Hour Cap vs WorkflowMax
WorkflowMax is a job management system. Hour Cap is a time tracking and invoicing tool built for teams who bill hours through Xero. Here's how they compare.
Side-by-side comparison
The features that matter when you're tracking time and billing through Xero.
| Feature | Hour Cap | WorkflowMax |
|---|---|---|
| Xero invoice line items | 4 grouping modes | Consolidated or per-task only |
| Descriptions on invoices | Always included | Optional, concatenated into task |
| Retainer management | ||
| Timer across midnight | Auto-splits by day | Data lost |
| Duration input | 1h30m, 1:30, 8h, 30m | HH:MM only |
| Timesheet approvals | Full workflow | Submit and lock only |
| Billable rate levels | Project, member, org | Staff rate only |
| Free plan | ||
| Xero tracking categories | 3-level cascade | Job-level only |
| Void and re-invoice |
Your clients see real detail on every invoice
WorkflowMax gives you two options when exporting to Xero: a single consolidated line item, or one line per task category. Individual time entry descriptions get concatenated into the task field, which often results in a messy block of text.
Hour Cap gives you four granular grouping modes. Every mode preserves the actual descriptions your team wrote, so clients always see meaningful line items.
Built-in retainer tracking
WorkflowMax has no retainer management. The workaround is to create recurring job templates and use Xero's recurring invoices, but there's no hours budget, no remaining hours visibility, and no alert thresholds.
Hour Cap has dedicated retainer tracking with automatic billing period resets, real-time progress bars, configurable alerts, and a one-click invoice flow for the current period.
- Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, or custom periods
- Dashboard shows hours used, remaining, and days left
- Alert thresholds when usage hits a percentage you set
- Invoice a retainer period directly from the invoice wizard
A timer that actually works
WorkflowMax's timer loses data if it runs past midnight and caps at 24 hours. Their quick time entry has been described as "pretty clunky to switch between tasks" by users on Capterra.
Hour Cap's timer persists across page navigations, auto-splits at midnight into separate daily entries, and accepts flexible duration formats so you can type time the way you think about it.
Real approval workflow, not just a lock
WorkflowMax timesheets have a simple submit-and-lock model. Once submitted, entries lock. There's no formal review cycle, no per-member approver assignment, and no rejection with reasons.
Hour Cap has a full approval workflow. Assign specific approvers per team member. Managers review, approve, or reject with a reason. Only approved entries flow through to invoicing. Employees get notified and can recall submissions.
When WorkflowMax might be a better fit
We believe in being transparent. WorkflowMax does things Hour Cap doesn't.
Full job management
If you need leads, quotes, job costing, purchase orders, and expense tracking in one tool, WorkflowMax covers those areas. Hour Cap is focused on time tracking and invoicing.
Custom invoice templates
WorkflowMax has Word-based custom invoice templates with Task/Staff/Date grouping for printed PDFs. Hour Cap pushes invoices to Xero and relies on Xero's branding themes.
Pricing at a glance
Hour Cap
RecommendedPrices in USD. Annual billing saves 17%.
WorkflowMax
Prices in NZD excl. GST. 14-day trial.
Ready to switch?
Start tracking time in minutes. Connect your Xero account and your contacts sync automatically. No migration needed.