How to Set Up Hubstaff (2026 Quick-Start Guide)

Set up Hubstaff in 5 steps

1. 01Sign up at Hubstaff, 14-day free trial, so there's no cost to start.
2. 02Complete the quick onboarding. Hubstaff scored 90/100 on ease of use in our testing, so this is fast, most people are set up in minutes.
3. 03Set up your core workflow: time tracking for remote teams. This is what Hubstaff is built for, so it's the fastest path to value.
4. 04Explore the key features, time tracking, activity insights, automatic payroll, and connect any tools you already use.
5. 05Run real work through it for a week before deciding. Our full Hubstaff review covers what to expect.

Who Hubstaff is for

Agencies and remote teams that bill hours or pay by the hour, and want both sides to trust the numbers.

Hubstaff scored 8.7/10 overall in our hands-on testing, breaking down to 90/100 on ease of use, 87/100 on features, 91/100 on value and 84/100 on support. Remote teams run on trust; Hubstaff gives that trust receipts. Payroll from tracked hours is the quiet killer feature.

If that matches what you need, 14-day free trial means you can validate it on your own work before committing. If it doesn't, the alternatives below are worth a look.

What you get with Hubstaff

Here's a closer look at the core capabilities that earned Hubstaff its 87/100 features score in our testing:

• Time tracking. A core part of what makes Hubstaff effective for time tracking for remote teams.
• Activity insights. A core part of what makes Hubstaff effective for time tracking for remote teams.
• Automatic payroll. A core part of what makes Hubstaff effective for time tracking for remote teams.
• Project budgets. A core part of what makes Hubstaff effective for time tracking for remote teams.
• GPS for field teams. A core part of what makes Hubstaff effective for time tracking for remote teams.
• Invoicing. A core part of what makes Hubstaff effective for time tracking for remote teams.

In day-to-day use, these come together around one job: time tracking for remote teams. Time tracking, productivity insights and payroll for remote teams, trust built on data, not vibes. That focus is why it fits agencies and remote teams that bill hours or pay by the hour, and want both sides to trust the numbers better than more general tools.

Setting up Hubstaff: FAQ

Hubstaff pros and cons

Where Hubstaff fits in HR & Time Tracking

Hours tracked, shifts scheduled, great people hired, the workforce layer that keeps payroll honest.

Among the 5 hr & time tracking tools we've tested, Hubstaff ranks #4 with a score of 8.7/10. It stands out for time tracking for remote teams, though the tools ranked above it may fit different needs. You can see the full ranking in our best hr & time tracking guide, or compare pricing across the category in our hr & time tracking pricing comparison.

How to choose in hr & time tracking

Workforce tools have one adoption rule: if it takes employees more than one shift to learn, it fails. For time tracking, verification features (GPS, photo) matter for field and hourly teams, while activity insights matter for remote knowledge work, buy for your actual workforce type. Check payroll export compatibility before anything else; the hours are worthless if they can't reach payroll cleanly. For offshore hiring, vet the vetting: the service's screening process is the product. And introduce all of it transparently, tracking sold as mutual proof (accurate pay, fair workloads) sticks; tracking imposed as surveillance breeds workarounds.

Getting the most out of Hubstaff

A few practical tips from our testing to help you evaluate Hubstaff properly:

• Test it on your real work. Don't judge Hubstaff on demo data. Put your actual time tracking for remote teams into it during the free period, since that's the only way to feel the real friction points.
• Give it a full week. Most tools feel great on day one. Two weeks of real use is where the honeymoon ends and you learn whether Hubstaff genuinely fits your workflow.
• Check the integrations you rely on. Confirm Hubstaff connects to the other tools you already use before committing, since switching later is painful.
• Involve the people who'll use it. The most common reason software fails isn't features, it's low adoption. If your team won't use Hubstaff daily, even a great tool won't pay off.
• Start small on pricing. Begin on the lowest paid tier and upgrade only when you hit a real limit.

Follow that process and you'll know within two weeks whether Hubstaff deserves a permanent place in your stack. Our Hubstaff setup guide walks through the first steps.

Hubstaff alternatives worth comparing

Hubstaff isn't the only option in hr & time tracking. Here are the closest alternatives we've tested, and when each makes more sense:

Toggl Track 9.1/10
Best for effortless time tracking

Try →

The time tracker teams adopt voluntarily. One click to start, brilliant reports, and an anti-surveillance stance your team will thank you for. Free plan · no card. Read our Toggl Track review or see Hubstaff vs Toggl Track.

Trainual 9/10
Best for sops, training & onboarding

Try →

The playbook machine. Onboarding went from two weeks of shadowing to a structured path with completion tracking, the business finally lives outside the founder's head. 7-day free trial. Read our Trainual review or see Hubstaff vs Trainual.

Buddy Punch 8.8/10
Best for employee time clock & scheduling

Try →

Buddy Punch nails the balance: dead simple for employees, verification and reports for owners. Payroll prep went from hours to minutes in our test. 14-day free trial. Read our Buddy Punch review or see Hubstaff vs Buddy Punch.

See the full ranked list in our best hr & time tracking guide.