If you deploy employees in the field, you need to know where they are at all times. We review the 10 best apps to track employees’ location.

If your business relies on employees in the field, you need to know where they are at all times. Keeping track of your employees is critical for safety, helps you bill clients for time spent on their projects, and makes it easier to redeploy employees to where they’re needed most.

The best way to manage employees in the field is with dedicated apps that offer GPS tracking, communication tools, time tracking features, and more. In this guide, we’ll review the 10 best apps to track employees’ location and explain how to choose the right tracking app for your business.

If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.

Our Top Picks

  1. Best all-in-one app to track employee location

    Learn more
  2. Good for accounting and payroll integrations

  3. Good for combined location and time tracking

What to Look for in an App to Track Employees

There’s much more to employee location tracking apps than just putting dots on a map. The best GPS employee tracking apps combine location data with critical business functions like scheduling, time tracking, communication. Here are some of the key features to look for:

Real-time tracking: Know where your employees are at all times when they’re working in the field.

Redeployment and rescheduling: When an urgent project comes up, quickly redeploy your employees to where they’re needed most. Some apps enable you to send alerts to employees so they know right away that their schedule has been changed.

Time tracking: Combine location and time tracking features to accurately bill clients for time spent on their projects. Then automatically transfer this data to your favorite payroll software to ensure your employees are paid for the hours they work.

Phone and messaging: Being able to communicate with your employees through your location tracking app makes operations more seamless. You can also get updates from employees on how much longer they expect a project to take or where they’re headed next.

The 10 Best Apps to Track Employee Location of 2023

  1. Connecteam — Best all-in-one app to track employee location

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Graphic showing employees’ locations on a map and conversation between an employee and supervisor.

    When it comes to tracking employees in the field, Connecteam is the best all-in-one option for businesses. Our mobile app provides GPS-based location tracking, time tracking, internal communication tools, and so much more.

    With Connecteam, managers can pull up a map and see the real-time location of all employees (who are on the clock) at the same time. This makes it easy to move people around when an important job comes up or ensure your staff is where they need to be. Managers can send the closest employee or even rotate employees between sites to ensure that all your work is covered.

    If moving employees around affects other employees’ schedules, you can make adjustments within Connecteam. Affected employees will receive scheduling alerts so that they know where to go once their shift starts. 

    Connecteam also integrates team messaging features. You can ask employees for updates on the status of a job or how long it will take them to wrap up what they’re doing. If you have multiple employees near a job site, managers can start a group chat to see who will be available first.

    Another great feature of Connecteam is that it blends GPS location tracking with time management. You can set up geofences around project sites, limiting employees to clock in only when they arrive at a job and clock them out when they leave. Geofences are extremely customizable—you can choose how far they extend around a jobsite and even what hours the geofence should apply.

    If you want to know where a team member has been throughout the day, you can enable breadcrumbs to display an employee’s full location history. This is a great tool if you want to know whether employees are taking roundabout routes that hinder productivity or whether they stopped by a particular job site before the end of the day.

    Connecteam is available for iOS and Android. It’s completely free for small businesses with up to 10 employees. Plans for larger businesses start at just $29 per month for up to 30 users, plus $0.50 per month for each additional user. The entry-level Basic plan includes both GPS tracking and scheduling features, so it can dramatically boost productivity.

    You can try out all of Connecteam’s features free for 14 days with no payment required. We’re confident you’ll find it’s the best solution for keeping track of your employees in the field.

    Pros

    • Track full location history for each employee

    • Integrated time tracking

    • Customizable geofences

    • Free for businesses with 10 or fewer users

    Cons

    • Doesn’t automatically determine nearest employee to a location

    Pricing

    Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

    14-day free trial, no credit card required

    Start your free trial
  2. QuickBooks Time — Good for: Accounting and payroll integrations

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the QuickBooks Time webpage

    QuickBooks Time is a great solution for companies that already rely on QuickBooks for accounting and payroll. With this mobile GPS app, companies can locate their field service employees in real-time. QuickBooks Time enables geofencing around project sites, making it easy to keep track of how much time each employee spends on specific projects.

    Another benefit to QuickBooks Time is that it keeps track of how much employees drive. Mileage data can easily be imported into QuickBooks so that you can account for gas and other vehicle expenditures for your business.

    One drawback to this app is that it only tracks employees’ locations when they’re clocked in. If your employees forget to clock in on their way to a job or if they clock out between jobs, you can’t see where they are. You could also end up missing important mileage data.

    Learn more about QuickBooks Time

    Key Features

    • Set up geofences around project sites
    • Tracks mileage in business vehicles
    • Integration with QuickBooks accounting and payroll tools
    • View all employees’ locations on a single map

    Pros

    • Low smartphone battery and data usage
    • Compatible with all QuickBooks software

    Cons

    • Cannot view location for employees who are clocked out
    • No integrated communication features

    Pricing

    Starts at $10/month + $8/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: No

  3. Time Tracker by eBility — Good for: Combined location and time tracking

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Time Tracker by eBility webpage

    eBillity was built first and foremost as a time tracker for office work, but it has some handy features for field services teams who work outside the office as well. You can see where employees are and see whether they’re currently working, clocked out, or on a break. This makes it easier to contact the right employees when you need a job covered right away.

    eBillity enables you to set up geofences to keep employees honest when they’re clocking in and out. All clock-ins from outside a geofenced area are sent to a manager for approval.

    This app really stands out for its time reporting features. Using location and time data, eBillity offers visual breakdowns of how much time employees have spent on different projects. It’s very useful for project management and even enables managers to check whether a job is staying on budget

    Learn more about Time Tracker by eBility

    Key Features

    • See whether employees are clocked in or on a break
    • Create geofences to manage clock-ins
    • Reports showing time spent on projects
    • Can automatically create invoices for clients

    Pros

    • Easy to use
    • Includes time tracking tools

    Cons

    • Limited tools for redeploying employees in real-time
    • Expensive per-employee cost

    Pricing

    Starts at $7.20/user/month + $12/month base fee Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  4. Buddy Punch — Good for: Employee privacy

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Buddy Punch webpage

    Buddy Punch offers several unique features compared to other GPS tracker apps. You can view a map of all the locations an employee has clocked in along with a list showing the clock-in device.

    This isn’t as helpful as breadcrumbs, and it’s important to note that you can’t monitor an employee’s location in real-time. However, Buddy Punch lets managers see where an employee has been without using up a phone’s battery life.

    Another neat feature Buddy Punch offers is the ability to turn GPS tracking on or off for individual employees. This can offer a little more privacy for trusted employees. 

    Buddy Punch doesn’t enable you to view all employees’ locations on a single map, which makes it hard to redeploy workers quickly. It also doesn’t support geofences.

    Learn more about Buddy Punch

    Key Features

    • Turn GPS tracking on or off for each employee
    • View each clock-in location as a pin
    • Manages paid time off (PTO) requests
    • Uses phone camera to capture photo when employees clock in

    Pros

    • Lots of scheduling and time management features
    • Decide whether to require GPS tracking for individual employees

    Cons

    • Doesn’t support geofences
    • Does not show an employee’s real-time location

    Pricing

    Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No

  5. Clockify — Good for: Time and location reporting tools

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Clockify webpage

    Clockify offers simple but effective tools for tracking the location of employees in the field. It works well for a variety of industries including construction and delivery.

    You can view all of your employees’ locations on a single map and track them in real-time when they’re clocked in. Clockify doesn’t track the location of off-the-clock employees, which ensures your employees have more privacy outside of work hours.

    What’s really nice about Clockify’s location tracking is that it’s integrated with the platform’s time tracking and reporting tools. You can use GPS data to monitor the amount of time employees have spent at particular locations.

    Customizable reports make it easy to visualize time and location data. Clockify also integrates with most payroll software so you can easily pay your employees for hours worked.

    Learn more about Clockify

    Key Features

    • View employees’ locations on a single map
    • Integrates GPS and time tracking
    • Reports display time spent on projects
    • GPS tracking starts automatically when employees clock in

    Pros

    • Excellent reporting tools
    • Integrates with most payroll software

    Cons

    • Cannot control clock-ins with geofences
    • No alerts for late or no-show employees

    Pricing

    Starts at $3.99/user/month Trial: Yes — 7-day, for PRO features Free Plan: Yes

  6. Hubstaff — Good for: No-show and late employee alerts

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Hubstaff webpage

    Hubstaff is another handy time tracking app with GPS functionality. With Hubstaff, you can set up geofences to automatically clock employees in and out of jobs. If an employee is late or doesn’t show up, their supervisor will receive an alert notifying them of the problem. That’s a big plus for ensuring every job is covered.

    This GPS time clock uses the time data it collects based on employees’ locations to build timecards automatically. That saves a lot of administrative work and eliminates inaccurate timecards.

    The app also uses time and location data to build reports for each job. Project managers can see how much time employees have spent working at a location and make sure a project stays on budget.

    Learn more about Hubstaff

    Key Features

    • No-show and late employee alerts
    • Automatically clock employees in and out with geofences
    • Track time spent at each job site
    • Creates employee timecards automatically

    Pros

    • Includes employee monitoring and productivity tools
    • Payroll integrations

    Cons

    • No built-in communication features
    • Expensive

    Pricing

    Starts at $5.83/user/month, for more than 1 user Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For a single user

  7. Homebase — Good for: Reducing time theft

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the Homebase webpage

    Homebase is primarily a mobile time clock app that’s designed to help employees keep track of their hours and make payroll easier. It includes GPS tracking as a way to reduce time theft. Time theft occurs when employees clock in before they actually arrive at a job site or stay clocked out after they leave.

    Managers can set up geofences around each employee’s work location. If an employee tries to clock in or out outside the geofence, managers will receive an alert and must approve the time entry manually. Clock-ins and clock-outs are used to automatically generate timesheets for each employee.

    Notably, you can’t track employees in real-time with Homebase. The tracking system operates in the background to verify time entries and an employee’s current location is not visible to managers.

    Homebase charges per job site where you set up a geofence rather than per user. So, it can be economical if you have a lot of employees working at just a handful of locations.

    Learn more about Homebase

    Key Features

    • Alerts when an employee clocks in or out outside a geofence
    • Integrated scheduling tools
    • Built-in messaging
    • Automatically creates timesheets for each employee

    Pros

    • Integrates with payroll platforms
    • Billed per work location, not per employee

    Cons

    • Cannot track employees in real-time
    • No alerts for no-show employees

    Pricing

    Starts at $20/location/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For a single location

  8. Timeero — Good for: Tracking mileage

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the Timeero webpage

    Timeero is a robust employee tracking app that lets you easily see where all of your employees are at any time. Even better, you can view a breadcrumb trail to see where they’ve been. This is great for managers who want to keep a close eye on employees or want to create more productive schedules with less travel time for each employee.

    Timeero isn’t a full-fledged fleet management software, but it does a nice job of tracking mileage for each of your employees. If you only have a few business vehicles, it works well enough for determining your vehicle expenses when tax time comes around. 

    Timeero is also a time clock app. Employees can clock in and out using the mobile app. Supervisors can also set up geofences to keep track of how much time employees are spending on each project.

    Learn more about Timeero

    Key Features

    • Breadcrumb trail for each employee
    • See all employees’ locations on a single map
    • Keep track of business vehicle mileages
    • Uses geofences to enforce time tracking

    Pros

    • Very easy to use
    • Integrates with most major payroll providers

    Cons

    • Limited fleet tracking features other than mileage
    • Reports lack visualizations and charts

    Pricing

    Starts at $4/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  9. OnTheClock — Good for: Tightly controlling clock-ins

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot from OnTheClock showing interface for small business

    OnTheClock uses GPS tracking mainly as a way to prevent time theft. With this platform, supervisors can create geofences around work areas and only enable employees to clock in if they’re inside a geofence.

    This works well with one of OnTheClock’s more unique features: biometric clock-ins. Employees must use their fingerprint to clock in, ensuring that it’s really them that’s doing the time entry. The combination of requiring an employee’s location and fingerprint to clock in can dramatically reduce time theft.

    OnTheClock has several other features, including shift scheduling and time off tracking. It cannot be used to track employees’ locations in real-time.

    Learn more about OnTheClock

    Key Features

    • Supports geofences to limit clock-in locations
    • Requires employees to use their fingerprint to clock in
    • Location tracking can be disabled for individual employees
    • Includes employee scheduling tools

    Pros

    • Customizable geofences
    • Supports biometric time tracking

    Cons

    • Cannot view employee location in real-time
    • Limited payroll integrations

    Pricing

    Starts at $102/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes — For up to 2 users

  10. allGeo — Good for: Customizable data tracking

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the allGeo webpage

    allGeo is a powerful platform designed for logistic companies, delivery services, and other businesses with a lot of employees on the move. The platform can capture a wide range of data including employee location, mileage, and vehicle loads.

    The GPS tracking features enable a business owner or supervisor to pull up their employees’ locations in the field at any time. You can also enable employees to see each others’ locations. Rules for who can see what data are highly customizable.

    allGeo supports geofences in some interesting ways, too. You can create alerts for no-show employees based on geofences. You can also set allGeo to remind employees to clock in if they forget to when entering a geofenced area.

    Learn more about allGeo

    Key Features

    • Tracks employee location and vehicle mileage
    • Employees can see each other’s location
    • No-show and late employee alerts
    • Geofence-based reminders to clock in and out

    Pros

    • Extremely customizable
    • Supports a wide range of automations

    Cons

    • Much more complex than other employee tracking apps
    • Features are divided across multiple apps

    Pricing

    Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

Compare the Best s

Topic
Reviews
4.8
4.7
4.4
4.8
4.7
4.6
4.6
4.4
4.7
4
Pricing
Starts at
Starts at $10/month + $8/user/month
Starts at $7.20/user/month + $12/month base fee
Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month
Starts at $3.99/user/month
Starts at $5.83/user/month, for more than 1 user
Starts at $20/location/month
Starts at $4/user/month
Starts at $102/month
Contact vendor for price
Free Trial
yes
14-day
yes
30-day
yes
yes
14-day
yes
7-day, for PRO features
yes
14-day
yes
14-day
yes
yes
yes
Free Plan
yes
Free Up to 10 users
no
no
no
yes
yes
For a single user
yes
For a single location
no
yes
For up to 2 users
no

What are Apps to Track Employees?

Employee GPS tracking apps are platforms that help businesses locate employees in the field. Many apps offer employees’ locations in real-time so that business owners and supervisors always know where their team members are. Others use location tracking to ensure that employees clock in and out of job sites accurately.

GPS employee tracking is often a feature of other business apps, such as time management apps and employee scheduling apps. These platforms may also include team communication tools to enable supervisors to contact employees working in the field without changing apps.

How do Apps to Track Employees Work?

Employee tracking apps rely on the GPS capabilities of employees’ smartphones. Employees just need to keep the tracking app open and the GPS will run in the background. Most apps are designed to use up very little battery.

GPS employee tracking apps typically offer two key functions. First, most apps show employees’ real-time locations. This enables supervisors to know where their employees are throughout the workday.

Second, they enable supervisors to set up geofences around job sites. These geofences can be used to automatically clock an employee in or out of work, track how much time employees are spending on specific projects, or alert supervisors if an employee does not show up to a scheduled shift.

The Benefits of Apps to Track Employees

Employee tracking apps have a number of benefits. First and foremost, supervisors can use these apps to know where their employees are at all times. If an urgent project comes up, supervisors can redeploy employees who are already nearby.

These apps can also be used to assist time management. Supervisors can use GPS apps to create geofences around project sites. When an employee enters a geofence, they can be automatically clocked into work or receive a reminder to clock in. When an employee leaves, they can be automatically clocked out or receive a reminder to clock out.

To help reduce time theft, supervisors can also manually review occasions when an employee clocks in or out outside of a designated project area. They can also look back at the routes that employees take between work sites to ensure they’re not wasting time or making unnecessary side trips.

Tracking each employee’s location can also be important for workplace safety. If an employee is somewhere they shouldn’t be or is leaving your business’s normal service area, it could be a sign that something is wrong.

How Much do Apps to Track Employees Cost?

Employee location tracking software can vary widely in price. This is in part because GPS capabilities are often integrated into more comprehensive team management apps

Most app providers charge a flat monthly fee plus an additional monthly price per user. For example, QuickBooks Time starts at $20 per month plus $8 per user per month. eBillity starts at $12 per month plus $7.20 per user per month.

Connecteam offers the best value for most businesses. It’s completely free for businesses with 10 or fewer employees to track. For larger businesses, Connecteam starts at just $29 per month for 30 employees plus $0.50 per month for each additional employee.

FAQs

Are companies allowed to track an employee’s location?

Employers are allowed to track an employee’s location if they are using a company-owned device. Employers must have an employee’s permission to track their location on a personal device.

Can I track employees for free?

The best way to track employees for free is to use an employee GPS tracking app with a free plan. Connecteam is free for tracking up to 10 employees.

Can I track employees who are off the clock?

Employers are allowed to track employees who use company-owned devices regardless of whether they are on or off the clock and even outside of work hours. Tracking employees who are off the clock is a way to see if an employee is on the way to a shift. With Connecteam, employees can only be tracked as long as they are clocked in.

The Bottom Line on Apps to Track Employees

Tracking your employees’ locations plays a key role in day-to-day business operations. Supervisors who know where their employees are can more easily redeploy people when work demands change unexpectedly.

Employee GPS apps also make it easier to accurately track the time employees spend working and on what jobs.

Connecteam is the best app to track employees for most businesses. It lets you see where all your employees are on a single map, supports geofences around job sites, and offers built-in messaging tools.