Free alternatives to Hubstaff

Five users get timers and a private auto-tracker; reports stop at 31-day windows and CSV export is paid.

Versus paying: Clockify Free lacks Hubstaff’s timesheet approvals, scheduling, payroll workflow, unrestricted report history, and included export controls.

Setup: Create a hosted workspace and use the web, desktop, mobile, or browser-extension clients

Timesheets, rates, reports and invoices are all there; approvals need its free plugin and the server still needs an adult.

Versus paying: Kimai is strong for timesheets and invoices but lacks Hubstaff’s polished native automatic tracker, mobile and GPS workflow, and integrated payroll operations.

Setup: Use Kimai Cloud or deploy the free edition on a server with Docker or the manual PHP/Composer installer

Watch for: Free use requires a maintained server, database, Docker or a supported PHP stack, plus backups and reverse-proxy/TLS configuration

4,900 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

Modern multi-user timers, clients and billable rates in one Compose stack; the desktop apps are still beta.

Versus paying: solidtime’s desktop clients remain less mature and its approvals, scheduling, payroll, and management reporting are much thinner than Hubstaff’s.

Setup: Create a managed account or deploy the official Docker Compose self-hosting stack

Watch for: Self-hosting needs Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, environment and application keys, mail configuration, persistent storage, migrations, and a reverse proxy with TLS

8,846 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

Projects, timesheets, reports and break reminders live in one local app; no manager surveillance dashboard attached.

Versus paying: Super Productivity is a single-user local productivity app rather than a manager-facing system for team approvals, payroll, schedules, and consolidated reporting.

Setup: Use the browser/PWA or install a packaged desktop or mobile build

21,156 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

Unlimited people and projects get timers, auto-tracking and a personal activity timeline; app analytics and approvals are paid.

Versus paying: TimeCamp Free tracks time well but withholds approvals, richer invoicing, payroll workflow, and management analytics that Hubstaff provides.

Setup: Create a hosted account and use the browser, desktop, mobile, or extension clients

Watch for: Basic timers need no special setup; automatic activity tracking requires installing the desktop agent and granting it activity-monitoring permissions

A lean timeline, tags and PDF or CSV reports in one container; it is built for individuals, not payroll departments.

Versus paying: TimeTagger is designed mainly for individual time logging and lacks Hubstaff’s team approvals, payroll, scheduling, and administrative controls.

Setup: Use the paid hosted service or run the free Docker Compose image or Python package on your own server

Watch for: Free use requires Docker or Python hosting, persistent storage, hashed credentials, and HTTPS through a reverse proxy

1,768 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

Five users get fast timers, projects, tags and reports; approvals and paid-time controls cost extra.

Versus paying: Toggl Track Free omits approvals, billable-rate controls, project tasks, and management permissions that Hubstaff teams commonly need.

Setup: Create a hosted workspace and use the web, desktop, mobile, or browser-extension clients

A tiny tag-based timer with useful dashboards in one container; invoices and mobile apps never arrive.

Versus paying: Traggo has no native mobile apps, invoices, approvals, payroll workflow, or scheduling comparable to Hubstaff.

Setup: Run the official Docker container or standalone server binary and mount a persistent data directory

Watch for: Requires a server or Docker, persistent storage, an immediate change from the default administrator password, and a reverse proxy with TLS for public access

1,615 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)