Hubstaff vs Zoho Projects: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Hubstaff and Zoho Projects to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Hubstaff
6.3/10
Hubstaff is a time tracking and workforce management platform with activity monitoring, timesheets, scheduling, payroll and agile task boards for remote and field teams.
Zoho Projects
7.3/10
Cloud project management software with tasks, Gantt charts, timesheets, issue tracking and automation, built for small and mid-sized teams using the Zoho suite.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | Z Zoho Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.3/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/user/mo Starter | $4/user/mo Premium |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Gantt charts | ||
| Kanban boards | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Task lists | ||
| Task management | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Timeline view | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| Dashboards | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Whiteboards | Not listed | |
Hubstaff vs Zoho Projects cost by team size
Hubstaff and Zoho Projects cost the same at 1 user.
| Team size | Hubstaff | Zoho Projects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Hubstaff
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for remote teams (9/10 vs 5/10)
ZWhy choose Zoho Projects
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Security score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for small business (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (6/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
Hubstaff
Pros
- Annual per-seat prices from 4.99 USD are low compared with most monitoring and time tracking suites.
- Reviewers say starting the timer and setting up the app is simple, and that accurate tracking makes client billing easier.
- Payments through Wise, PayPal, Payoneer and Deel connect tracked hours directly to payroll.
- GPS tracking with geofencing serves field teams that work across job sites.
- Hubstaff Tasks adds kanban boards, sprints, epics and a Gantt-style roadmap that tie into tracked time.
Cons
- Screenshots and activity scoring are seen by many reviewers as invasive and can hurt team trust.
- Idle detection can mark people inactive during meetings, reading or calls.
- Recurring complaints cover surprise annual renewals, add-on charges and refund refusals.
- Support gets poor marks. Starter is reported to be email-only with a target response time of two days or more.
- Integrations are gated by plan: none on Starter and one on Grow.
ZZoho Projects
Pros
- Paid plans start at $4 per user per month on annual billing, which reviewers rank among the cheapest in the category.
- The free plan supports 5 users and 3 projects, enough for very small teams to run real work.
- Built-in timers, timesheets with approvals, and budgeting serve teams that bill for their time.
- Blueprints, automation rules and custom functions allow detailed workflow control.
- Integrates closely with other Zoho apps such as Desk, Analytics and Sprints.
Cons
- Reviewers say the learning curve is steep, especially for blueprints and custom functions.
- Client and guest access cost extra on top of the plan price.
- Users report weaker portfolio and multi-project management than enterprise-focused rivals.
- Some reviewers find the configuration screens crowded and say support can be slow to respond.
- The free plan has no project templates, and its automation limit is low at 50 actions per month.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Zoho Projects scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 7.3/10 against 6.3/10 for Hubstaff. The largest gap is in Customization: 5/10 for Hubstaff and 8/10 for Zoho Projects.
Yes, both Hubstaff and Zoho Projects have a free plan.
Hubstaff is the better fit for remote teams: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 5/10 for Zoho Projects.
