Hour Cap vs MinuteDock
MinuteDock is a time tracker with deep Xero integration. Hour Cap is a newer alternative with approval workflows, activity logging, and an actively maintained codebase.
Side-by-side comparison
Both tools are built for Xero billing workflows. Here's where they differ.
| Feature | Hour Cap | MinuteDock |
|---|---|---|
| Timesheet approvals | Full workflow | Listed but undocumented |
| Activity log | ||
| Multi-organization | ||
| Product actively maintained | Regular updates | Last blog update 2019 |
| Void and re-invoice | ||
| Free plan | 14-day trial only | |
| Xero tracking categories | 3-level cascade | 5-level hierarchy |
| Xero invoice grouping | 4 modes | 6+ modes |
| Billable rate levels | Project, member, org | 4 levels + per-user overrides |
| Timer across midnight | Auto-splits by day | No documented handling |
Real approval workflows and audit trails
MinuteDock lists "Timesheet Approval" as a feature on their Small Team plan, but there's no documentation about how it actually works. There's no activity log or audit trail for tracking who changed what.
Hour Cap has a full approval workflow. Assign specific approvers per team member. Managers review, approve, or reject with a reason. For members who require approval, only approved entries are eligible for hourly invoicing. Every action is logged in the activity feed.
A product that's still being built
MinuteDock's last published news update was in May 2019. Their "Expense Tracking" feature has been in beta since 2016, and "Fixed Price Billing" has been listed as coming soon with no timeline. The team is 1-10 people.
Hour Cap is actively developed, with regular feature releases and security patches. When you report an issue or request a feature, it gets attention.
Hour Cap also bills fixed-fee projects at the agreed remaining balance and fixed-fee retainers at a fee per started period. Logged time measures delivery effort against the budget; it is not added to those fees as another hourly charge. The four time-entry grouping modes apply to hourly billing, while fixed fees use a project or period line.
What MinuteDock is built for
MinuteDock does things Hour Cap doesn't.
More invoice grouping options
MinuteDock offers 6+ ways to group invoice line items, including by task, description, day, and week. It also lets you manually merge specific line items before sending.
Deeper rate hierarchy
MinuteDock supports 4 rate levels (user, contact, project, task) with per-user overrides on individual contacts and projects. Hour Cap has 3 levels (project, member, org).
Xero field automation
MinuteDock can auto-apply Xero Items, Accounts, and Tax Rates to invoice lines based on a 5-level hierarchy. It remembers formatting preferences per contact.
Pricing at a glance
Hour Cap
Actively developedPrices in USD, per month billed annually. Monthly billing: Team $12 for two users, Business $36 for four; extra users $6 on Team or $9 on Business. Xero and retainers require Team or above; approvals and activity logging require Business.
MinuteDock
Prices in USD. Annual billing gives two months free. 14-day trial, no free plan. Confirmed mid-2026, re-check current vendor pricing.
A solo freelancer on MinuteDock pays $19/mo with no free option.
Hour Cap's free plan covers 1 user and 1 project with billable rates and reports at $0. Xero contact sync requires Team or above.
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Common questions
Does MinuteDock connect to Xero?
Yes, deeply. MinuteDock syncs contacts, items, tracking categories and accounts from Xero and pushes draft invoices. Hour Cap matches that Xero depth and adds a permanent free tier and a lower entry price.
Does MinuteDock have a free plan?
No. MinuteDock offers a 14-day trial but no permanent free tier, and its entry plan is around $19 per month for one user (confirmed mid-2026). Hour Cap is free for one user and $10 per month billed annually ($12 billed monthly) for two. Re-check current vendor pricing before relying on these figures.
Does MinuteDock do retainers?
Yes. MinuteDock supports recurring budgets and targets well suited to retainers. Hour Cap also has built-in retainer tracking, so the main differences come down to price and the free tier.
Why choose Hour Cap over MinuteDock?
MinuteDock is the closest Xero-native rival. Hour Cap matches its Xero depth and retainer tracking while starting free and costing less as you add people.
Comparison 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 on these comparison pages were reviewed on 6 September 2026. Plan requirements apply; prices shown as annual equivalents require annual billing.