| Why Trust This Comparison This comparison is written by the TimeLive team. We have been straightforward about where Hubstaff is the stronger choice. All Hubstaff pricing and feature data has been verified directly from hubstaff.com/pricing and Hubstaff’s official blog as of July 2026. Hubstaff updated its pricing plans in late 2025. |
| Quick Summary TimeLive wins on DCAA compliance, on-premise deployment, billing free on all plans, standalone attendance, 15-language support, and predictable per-module pricing with no minimum user requirement. Hubstaff wins on employee monitoring, GPS tracking, workforce analytics, screenshot capability, and broader automation for remote and field teams. These are genuinely different tools built for different use cases. TimeLive is built for billing and compliance. Hubstaff is built for productivity monitoring and remote workforce management. |
At a Glance: TimeLive vs Hubstaff
| TimeLive | Hubstaff | |
| Best For | Consultants, architects, agencies, government contractors needing billing, compliance, and on-premise deployment | Remote and distributed teams, field service businesses, and organizations needing productivity monitoring and GPS tracking |
| Free Plan | 3 users, 1 project. Timesheet and billing included free. No time limit. | Free plan for 1 user only (solo freelancers). 14-day free trial covers all features for teams. Paid plans require minimum 2 users. |
| Paid Plan Starting Price | $4/user/month per module. No minimum users. | $4.99/user/month annual (Starter). Minimum 2 users required on all paid plans. |
| Billing and Invoicing | Free on all plans | Available from Starter plan ($4.99/user/month annual) |
| Timesheet Approvals | Included in Timesheet module ($4/user/month) | Requires Team plan ($10/user/month annual) |
| Screenshot Monitoring | Not available | Available from Starter plan |
| GPS Tracking | GPS geofencing with polygon boundaries, location-stamped attendance, Geofencing Activity Explorer | Available (all paid plans) |
| DCAA Compliance | ✓ | Not available |
| On-Premise Deployment | ✓ | Cloud only |
| Standalone Attendance Module | ✓ | Not standalone |
| Expense Tracking | Free on all plans | Available from Grow plan ($7.50/user/month annual) |
| Time Off Management | $4/user/month (Time Off module) | Team plan ($10/user/month annual) |
| HIPAA Compliance | Not listed | Enterprise plan ($25/user/month) |
| Minimum Users on Paid Plan | No minimum | Minimum 2 users on all paid plans |
| Languages Supported | 15 languages | English primary |
| QuickBooks Integration | Direct: Desktop and Online | QuickBooks Online integration available |
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Core Time Tracking
TimeLive’s timer runs on desktop and mobile, supports billable and non-billable classification at point of entry, and ties every entry to a project, client, and billing rate. Calendar integration with Google Calendar and Outlook auto-populates time entries from scheduled events. Every entry goes through a configurable approval workflow before reaching billing or payroll. Hubstaff’s time tracking is built around automatic capture. The desktop and mobile apps run in the background and track time when the timer is active, recording activity levels, screenshots (optional), app usage, and URLs visited. Idle time detection asks employees whether to keep or discard time when activity stops. For remote teams where self-reporting is a concern, Hubstaff’s automatic tracking provides objective data on how work time is spent. The fundamental difference is the philosophy. TimeLive is built on employee self-reporting with manager approval. Hubstaff is built on automatic capture with manager visibility. Neither is inherently better, they serve different organizational cultures and trust models.| Verdict: Tie TimeLive’s approval-based workflow suits billing-focused and compliance-driven teams. Hubstaff’s automatic capture suits remote teams where visibility into work activity matters more than billable hour accuracy. |
Billing and Invoicing
TimeLive includes billing and invoicing at no extra cost on every plan including the free plan. Approved timesheet hours convert to client invoices with per-client billing rates applied automatically. Invoices connect directly to QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, and Xero. White-label branding with the firm’s logo is supported.. Hubstaff includes invoicing from the Starter plan at $4.99/user/month (annual). Invoices are generated from tracked hours and can be sent to clients directly. Hubstaff’s invoicing integrates with QuickBooks Online for accounting sync. The key difference is that Hubstaff’s invoicing is more basic compared to TimeLive’s per-phase and per-role billing rates which are important for architecture firms and consulting practices with complex billing structures.| Verdict: TimeLive wins Billing is permanently free on TimeLive. Hubstaff charges from Starter plan. TimeLive also supports QuickBooks Desktop and more granular per-role and per-phase billing rates. |
Timesheet Approvals
TimeLive’s timesheet approval workflow is included in the Timesheet module at $4/user/month. Approvers can be configured per project, team, or individual. Approvers can act on individual time entries or the full timesheet at once. Rejected timesheets return to the employee with a documented comment. Multi-level approval is supported. Timesheets lock automatically on approval and every action is logged in the audit trail. Hubstaff includes timesheet approvals from the Team plan at $10/user/month (annual). The Team plan adds one-click timesheet approvals for managers. There is no multi-level approval available on any Hubstaff plan. The approval workflow is simpler than TimeLive’s configurable per-project routing.| Verdict: TimeLive wins Timesheet approvals at $4/user/month with multi-level support versus Hubstaff’s Team plan at $10/user/month with single-level approvals only. |
Employee Monitoring
TimeLive does not include employee monitoring features. There are no screenshots, no app or URL tracking, no keyboard or mouse activity monitoring. TimeLive is built on the principle that employees self-report their time accurately, with the approval workflow and audit trail providing accountability rather than surveillance. This is the right model for professional services firms where employees are trusted professionals billing their time. Hubstaff’s core differentiator is productivity monitoring. Screenshots are available from the Starter plan with configurable frequency. App and URL tracking shows which applications and websites are used during tracked work time. Activity levels measure keyboard and mouse activity as a proxy for productivity. Idle time detection flags periods of inactivity. Unusual activity alerts notify managers of patterns that deviate from the team’s norms. For remote teams managing distributed employees across time zones, this visibility is genuinely valuable.| Verdict: Hubstaff wins Hubstaff’s monitoring capabilities are a core product strength. TimeLive does not offer monitoring features. Teams that need visibility into remote employee work activity during tracked time will find Hubstaff more suitable. |
GPS Tracking and Field Teams
TimeLive now includes GPS geofencing as a fully live feature. Managers can define virtual boundaries around any job site, office, or client location using standard circular or advanced polygon boundaries. Employees can only clock in and out while inside the geofence, with GPS coordinates stamped on every attendance record. The Geofencing Activity Explorer shows entry, exit, and in-zone time per employee with exportable location reports for payroll and audit. See the TimeLive features page. Hubstaff has GPS tracking across all paid plans. Field teams can be tracked by location, geofencing creates job sites that automatically clock employees in and out when they enter or leave a defined area, and GPS breadcrumb trails show routes taken during the workday. This is genuinely valuable for construction crews, field service teams, delivery operations, and any workforce that is mobile throughout the working day.| Verdict: Tie Both TimeLive and Hubstaff now offer GPS features. TimeLive’s geofencing restricts clock-in to defined zones with polygon boundaries and GPS-stamped attendance records. Hubstaff’s GPS across all paid plans tracks team location and client site visits with breadcrumb trails and real-time updates. Hubstaff’s GPS is more monitoring-focused while TimeLive’s geofencing is attendance-verification focused. |
DCAA Compliance
TimeLive includes DCAA-compliant timekeeping built into the platform covering daily time entry enforcement, supervisor approval before finalization, correction documentation with reason codes, and a complete audit trail for every entry and edit. This is a contractual requirement for US government contractors on cost-reimbursable contracts. Hubstaff does not mention DCAA compliance anywhere on its website, pricing page, features page, or in its Enterprise compliance documentation. Hubstaff’s Enterprise plan includes GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC-2 Type II compliance, but DCAA compliance is a separate and distinct set of requirements specific to US government contracting that Hubstaff does not address.| Verdict: TimeLive wins Non-negotiable for government contractors. Hubstaff cannot meet DCAA requirements. |
Deployment: Cloud vs On-Premise
TimeLive offers both cloud and on-premise installation. For organizations with data residency requirements, security policies that prohibit third-party cloud storage, or network-restricted environments, on-premise deployment is available. Hubstaff is cloud-only. The product runs on Hubstaff’s infrastructure regardless of plan tier. Even the Enterprise plan, which includes SSO and compliance certifications, does not offer self-hosted or on-premise deployment.| Verdict: TimeLive wins TimeLive offers on-premise deployment. Hubstaff is cloud-only at every plan tier. |
Attendance and Shift Scheduling
TimeLive’s attendance module is standalone, meaning it works independently without the Timesheet module. This matters for healthcare teams, manufacturing operations, and retail or hospitality businesses where not all employees need project-based time tracking but everyone needs clock-in and clock-out. Shift scheduling including rotating shifts and availability management is included in the Attendance module. Hubstaff includes attendance tracking, daily and weekly limits, and scheduling from the Team plan. However attendance in Hubstaff is not standalone: it is integrated into the broader time tracking and monitoring framework. Hubstaff’s scheduling covers shift management and availability, which is a genuine feature, but it is not available below the Team plan at $10/user/month.| Verdict: TimeLive wins TimeLive’s standalone attendance module serves a broader workforce mix. Hubstaff’s attendance features require the Team plan at $10/user/month. |
Pricing Structure
TimeLive uses a per-module model with no minimum user requirement. A single user can use the Timesheet module for $4/month. Billing is free on all plans. There is no forced upgrade to a higher tier to unlock specific features like approvals. Hubstaff charges per seat with a minimum of 2 users on all paid plans. This means a solo freelancer or single-person team cannot use Hubstaff at the Starter price: they must pay for at least 2 seats. The plans are tiered rather than modular, so getting timesheet approvals requires the Team plan at $10/user/month (annual) even if approvals are the only advanced feature needed.| Verdict: TimeLive wins No minimum user requirement. Modular pricing means you pay only for what you need. Hubstaff requires a minimum of 2 users on all paid plans and bundles features into tiers. |
Pricing Comparison
TimeLive Pricing
| Module | Price | What It Covers |
| Billing and Invoicing | Free | Invoices from timesheets, per-client and per-phase billing rates, white-label branding. All plans including free. |
| Timesheet | $4/user/month | Timer, manual entry, multi-level approval workflow, audit trail, DCAA compliance, billable and non-billable tracking. No minimum users. |
| Expense Tracking | Free | Expense sheets, receipt attachment, approval workflow, expense types, reimbursable tracking. |
| Time Off Management | $4/user/month | PTO requests, approval, accrual policies, leave calendar. |
| Attendance | $4/user/month | Standalone attendance, clock in and out, shift scheduling including rotating shifts and availability management. Works independently without Timesheet module. |
| Advanced Project Management | $4/user/month | Project budgets, phase tracking, task management, profitability reporting. |
Hubstaff Pricing (Verified July 2026 from hubstaff.com)
| Plan | Annual Price | Key Features |
| Starter | $4.99/user/month annual (min 2 users) | Time tracking, timesheets, activity levels, limited screenshots (500/user/month), invoicing, 24/5 support. No integrations. |
| Grow | $7.50/user/month (min 2 users) | All Starter features plus 1 integration, expense tracking, project budgets, idle time detection, more screenshots and activity tracking. |
| Team | $10/user/month (min 2 users) | All Grow features plus one-click timesheet approvals, scheduling, attendance tracking, time off and holiday tracking, unlimited integrations, payroll automation, client budgets, unlimited screenshots, Hubstaff Insights analytics. |
| Enterprise | $25/user/month (annual only, min 2 users) | All Team features plus VIP support, unlimited job sites, concierge account setup, GDPR and HIPAA and SOC-2 Type II compliance, SCIM provisioning, SSO, higher API limits. |
Cost at 25 Users: Time Tracking, Billing, Expense, and Approvals
| Requirement | TimeLive (25 users) | Hubstaff (25 users) |
| Time tracking and billing | $100/month (Timesheet module, billing free) | $187.50/month (Grow plan, annual) |
| Expense tracking | Free (included on all plans) | Included in Grow plan above |
| Timesheet approvals | Included in Timesheet module | Requires Team plan: $250/month (annual) |
| Time off management | $100/month (Time Off module) | Included in Team plan above |
| DCAA compliance | Included in Timesheet module | Not available at any tier |
| Total (all four plus DCAA) | $200/month, DCAA included | $250/month (Team), no DCAA |
| Key Pricing Observation For a 25-user team needing time tracking, billing, expense management, and timesheet approvals, TimeLive costs $100/month (expense free) with DCAA compliance included. Hubstaff costs $250/month at the Team plan (required for approvals) without any DCAA compliance. Hubstaff also requires a minimum of 2 users on all paid plans, which adds cost for very small teams. |
What Users Say
TimeLive on Capterra (4.5 out of 5)
| “We shopped around and found other companies wanting outrageous prices monthly for something similar. Then we found TimeLive. The price was decent and we wanted to host the software internally which they do offer. Support has done an outstanding job getting issues fixed and answering questions. Very quick too, which is a good surprise.” Capterra Reviewer | IT Manager, 80+ user organization | Capterra |
Hubstaff on G2 (4.5 out of 5) and Capterra (4.6 out of 5)
| “We were using Clockify for time tracking, but it lacked adequate accountability and productivity monitoring during work-from-home days. There were concerns about reduced productivity and honesty with manual time entries. We wanted improved visibility and control over remote work without invading privacy.” Interior Design team, 10 users | Team Manager | Hubstaff customer testimonial, hubstaff.com |
Who Should Choose TimeLive?
- Consultants, architects, agencies, and healthcare teams that need to bill clients from timesheets without paying extra. Billing is free on all TimeLive plans.
- Government contractors that must meet DCAA timekeeping requirements as a contractual obligation. Hubstaff does not offer DCAA compliance at any tier.
- Organizations with on-premise deployment requirements due to security policy, data residency rules, or network-restricted environments. Hubstaff is cloud-only.
- Healthcare, manufacturing, and mixed-workforce teams that need a standalone attendance module with shift scheduling that works independently from project tracking.
- Teams that need timesheet approvals without paying $10/user/month. TimeLive includes multi-level approval at $4/user/month.
- Solo users or teams of one who cannot commit to a 2-user minimum. TimeLive has no minimum user requirement on any plan.
- International teams needing a platform in 15 languages including German, French, Chinese, Thai, and more.
Who Should Choose Hubstaff?
- Remote and distributed teams where visibility into work activity during tracked hours matters. Screenshots, app tracking, and activity monitoring provide objective data on how remote employees spend their time.
- Field service companies, construction teams, delivery operations, and any mobile workforce that needs GPS breadcrumb trail tracking showing routes taken during the workday. Hubstaff’s GPS shows team location and client site visits in real time. TimeLive’s geofencing restricts clock-in to defined zones with polygon boundary support , different GPS approaches for different needs.
- Growing organizations that want a single platform for time tracking, productivity monitoring, GPS, scheduling, and automated payroll without managing separate tools for each function.
- Teams looking to replace manual check-ins and status meetings with objective data on productivity levels, activity patterns, and work habits across distributed employees.
- Organizations that need HIPAA compliance for their time tracking data, available on Hubstaff’s Enterprise plan at $25/user/month.
Pros and Cons
| TimeLive Pros | TimeLive Cons |
| Billing and invoicing permanently free on all plans DCAA compliance built in at Timesheet module level On-premise deployment available GPS geofencing with polygon boundary support and location-stamped attendance Standalone attendance and shift scheduling module Timesheet approvals at $4/user/month with multi-level support No minimum user requirement 15 languages supported Phone, email, and live chat support QuickBooks Desktop and Online direct integration | No screenshot or activity monitoring Smaller free plan (3 users, 1 project) Interface has a learning curve for new users Fewer native integrations than Hubstaff |
| Hubstaff Pros | Hubstaff Cons |
| Screenshot monitoring, app and URL tracking, idle detection GPS tracking and geofencing available on all paid plans Automated payroll and payments workflow Comprehensive workforce analytics (Hubstaff Insights) Shift scheduling and attendance on Team plan HIPAA, GDPR, SOC-2 Type II on Enterprise 30+ native integrations including Asana, Jira, GitHub, Slack, and QuickBooks Active development with regular feature releases | No permanent free plan (14-day trial only) Minimum 2 users required on all paid plans Timesheet approvals require Team plan at $10/user/month No DCAA compliance at any tier Cloud-only, no on-premise option No standalone attendance module Monitoring features can create employee trust concerns if not managed carefully |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TimeLive cheaper than Hubstaff?
It depends on the features needed. For a single user or small team, TimeLive has no minimum user requirement. Hubstaff requires a minimum of 2 users on all paid plans. For a 25-user team needing time tracking, billing, expense management, and timesheet approvals, TimeLive costs $200/month versus Hubstaff Team at $250/month, and TimeLive includes DCAA compliance while Hubstaff does not offer it at any price. See TimeLive pricing for full details.Does Hubstaff support DCAA compliance?
No. Hubstaff does not offer DCAA compliance at any plan tier. Hubstaff’s Enterprise plan includes GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC-2 Type II compliance, but DCAA is a separate and specific requirement for US government contractors that Hubstaff does not address. TimeLive’s DCAA compliance is built in at the Timesheet module level.Can Hubstaff be installed on-premise?
No. Hubstaff is cloud-only at every plan tier including Enterprise. TimeLive offers both cloud and on-premise deployment for organizations with data residency or security requirements.Does TimeLive have screenshot monitoring?
No. TimeLive does not include screenshot monitoring, app tracking, URL tracking, or any employee activity monitoring features. TimeLive is built on employee self-reporting with manager approval and audit trail accountability. Hubstaff is the right choice for teams that specifically need monitoring features.Does TimeLive have GPS tracking?
Yes. TimeLive now includes GPS geofencing as a live feature. Managers can define virtual boundaries around any job site using circular or polygon boundaries. Employees can only clock in and out inside the geofence, with GPS coordinates stamped on every attendance record. Hubstaff offers GPS breadcrumb trail tracking across all paid plans, showing team location and visited client sites while on the clock. See the TimeLive features page for the latest on geofencing capabilities.Does Hubstaff have a free plan for teams?
Hubstaff has a permanent free plan for 1 user (the organization owner only) with basic time tracking and limited features. It is not practical for teams. For any team use, paid plans start at $4.99/user/month (annual) with a minimum of 2 users. There is also a 14-day free trial covering all features with no credit card required. TimeLive offers a permanent free plan for up to 3 users and 1 project including the full timesheet feature and billing.Which is better for remote teams: TimeLive or Hubstaff?
Hubstaff is the stronger choice for remote teams where productivity visibility is the primary need. Screenshots, activity levels, app tracking, and idle detection give managers objective data on remote work. TimeLive is the stronger choice for remote professional services teams that bill clients, need DCAA compliance, or require on-premise deployment. The right choice depends on whether your priority is monitoring remote productivity or billing clients accurately.Try TimeLive Free
TimeLive is purpose-built for professional services teams that need to track time, bill clients, manage expenses, and meet compliance requirements. The free plan includes billing and invoicing, expense tracking, and the full timesheet feature for 3 users and 1 project, with no minimum user requirement and no time limit. Add time off management, attendance management, or advanced project management at $4/user/month as your team grows. See TimeLive pricing.| Try TimeLive Free. Full features on a 14-day trial, no credit card required. Permanent free plan for 3 users and 1 project with billing and invoicing included. |
Abdul Ahad Ameen
Abdul Ahad is a Content Writer and Lead SEO Specialist at TimeLive by Livetecs, with over 5 years of experience driving digital growth. He has helped 30+ businesses scale their revenue across the USA, UK, and MENA markets through data-driven SEO strategies and impactful content.
