where a page withheld figures from automated requests the figures come from our October 2026 time tracking review of the same pages. Complaint themes come from public review platforms and the vendors' own documentation. No vendor paid for placement and there are no affiliate links.
Key takeaways
- Hubstaff wins for most teams: optional, blurrable screenshots, GPS job sites, monthly billing with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and Grow at $7.50 against Time Doctor Standard at $11.70.
- Time Doctor wins only on evidence: screenshots on every plan, video recording and anomaly detection on Premium, and a client login.
- Like for like, Hubstaff is 36% cheaper at 5, 15 and 50 people before Time Doctor's $200-a-month payroll integration add-on.
- Both compute an activity score from keyboard and mouse input and both admit it does not measure calls, reading or thinking.
- Time Doctor's data history is three months on Basic; Hubstaff does not cap history by plan.
- Time Doctor's public complaints concentrate on billing after cancellation; cancel in the account and keep the confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hubstaff or Time Doctor better?
Hubstaff for most teams, because screenshots are optional and configurable, field staff are covered by GPS job sites, billing is monthly with a money-back guarantee, and the plan with attendance and overtime costs $7.50 against Time Doctor's $11.70. Time Doctor is better only when continuous screen evidence is a contractual requirement.
Which is cheaper, Hubstaff or Time Doctor?
Hubstaff at every tier. On October 2026 annual pricing, Hubstaff Starter is $4.99, Grow $7.50 and Team $10 per seat; Time Doctor Basic is $6.70, Standard $11.70 and Premium $16.70 per user. For 15 people on the plans with attendance and approvals, Hubstaff Grow is $112.50 a month and Time Doctor Standard is $175.50.
Does Hubstaff take screenshots?
Only if you turn them on. Screenshots can be set to off, blurred, or one to three per ten minutes, per project. Time Doctor takes screenshots on every plan and the setting cannot be removed.
Does Time Doctor record video?
Yes, on the Premium plan at $16.70 per user per month, alongside mouse-jiggler and irregular-keyboard detection and an unusual-activity report. Hubstaff has no video recording.
Which has GPS tracking?
Both have mobile GPS, but Hubstaff adds job sites that clock staff in and out automatically when they arrive and leave, and has an iOS app. Time Doctor's mobile app is Android only and has no job-site automation.
Which keeps data longer?
Hubstaff does not cap history by plan. Time Doctor keeps three months on Basic, six on Standard and two years on Premium.
Which is easier to cancel?
Hubstaff bills monthly or annually, cancels in the account and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans. Time Doctor's negative public reviews cluster on charges continuing after cancellation, so cancel in the account, keep the confirmation and check your card for two cycles.
Can I switch from Time Doctor to Hubstaff without losing data?
Export Time Doctor's timesheets and reports to CSV before the subscription ends, because data history is short on its lower plans. Hubstaff imports members and projects from CSV; historical screenshots do not transfer from either tool.