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Software · head to head

Hubstaff vs Obsidian

Hubstaff logo

Hubstaff

Software

Time tracking and team management for remote teams

From
$5.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Obsidian logo

Obsidian

Software

A powerful knowledge base on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Obsidian has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hubstaff billed per seat; the pricing page's own proration example states the Team plan costs $10 per seat per month, with fees adjusted when seats are added or removed mid-cycle; Obsidian sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • They diverge on capability: Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hubstaff and Obsidian actually diverge.

Attributes where Hubstaff and Obsidian differ
AttributeHubstaffObsidian
Starting price$5.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, WindowsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded20122020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Hubstaff

  • Time tracking with timer
  • Activity monitoring
  • GPS location tracking
  • Screenshots
  • Reports and analytics
  • Invoicing
  • Team management
  • Mobile apps

Only in Obsidian

  • Bidirectional linking
  • Graph view visualization
  • Markdown support
  • Local file storage
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Custom CSS themes
  • Templates
  • Search and tags

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Hubstaff

  • Productivitynot Obsidian
  • Collaborationnot Obsidian
  • Task managementnot Obsidian
  • Organizationnot Obsidian

Obsidian

  • Local-first markdown note taking with no account requirednot Hubstaff
  • Linking notes into a personal knowledge graphnot Hubstaff
  • Syncing a vault across devices with end-to-end encryption on the paid add-onnot Hubstaff
  • Publishing a public site from a vaultnot Hubstaff
  • Extending the editor with community pluginsnot Hubstaff

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Hubstaff

  • Billed per seat; the pricing page's own proration example states the Team plan costs $10 per seat per month, with fees adjusted when seats are added or removed mid-cycle

Obsidian

  • Sync is a paid add-on at $4 per month billed annually rather than part of the app
  • Publishing to the web is a further $8 per month per site
  • Commercial use asks for a $50 per user per year licence, though the vendor states it is not required
  • Collaboration is limited compared with a hosted notes tool, since the vault is local files first

Pricing, plan by plan

Hubstaff

$5.99/month
  • FreeFree
    • Basic time tracking
    • Limited to 1 user
    • Basic reports
  • Starter$5.99/month
    • Time tracking
    • Team management
    • Reports
  • Pro$9.99/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • GPS tracking
    • Activity monitoring

Obsidian

Free
  • Obsidian Sync$4/month
    • Sync notes across devices
  • Obsidian Publish$8/month
    • Turn notes into a website

Which should you pick?

Choose Hubstaff if

  • You need time tracking with timer.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want activity monitoring.
Hubstaff review

Choose Obsidian if

  • You need bidirectional linking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want graph view visualization.
Obsidian review

Questions people ask

Is Hubstaff or Obsidian better?
Neither clearly leads. Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month and Obsidian at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hubstaff or Obsidian?
Obsidian has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5.99/month for Hubstaff and Free for Obsidian.
Does Hubstaff or Obsidian run on more platforms?
Hubstaff runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. Obsidian runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Obsidian for free?
Yes. Obsidian has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month.
What is Hubstaff best used for?
Hubstaff is most often used for productivity, collaboration, task management, organization. Of those, productivity and collaboration are not what Obsidian is typically brought in for.
What can Hubstaff do that Obsidian cannot?
Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, GPS location tracking, Screenshots. Obsidian covers Bidirectional linking, Graph view visualization, Markdown support, Local file storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Obsidian: Is Obsidian free?

Yes. The core Obsidian application is 100% free for personal and commercial use with no limitations. You can use unlimited vaults and every core feature without payment.

Source
Obsidian: What file format does Obsidian use?

Obsidian stores every note as a plain Markdown file. Because it uses standard Markdown instead of a proprietary format, your notes remain portable and can be edited with many other Markdown editors.

Source
Obsidian: Can I collaborate with others in Obsidian?

The core application does not include built-in team collaboration features. However, Obsidian offers optional add-ons and can be used with version control systems or cloud storage for collaboration.

Source
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Related pages

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