Hour Cap vs Clockify
Clockify is a popular free time tracker with a massive feature set. Hour Cap is focused on one thing: getting tracked time onto Xero invoices. Here's why that focus matters.
Side-by-side comparison
Clockify tracks time well. The question is what happens when you need to bill through Xero.
| Feature | Hour Cap | Clockify |
|---|---|---|
| Xero integration depth | Deep (items, accounts, tracking) | Push invoice only (Standard+) |
| Xero contact sync | Auto-creates by name | |
| Xero tracking categories | 3-level cascade | |
| Xero revenue accounts | ||
| Retainer management | Dedicated retainers | Recurring estimates |
| Void and re-invoice | ||
| Timer across midnight | Auto-splits by day | No documented handling |
| Free tier users | 1 user | Up to 5 users |
| Billable rate levels | Project, member, org | 5 levels |
| Desktop and mobile apps | Web app | All platforms |
Clockify pushes invoices. Hour Cap pushes accounting data.
Clockify's Xero integration, available on the Standard plan and up, sends invoices to Xero and syncs payment status back. That's it. There's no support for Xero tracking categories, revenue accounts, tax rates, or item codes. If you rely on these for your Xero reporting, you'll be editing every invoice manually.
Hour Cap syncs your Xero contacts, items, and tracking categories. When you push an invoice, line items carry the correct account codes, tax rates, and tracking category values. Your Xero reports just work.
Retainers, not just project estimates
Clockify has project estimates and budgets, but no dedicated client retainer billing. There's no billing period management and no connection between the budget and per-period invoicing, so you still set up invoices for each period yourself.
Hour Cap has dedicated retainer management. Set an hours budget, pick a billing period, configure alert thresholds, and invoice the current period directly from the invoice wizard.
When Clockify might be a better fit
We believe in being transparent. Clockify does things Hour Cap doesn't.
Generous free tier
Clockify's free plan supports up to five users and unlimited projects with basic time tracking, reports, and all apps. Hour Cap's free plan is for 1 user with 1 project.
Desktop, mobile, and browser apps
Clockify has native apps for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, plus browser extensions that embed timers in 100+ tools like Jira, Asana, and Trello.
GPS and screenshots
Clockify's Pro plan includes GPS tracking, screenshot capture, and kiosk mode for field teams and remote monitoring. Hour Cap is focused on professional services billing.
Pricing at a glance
Hour Cap
Built for XeroPrices in USD. Annual billing saves 17%.
Clockify
Prices in USD (annual), confirmed mid-2026, re-check current vendor pricing. Xero invoicing is on the Standard plan and up, and pushes the invoice without tracking categories or account codes.
A 5-person team on Clockify Standard pays $27.45/mo with basic Xero invoice pushing.
The same team on Hour Cap Business pays $30/mo with deep Xero integration, tracking categories, retainers, and approvals.
Common questions
Does Clockify integrate with Xero?
Yes. Clockify added a native Xero integration that sends invoices to Xero and syncs payment status back, but it is only on the Standard plan and above; the free tier no longer includes invoicing or Xero. It pushes the invoice without Xero tracking categories, revenue accounts, or item codes. Hour Cap connects to Xero on the $10 Team plan and pushes drafts with full line item detail, account codes, and tracking categories in one click.
Is Hour Cap a good Clockify alternative?
If you bill clients through Xero, yes. Hour Cap is a focused Xero-native time tracker: rich descriptions become Xero invoice line items, contacts sync automatically, retainers are first-class, and approvals are built in. Clockify is broader, but its Xero invoicing only appears on the Standard plan and pushes less accounting detail.
Clockify is free, why pay for Hour Cap?
Clockify's free plan covers time tracking and basic reporting for up to five users. Paid features like invoicing, the Xero integration, approvals, and detailed reports require the Standard plan at $5.49/user/month or higher. Hour Cap includes Xero draft invoicing on every paid plan starting at $10/month for two users, with one user free forever (Xero is on the Team plan and up). The maths depends on team size; for small teams on Xero, Hour Cap is usually similar or cheaper and pushes far more accounting detail.
Can I get Clockify-style features in Hour Cap?
Hour Cap covers the time tracking essentials Clockify is known for: timer, manual entries, clients, projects, billable rates, descriptions, and reporting. Things Clockify has that Hour Cap intentionally does not include: kiosk mode, GPS tracking, screenshots, and time-off scheduling. Hour Cap is for billing, not workforce monitoring.
Can I migrate my Clockify data to Hour Cap?
There is no direct Clockify importer today. Most teams pick a cutover date, finish open invoices in their existing flow, and start fresh in Hour Cap. Xero contacts sync automatically on connect, and clients and projects are quick to recreate.
Time tracking that bills through Xero
Stop manually editing invoices in Xero after every push. Track time and push complete invoices with the right accounts and tracking categories.
Keep exploring
More ways Hour Cap stacks up, plus the full comparison hub.
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Read comparisonComparison note: competitor features and pricing were researched on a best-effort basis in June 2026 and can change at any time. We aim to be accurate and fair, but details may be out of date, so always confirm the latest information on the vendor's own website before making a decision. Hour Cap capabilities described here reflect the product at the time of writing.