- TimeDoctor: Best overall
- OnTheClock: Best web-based time clock software
- Jibble: Best free time clock solution
- 7shifts: Best for restaurants
- Busybusy: Best for field employees
- QuickBooks Time: Best for QuickBooks users
- uAttend: Best for small businesses
Updated: Mar 26, 2024, 5:36pm
If you often have to deal with payroll errors and recalculations because payroll doesn’t have correct employee work hours data, you need a time clock software that tracks employee hours accurately and automatically. With so many time clock software systems available in the market, choosing one that fits your needs can be a challenge. To help make the decision easier, Forbes Advisor found the seven best time clock software for small businesses.
The Best Time Clock Software of 2024
Summary: Best Time Clock Software (2024)
Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Starting Price | Free Trial | Standout Features | LEARN MORE | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time Doctor | 5.0 | $5.90 per user per month (billed annually) | 14-day trial | Distraction alerts, screenshot and screen recording and GPS and geofencing | View More | ||||
OnTheClock | 4.4 | Free (for up to two employees); $3.50 per employee, per month | Forever free; free for accountants; 30-day trial | Biometric recognition, workstation tracking and GPS and geofencing | View More | ||||
Jibble | 4.3 | Free; | Forever free; 30-day trial | Geofencing, facial recognition and scheduling | View More | ||||
7shifts | 4.3 | $29.99 per month per location (billed annually) | Forever free; 14-day trial | Point-of-sale (POS) integration; scheduling; availability and time off requests | View More | ||||
Busybusy | 4.2 | $9.99 per user, per month (billed annually) | Forever free; 30-day free trial | GPS, scheduling and job costing | View More | ||||
QuickBooks Time | 4.1 | $20 per month plus $8 per user, per month | 30-day free trial | GPS and geofencing, task and project management and unlimited live support | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |||
uAttend | 4.0 | $25 per month for up to nine employees | Not available | Touch-free, facial recognition authentication and offline mode | View More |
Methodology
Forbes Advisor evaluated more than a dozen time clock software to pick the best ones. All the apps were evaluated on these criteria:
- Pricing: Cost is an important consideration for any business when choosing the right software. Forbes Advisor evaluated all the software based on whether a free version was available. If not, can you at least avail a free trial? Starting and premium pricing tiers of the apps were also considered while ranking.
- General features: This section evaluated all the apps on the basic feature that must be provided by any time clock software. Discovered availability of online punching card, mobile access, physical punching card, break reminders, salaried employee tracking, vacation or paid time off tracking.
- Additional features: The general features are typically provided by all the software. When choosing the one that fits your needs, the additional features become very important. Some of the additional features we checked each app on included biometric recognition, employee scheduling, workstation tracking, no-show tracking, knock task management, integration with payroll software and billable/nonbillable hours tracking.
- Ratings and reviews: To judge the popularity of a software provider, Forbes Advisor considered the number of reviews and overall rating of each software on Trustpilot, Capterra and G2.
- Expert scoring: To round up the review, we also considered expert scoring. Some of the criteria considered by the experts included standout features, popularity, value for money and ease of use.
How To Choose a Time Clock Software
All-time clock software provides basic features, such as clock in/out, time of tracking, administrative control and scheduling. It is the additional features that make one software more suitable than others for your organization.
These are some additional factors that you should look at before picking the best software option for you.
Payroll Integration
A time clock software tracks employee hours accurately. But what after that?
The most important crucial use of timesheet data is to calculate payroll correctly every pay cycle. Entering timesheet data manually can introduce human errors and is time-consuming as well. When looking for a Time clock software, consider which integrates with the payroll system you are already using (or plan to use).
Mobile Access
It can be a lot to ask your employees to take out their laptops or log into their desktops for punching time, whether they need those devices for work or not.
It is much more convenient and quicker to provide mobile access to the time clock software for both employees and their managers. But all time clock software doesn’t provide mobile access in all their plans. Be careful to check plans for mobile access features.
GPS and Geofencing
If your employees need to be in different places for doing their work, it is crucial that the time clock software has GPS and geofencing capabilities. This will enable you to track the location from where they are clocking in and even assign locations beforehand.
This helps you optimize labor costs by paying employees only for the hours worked. They cannot clock in time while sitting in their homes.
Employee Scheduling
For businesses that work in shifts, employee scheduling is a must-have feature with time clock software. Some apps will send out notifications and even alert the employees if they do not clock in when their shift is scheduled to start.
Scheduling shifts and break times can help you be compliant with labor laws as well as prevent unauthorized clock-ins. Some apps also allow employees to request time off or sick days so that the managers can plan accordingly.
Project Management Tools
Tracking employee hours can provide useful insights into project progress. Time clock software is often part of a suite of tools that also includes project management features, such as tracking job progress, task assignment, creating and managing schedules and project reports.
Project management tools over and above time clock software also enable you to estimate proposed project time requirements and labor costs.
Industry Specific Tools
Although most industries have the same basic time clock software requirement for clocking in and out times, tracking break times, and more, others have more specialized needs. For instance, retail, restaurant, construction and field services industries have more specific requirements, such as shift scheduling, geofencing and point-of-sale (POS) integration.
If you operate in an industry with specialized time clock needs, look for software that is designed specifically for you.
Benefits of Time Clock Software
Time clock software is an advantage for both employees and employers. Some benefits of time using time clock software include:
- Accurate data for payroll calculations and taxes
- Hassle-free scheduling and shift management
- Convenient employee hour tracking
- Improving employee productivity
- Accurate project estimates time and cost estimates
- Optimizing labor costs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best app for clocking in and out?
According to Forbes Advisor’s evaluation of more than a dozen time clock software choices, Time Doctor is the best overall app for clocking in and out. It works for businesses of any size.
Is there a free app for clocking in and out?
Jibble is the best free app for clocking in and out because its free plan can be used for unlimited users and has sufficient features for most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Unless you are in a highly specialized industry, such as a restaurant or construction business, which have special needs. They can use software designed for these industries, such as 7shifts (for foodservice businesses) and busybusy (for field employees).
Does Google have a time clock app?
Google has a Time clock app for Android users, which you can download from Google Play.
What is the simplest time tracking app?
The simplest time tracking app, according to Forbes Advisor’s evaluation of the best time tracking software, is Clockify. It is free to use for small teams with limited needs but has paid plans for when your team size grows or when you are ready to get a paid app.