Hubstaff alternatives: 8 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
Projects, timesheets, reports and break reminders live in one local app; no manager surveillance dashboard attached.
licenseMIT
runson your machine
installUse the browser/PWA or install a packaged desktop or mobile build
dataTasks, projects, time records, and settings are local-first in browser or app storage; optional synchronization and backups use the user's chosen WebDAV or Dropbox account
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs HubstaffSuper Productivity is a single-user local productivity app rather than a manager-facing system for team approvals, payroll, schedules, and consolidated reporting.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Modern multi-user timers, clients and billable rates in one Compose stack; the desktop apps are still beta.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installCreate a managed account or deploy the official Docker Compose self-hosting stack
dataUsers, organizations, projects, clients, and time entries live in PostgreSQL, with application state in persistent Docker volumes, on solidtime's service or the user's host
the catch vs Hubstaffsolidtime’s desktop clients remain less mature and its approvals, scheduling, payroll, and management reporting are much thinner than Hubstaff’s.
setupSelf-hosting needs Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, environment and application keys, mail configuration, persistent storage, migrations, and a reverse proxy with TLS
facts verified 2026-08-10
Timesheets, rates, reports and invoices are all there; approvals need its free plugin and the server still needs an adult.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse Kimai Cloud or deploy the free edition on a server with Docker or the manual PHP/Composer installer
dataTimesheets, users, customers, projects, rates, and invoice data live in the Kimai database on Kimai Cloud or the user's server, with generated files and uploads on that host
the catch vs HubstaffKimai is strong for timesheets and invoices but lacks Hubstaff’s polished native automatic tracker, mobile and GPS workflow, and integrated payroll operations.
setupFree use requires a maintained server, database, Docker or a supported PHP stack, plus backups and reverse-proxy/TLS configuration
facts verified 2026-08-10
A lean timeline, tags and PDF or CSV reports in one container; it is built for individuals, not payroll departments.
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the paid hosted service or run the free Docker Compose image or Python package on your own server
dataTime records and settings live in TimeTagger's database files on a persistent self-hosted volume or its hosted service; the browser keeps an offline cache that later synchronizes
the catch vs HubstaffTimeTagger is designed mainly for individual time logging and lacks Hubstaff’s team approvals, payroll, scheduling, and administrative controls.
setupFree use requires Docker or Python hosting, persistent storage, hashed credentials, and HTTPS through a reverse proxy
facts verified 2026-08-10
A tiny tag-based timer with useful dashboards in one container; invoices and mobile apps never arrive.
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour server
installRun the official Docker container or standalone server binary and mount a persistent data directory
dataUsers, tags, targets, dashboards, and time spans live in a SQLite database in the server's persistent data directory
the catch vs HubstaffTraggo has no native mobile apps, invoices, approvals, payroll workflow, or scheduling comparable to Hubstaff.
setupRequires a server or Docker, persistent storage, an immediate change from the default administrator password, and a reverse proxy with TLS for public access
facts verified 2026-08-10
Five users get timers and a private auto-tracker; reports stop at 31-day windows and CSV export is paid.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installCreate a hosted workspace and use the web, desktop, mobile, or browser-extension clients
dataTime entries, projects, clients, and workspace records live in Clockify's cloud; desktop auto-tracker observations are collected locally before selected items are turned into time entries
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs HubstaffClockify Free lacks Hubstaff’s timesheet approvals, scheduling, payroll workflow, unrestricted report history, and included export controls.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Unlimited people and projects get timers, auto-tracking and a personal activity timeline; app analytics and approvals are paid.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installCreate a hosted account and use the browser, desktop, mobile, or extension clients
enginesTimeCamp's proprietary AI Time Tracking Agent and AI time-entry suggestions; the underlying model provider is not disclosed on the checked official pages
dataTime entries, projects, users, reports, and optional app/website activity records live in TimeCamp's cloud and synchronize from web, desktop, and mobile clients
the catch vs HubstaffTimeCamp Free tracks time well but withholds approvals, richer invoicing, payroll workflow, and management analytics that Hubstaff provides.
setupBasic timers need no special setup; automatic activity tracking requires installing the desktop agent and granting it activity-monitoring permissions
facts verified 2026-08-10
Five users get fast timers, projects, tags and reports; approvals and paid-time controls cost extra.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installCreate a hosted workspace and use the web, desktop, mobile, or browser-extension clients
dataTime entries, projects, clients, tags, and team records live in Toggl's cloud and synchronize from online or offline clients; reports can be exported
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs HubstaffToggl Track Free omits approvals, billable-rate controls, project tasks, and management permissions that Hubstaff teams commonly need.
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Productivity | MIT | one-click install | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android | 21,156 | 2026-08 |
| solidtime | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, macos, windows, linux, self-hosted | 8,846 | 2026-07 |
| Kimai | AGPL-3.0 | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 4,900 | 2026-08 |
| TimeTagger | GPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 1,768 | 2026-05 |
| Traggo | GPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 1,615 | 2026-07 |
| Clockify Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android, browser-extension | — | — |
| TimeCamp Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android, browser-extension | — | — |
| Toggl Track Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, macos, windows, ios, android, browser-extension | — | — |
People still pay for Hubstaff because the timer is simple, but people pay for frictionless capture and a history they trust enough to invoice or change habits from. The recurring cost buys idle detection, permissions, app metadata, privacy, notifications, sync, reports, integrations, and backups, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $84 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Hubstaff?
Yes: Super Productivity, solidtime, Kimai and 5 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Hubstaff?
Our verdict is NO TANTO. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Hubstaff, track opt-in work time without screenshots, keystrokes, or hidden monitoring. The hard boundary is workforce tracking, payroll, gps, scheduling, reports, and compliance operations, plus ubiquitous capture, coaching, and team workflow. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/hubstaff.
