Attendance software enables you to manage payroll costs and support employees in attending work. We review the six best attendance management systems in 2023.
Accurately tracking employee attendance helps you maximize productivity, reduce costs and limit the likelihood of errors or accidents. It also helps you monitor your team’s welfare and support a healthy work-life balance for your team.
A great attendance management system will help you track hours, monitor absences, manage paid time off (PTO) and leave, and generate useful attendance reports for each. It should also allow workers to track their hours and let you see who is working where.
In this guide, we take a look at six of the best online attendance management systems. Read on to learn more.
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Our Top Picks
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The best solution for tracking employee attendance & boosting productivity
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Paperless attendance management
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Tracking project costs
What to Look For in a Attendance Management System
When picking attendance software, it’s important to consider what challenges your business is facing now and what features might help. Some features to look out for include the following.
- Simple time tracking. Employees need a simple way to clock in and out, whether that be from their phone or an on-site kiosk. It should be accurate down to the second and super simple for you to set up.
- GPS tracking and geofencing. These tools ensure workers are in the right place at the right time and help limit time theft.
- Manage PTO and leave. You should be able to receive and respond to employee leave, absence and time-off requests from the app.
- Integration with payroll and HR systems. Integrations with your other business systems will prevent you from having to input payroll data twice, saving managers and HR department precious time.
- Custom reports. Reporting tools give you detailed information about your workforce, including labor costs, absence levels, training completion, and more. You can also use reporting tools to gather billable hours or the information needed for payroll and client invoicing.
- Self-service tools. Self-service portals are an excellent tool for deskless workers. This tool allows employees to request paid time off (PTO) or leave on their own time and quickly request shift swaps.
- Mobile app. A mobile app is a must-have feature for attendance systems because nearly all Americans own smartphones. Mobile apps enable employees to update their details from anywhere, track their absence and PTO levels, and chat with managers about leave requests.
- Customizable absence policies. Depending on the size of your business, you may want to have different absence policies for junior employees than for senior managers. The ability to manage multiple absence policies at once will make this easier.
The 5 Best Attendance Management Systems of 2023
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Connecteam — Best all-in-one attendance management system
Connecteam is the best all-in-one software to help managers and business owners track attendance for their deskless workers. It has a range of tools to help you effectively monitor hours worked and absences. Here are some of its notable features.
GPS-enabled time clock limits errors, buddy punching and time theft
Turn any mobile device into a portable time clock with Connecteam. Employees can clock in and out directly from the app, including for breaks.
In addition, facial recognition software can be used to prevent buddy punching or employees clocking in for their colleagues who aren’t working.
Connecteam’s app is fully GPS enabled, meaning you can check where and when your employees have clocked in. This is a great tool if your business has multiple locations, as you can see exactly where your employees are at any time.
Geofencing tools enable you to set up a specific job site on the map and limit clock-ins to that location. Managers can even receive alerts if an employee travels outside the usual work zone. When employees are clocked out, their location data remains completely hidden and cannot be accessed by admins or managers.
Automated timesheets and payroll saves time and reduces errors
Connecteam automatically converts clock in and out times to accurate, error-free timesheets. Managers can review and approve these in one click, and then send the timesheets off for payroll.
Connecteam integrates with major payroll platforms like QuickBooks Online and Gusto. Payroll now takes minutes instead of hours, with fewer errors and better compliance.
Generate custom reports for better business insights
Gain deep insights into your business with Connecteam’s digital reporting features. You can pull real-time reports on employee attendance, set up reports to catch negative work patterns, and create custom reports to monitor specific sites or projects.
In addition, Connecteam can help you automate payroll processes to ensure you never miss a deadline. For example, you can automatically export timesheets and filter for specific job roles to invoice clients automatically.
These tools help put your employee management on cruise control, allowing you to focus on taking action based on the data.
Drag and drop scheduling takes shift planning from hours to minutes
Connecteam’s integrated shift scheduling tools simplify workplace operations and speed up schedule building. Connecteam offers automatic shift scheduling, pre-designed shift templates, drag-and-drop scheduling software, and automatic conflict checkers.
Managers can easily view employees’ PTO allowance, leave requests and availability as they schedule, ensuring compliance and limiting conflicts and errors. If employees need to swap shifts, they can send a request or you can enable open shift swapping.
Finally, you can easily add notes, documents, instructions and even checklists to different shifts. This helps ensure everything gets done and nothing gets missed. It’s especially useful for lone workers, as well as for opening and closing shifts at job sites, restaurants, and retail stores.
Self-serve tools empower employees and cut admin time
Workers can see the total number of hours they’ve worked in a pay period and how much they’ll be paid.
Connecteam also allows team members to request PTO and leave right from their phone. Managers can then review requests and respond from the app, or open a conversation with the employee to discuss their request further.
Finally, employees can update their own personal information, access company policies via the knowledge base, see instructions, notes and checklists associated with their shift, and more.
Easily create and share absence policies with your team
With Connecteam, With Connecteam, you can create as many absence policies for different teams as you need, or one for the whole company. Your company knowledge base provides the perfect environment for storing and sharing these policies.
Not only can you set different absence policies for different teams, but your teams can access this info remotely should they have any questions. All they have to do is open the Connecteam app.
The easy-to-access knowledge base is especially advantageous for a deskless team who may not always have access to an employee handbook or the staff filing cabinet. Policy transparency also helps build a culture of trust between employees and employers.
Task management and more
Connecteam provides effective task management tools to help finish projects quickly and within budget. You can easily create or duplicate task lists, and assign tasks to teams, shifts, or individuals to maximize productivity.
Automated and recurring tasks and checklists make repeating shifts, like open and close, even easier to manage. Plus, teams can easily open a group chat connected to a task or shift for quick discussions in the right context.
Connecteam also offers digital training and quiz tools to help maximize employees’ workplace knowledge, and much more.
Try Connecteam Today
Connecteam is completely free for businesses with 10 or fewer employees. For larger teams, plans start at just $29 per month for up to 30 employees and $0.50 for each additional employee.
Try out our 14-day free trial to see what Connecteam can do for your business.
Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Get Started Now!
Key Features
Dedicated support hotline
Automated payroll reporting
Easy-to-use mobile app
Cloud-based file backup
Pros
Simple user interface
One-click punch in and out
Facial recognition tool reduces buddy punches
Completely free for up to 10 users
Cons
Currently no video conferencing feature
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 -
ClockShark — Good for: Paperless attendance management
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
ClockShark is a paperless time-tracking software. It is easy to set up and provides valuable data and reporting information to help you make data-driven decisions. Its simplicity makes it a good option for SMBs or teams who are just starting with employee scheduling tools.
ClockShark includes all the tools you’ll need to track employees’ hours through either a mobile app or a web browser, and its time clock tool is GPS enabled. Once your employees have tracked their hours, you can export digital payroll sheets directly to several integrated payroll solutions.
In addition, the online attendance management system allows you to schedule and manage employee shifts with a drag-and-drop interface.
ClockShark’s main drawback is its lack of HR and employee management tools, meaning a business must work with separate software to get tools like.
Learn more about ClockSharkKey Features
- GPS-enabled time clock
- Drag-and-drop shift scheduling
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Built-in communication tools
Pros
- 14-day free trial
- Built-in Spanish language support
Cons
- No HR or employee management tools
- No free plan available
Pricing
Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No
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Timecamp — Good for: Tracking project costs
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
TimeCamp is an attendance tracker and task management tool designed to help you monitor costs across a project and stay within budget. Some of its useful features include time-tracking software to help manage wage costs, customizable billing rates, and cost forecasting tools. All these features will help you track and manage the cost of your project to prevent overspending.
TimeCamp offers easy timesheet approval and attendance management tools such as a one-click clock-in system and built-in PTO tracking. The GPS-enabled time clock has facial recognition software to ensure your team members clock in when and where they’re meant to. One thing TimeCamp does not offer, however, is shift scheduling software, so it’s not an all-in-one solution.
Learn more about TimecampKey Features
- One-click clock-in
- Facial recognition software
- Flexible invoicing tools
- Built-in PTO tracking
Pros
- Free trial available
- Integrates with the most popular project management tools
Cons
- Free plan has limited features
- No built-in chat feature
Pricing
Starts at $6.99/user/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes
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QuickBooks Time — Good for: Managing payroll cost
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- Mac
QuickBooks Time helps you manage invoices and keep track of employee hours. Features include a PTO tracker and shift scheduling tools to help you track employees’ attendance, plus integrations with popular payroll processing tools, such as ADP.
QuickBooks Time’s geofencing software lets you see which employees are working where and sends them a notification reminding them to clock in or out when they arrive or leave a location. You can also set the system so that when employees cross your geofence with their mobile phone, they’ll automatically be clocked in.
QuickBooks Time also offers plenty of customizable reporting tools that give insight into your business. You can pull reports on the hours worked on different projects, wage and salary reporting, GPS clock-in points, and more.
Learn more about QuickBooks TimeKey Features
- Customizable reporting tools
- Built-in shift scheduling tools
- PTO tracking tool
- GPS time tracker
Pros
- Geofencing alerts minimize errors
- Integrates with popular payroll software
Cons
- Expensive
- No free-to-use option
Pricing
Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: No
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Jibble — Good for: Integration with other work management software
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Jibble makes it easy for your team to clock in and out using their own devices with GPS tracking, a built-in time clock, and facial recognition to avoid buddy punching. When someone clocks in, Jibble will take a time-stamped photograph of their face and automatically save it to their timesheet for payroll auditing.
In addition, Jibble offers an employee vacation tracker, sick leave tracker, and overtime tracker. You can export your timesheets to payroll software that integrates with Jibble, streamlining payroll processing.
Jibble lacks management features like built-in training tools or employee training courses. However, it does integrate with many of the most popular employee management tools, such as BambooHR and ADP. If you are looking for an add-on attendance management component for one of these tools, Jibble could be a great fit, although the cost of subscribing to multiple tools can add up.
Learn more about JibbleKey Features
- GPS-enabled time tracking
- Built-in employee PTO tracker
- Facial recognition software
- Easy export of payroll timesheets
Pros
- Integrates with popular management tools
- Free plan available
Cons
- Lack of project management features
- No shift scheduling tools
Pricing
Starts at $2.49/month + $2.49/user Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
Compare the Best Attendance Management Systems
| Topic |
Start for free
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews |
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| Pricing |
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
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Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month
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Starts at $6.99/user/month
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Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month
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Starts at $2.49/month + $2.49/user
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| Free Trial |
yes
14-day
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yes
14-day
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yes
14-day
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yes
30-day
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yes
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| Free Plan |
yes
Free Up to 10 users
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no
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yes
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no
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yes
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What Is an Attendance Management System?
An attendance management system is a software application that helps organizations track and manage employee attendance. These tools calculate PTO and leave entitlements, record employee attendance data, and much more. They can also be used to automate payroll processes and monitor compliance with attendance policies.
There are many different employee attendance management systems available, and the features and functions of each system vary. When choosing software, it’s important to consider what business processes you need to run more efficiently and whether a system with those features fits in your budget.
How Does an Attendance Management System Work?
Attendance software automates most payroll processes. For example, when an employee clocks in, their hours will be automatically logged on their timesheet. You can then browse and check employee time sheets to ensure they’ve accurately logged breaks, clocked in correctly for their shifts, and haven’t exceeded their PTO allowance.
Once you’re happy with the timesheets, you can either export them to an integrated payroll system or send them to a payroll service. This makes your whole payroll process more efficient, leaving you more time to complete other tasks.
In addition, a good attendance management system lets you see your employees’ availability and helps you schedule shifts. This way, you and your employees can track when they’re working and your staffing levels on any given day.
Most attendance software now comes with its own easy-to-use mobile app, allowing your employees to track their time from anywhere. Many also include security features like facial recognition or fingerprint scanning to prevent buddy punching and time theft.
The Benefits of Attendance Management Systems
Good attendance management software helps increase the accuracy of your employees’ timesheets by prompting them to punch in and out with push notifications. An automated system then updates their timesheet in real time to help prevent payroll errors.
These largely automated systems will also help improve efficiency, as managers won’t have to update and check employee timesheets separately, saving time and energy. With one less job to do, owners and management can focus on more important tasks like growing the business.
A great attendance management system also supports your business in being legally compliant. The Department of Labor (DOL) requires that you track the hours of FLSA-exempt and non-exempt employees and keep those records for up to three years. Systems such as Connecteam will automatically save this data to a private, secure database for your peace of mind.
Finally, attendance software can help reduce business costs. Although you may have to pay for a service subscription, a tool like Connecteam can help save money by reducing the need for manual timekeeping and checking time sheets. Data insights can also help you by optimizing staffing levels and increasing productivity.
How Much Do Attendance Management Systems Cost?
The cost of an attendance management system can vary greatly depending on the features you need and the size of your business.
Most software is priced per user per month, which will drive the cost up for larger companies. However, some software can be found for a yearly subscription. Prices per year tend to be slightly cheaper, so this may benefit larger businesses that have the means to pay upfront.
The systems in this article range from $1.99/user/month to a $20 monthly fee plus $8/ user/month. In contrast, Connecteam is free for life for businesses with 10 or fewer employees. Connecteam’s paid plans start at $29 for up to 30 users, making it one of the most affordable all-in-one solutions on the market.
FAQs
What is the best attendance management system?
Connecteam is the most comprehensive attendance software. It includes tools to help you manage all aspects of your business, from PTO tracking, online employee quizzes, automatic shift scheduling, task management, and much more.
What makes a good time and attendance system?
A basic time and attendance management system will include tools that help you track employees’ working hours, monitor employee attendance, and approve PTO requests.
However, a great time and attendance system, like Connecteam, also includes built-in chat, geofencing tools, drag-and-drop shift scheduling, and a simple, accurate time clock.
Can you use a spreadsheet for attendance?
Using spreadsheets to track attendance is a time-consuming manual process and will reduce the time you have to dedicate to other tasks. Connecteam will automatically track employee attendance to allow you to focus on managing your team.
The Bottom Line on Attendance Management Systems
Employee attendance management systems are great tools to help you keep track of your employees’ hours with minimal management oversight. The right attendance software will increase efficiency, reduce business costs, and improve the accuracy of your time sheets.
An all-in-one tool like Connecteam can do so much more than that. Connecteam has all the tools to support your business with easy shift scheduling, employee management, and PTO tracking.
Try Connecteam free for 14 days to see what it can do for your business.