Is Hubstaff or Ulysses better?

Neither clearly leads. Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month and Ulysses at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Hubstaff or Ulysses?

Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month and Ulysses at $5.99/month.

Does Hubstaff or Ulysses run on more platforms?

Hubstaff runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. Ulysses runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.

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 Ulysses is typically brought in for.

What can Hubstaff do that Ulysses cannot?

Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, GPS location tracking, Screenshots. Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown support, Syntax highlighting, Organization with sheets and groups.

Productivity · head to head

Hubstaff vs Ulysses

Hubstaff

Productivity

Time tracking and team management for remote teams

From: $5.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Ulysses

Productivity

Distraction-free writing application for creative professionals

From: $5.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Hubstaff no pricing amounts published on pricing page; specific dollar amounts for plans not disclosed; Ulysses no free tier available
They diverge on capability: Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hubstaff and Ulysses actually diverge.

Attributes where Hubstaff and Ulysses differ
Attribute	Hubstaff	Ulysses
Platforms	Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows	MacOS, IOS, IPadOS
Founded	2012	2003

Identical on both: starting price ($5.99/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

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 Ulysses

Distraction-free writing
Markdown support
Syntax highlighting
Organization with sheets and groups
iCloud sync
Dark and light themes
Full-screen mode
Search and filter

What people use each for

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

Hubstaff

Productivitynot Ulysses
Collaborationnot Ulysses
Task managementnot Ulysses
Organizationnot Ulysses

Ulysses

Writing and editing on Apple devicesnot Hubstaff
Cross-device document synchronizationnot Hubstaff
Markdown-based writingnot Hubstaff

Where each one falls short

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

Hubstaff

No pricing amounts published on pricing page; specific dollar amounts for plans not disclosed
Per-seat pricing structure means users charged per team member regardless of active tracking use
Billing model includes prorated charges on annual plans but full rates for new monthly users, creating potential cost complications

Ulysses

No free tier available
Only subscription model, no one-time purchase option
Family Sharing limited to 5 additional members (6 total users)

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

Ulysses

$5.99/month

Annual Subscription$39.99/year
- Ulysses on all Macs, iPads, and iPhones
- Full iCloud synchronization
- Frequent improvements and updates
Monthly Subscription$5.99/month
- Ulysses on all Macs, iPads, and iPhones
- Full iCloud synchronization
- Frequent improvements and updates

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 Ulysses if

You need distraction-free writing.
You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
You also want markdown support.

Ulysses review

Questions people ask

Is Hubstaff or Ulysses better?: Neither clearly leads. Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month and Ulysses at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hubstaff or Ulysses?: Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month and Ulysses at $5.99/month.
Does Hubstaff or Ulysses run on more platforms?: Hubstaff runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. Ulysses runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
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 Ulysses is typically brought in for.
What can Hubstaff do that Ulysses cannot?: Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, GPS location tracking, Screenshots. Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown support, Syntax highlighting, Organization with sheets and groups.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hubstaff: How much does Hubstaff cost?

Specific pricing amounts are not published on the pricing page. Hubstaff offers monthly and annual billing options with a per-seat pricing structure, a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans, and a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source

Ulysses: What are Ulysses pricing options?

Ulysses costs $39.99 per year (annual) or $5.99 per month (monthly). Student discounts are available. Volume licensing is available for businesses through their licensing portal.

Source

Hubstaff: Is there a free trial for Hubstaff?

Hubstaff offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans excluding the free trial period.

Source

Ulysses: Does Ulysses include Family Sharing?

Yes, both annual and monthly Ulysses subscriptions include Apple Family Sharing, allowing up to five additional family members to use Ulysses on their devices at no extra cost.

Source

Hubstaff: How does Hubstaff billing work when adding team members mid-cycle?

For annual plans, Hubstaff prorates charges when adding seats mid-cycle. For monthly plans, full rates apply for new users with no prorating offered.

Source

Ulysses: Can I get Ulysses through a subscription service?

Yes, Ulysses is available through the Setapp subscription service as an alternative to direct subscription. Volume licensing is also available for businesses and organizations through their licensing portal.

Source

Hubstaff: Can Hubstaff plans be canceled anytime?

Plans can be canceled anytime by contacting support or archiving the associated organization. Users removed from monthly plans do not receive prorated refunds.

Source

Ulysses: Does Ulysses pricing vary by location?

Prices listed apply to the U.S., and local pricing may differ in other regions. Check your regional App Store for exact pricing.

Source

Hubstaff vs Ulysses

Hubstaff

Ulysses

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Hubstaff

Only in Ulysses

What people use each for

Hubstaff

Ulysses

Where each one falls short

Hubstaff

Ulysses

Pricing, plan by plan

Hubstaff

Ulysses

Which should you pick?

Choose Hubstaff if

Choose Ulysses if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Hubstaff

More on Ulysses

Keep looking

Other head to heads