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Software · head to head

Hubstaff vs Zoho Books

Hubstaff logo

Hubstaff

Software

Time tracking and team management for remote teams

From
$5.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Books logo

Zoho Books

Software

Simple, smart accounting software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho Books 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; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Zoho Books covers Expense tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hubstaff and Zoho Books actually diverge.

Attributes where Hubstaff and Zoho Books differ
AttributeHubstaffZoho Books
Starting price$5.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20121996

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
  • Team management
  • Mobile apps

Only in Zoho Books

  • Expense tracking
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Financial reports
  • Tax compliance
  • Zoho CRM
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • SOC 2

Both cover

  • Invoicing

What people use each for

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

Hubstaff

  • Productivitynot Zoho Books
  • Collaborationnot Zoho Books
  • Task managementnot Zoho Books
  • Organizationnot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Hubstaff
  • Expense managementnot Hubstaff
  • Tax preparationnot 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

Zoho Books

  • Payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • Limited access to historical financial data compared to competitors
  • Customer support is slow with long response times and frustrating workarounds
  • Fewer integrations than QuickBooks Online and Xero
  • User limit restrictions (1-15 depending on plan) compared to Xero's unlimited users
  • Occasional inaccuracies in automatic exchange rate updates for international transactions

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

Zoho Books

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user + accountant
    • Unlimited invoices
  • Standard$20/month
    • 3 users
    • Core accounting
  • Professional$60/month
    • 5 users
    • Advanced reporting
  • Premium$120/month
    • 10 users
    • Inventory management

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 Zoho Books if

  • You need expense tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bank reconciliation.
Zoho Books review

Questions people ask

Is Hubstaff or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month and Zoho Books at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hubstaff or Zoho Books?
Zoho Books has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5.99/month for Hubstaff and Free for Zoho Books.
Does Hubstaff or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Hubstaff runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. Zoho Books runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Zoho Books for free?
Yes. Zoho Books 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 Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Hubstaff do that Zoho Books cannot?
Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, GPS location tracking, Screenshots. Zoho Books covers Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports, Tax compliance. Both handle Invoicing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zoho Books: Does Zoho Books support payroll?

Zoho Books offers limited payroll integration available only in Texas and California currently. Outside these states, users must use separate payroll software.

Source
Zoho Books: How many users can access one account?

User limits vary by plan: Free tier (1 user + accountant), Standard (3 users), Professional (5 users), Premium (10 users), Elite (15 users). Each business requires separate subscription.

Source
Zoho Books: What integrations does Zoho Books support?

Zoho Books integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Razorpay, PayPal, Stripe, Salesforce, Google Sheets, and 500+ apps via Zapier. It integrates with other Zoho products like Zoho Inventory and Zoho Projects.

Source
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