The best clock-in clock-out apps accurately track workers’ time so you can run payroll accurately and keep track of everyone’s hours. Here are the 8 best clock-in-clock-out apps.
Clock-in clock-out apps are a simple solution for businesses with hourly workers. They allow workers to clock into work from anywhere—in the office, the field, or from home.
Clock-in clock-out apps often let you see when workers clock in in real time, so you can better manage time and attendance. These apps can not only track how long employees work, but also their pay, overtime, vacation time, and breaks.
In this article, I’ve lined up my top picks of the 8 best clock-in and out apps on the market today so you can choose the right solution for your business.
Here’s a quick overview of my favorite clock-in clock-out apps:
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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Best all-in-one clock-in clock-out app
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Good for detailed timesheets
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Tools considered
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Tools reviewed
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How I Chose the Best Employee Time Tracking Apps
To give you a more specific look into how I narrowed down my list, these are the key functions and features I looked for when reviewing clock-in clock-out apps:
Important core features:
- Mobile time clock: The best clock-in apps have a mobile time clock so employees can clock in and out from their phones.
- Overtime calculation: The app should automatically calculate overtime based on set rules or regulations.
- Automated time sheets: The app should automatically calculate employee hours and record them onto timesheets.
- Payroll integrations: Look for an app that exports employee timesheets to Excel or your accounting software to streamline the payroll process.
I also checked for usability features, such as:
- Intuitive interface: Good clock-in and out apps make it easy to track working hours, often with just one button.
- Remote access: Apps with remote access are an ideal way to manage remote workers’ time, since they allow them to log in from anywhere.
As a final check, I looked for these specific features that make for a great clock-in and out app:
- Manual options. If someone makes an error, such as forgetting to clock in or leaving a clock running, you’ll need a way to fix the mistake and edit the timesheet.
- Available on all app stores: You should be able to find the app on both the Apple Store and Google Play.
- Geofencing: This feature ensures that employees are clocking in from the correct location and is especially useful for remote or field workers.
- Notifications and alerts: Reminders for employees to clock in or out, and alerts for managers about missed clock-ins or early departures.
- Multiple job codes: If employees work different roles or tasks, they should be able to clock into specific job codes or categories.
- Reporting features: Managers should be able to generate reports on employee hours, overtime, late arrivals, early departures, etc.
The 8 Best Clock-In Clock-Out Apps of 2024
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Connecteam — Best all-in-one employee clock-in clock-out app
Key Features
Pros
Intuitive and easy to use
All-in-one solution
Great customer support
Budget-friendly
Cons
Needs internet or wifi access to work
At the top of our list is Connecteam’s all-in-one clock-in clock-out app.
Why I chose Connecteam: This app allows you to easily track and record your employees’ accurate work hours wherever they’re working from.
Its powerful time clock features include one-touch clock in & out, GPS tracking, job-specific time tracking options, automated timesheets, and payroll integrations. In addition, Connecteam offers top-of-the-line customer service, an intuitive user interface, and high customizability, allowing you to tweak the platform to suit your unique business needs.
Let’s take a closer look at Connecteam’s time clock capabilities and how you can use them to optimize your day-to-day.
One-touch clock in & out
With the employee time clock, your employees can clock in and out with one simple tap right from the app. This means that your team can track time from any job site and even while on the go using their mobile phones.
GPS tracking
The app offers GPS tracking capabilities that allow you to ensure employees are exactly where they need to be when on the clock and eliminate time theft.
You can record the location from which employees clock in and out or track their whereabouts in real-time when they’re clocked in. You also have the option to set up a digital geofence around your workplaces to limit the area from which your team can clock in and out.
Kiosk app
If your employees work in the same location, you can set up a clock-in station at the job site. That way, they can clock in and out with personalized pin codes from a shared tablet. It’s an ideal solution for workplaces that don’t want their employees to carry their phones on a regular basis. The kiosk app is also incredibly simple to set up and employee hours are automatically exported to digital timesheets.
Intuitive drag-and-drop shift scheduler
Connecteam’s free employee scheduling app also includes an intuitive drag-and-drop scheduling tool so you can create shifts and simply drag employees’ names to them. With the shift scheduler, you can automatically assign shifts based on employee qualifications, preferences, and availability.
You can also take advantage of scheduling templates to make the process even faster. Use Connecteam’s premade scheduling templates or customize your own however you need. You can also create and automatically assign recurring shifts.
Additionally, Connecteam has automatic shift conflict alerts that let you know immediately of any scheduling errors. This helps you reduce labor costs by avoiding double scheduling, assigning the wrong employee to a shift, or assigning an employee who’s scheduled for PTO.
Shift swapping for seamless coverage
Connecteam allows your employees to trade shifts with just a click of a button. They can request shift swaps directly from the Connecteam app, and you can approve or deny them.
Once you approve a shift swap, the app automatically updates the schedule and sends push notifications to anyone whose hours or days have changed.
Notifications and alerts
With Connecteam, employees receive automatic notifications on their mobile devices reminding them of upcoming shifts. The app also sends alerts if employees are approaching the end of their breaks or overtime.
Automated timesheets
Employee hours are automatically recorded onto digital timesheets. You can easily view and edit all logged data, such as total work hours per day and payroll period, overtime, time off, and breaks. The app also flags irregularities, making it easy to spot and fix potentially costly payroll mistakes.
On top of that, you can set pay rates per employee and automatically calculate wages.
Users can review their timesheets, request any changes, and send in their approval before you process payroll – all via the app.
Payroll integrations
Once ready, you can simply export timesheets to Excel or one of Connecteam’s payroll integrations: QuickBooks and Gusto. This way, you can skip the entire manual process and save valuable time and effort.
In-app chat to communicate with your team
Even if you aren’t physically in the same place as your team, you can stay connected and available with Connecteam’s in-app chat.
You and your staff can quickly and easily ask and answer questions, chat about schedules, tasks, and projects, and even share files and snap photos to share.
Plus so much more!
Besides a mobile time clock, Connecteam offers a complete employee management app with tools to manage your business from anywhere. You can create schedules, communicate with your team, onboard and train new employees and so much more from one single app!
Teams of up to 10 people can get Connecteam’s employee scheduling software free for life, and the platform’s paid plan starts at just $29/month for up to 30 users.
I had people that we would just schedule for work and hope and pray that they show up. And now, we have an average of a 90-95% attendance rate.
Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Get Started Now!
Pricing
Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users
14-day free trial, no credit card required
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Buddy Punch — Good GPS location tracking
Key Features
- Multiple log-in methods, including QR codes and facial recognition
- Overtime monitoring
- Alerts and notifications
- Customizable job codes
Pros
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Tracks vacation and sick days
Cons
- No free version
- Few options for integration
Buddy Punch lets workers easily clock in and out from their shifts by selecting the job code for their task and their location.
Why I chose BuddyPunch: BuddyPunch is customizable, affordable, and makes it easy for employees to track their hours. Here are some of the key features:
Employee time clock
At the heart of BuddyPunch is the employee time clock feature, which provides multiple options for employees to clock in and out. Employers can enable their team to use a 4-digit PIN, scan QR Codes, employ facial recognition technology, or simply use a traditional username and password for authentication. This allows you to securely and conveniently log employee work hours, catering to different workplace preferences and security needs.
Overtime monitoring
BuddyPunch also includes an overtime monitoring feature, which automatically tracks and calculates overtime hours based on the rules you set. It also sends alerts to employees when they are nearing or exceeding their regular work hours so they can clock out. It allows you to keep a close eye on overtime trends and make informed decisions about scheduling and workload distribution so you can better control your labor cost.
Locations feature
I really like the locations feature, which tracks from where employees are clocking in and out using GPS location tracking. This is particularly useful for companies with remote or field employees to ensure that staff are in the correct location when they start and end their shifts. Employers can set up geofenced locations, too, requiring employees to be within certain areas to clock in or out.
Integrations
- Quickbooks
- ADP
- Zapier
- Asana
- Gusto
- Paychex
- Workday
- And more
BuddyPunch makes employee time tracking very easy. Employees just need to be within a geofence (if one is set up) log in and punch in/punch out. They don’t have to jump through endless steps for something that should be straightforward. The user interface is also very user friendly.
Learn more about Buddy PunchThere are a couple reports that I would like to see a bit more detail or formatted a little differently, but that’s a wish not a need. It’s very functional, just a couple things that could be nice to make it even more efficient.
Pricing
Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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Clockify — Good for detailed timesheets
Key Features
- Automatic notifications and alerts
- Project and task management
- Easily view hours workers
- Tracks billable and non-billable hours
Pros
- Free version comes with a lot of features
- Simple interface
Cons
- Slow processing
- Reporting issues
Clockify is a clock-in clock-out app that allows workers to track their hours from their phones.
Why I chose Clockify: Clockify tops the list due to its customizable time tracking features and detailed time tracking reports.
Employee time clock and time tracker
Employees can use the clock-in feature to clock in and out of work from their phones and use the timer to track time spent on specific projects. Employees can also add detailed descriptions to each time entry and mark whether the time is billable or non-billable, ensuring that customers pay the correct amount. The app comes with GPS tracking and geofencing, too, so no matter where your employees are working, they can only clock in and out from their job sites. If an employee strays outside the geofence, the time clock will automatically stop.
I also like that you can create different pay scales for projects so that employee pay is calculated correctly. That way, employees are accurately paid for their work depending on the project or task.
Automated timesheets
Clockify automatically converts employee hours into digital timesheets so neither you or your employees have to manually keep track of them. The app compiles this data into a weekly view, and employees can easily review, edit, and submit their timesheets for approval directly within the platform.
Managers can also review timesheets for proper oversight before sending them to payroll.
Time tracking reports
Clockify provides detailed insights into how time is spent across projects, tasks, and team members. These reports can be customized to show data for specific time periods and projects and can distinguish between billable and non-billable hours.
These reports provide a visual breakdown of time distribution, and if needed, you can export them in various formats for easy sharing.
Integrations
- Github
- Basecamp
- Quickbooks
- Monday.com
- Wrike
- ClickUp
- Google Sheets
- Zendesk
- And more
It works very well and it helps you to track time from anywhere. Its flexibility makes it compatible with everyone. Collected data by Clockify helps me to analyze employee performance and also create reports.
Learn more about ClockifyThe Dashboard could be a little more informative with more detail. For example, instead of the “billability-non billability” filter for the “Project” on top, it might be more helpful for me if I could track the hours/time spent behind a specific type of time entry or project to track the project time spent weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.
Pricing
Starts at $3.99/user/month Trial: Yes — For PRO features Free Plan: Yes
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Timecamp — Good for project-based time tracking
Key Features
- Graphic timesheets
- Track time from anywhere
- Automatic time tracking
- Productivity tracking
Pros
- Color-coded timesheets let you see how time was used
- Ability to track performance and time
Cons
- Automatic toggle feature can be glitchy
- In-app time tracker only available for some apps
TimeCamp offers a suite of time management tools designed to enhance productivity and streamline the tracking of work hours.
Why I chose TimeCamp: I like that TimeCamp has both an employee time clock and a project timer. It’s simple and straightforward to use with an intuitive design.
The one-click timer is ideal for teams with employees who move between tasks frequently and need a straightforward way to track time spent on each activity. Users can start tracking their work hours or time spent on projects without navigating through complex menus or setups.
The timer can be easily paused or stopped, and then restarted as needed, making it convenient for employees to manage multiple tasks throughout their day.
Keyword-based time tracking is a unique TimeCamp feature that automatically categorizes time entries based on predefined keywords. You and your employees can assign specific keywords to projects or tasks, and TimeCamp will automatically allocate time entries to the correct category based on the keywords detected in the titles of documents, applications used, or websites visited.
Learn more about TimecampPricing
Starts at $2.99/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
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Timely — Good for tracking time in apps and documents
Key Features
- Displays past records so you can better estimate timeframes and budget for future projects
- Integrations and open API let users link Timely to other project management and productivity apps
- Tracks eployee capacity, work hours, overtime, and work loads
- Captures billable and non-billable time
Pros
- Public timesheets to track budgets and project progress
- Shareable reports
Cons
- Managers can't see tasks worked on in real-time
- Automatic time capturing can accidentally capture time spent on breaks
Timely automates time tracking, so workers don’t need to manually start, pause, and stop timers. Instead, the app automatically tracks time spent in apps and documents.
Why I chose Timely: Users can see everything they’ve worked on that day at a glance. They can even schedule when Timely needs to be active and inactive, so any activities after hours don’t get logged.
Workers can also retroactively review their time entries to see when they took breaks. providing a comprehensive overview of work hours, projects, and tasks completed. This helps teams analyze their productivity patterns, billable hours, and project progress over time, helping to ensure accurate reporting and make more informed decisions.
Learn more about TimelyTimely doesn’t take screenshots, log keystrokes, or take photos, ensuring privacy.Pricing
Starts at $16/user/month, for 6-50 users Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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Homebase — Good for small businesses
Key Features
- Employees clock in and out with a PIN
- Geofencing and GPS-enabled
- Receive alerts if workers clock in late
- Automatic clock-outs
Pros
- You can prevent early clock-ins
- Monitor sales per shift
Cons
- Free plan is lacking key features
- Employees can't pick up open shifts through the app
Homebase is a clock-in clock-out app that works on many devices, including:
- Computers
- Tablets
- Smartphones
- POS (point of sale) devices.
Why I chose Homebase: Workers can easily access Homebase with a PIN and then clock in with their role, location, and time. These fields are pre-populated so an employee just has to press a button to clock in. Homebase also lets teams manage their hours, time off, breaks, and overtime.
Mobile teams can take advantage of alerts, reminders, built-in messaging, and more. These make sure workers are alerted when their shift is about to start and allow them to contact a manager instantly if they run into a problem.
Learn more about HomebasePricing
Starts at $20/location/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For a single location & up to 20 employees
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Deputy — Good for teams with multiple locations
Key Features
- Integrates with payroll software
- Intuitive interface
- GPS timestamps
- Facial recognition
Pros
- Alerts and notifications
- Enables bulk approval of timesheets
Cons
- Doesn’t integrate with Google Calendar
- Features are different on Android and iOS
Deputy is a time clock app that lets you see everything happening in real time, including:
- Who’s on break
- Who’s clocked in
- Who’s late
You can also get notifications when:
- Timesheets need approval
- Someone clocks in
- Workers are due meal or rest breaks
- Breaks are missed
Why I chose Deputy: Deputy provides detailed stats, so you can see how much each employee is working and track their hours over time. Employees can clock in and out touch-free thanks to facial recognition and GPS timestamps, so timesheets are always accurate.
Learn more about DeputyPricing
Starts at $4.5/user/month, for Scheduling or Time & Attendance Trial: Yes — 31-day Free Plan: No
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Hubstaff — Good for remote teams
Key Features
- One-touch mobile time clock
- Project budgeting
- GPS-enabled
- Alerts let you know when workers leave early, arrive late, or miss work
Pros
- Great customer service
- Integrates with Wise, Payoneer, Bitwage, and PayPal
Cons
- Free version is only for one user
- Email support is only available in English
Hubstaff lets workers track their time and helps you understand their productivity. Workers can easily:
- Punch in and out
- Track their time on each task
- Indicate when job tasks are complete
- Add descriptions to what they’re working on
Why I chose Hubstaff: This last feature in particular makes Hubstaff an effective system for remote workers, where you may want more information than just hours worked. Employees can indicate their location, client, work order, or task each time they log in. GPS and mapping capability let teams know where everyone is. You can generate detailed reports to track how long projects take, how workers use their time, and how much gets done.
Learn more about HubstaffPricing
Starts at $4.99/user/month, 2 users minimum Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For one user only
Compare the Best Clock-In Clock-Out Apps
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Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
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Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month
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Starts at $3.99/user/month
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Starts at $2.99/user/month
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Starts at $16/user/month, for 6-50 users
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Starts at $20/location/month
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Starts at $4.5/user/month, for Scheduling or Time & Attendance
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Starts at $4.99/user/month, 2 users minimum
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14-day
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14-day
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yes
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For a single location & up to 20 employees
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Best all-in-one employee clock-in clock-out app
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Good GPS location tracking
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Good for detailed timesheets
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Good for project-based time tracking
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Good for tracking time in apps and documents
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Good for small businesses
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Good for teams with multiple locations
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Good for remote teams
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What is a Clock-In Clock-Out App?
A clock-in clock-out app is a digital replacement for paper time cards that accurately tracks total time and pay for every pay period. It allows workers to punch in and out from wherever they’re working. This type of app also helps track employees’ locations and hours worked on specific projects or for certain clients.
Clock-in and out apps track every type of worker’s hours. For hourly workers, you need to keep track of time to run payroll. For salaried workers, monitoring labor costs and properly charging clients is important. The apps are also flexible enough to track time for freelancers, project-based workers, and deskless and remote employees.
How Does a Clock-In Clock-Out App Work?
Instead of punching physical time cards, employees log into the app. Some enable employees to clock in and out with the press of a button. With others, the app works in the background, automatically keeping track of how much time workers spend on work apps, documents, and in project management systems, without any manual input.
Clock-in clock-out apps tally the total time spent on each task and produce a timesheet for each pay period, totaling how many hours an employee has worked.
Clock-in and out apps work on mobile devices in most cases, though many also work on computers and POS devices. Workers can clock in from the field, their home, or an office. Information is automatically sent to the app, so in most cases, you can see who’s clocked in, who’s working, and even where they are.
The Benefits of Clock-In Clock-Out Apps
Accurate time tracking
Clock-in clock-out apps ensure that employees are paid for the exact amount of time they’ve worked, reducing discrepancies.
Reduced administrative work
Automated time tracking reduces the manual effort required to tally hours, calculate overtime, and process payroll.
Cost savings
Accurate time tracking can lead to significant savings by ensuring that businesses only pay for actual hours worked.
Enhanced productivity
When employees are aware that their time is being tracked, it can motivate them to use their time more efficiently.
Overtime management
Apps allow businesses to manage and monitor overtime, ensuring compliance with labor laws and avoiding potential legal complications.
Easy time tracking
The apps provide a clear record of hours worked, breaks taken, and overtime, reducing manual work for employers.
Remote work management
These type of apps ensure that work hours are tracked accurately regardless of location.
Eliminate time theft
Features like geofencing or biometric integration can prevent practices like buddy punching or clocking in from unauthorized locations.
Streamlined payroll
Integration with payroll systems can make the payment process smoother and more accurate.
Data insights and reporting
Reporting features can provide insights into workforce trends, helping businesses make informed decisions about staffing, scheduling, and more.
Labor law compliance
Businesses can more easily adhere to labor laws and regulations related to work hours, breaks, and overtime.
Improved scheduling
With insights from the app, managers can optimize schedules, ensuring adequate staffing during peak times and reducing overstaffing during slow periods.
Easy access to time records
Cloud-based systems allow for easy retrieval of past records, useful for audits, reviews, or resolving disputes.
Integration capabilities
Many apps can integrate with other business systems, such as HR software, project management tools, or CRM systems, creating a more cohesive workflow.
How Much Do Clock-In Clock-Out Apps Cost?
The good news is that many clock-in clock-out apps are very affordable. It mainly depends on the features you want and the number of employees you have. You’ll typically pay a set monthly price for a specific tier of services, plus an extra amount per user per month. You can often save by opting to pay yearly instead.
There are also free clock-in clock-out apps and some that have free versions. Keep in mind that these may be limited to just one user or have minimal features.
With Connecteam, the app is completely free for companies with up to 10 users and paid plans start at only $29/month. You get access to the employee time clock with geofencing, employee and team chat, scheduling features, knowledge base, employee training and onboarding, and more.
Get started with Connecteam for free today!
FAQs
How does a clock-in clock-out app help with the payroll process?
By tracking employee hours, clock-in clock-out apps can create timesheets for hourly employees. When it’s time to run payroll, you can see how many hours employees work and overtime for every worker. Some apps generate timesheets you can send right to your payroll software or accountant so you can pay your team with minimal manual work.
How do I clock in and out remotely?
Almost all clock-in clock-out apps have downloadable app versions for Android and iOS, allowing workers to clock in wherever they are. Your employees can either use their own or company devices to clock in and out. Some apps have browser versions you can use on desktop computers, too.
What should I look for in a clock-in clock-out app for small businesses?
For small businesses, affordability is important—but don’t overlook features that can save your business time and money.
Look for apps that:
- Integrate with payroll software
- Create timesheets
- Generate reports
- Use GPS tracking
The Bottom Line on Clock-In Clock-Out Apps
Clock-in clock-out apps make it easy to keep track of team members, even when they’re all working from different locations. They let you see in real time who’s at work, who’s late, whose shift starts next, and who’s requested time off.
When it’s time for payroll, a good clock-in clock-out app generates accurate timesheets showing hours and overtime hours worked, so you can easily start calculating gross income. You can even send these timesheets directly to your accountant or payroll software.
Quality clock-in clock-out apps also include features such as integration with messaging apps and scheduling platforms.
While weighing up your options, consider Connecteam, the best overall clock-in clock-out app for businesses of all sizes. Integrated with everything you need to run your business, from HR to communications, Connecteam helps you manage your organization’s time more effectively.