Wolfeye vs. Hubstaff: A Live-Monitoring Alternative for Many SMBs and IT Providers

An IT provider evaluates Hubstaff and Wolfeye for 2 SMB clients (40 PCs). In his example project: similar total licensing range, live view instead of pure screenshots, and clearer day-to-day transparency for managers.

Tools like Hubstaff and Wolfeye are designed with different priorities:
– Hubstaff focuses on time tracking, activity metrics, and scheduled screenshots, widely used by remote teams and freelancers.
– Wolfeye focuses on live screen monitoring, i.e., seeing the current screen image almost in real time.

One SMB owner with 40 hybrid PCs put it this way: “We already track hours – I also want to see what’s happening on screens right now.”

This article looks at a practical comparison where an IT provider evaluates Hubstaff and Wolfeye in an SMB context. You’ll find an example scenario, a sample ROI calculation, a 7-day evaluation plan, and a live demo video of Wolfeye.
Important: All numbers are simplified examples and do not replace individual quotes or legal advice.

Wolfeye vs Hubstaff in SMB and IT provider context

Practical comparison: Hubstaff time & activity tracking and Wolfeye live monitoring in an SMB context

Hubstaff for Remote Work and Time Tracking

Hubstaff is primarily built for time tracking, activity reporting, and remote work. Key features typically include:

project and task-based time tracking
optional periodic screenshots (e.g., every X minutes)
app and URL tracking
optional GPS features for mobile workers

For many teams, this is exactly what they need – especially where billable hours and activity data are central.

Some SMB owners and IT providers, however, say they also want a continuous live view of screens, for example to:

see spontaneously what is being worked on right now,
visually support onboarding, training, or ad-hoc support, and
spot and discuss distractions earlier.

In these scenarios, interval screenshots can feel too coarse or delayed. This doesn’t mean Hubstaff is “wrong” – it simply means that some organizations look for a live-view component alongside time tracking.

Wolfeye as a Complementary Live-Monitoring Alternative

Wolfeye directly targets this use case and focuses on live screen monitoring:

agent installed on Windows PCs
live view of screens in a cloud dashboard
frequent updates so changes are visible within seconds
scales from a few to hundreds of PCs

Wolfeye deliberately does not include full-blown time tracking, GPS, or payroll logic. Its core purpose is to provide visual real-time transparency – e.g., to support managers, team leads, and IT providers when supervising remote or hybrid work.

The software runs in the background on monitored devices and can – depending on configuration – be relatively unobtrusive. Whether and how employees must be informed about monitoring is a legal question that depends on jurisdiction and should be reviewed with qualified counsel before deployment.

Live Demo: Wolfeye Screen Monitoring in a Few Minutes (YouTube)

The demo video shows how Wolfeye displays screens live in a dashboard: multiple PCs in a grid view, regular updates, and browser-based access – also from mobile devices.

Video: Wolfeye live monitoring – example of real-time screen visibility (YouTube)

Practical Example: IT Provider with 40 PCs

An IT provider supports two SMB clients with a total of 40 PCs. These clients already have time tracking in place but also want to see live screens when needed – especially in home office setups.

The provider evaluates Hubstaff and Wolfeye in a small project:

He uses Hubstaff mainly for time tracking and activity data.
He adds Wolfeye as a live-monitoring component to check current screens when necessary.

In his simplified example calculation (2025, approximate values), total license spend is around $3,360/year for Hubstaff (depending on plan) and about $3,200/year for 40 PCs with Wolfeye.

For him, the more important factor than the modest cost difference was the different functional focus: With Wolfeye, he could demonstrate clearer visual transparency in everyday work, support onboarding, and address distractions earlier. He reports a noticeable efficiency improvement in this project – but these figures are project-specific and cannot be generalized to every organization.

Wolfeye vs. Hubstaff: Example Feature Comparison for SMBs & IT Providers

Criteria	Hubstaff (time & activity)	Wolfeye (live monitoring)	Comment
Primary focus	Time tracking, activity metrics, billing	Live screens, visual transparency	Both approaches can complement each other
Screen capture	Interval screenshots (time-shifted)	Near real-time view	Historical vs. live
Typical scenarios	Remote teams, project billing, freelancers	SMBs, IT providers, training/support	Different strengths
Licensing (example)	Usually per user/month, plan-dependent	Per PC (e.g., around $80/PC/year)	Always verify current vendor pricing
Role in the stack	Strong for time & activity data	Strong for live transparency	Combination is often useful

Before vs. After in the Example Scenario

Before: The clients mainly relied on time tracking and activity reports. When managers asked “What is happening right now?”, they had to interpret reports or wait for screenshots.
After: With Wolfeye, the IT provider had a live view available. In this example, he could identify distractions faster, visually support onboarding, and make follow-up conversations more concrete. Note: This is a single project example, not a blanket statement about all Hubstaff or Wolfeye deployments.

Why Wolfeye Is a Practical Live Component for Many IT Providers

Many IT providers already offer tools for time tracking, ticketing, and collaboration. Wolfeye complements this stack as a specialized live monitoring building block:

quick to roll out (via scripts, RMM, or existing tools),
easy to explain (“You can see what happens on screens in real time.”),
well suited for managed monitoring services (monitoring, reporting, optimization).

This does not mean that Hubstaff becomes unnecessary – far from it: For time and activity tracking, a tool like Hubstaff can remain essential. Wolfeye simply addresses a different need: live screen transparency.

Example ROI: 40-PC SMB Scenario

In our example, total licensing is roughly $3,360/year for Hubstaff (depending on plan) and about $3,200/year for 40 PCs with Wolfeye.

The bigger lever, however, can be productivity impact: If live transparency helps reduce distraction and streamline processes, even single-digit or low double-digit percentage gains can have a noticeable financial effect. The actual impact will always depend on your specific organization, culture, and workflows, so treat these numbers as a , not a promise.

7-Day Plan: How to Evaluate Hubstaff & Wolfeye Side by Side

Day 1: Document your current tools and requirements (time tracking, monitoring, reporting).
Day 2: Install Wolfeye on a small pilot group (e.g., 3–5 PCs).
Day 3: Observe Hubstaff reports and Wolfeye live views in typical workdays.
Day 4: Collect use cases: where are interval screenshots helpful, where is a live view better?
Day 5: Align with management and, where applicable, employee representatives or works council.
Day 6: Review economics and compliance/privacy (with external advisors if needed).
Day 7: Decide: Keep Hubstaff, add Wolfeye as a complement, or move specific scenarios to Wolfeye.

FAQ: Wolfeye Compared to Hubstaff

Does Wolfeye replace Hubstaff?
Not necessarily. Many organizations continue using a time tracking or payroll solution (such as Hubstaff) and add Wolfeye for live transparency. The right mix depends on your requirements.

How visible is Wolfeye to employees?
Wolfeye runs as software on Windows devices and can, depending on configuration, be relatively unobtrusive. Whether and how employees must be informed about monitoring is a legal issue governed by local labor and privacy laws. Clear policies or formal agreements are often advisable or required.

Does Wolfeye work with remote desktops and home office devices?
Yes, provided network access and permissions are in place, Wolfeye can stream screen content from local and remote Windows systems.

How much does Wolfeye cost?
In many scenarios, pricing is around $80 per PC/year. Please see our pricing page for up-to-date tiers. See pricing →

Can I separate multiple clients as an MSP?
IT providers commonly use separate dashboards or accounts to keep client environments logically separated. The exact setup depends on your service design and contracts.

Is there a trial?
Yes, you can usually access a time-limited trial to test Wolfeye in your own environment. Start trial →

Conclusion

Hubstaff and Wolfeye solve different problems. Hubstaff is strong in time and activity tracking, while Wolfeye provides a lean live screen view that many SMBs and IT providers find useful for visual transparency.

Instead of asking “Which tool is better overall?”, it is more helpful to ask:

Which data do we truly need – hours, activities, live screens, or all of the above?
How much deployment and training effort can we realistically invest?
How do we stay compliant with labor and privacy regulations?

A small pilot with Wolfeye alongside your existing setup will quickly show whether it is a useful complement or alternative for your organization.

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Notice: Wolfeye is screen monitoring software. Lawful use depends on labor and data protection laws in each jurisdiction. Organizations must obtain their own legal advice before deployment. The comparison with Hubstaff is based on publicly available information and example configurations and does not claim completeness or legal accuracy.