Honest QuickBooks Time Review 2024: Pros, Cons, Features & Pricing

QuickBooks Time Pricing

QuickBooks Time’s price is steep compared to other products in its category. There are two paid plans, both of which offer a generous 30-day free trial. You don’t need to add credit card details to start the free trial, which is excellent. 

The paid plans suit different types of businesses: 

• Premium plan: Suitable for medium and large businesses with time tracking and employee scheduling needs.  
• Elite plan: The plan offers all Premium plan’s features and advanced workforce management tools to boot. It suits businesses with time tracking, location tracking, mileage tracking, and project management needs. 

Here’s a detailed QuickBooks Time pricing table:

Pricing/plan	Premium	Elite
Monthly	$20 per month base fee + $8 per user per month	$40 per month base fee, $10 per user per month
Features	Time tracking Payroll & invoicing Employee scheduling GPS location tracking Alert and notifications Customizable reports Time-off management	Everything in Premium plus: Mileage tracking Geofencing Timesheet signatures Project tracking

QuickBooks Time paid plans are on the higher side of the pricing spectrum. The hefty per-user and base fees are non-starters for small businesses on a tight budget. 

Plan	QuickBooks Time (Elite)	TimeCamp (Ultimate)	Hubstaff (Team)	Connecteam (Advanced)
10 users	$140	$79.90	$100	Free
20 users	$240	$159.80	$200	$49
30 users	$340	$239.70	$300	$49
50 users	$540	$399.50	$500	$79

QuickBooks Time Usability and Interface

For the usability tests, I experimented with QuickBooks Time’s web and mobile apps. Both user interfaces lack a modern feel and look, but the design doesn’t impede ease of use. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty details:  

Setting Up QuickBooks Time 

Setting up QuickBooks Time is smooth sailing. When I first logged into the web app, I was presented with the get started wizard to set up my company’s basics. It’s child’s play to create projects, employee/customer profiles, and the company’s overtime and break tracking policies.

You can add employees manually or through a simple QR code scan. QuickBooks Time lets you create and share a QR code with your workforce. When employees scan the code, the app prompts them to create their account, saving managers the hassle of manually adding users.

Some of QuickBooks Time’s features, such as mileage tracking, used to be featured add-ons. Administrators had to manually add these features to their QuickBooks Time arsenal, which was unnecessarily intricate. Thankfully, the provider has revamped its system to make all essential tools built-in, saving managers the complex installation. 

QuickBooks Time Web App

QuickBooks Time web app is relatively easy to navigate. The user interface (UI) is intuitive, but some design quirks would annoy busy managers. I’ll discuss the issue in a bit, but first, let’s focus on the positive aspects. 

The web UI is well-organized, with the main features — time clock, Schedule, projects, who’s working, time entries, time off, approvals, reports, and team management — neatly organized on the left panel. 

You can click on any feature to jump straight to the things you want to do. Whether you want to track time, create employee schedules, monitor employees’ locations, approve timesheets and time-offs, or run reports, you won’t struggle to find your way around. 

The only issue I have with the web app UI is that it quickly gets cluttered as you access different features. This is because when you open a feature, QuickBooks Time doesn’t close the current active window. Instead, the new feature floats on top of the previously opened tabs, making the UI look messy (see the image below). 

QuickBooks Time Mobile App

QuickBooks Time has a powerful and well-designed mobile app called the QuickBooks Workforce app. I downloaded the Android version and found it to be user-friendly.

Besides being easy to use, the app offers all the features you need (as a manager) to keep your team running smoothly. You can track time, create and assign schedules, approve timesheets and time-offs, add projects, and manage your crew, all while on the move or in the field. 

The employee version is also feature-rich and easy to use for everyone in your crew, including the non-tech-savvy. Employees can track time, manage schedules, view timesheets, request time-offs, and view paid time-off (PTO) balances. 

When I turned off my internet connection to simulate a case when an employee was outside the cellular range, the app continued tracking time and location without a hitch. During offline tracking, the app stores data locally on the employee’s device and syncs it automatically when the device is reconnected to the internet. I did notice, however, that the employee app had some issues syncing data even when my internet was stable. 

Sadly, the admin version of the QuickBooks Workforce app is glitchy. I had a few instances when the app froze and never responded to the screen touch. Every time this happened, I had to restart the app and sign back in to continue using it, which was annoying.

Menu Item	Admin		Employee
	Website	Mobile App	Website	Mobile App
Feature (i.e. Time Tracking)
Timesheet	✅	✅	✅	✅
Time Tracker	✅	❌	✅	✅
Calendar	❌	❌	❌	❌
Schedule	✅	✅	✅	✅
Expenses	❌	❌	❌	❌
Time off	✅	✅	✅	✅
Analysis
Dashboard	✅	✅	✅	✅
Reports	✅	✅	✅	✅
Activity	❌	❌	❌	❌
Management
Kiosks	✅	❌	✅	❌
Approvals	✅	✅	✅	✅
Projects	✅	✅	✅	✅
Team	✅	✅	✅	✅
Clients	✅	✅	✅	✅
Locations	✅	✅	✅	✅
Tags	❌	❌	❌	❌
Invoices	✅	❌	❌	❌
Settings	✅	✅	✅	✅

QuickBooks Time Core Functionalities

I dissected QuickBooks Time to reveal how each feature works. In this section, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses (if any) of QuickBooks Time’s main features. Let’s dive in: 

Time Tracking

QuickBooks Time allows users to track time on the web and mobile app. Business owners can also activate the kiosk app to allow onsite employees to clock in from a shared device. You can install the kiosk app on any computer or tablet (Android and iOS). 

Regardless of the app employees use, QuickBooks Time ensures their work hours and break time are accurately reflected on the timesheets. The app requires workers to select the assigned task when clocking in to track time against the right project for accurate budget and labor cost tracking. 

QuickBooks Time has features geared towards minimizing timesheet errors so that your company pays employees for work they actually did. For example, the geofence helps ensure employees clock in only when they are within their designated job sites.

During the testing, the QuickBooks Workforce app blocked my attempt to clock in outside the geofence and displayed the error “you’re outside a customer location.” My only issue is that QuickBooks Time still leaves a leeway for employees to clock in when outside their job site. 

The app gave me two options: “clock me in when I arrive” and “clock in now.” The latter allows employees to clock in but requires them to add a note explaining why they are clocking in when outside the job area. 

Adding a note is a nice way to make employees accountable, but without proper policy, employees might exploit the channel to pad their timesheets. Thankfully, QuickBooks Time flags time entries when employees clock in outside their designated work site, prompting managers to investigate each case during approval.

Besides geofencing, you can set up clock-in and clock-out reminders to ensure employees clock in and out at the required times. The reminders work best when employees work regular shifts. Businesses using the kiosk app can leverage the facial recognition feature to curb buddy punching. 

Break Tracking 

QuickBooks Time comes with pre-configured 15-minute rest and 30-minute lunch breaks. However, you can adjust the policies or add custom break rules to conform to the break tracking laws in your country or state. I found changing the break length, type (paid or unpaid), and mode (automatic or manual) to be a breeze. 

You can also choose where the app will place automatic break time in the timesheet. Remember that in some States, like California, employers must give employees a rest break every four hours. In an eight-hour shift, you can choose QuickBooks Time to place the automatic break in the middle of the shift on the timesheet.

In the case of manual breaks, you can implement measures to ensure employees take breaks in full compliance. For example, when you select “workers can’t end break early,” employees can’t end the break before the predefined time ends. The option worked as required during my testing.

QuickBooks Time has two automation meant to prevent employees from extending their manual breaks. You can configure the app to notify employees to end the break some minutes before it ends. Alternatively, you can set up QuickBooks Time to end employees’ breaks automatically when the duration ends. Both options worked flawlessly during my testing. 

Overtime Tracking

QuickBooks Time’s overtime policy is flexible. The provider allows you to define your weekly and daily overtime or double-time. I liked that the app has “California overtime rules” built in, which enables businesses in California to apply the state’s complicated overtime rules with the click of a button. 

Employers in all other states can set up custom overtime rules by hand if QuickBooks Time’s standard settings aren’t enough.

Surprisingly, QuickBooks Time’s overtime tracker didn’t work as defined during my testing. I used the California overtime feature and left my timer running for over 26 hours. The app didn’t record overtime and double-time hours, which could lead to payroll and compliance complications.

Employee Scheduling

QuickBooks Time drag-and-drop scheduling enables you to create effective schedules for a smooth and steady operations workflow. The scheduling offers flexibility for various field teams because it can be project-based or shift-based. 

Each schedule includes a due date, start and end time, customer name and location, and assigned employees. The detailed schedules ensure employees know their work hours, responsibilities, and functions. I also liked the “notes” feature, which allows managers to provide extra instructions to create order and flow and ensure teams are pulling towards a common goal. 

QuickBooks Time notifies assignees via email and in-app messages when you publish, edit, or change a schedule. The notifications keep employees looped in about schedule changes, allowing them to prioritize their time appropriately.

That said, the QuickBooks Time scheduling module has room for improvement. The app could do with the following features that would make it a much more well-rounded employee scheduling product:

• Option for employees to accept or reject a shift
• Give employees the ability to trade shifts and find covers
• Automatic shift reminders for employees
• Integration with calendar apps like Google Calendar or Outlook

GPS Location Tracking

I was impressed with three aspects of QuickBooks Time’s location tracking capability. First, the app shows the real-time location of clocked-in employees. You can open the “who’s working” tab and click “map” to see the location of your field employees. 

Location intelligence improves field employee safety and increases accountability. Even better, knowing where your employees are can improve scheduling significantly. For example, a field service manager can open the map to dispatch a nearby technician for an urgent task. 

Second, QuickBooks Time has a feature called “nearby customers.” When I turned the feature on, I could see all nearby geofenced locations, which could be job sites, warehouses, pickup sites, or customer locations. The feature helps door-to-door sales, service technicians, and delivery teams find direction to assigned customers and plan their next move.  

Lastly, I like that QuickBooks Time tracks location only when the employee is on the clock. This safeguards employee privacy and enables your business to adhere to federal and state GPS tracking regulations.

Project Management

QuickBooks Time project management module isn’t as powerful as a standalone project management software. However, I like the feature because it allows you to create projects with start and end dates, addresses, and GPS coordinates (geofence).

Creating a geofence for the project is incredibly easy. When you type the address in the search bar, the app auto-suggests probable locations. Once you pick your location, QuickBooks Time allows you to set up the geofence radius, which can be between 100 and 1,000 meters. 

Remember that having the project or customer locations as geofenced addresses is a prerequisite for the “nearby customer” feature. 

The project budget is another great addition for managers who want to better plan for resources, budget, and timeline. QuickBooks Time allows you to set a project budget by hourly or tasks — there’s no option to set a monetary budget. 

During the week of testing, the project budget feature worked as described. I created projects and tasks and set hourly estimates. QuickBooks Time app tracked hours towards the set estimate, showing me the actual versus estimated time. 

Mileage Tracking 

Mileage tracking is vital for businesses requiring field employees to use their personal vehicles. QuickBooks Time mileage tracker has improved significantly in terms of accuracy. 

During my testing, the tracker logged 6.6 miles against the 7.2 miles recorded on my odometer. The QuickBooks Time tracker recorded fewer miles because it tracks mileage only when the vehicle exceeds a predefined speed threshold. The provider doesn’t disclose the minimum speed threshold. 

All in all, QuickBooks Time mileage logs are accurate, which enables you to reimburse field employees fairly. In addition, I noticed QuickBooks track mileage when the employee is on the clock. In other words, it tracks business miles only, which meets IRS requirements. You can use the mileage logs to claim your rightful tax write-offs. 

The app also used to miss some trips, but that error has been fixed. The map showed the turn-by-turn route of my trip, which means QuickBooks Time doesn’t miss any part of the employee trip. 

The route map has breadcrumbs, which help you determine where the employee was during any part of the day. In addition, there’s a route replay feature, which lets you recreate (replay) the employee trip if you need to confirm anything.

Payroll and Invoicing

QuickBooks Time streamlines the payroll process right from timesheet approvals to employee remuneration. Employees don’t have to flip any switch to submit timesheets. The app submits a timesheet automatically when the employee clocks out and notifies the managers via email, prompting them to approve or reject it. 

Once timesheets are approved, generating payroll reports is a breeze. Managers can generate the wage report and forward it to the accounting department for faster remuneration. I like that the app integrates seamlessly with Intuit’s products, including QuickBooks Online. It’s easy to export wage reports to QuickBooks Online. 

In addition, QuickBooks Time integrates with other payroll and accounting software, such as Gusto, Xero, Square and Paychex. The software also integrates with other solutions, including: 

• OnPay
• Justworks
• PaymentEvolutions
• Knowify
• JazzHR
• Power BI
• OnDrive
• Dropbox
• Procore
• Salesforce

QuickBooks Time Security Features

Regarding security, I looked at QuickBooks Time through three lenses: user authentication (or authorization), data security, and compliance. 

On the user authorization front, I’m impressed with the available options. QuickBooks Time allows employees to use fingerprint and face unlock to access their accounts. The provider also supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) to verify a user’s identity. 

In addition, QuickBooks Time uses Advanced Encryption Standard with 256-bit keys (AES-256) to encrypt data stored in its systems. The bank-grade encryption cipher is virtually unbreakable — it’s resistant to brute-force attacks. QuickBooks also uses a powerful anti-fraud system to detect and block suspicious account activity. 

Sadly, QuickBooks Time doesn’t perform well on the compliance front. The parent company, Intuit, adheres to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applies other data stewardship principles to comply with relevant laws. However, the app isn’t Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant, meaning it’s not ideal for healthcare businesses.

QuickBooks Time Reporting & Analytics

QuickBooks Time has a robust reporting module that lets you generate reports to analyze the critical aspects of your business. There are numerous filters, such as mileage tracking, hours, GPS points, payroll reports, and wage reports. 

My standout reports are job costing and schedule versus worked summaries. These reports provide invaluable insights into labor costs and workforce productivity, spurring better resource allocation and budget management. They also foster better decision-making, driving your business towards improved profitability. 

My only issue with the app is that it doesn’t offer a dashboard where the manager can see real-time updates and reports. Besides, most QuickBooks Time reports don’t provide actionable insights. They provide a compilation of raw data, which the manager has to digest to unearth insights for better decision-making. 

QuickBooks Time Customer Support

QuickBooks Time offers an excellent selection of support options, including phone, live chat, community, and knowledgebase. However, these support channels serve all Intuit product users, so you might encounter support issues, such as agents who aren’t knowledgeable about the product.  

I learned this first-hand when searching for relevant articles on Intuit’s knowledge base. The option to sort Intuit’s knowledgebase resources by product yielded two QuickBooks Time articles. Thankfully, Intuit offers a search bar, which allowed me to find more relevant guides using the keyword “QuickBooks Time.”

You also have to weed through the community responses to find discussions related to QuickBooks Time. The fastest way to do so is to click “all topics” and select the “QuickBooks Time” channel, which isn’t the most active community. 

Live chat support is available between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. M-F PT. During the offline hours, you won’t get a reply. QuickBooks Time doesn’t convert your offline questions into support tickets since the provider doesn’t have a ticket system. Thankfully, the agents are highly responsive during online hours—I got a reply in under a minute, which is excellent. 

What are QuickBooks Time Review Ratings from Review Sites?

(As of July 2024)

• Capterra: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.5/5
• Software Advice: 4.5/5
• TrustRadius: 6.8/10
• GetApp: 4.7/5
• Google Play Store: 4.4/5 
• Apple App Store: 4.6/5

Conclusion

QuickBooks Time is an apt time tracking and attendance management solution for businesses with a mobile or field workforce. Based on my experience, the app is ideal for businesses with field sales agents, technicians, delivery drivers, and other mobile employees. 

QuickBooks Time ticks the right boxes if you need an app to schedule employees and track their regular hours and break time. Another reason you should consider this app is its smooth integration with QuickBooks Online, which simplifies payroll and accounting processes. 

Unfortunately, the inaccurate overtime tracker is off-putting for business owners who must compensate workers for overtime or double-time work. Other drawbacks include the buggy mobile app and the hefty pricing. 

Connecteam: The Better QuickBooks Time Alternative

While QuickBooks Time offers a reliable solution for time tracking and scheduling, Connecteam stands out as a superior alternative, especially for businesses seeking a comprehensive all-in-one platform. Connecteam combines employee time tracking, scheduling, task management, and mobile functionality into a user-friendly interface that enhances productivity and efficiency across various industries.

One-Tap Clock-In and Clock-Out

Connecteam’s employee Time Clock app simplifies the clock-in and clock-out process with just one click. Employees can access the time clock through the mobile app, an on-site kiosk, or a web browser, making it perfect for frontline workers. The app also allows manual time entries or edits, ensuring flexibility and accuracy in time tracking.

GPS Functionality for On-Site Verification

Connecteam’s GPS-enabled time-tracking features provide real-time location tracking, ensuring employees are on-site and safe when they clock in and out. This helps verify timesheets, reduces time theft, and maintains data security by stopping location tracking when employees clock out. Geofencing tools further enhance this feature by creating specific areas for clocking in and out.

Automatic Timesheets and Payroll Integration

Connecteam automates timesheet creation based on tracked data, assigning hours to specific jobs or tasks for easier billing and invoicing. Custom pay rates can be specified, and timesheets can be sent to employees for approval within the app. To streamline payroll, Connecteam integrates with QuickBooks Online and Gusto, allowing direct export of timesheets and reducing the risk of human error.

Custom Notifications and Alerts

Connecteam offers customizable notifications and alerts for individual employees or groups, ensuring everyone stays informed. Shift reminders and alerts for breaks and overtime help manage compliance with labor laws and maintain smooth operations. Employees can also manage their notification preferences, ensuring they receive relevant updates without intrusion.

Overall, Connecteam’s ease of use, versatile features, and affordability make it an excellent alternative to QuickBooks Time, offering proactive customer support and a complete solution for HR, communications, and operations management.

FAQs

Is QuickBooks Time HIPAA Compliant?

No, QuickBooks Time is not HIPAA compliant, lacking the necessary safeguards to protect health information, and does not enter into required Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)​​. For healthcare organizations that need to handle PHI, Connecteam is a superior alternative. Connecteam offers comprehensive features like one-tap clock-in/out, GPS tracking, automated timesheets, payroll integration, and customizable notifications, all designed to enhance productivity while ensuring data security and compliance​.

Do you have to pay for QuickBooks time?

Yes, you have to pay for QuickBooks Time. QuickBooks Time offers different pricing plans starting at a $20 per month base fee + $8 per user per month, with more advanced features available at higher subscription tiers​.