The HiveDesk Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HiveDesk in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HiveDesk
The Insider’s Guide
Time tracking with screenshots and scheduling for remote teams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among time tracking apps, read from HiveDesk’s own pages.
Made by HiveDesk · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HiveDesk’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HiveDesk’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 41 of the 98 other time tracking apps we grade
HiveDesk is a time tracking and workforce management tool aimed at contact centers, agencies and remote teams. A desktop app records hours with screenshots and keyboard and mouse activity levels, and timesheets, shift schedules, leave and invoicing sit in the same account. It sells one plan with every feature included.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HiveDesk, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for remote teams that want screenshots and activity tracking
Screenshots work only in the desktop app, and the listing shows Asana as its only integration.
- 2
Paid plans start at $5 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $5 per user / month.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Automatic time tracking
The desktop app tracks time against projects and tasks, with manual entries and notes allowed, break tracking and a web app or Chrome extension as alternatives.
- 6
Screenshots and activity levels
Periodic screenshots plus keyboard and mouse activity levels, which the vendor says never record what is typed. Screenshots are not available on mobile.
- 7
Schedules, adherence and shrinkage
Shift scheduling with overtime slots, plus reports comparing check-ins against the shift and scheduled hours against hours worked.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 41 of 98
That is against the other time tracking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of HiveDesk you could make: time tracking, time off, invoicing and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
HiveDesk at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $5 per user / month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Browser extension
- Made by
- HiveDesk, since 2011
- Category
- Time Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for remote teams that want screenshots and activity tracking
HiveDesk is $5 per user a month for time tracking, screenshots, scheduling, leave and invoicing on one plan. Screenshots work only in the desktop app, and the listing shows Asana as its only integration.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $5 per user a month billed monthly, with 20% off annually. The category's cheaper quarter starts at $4.50, so it sits just above. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 14-day free trial with no card required. |
| Features | B | Automatic tracking, screenshots and activity levels, schedules and adherence, timesheets, leave, invoicing and cost tracking. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. There's a desktop app and team set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and a browser extension. No Android app and only Asana is listed, with API access on request. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HiveDesk is for
- Fits if you manage remote staff and want screenshots and activity levels
- Works for agencies that invoice from tracked hours
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Android, as only an iPhone app is listed
- Tight if you want screenshots on a phone, which work only in the desktop app
- Not for you if you need many integrations, since only Asana is listed
- Watch out: the annual per-user price isn't shown
Good to know
Good for
- Contact centers and BPOs comparing schedules against actual hours
- Agencies that bill clients from tracked time
- Small remote teams that want one flat price
Worth knowing
- Screenshots work only in the desktop app on Windows, Mac and Linux, not on the iPhone app.
- The mobile app is listed for iPhone only; no Android app is mentioned on the pricing page.
- The integrations page lists only Asana, with API access requested by contacting the vendor.
- The 20% annual saving is shown on a toggle, but the annual per-user price is not displayed.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$5
A month to start, for each person
HiveDesk is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $5 per user / month.
HiveDesk
$5
per user / month, billed monthly
The only plan: time tracking, activity monitoring, scheduling, attendance, leave, invoicing, projects, clients and reporting. Annual billing is listed at 20% less.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from hivedesk.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
The pricing page has a Monthly or Annual toggle labeled as saving 20%; it does not show the per-user annual figure.
Stated on hivedesk.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Browser extension
Time tracking with screenshots and scheduling for remote teams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, time tracking, screenshots, invoicing, reports, shift scheduling, time off.
Automatic tracking, screenshots and activity levels, schedules and adherence, timesheets, leave, invoicing and cost tracking.
- Automatic time tracking
- The desktop app tracks time against projects and tasks, with manual entries and notes allowed, break tracking and a web app or Chrome extension as alternatives.
- Screenshots and activity levels
- Periodic screenshots plus keyboard and mouse activity levels, which the vendor says never record what is typed. Screenshots are not available on mobile.
- Schedules, adherence and shrinkage
- Shift scheduling with overtime slots, plus reports comparing check-ins against the shift and scheduled hours against hours worked.
- Timesheets and approval
- Tracked hours roll up into weekly timesheets by project and task that managers can edit, approve and export to PDF or Excel.
- Leave and attendance
- Leave policies, time-off requests with approval, public holiday lists, attendance tracking and overtime tracking for payroll.
- Invoicing and cost tracking
- Invoices can be generated from timesheet data with custom tax rates, and hourly cost rates give labor cost per task, project and client.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Asana
HiveDesk is made by HiveDesk, and has been around since 2011.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
41/98
Other time tracking apps it is graded above
HiveDesk's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 41 of the 98 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on features (B, above 65 of 98) and worst on ease of use (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $5 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.99 for the category: 24 of the 80 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 8 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 time tracking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. HiveDesk’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 98
- CFree plan and trialAbove 15 of 98
- BFeaturesAbove 65 of 98
- CEase of useAbove 3 of 98
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 26 of 98
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 87 time tracking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HiveDesk is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of HiveDesk you could make: time tracking, time off, invoicing and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $60 a year.
What you could make
- Time tracking, time off, invoicing and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Capture tools hooked into the operating system.
- A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Asana among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. HiveDesk’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Hubstaff, Time Doctor, DeskTime, Clockify and Apploye
The 5 tools HiveDesk is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Hubstaff
Free trial · from $4.99/mo
Time tracking with screenshots, activity levels and payroll.
- Only Hubstaff lists an Android app.
- HiveDesk also covers screenshots, shift scheduling and time off.
- Hubstaff also covers tasks.
- 2.4GPA
Time Doctor
Free trial · from $6.67/mo
Employee time tracking and workforce analytics for remote teams.
- Only Time Doctor lists an Android app.
- HiveDesk also covers screenshots, invoicing, shift scheduling and time off.
- 2.6GPA
DeskTime
Free trial · from $6.42/mo
Automatic time tracking and productivity monitoring for teams.
- Only HiveDesk lists a browser extension.
- Only DeskTime lists an Android app.
- HiveDesk also covers screenshots, invoicing, shift scheduling and time off.
- 3.2GPA
Clockify
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
Team time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users.
- Clockify has a free plan. HiveDesk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Clockify lists an Android app.
- HiveDesk also covers screenshots, shift scheduling and time off.
- 2.6GPA
Apploye
Free plan · from $4.50/mo
Time tracking and employee monitoring with a free 10-user plan.
- Apploye has a free plan. HiveDesk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Apploye lists an Android app.
- HiveDesk also covers screenshots, shift scheduling and time off.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HiveDesk free?
No, HiveDesk is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does HiveDesk cost?
HiveDesk lists one plan. HiveDesk: $5 per user / month, billed monthly.
What platforms does HiveDesk work on?
HiveDesk is available on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS. It also has a browser extension.
Does HiveDesk offer any discounts?
HiveDesk publicly lists the following: 20% off with annual billing.
Does HiveDesk have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. HiveDesk is listed for Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS.
Is HiveDesk open source?
HiveDesk is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does HiveDesk have an API?
Yes. HiveDesk offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does HiveDesk integrate with?
HiveDesk's listing names Asana. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes HiveDesk?
HiveDesk is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2011.
What are the alternatives to HiveDesk?
The closest alternatives to HiveDesk in our directory are Hubstaff, Time Doctor, DeskTime, Clockify and Apploye.
How does HiveDesk compare with other time tracking apps?
HiveDesk's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 41 of the 98 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 24.
Is HiveDesk good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HiveDesk C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $5 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.99 for the category: 24 of the 80 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HiveDesk?
The plain part of HiveDesk you could make: time tracking, time off, invoicing and reports.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HiveDesk’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HiveDesk's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HiveDesk. Prices change, so check hivedesk.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HiveDesk, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hivedesk
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HiveDesk: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hivedesk
Know someone choosing between time tracking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hivedesk/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded time tracking apps after HiveDesk, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Time Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 99 time tracking apps we grade, compared
- Jibble Insider's GuideFree time clock and attendance tracker with GPS and face recognition3.4 GPA
- Clockify Insider's GuideTeam time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users3.2 GPA
- TimeCamp Insider's GuideTime tracking with attendance, billing and a free plan for any team3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HiveDesk’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HiveDesk is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HiveDesk. Prices and plans change: check hivedesk.com before you buy.