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In the age of remote work and hybrid schedules, you need reliable tools to track time and attendance, scheduling, PTO and more.
Employees want to be able to clock in and out of work quickly no matter their location and employers need to be able to track attendance and approve time sheets just as easily. The best time and attendance systems serve both types of users, offering a host of mobile self-service tools for staffers while offering business owners, managers and supervisors features to monitor hours worked, manage time off and even ensure team members are at the right job site. Add in scheduling functions, automated workflows and payroll integrations, and you have a robust solution for time and attendance. The best services, like Connecteam and When I Work, even provide free trials so you can see if their programs are right for you before signing up for a monthly or annual contract. In addition to these two vendors, we researched and identified a number of other time and attendance system providers that stand out in a crowded market with appealing features and reasonable pricing.
At business.com, we strive to provide business owners with unparalleled recommendations for the best HR software and services, along with actionable advice for navigating human resources processes, fostering a healthy company culture and improving employee engagement. We infuse our playbooks and explainers with expertise from real HR advisers, payroll consultants, retirement planners and other human resources professionals.
Across our HR reviews and product guides, every solution we recommend — whether it be a payroll platform, PEO/HRO service or employee monitoring software — is thoroughly tested, investigated and vetted independently to ensure vendor claims about products are legitimate and backed by real user experiences. As part of our commitment to fairness and accuracy, each assessment is reviewed by a top business.com editor who was not involved in the analysis process. Learn more about our editorial process.
To identify the best time and attendance services, we examined a wide selection of platforms to gauge the features offered to both employers and employees. We looked at the range of time clock options, tools for scheduling and time-off tracking, and whether the...
To identify the best time and attendance services, we examined a wide selection of platforms to gauge the features offered to both employers and employees. We looked at the range of time clock options, tools for scheduling and time-off tracking, and whether the software integrated with leading payroll services. Our assessments also took into account plan flexibility, pricing and the availability of free trials.
evaluated
researched
chosen
To identify the best time and attendance services, we examined a wide selection of platforms to gauge the features offered to both employers and employees. We looked at the range of time clock options, tools for scheduling and time-off tracking, and whether the software integrated with leading payroll services. Our assessments also took into account plan flexibility, pricing and the availability of free trials.
evaluated
researched
chosen
Our Top Picks for 2024 | Hubstaff | When I Work | Buddy Punch | BambooHR TAA | Connecteam | TimeClock Plus | UKG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rating (Out of 10) | 7.9 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 9.0 |
Use Case | Remote and Hybrid Teams | Retail and restaurants | Employee scheduling | Ease of use | Frontline workers | Scaling businesses | Automation |
Base Price | $4.99 per seat per month (two-seat minimum) | $3 per user per month | $19 per month, plus $3.99 per user | Custom quote | Free | Custom quote | Custom quote |
Free Trial | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | 7 days | 14 days | None | None |
Customer Support | Email and webchat | Webchat and ticketing | Email and webchat | Phone, email and webchat | Email and online form | Phone, email and webchat | Phone and webchat |
Scheduling | On select plans | Yes | On select plans | Limited | Yes | On select plans | Yes |
Mobile App | Android and iOS | Android and iOS | Android and iOS | Android and iOS | Android and iOS | Android and iOS | Android and iOS |
Review Link |
With Hubstaff, you are getting much more than just basic time-tracking functionality. The software offers a robust set of tools tailored for remote and hybrid teams. Companies with dispersed employees will find value in Hubstaff’s GPS tracking, mobile applications, and seamless project management integrations, all of which help maintain accountability no matter where team members are located. We also like that Hubstaff is a user-friendly and scalable solution that can integrate with payroll software to optimize workflows. Additionally, we were impressed by how its time tracking and productivity insights allow for further optimization by providing managers and business leaders with reliable workforce data.
Editor’s Rating: 8.2/10
Hubstaff’s main dashboard gives users a quick overview of key workforce data. (Source: Hubstaff)
Plan | Cost | Features |
---|---|---|
Starter* | $4.99 per seat, per month (billed annually) or $7 per seat, per month (billed monthly) | Basic time tracking; activity levels; clients and invoices; and limited screenshots, app and URL tracking, reports and payments |
Grow* | $7.50 per seat, per month (billed annually) or $9 per seat, per month (billed monthly) | Includes all Starter features, plus tasks, reports, one integration, project budgets, work breaks, expenses and idle timeout |
Team* | $10 per seat, per month (billed annually) or $12 per seat, per month (billed monthly) | Includes all Grow features, plus scheduling and attendance, time off and holidays, overtime, timesheet approvals, insights, unlimited screenshots and app/URL tracking, payments and payroll, client budgets and more |
Enterprise | $25 per seat, per month | Includes all Team features, plus locations, a corporate app, account provisioning, additional security features, enterprise deployment and more |
Optional Add-Ons | $2 to $4 per seat per month each | Insights, additional screenshots, tasks, data retention, locations and a corporate app |
*Two-seat minimum requirement
Trustpilot Score: Hubstaff has hundreds of user reviews, with a Trustpilot score of 4.1 stars out of five. In their reviews, many users commented on the company’s helpful customer support, useful productivity tools and valuable screenshot capabilities. However, some users noted dissatisfaction with needing to pay for add-on features.
Tracking hours and building schedules for retail and restaurant shift workers who rarely keep the same weekly schedule can be a time-consuming challenge for management. When I Work was designed to support shift-based workplaces with easy and effective tools for employee scheduling, time tracking and communication. When I Work may not have as many features and tools as some of the other time and attendance systems we reviewed, but that’s only because the company is focused on two key areas that are crucial to food and retail businesses — scheduling and time tracking.
Plan | Cost | Features |
---|---|---|
Essentials: Time & Attendance with Standard Scheduling | $3 per user per month | Mobile, web and terminal time clocks, time-off management, auto-scheduling, payroll and POS integrations |
Pro: Time & Attendance with Advanced Scheduling | $5 per user per month | Everything in Essentials, plus custom shift reports, advanced scheduling rules, absence tracking, labor sharing |
Premium: Time & Attendance with Advanced Scheduling and Scalability & Customization | $7 per user per month | Everything in Pro, plus API access, webhooks, single sign-on, global user privacy |
Trustpilot Score: When I Work is lacking substantial user reviews — its TrustScore of 3.6 stars out of five is based on only one testimonial. The user noted, “Time clock is great. The push notification for admin alerts don’t always work, and they need to allow you to schedule breaks. Currently you have to put the breaks in the notes, which is annoying. Otherwise, a great service.”
Buddy Punch is a simple and effective way to manage schedules and track attendance. Although the Standard plan lacks the ideal scheduling features, the Pro and Enterprise plans both have extensive employee scheduling tools. These include scheduling templates, a drag-and-drop schedule builder and recurring shift features to streamline the schedule-building process. We like that employees can set their availability and preferred work times in the software.
With Buddy Punch’s “Punch Limiting” tool, you can set rules governing when employees can clock in and whether they can deviate from their schedule. (Source: Buddy Punch)
Plan | Cost | Features |
---|---|---|
Standard | $19 per month, plus $3.99 per user per month | Time tracking, time-off tracking, job tracking, GPS on punches, alerts and reminders, break planning, reports, mobile apps, payroll integrations |
Pro | $19 per month, plus $4.99 per user per month | Everything in the Standard plan, plus employee scheduling, schedule templates and notifications, availability management, shift trades and covers, early/late/absent reporting |
Premium | $19 per month, plus $6.99 per user per month | Everything in Pro, plus real-time GPS tracking, GPS activity reporting, real-time location dashboard |
Enterprise | Custom pricing | Everything in Premium, plus dedicated enterprise support and API access |
Trustpilot Score: Buddy Punch has a TrustScore of 4.5 stars out of five based on more than a dozen reviews. One user said, “What I like most about Buddy Punch is the ease of use. All my employees can start using it from day 1 without much training. The GPS tracking and facial recognition is great.”
Based on our testing, BambooHR’s HR software platform is one of the easiest solutions to use. The web-based software is accessible from desktop and mobile devices with an intuitive user experience that requires little to no training. With either of the two plans, the self-service portal allows employees to manage their time off and access the company calendar, while the time-tracking add-on package provides valuable, user-friendly tools for time tracking, project tracking, overtime tracking, auto-submissions and more.
With the feature-packed BambooHR platform, you can track attendance, time off and payroll for each employee via one unified system. (Source: BambooHR)
Plan | Cost | Features |
---|---|---|
Core | Custom quote | Time-off tracking, benefits tracking, hiring and onboarding, HR data and reporting, integrations |
Pro | Custom quote | Everything in Core, plus performance management, employee experience and rewards, employee community |
Time-Tracking Add-On | Custom quote | Desktop and mobile time clocks, timesheets, automated approval workflows, automatic overtime calculations, project tracking, billable hours |
Trustpilot Score: BambooHR has a TrustScore of 3.5 stars out of five, indicating “average” reviews. One satisfied user said, “Down here, in our company, BambooHR is our HR lifeline. Personally, I’ve been logging my hours, slapping on my travel deets, and snagging days off — all just through this platform. No need for pesky emails or playing phone tag.”
Connecteam fuels real-time communication between employees in different locations, such as field service workers, construction crews, cleaners and home care providers. While these frontline team members are at different sites, they can use Connecteam’s mobile app to not only clock in and out but also stay in touch with managers and co-workers. We love how this digital connectivity while workers are physically apart can foster inclusivity.
Connecteam gives managers a holistic view of employee shifts while showing individual workers their specific schedules. (Source: Connecteam)
Plan | Cost | Features |
---|---|---|
Small Business | Free (up to 10 users) | Time clock, job scheduling, forms, quick tasks, chat, updates, directory, knowledge base, time-off, recognition, celebrations |
Basic Operations | $29 per month for the first 30 users | Time clock, job scheduling, forms, quick tasks, reports, payroll integration, shift info |
Advanced Operations | $49 per month for the first 30 users | Everything in Basic, plus admin permissions, geofencing, recurring shifts and templates, kiosk clock-ins, auto clock-out |
Expert Operations | $99 per month for the first 30 users | Everything in Advanced, plus automatic shift assignments, location management, live GPS tracking, process automation |
Trustpilot Score: Connecteam has a TrustScore of 4.9 stars out of five, indicating “excellent” user reviews. Said one customer, “I run a service based business in steel pipe and tube for over 20 years. We struggled to find a way to track time, manage expenses, reduce paper, speed up invoicing and in general keep track of multiple employees spread out across the country on multiple jobs. Finally we found CONNECTEAM. CONNECTEAM has answered every problem and has made a huge impact to our overall efficiency. I cannot speak highly enough about this application.”
Of all the time and attendance systems we reviewed, TimeClock Plus offers the most flexibility in its plans and add-ons. The system works especially well for growing businesses with evolving needs. TimeClock Plus also distinguishes itself with advanced hardware, which includes time clocks that scan your fingerprint or take your temperature. The platform offers a solid assortment of features and tools for basic time and attendance, scheduling and payroll prep.
The TimeClock Plus dashboard for managers allows them to monitor employee attendance and overtime. (Source: TimeClock Plus)
Plan | Cost | Features |
---|---|---|
Essentials | Custom quote | Time and attendance tracking, configurable dashboard, basic reporting, employee management, job code management, overtime calculations, weekday customer support |
Professional | Custom quote | Everything in Essentials, plus PTO and leave management, automated imports, payroll exports, employee scheduling, Humanity scheduling integration |
Enterprise | Custom quote | Everything in Professional, plus attestation tracking, multilanguage support, job costing, shift differential, advanced leave, advanced overtime, annualized employee management, 24/7 customer support, TCP mobile app |
Trustpilot Score: TimeClock Plus isn’t registered on Trustpilot. However, on fellow user review site TrustRadius, it has a trScore of 7.9 out of 10. Said one user, “We have used TimeClock Plus for tracking time and attendance, building employee schedules, and preparing hours for payroll. We did not run into many issues with this application system and were quite happy with the results.”
The UKG Ready system shines when it comes to streamlining time and attendance operations and making businesses more efficient with timekeeping. Between automated time tracking, timecard approvals, time-off approvals and absence tracking, the customizable automatic workflows save time for employers and employees alike. We also love that UKG helps companies comply with local, state and federal laws regarding employment and pay.
UKG not only helps supervisors save time with its automation tools, but its mobile time-tracking features make monitoring your workforce on the go a breeze. (Source: UKG)
Plan | Cost | Features |
---|---|---|
Contact vendor | Custom quote | Advanced time clocks, timesheet management, drag-and-drop custom workflows, real-time reporting, geofencing, schedule manager, mobile employee and manager self-service |
Trustpilot Score: UKG has few user reviews, with a TrustScore of 2.8 stars out of five based on just three customer ratings. While the testimonials there are disappointing, UKG Ready boasts a 8.1 trScore (out of 10) and hundreds of positive reviews on TrustRadius, including one that stated, “We use it for recruitment, onboarding, timekeeping, payroll, benefit management, evaluations, and document storage. It has allowed us to go almost paperless and has increased the self-service for employees, allowing our HR staff to attend to less admin work.”
Time and attendance software is used by employers and employees to keep track of hours worked. The platforms are built around a physical or digital time clock element that allows workers to clock in and out. The system records the hours, which are then used to calculate payroll and how much each employee should be paid for their time. Some time and attendance solutions have built-in payroll processing, while others integrate with third-party payroll services for a seamless process.
The best time and attendance software programs go beyond day-to-day time tracking. These products are also capable of managing paid time off and sick leave, creating shift-based schedules, monitoring project progress, and calculating labor costs. The most modern systems enable biometric clock-ins and have GPS features that ensure the right people are working at the right place.
Any business with one or more employees, in virtually any industry, can benefit from using time and attendance software. Whether your team works in the office, remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, these timekeeping solutions will ensure tracking employee attendance and approving time sheets is a pain-free process for employers and employees alike.
Time clock platforms work slightly differently depending on whether you’re using a physical time clock or a digital one. A physical time clock is a hardware device that lets employees clock in and out using an ID code, badge, their fingerprint or a biometric scan. In contrast, a digital time clock is accessible through a web browser or mobile app. With those, clocking in and out is as simple as clicking a button.
In either case, the data collected by the time clock is stored in the corresponding time and attendance software. The platform records each employee’s clock-ins, clock-outs and, if applicable, breaks and time off, and generates electronic time sheets for managers to approve. Once approved, employers can use the time sheets to process payroll.
As an employer, a time clock platform will help you simplify timekeeping, pay employees accurately and ensure legal compliance. For your employees, the software will allow them to easily log their hours worked, request time off and have the confidence that they are being paid correctly.
Time and attendance services like Buddy Punch make it easy to approve and track employee time off. (Source: Buddy Punch)
Time and attendance software is a valuable solution for ensuring payroll compliance and accuracy, reducing errors and legal disputes, and increasing HR efficiency. Learn about these benefits below.
Time and attendance software makes clocking in and out simple. Employees can typically do so using a computer or a physical time clock. Most vendors also offer a mobile app, which gives remote and field workers an easy way to record their time via their phones.
A time and attendance system provides employees with a means to consistently record their time worked. These systems track paid breaks and unpaid lunch hours, reduce timekeeping errors, and monitor where and when an employee is on the clock. They can help businesses stay compliant with employee overtime laws by automatically tracking overtime hours, and they also help you comply with labor laws and regulations affecting time off, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Automated timekeeping systems like UKG help businesses pay employees accurately, removing guesswork about when someone started or ended their shift and minimizing errors. That reduces time theft, which affects three-quarters of businesses, according to research from the American Payroll Association.
Time fraud is a significant issue for businesses; almost half of U.S. employees have admitted to time theft. Time theft may cost employers as much as $11 billion per year.
Another benefit of a digital time and attendance system is that it reduces the time employees, managers, HR and payroll team members spend manually tracking time. It can take about six minutes to complete each worker’s timecard, according to research from Sierra Workforce Solutions. For larger organizations, those minutes add up to time that could be better spent elsewhere. Time and attendance software eliminates this recordkeeping burden from managers and staff, freeing them to work on more important tasks.
Time and attendance software reduces the likelihood of errors that may occur as a result of handwritten or manually keyed-in time sheets. An automated time-tracking program prevents timecard disputes and reassures employees that they’re being paid accurately. Should a staffer question their pay, you’ll have accurate time and attendance records to show the hours for which they’re being paid.
As you and your employees use your chosen time and attendance software, you’ll build up a repository of helpful data. While the exact reports available vary by platform, many monitor total hours worked each week, the number of vacation or sick days taken across your staff, job costs and more. These solutions usually allow the data to be exported as a report or CSV file if you want to share it with your fellow business leaders or upload it to other business software.
The type of time clock you choose, such as this one from TimeClock Plus, will affect your costs. (Source: TimeClock Plus)
Time and attendance systems can be purchased as either an on-premises or cloud-based solution; however, small and midsize businesses often find cloud-based options best for time tracking due to their easy accessibility. Most cloud-based providers charge per user — that is, you must pay for each person, employee, manager or administrator who uses the software. The average cost typically ranges between $2 and $20 per person per month. On top of this per-user cost, some vendors like Buddy Punch also charge a monthly base fee between $15 and $45.
Some of these time and attendance system providers offer volume discounts, which means the per-employee costs go down with the more employees you have. Others offer discounts for annual subscription plans. Meanwhile, if you choose to purchase an on-premises time and attendance system that you host on-site, you may pay an upfront fee of $99 or more, but you won’t have monthly fees. Instead, you’ll pay a license fee for each computer and a setup fee to install and configure your timekeeping system. Setup fees range from $100 to $1,000 or more, depending on the vendor.
Beyond your setup type and number of users, factors that may affect your overall pricing for a timekeeping system include the number of locations where you collect time, the range of features in your package, whether you want customizable reports and interfaces, and whether you need any hardware, such as a computer, tablet or other device to serve as your time clock. You will also likely pay more for single sign-on abilities and if you want add-on services like native payroll processing. Some providers may even charge annual support fees.
Speaking of hardware, a critical cost factor to keep in mind is the type of equipment you need to track employee attendance. For example, you can use the time and attendance software with a web browser or you may want to pair the service with a physical time clock. Physical time clock devices range in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on whether they have features such as facial recognition, thermal sensors and fingerprint scanners.
When choosing a time clock platform, you’ll first want to consider your business’s specific needs. Do you employ field service workers and want GPS tools to monitor their whereabouts? Are you concerned about keeping in-office employees healthy and want to implement a time clock capable of temperate scans? Do you have the budget to pay more for these advanced features? These are vital questions to ask yourself as you begin the buying process.
Once you know the type of time clock software and, if applicable, hardware you’re looking for, you can use guides like this one to see which products on the market best meet your needs. As you narrow down the options, you’ll want to keep factors like integration options and customer support availability in mind. Business.com spoke with business owners who advised prioritizing these and other criteria like the ones below.
Multiple business owners cited usability as one of the most important factors they considered when selecting time and attendance software.
“When a tool is difficult to navigate, it’s like trying to force something that doesn’t quite fit. You end up with a headache trying to make it work,” said Maxime Bouillon, co-founder and CEO of Archie. “With TimeClock Plus, though, we found the whole process went smoothly.”
Nirav Chheda, co-founder and CEO of Bambi NEMT, similarly said he had a “smooth” experience implementing TimeClock Plus, noting that “the software has exceeded our expectations in terms of functionality and user-friendliness.” But, he added, “If I had to do it again, I would probably allocate more resources for employee training to ensure maximum adoption and utilization of the software’s advanced features.”
For that reason, Johnny Austin, owner of Sell My House Now, said he paid “much attention to the interface” when he selected BambooHR, as he wanted to make sure the program would be easy to use for team members “with different levels of tech-savviness.”
In this era of remote work and hybrid arrangements, employers are increasingly relying on mobile timekeeping systems to monitor their employees.
For Chase McKee, founder of Rocket Alumni Solutions, he wanted to “gain insight” into his “remote team’s schedules.” As such, “mobile functionality was critical for our distributed workforce.” He found what he was looking for with When I Work, sharing that the “mobile app lets employees clock in/out, check schedules and request time off anywhere… I can’t overstate how much mobile access and an intuitive interface benefit productivity.”
“We have employees in multiple locations, so a mobile app was essential,” said fellow When I Work user Joe Amaral, CEO of Anthem Software. Dane Nk, founder of ThatVideoGame Blog, also pointed to the “asynchronous” schedules his team works as a reason “remote work flexibility was an important consideration in our decision-making process.”
Of all other business software, time and attendance solutions work most closely with payroll services. Ensuring your new timekeeping application is compatible with your existing payroll system is essential.
“When deciding on BambooHR, the first criterion was how well it would connect with the programs we use now. As for a time-tracking tool, we searched for one that allows integration with the company’s payroll system,” said Austin.
Nk said he’s “satisfied” with his choice of When I Work, “but one adjustment I’d make is to test integrations with payroll earlier in the process.” Amaral also confessed, “I wish I had considered advanced reporting and payroll integration originally. We ended up upgrading to access those features.”
Meanwhile, Bouillon, who prioritized “seamless integration” along with ease of use, was pleased to be able to integrate TimeClock Plus with his existing payroll system, “which not only increased accuracy but also reduced the number of manual errors significantly.”
Daniel Vasquez, owner of Dynamic Auto Movers, had a specific concern when searching for a time-tracking solution: custom reporting.
“Clocking in and out was not enough; we were after actionable information that could enhance our productivity,” he told us. “With custom reporting from Buddy Punch, we can retrieve certain data, like overtime and work performance per site. This has helped us identify breakdowns that we would not have been able to see otherwise.”
Will Mitchell, founder of Startup Bros, had similar goals. He sought a platform with “strong reporting,” and discovered that Hubstaff delivers “invaluable insight into how my team spends their time each day and where we can improve efficiency.”
At Get Levrg, CEO Jamie Shanks likes that Hubstaff allows him and his team to segment time by customer, project and task. “This helps us conduct cohort analysis on customer profitability and/or tasks that are hindering gross margins,” he said.
McKee also considered scalability when he chose to implement When I Work. He advised fellow business owners, “Choose software that will scale with your business and support its evolution. Don’t make price the only factor, but consider total cost of ownership and how the platform fuels growth.”
“I do wish we had evaluated other options to confirm UKG Pro was scalable for our long-term growth,” said Christian Strange, owner of Strange Insurance Agency. “For any business, identify your must-haves, but consider how needs may change. An advanced system may cost more, but provide infrastructure to avoid replacement costs.”
Austin put it simply: “Choose a solution that will work not only for the present but also for the future.”
During our test of When I Work, seen here, we tried features like building timesheets and creating employee schedules. (Source: When I Work/business.com)
Time and attendance software is designed to help businesses keep track of when employees work. Most also monitor time off, and some include employee scheduling and shift scheduling tools to make workforce planning easier.
When comparing timekeeping solutions, we suggest paying close attention to these features.
While we highly recommend the time and attendance solutions highlighted above, the following alternatives also boast valuable feature sets that, based on our investigation, meet a variety of timekeeping needs.
Rippling provides a workforce management system that’s highly customizable. We love the vendor’s a la carte model, which allows you to build upon the base system with only the modules you want. The unified time and payroll offering includes many of the standard features you’d expect, such as multiple clock-in methods and time-off management. But we especially like the job tracking and costing tools, which let you monitor hours worked based on task and location and group labor costs for better informed workforce planning. Learn more in our detailed Rippling HR software review.
QuickBooks Time is ideal for mobile workforces because of its suite of features that cater to businesses with employees at multiple locations. Robust mobile apps make it easy for staffers to clock in and out while geofencing and GPS tracking tools ensure they are only doing so at the proper job site. The system also lets managers know who is working where and even what tasks they’re working on. Plus, we love how seamlessly the service integrates with QuickBooks Payroll and QuickBooks Online. Find out more in our comprehensive review of QuickBooks Time.
Justworks provides PEO services through an incredibly user-friendly platform. Once you partner with this professional employer organization, you can integrate its time and attendance system, Justworks Hours. The tools allow you to customize overtime rules, track hours for both employees and contractors, and send payment notifications to workers. We also like that the software has an offline mode, allowing you to use the program without an internet connection. Our review of the Justworks PEO has more information.
Paychex stands out for the employee self-service features it offers to remote employees. Workers can access a range of clock-in methods no matter where they’re working from, submit PTO requests from their phone and communicate with managers and co-workers through the app. There are two plans available, which you can add onto a remote-friendly Paychex Flex HR software package or purchase as a standalone offering. See a breakdown of pricing and plans in our full Paychex Flex review.
Time Doctor sets itself apart by going beyond simple attendance tracking to also monitor employee activity and influence productivity. The system records what staffers are working on, sends distraction notifications if their computer has seemingly gone idle and gathers data so supervisors can see how their team members are wasting time or where they are most productive. We also like the work-life balance dashboard, which analyzes employee behavior to identify who is at risk of burnout. Check out an overview of all the features in our Time Doctor review.
OnTheClock is a great choice for new businesses, particularly since the service is free if you only have two employees. As your startup grows, you will have to pay a subscription fee, but the per-employee price decreases as you add more people to your team. Even with OnTheClock’s low cost, you can access some advanced tools, like biometric fingerprint time-clocking, that other vendors tend to restrict to more expensive packages. We also appreciate the lengthy 30-day free trial. Learn more about OnTheClock.
Similar to Ripping, PurelyHR prioritizes customization, allowing businesses to choose the modules they want their platform to contain. While the main Staff module, an employee portal, is required, you can add on components for time clocks, timesheets and time-off management as you wish. Within each of these functions are additional options for customization, whether you are setting time sheet periods, overtime rules, vacation policies or report metrics. You can also customize how staff members accrue time off. Just beware PurelyHR is the rare vendor in this sector without a mobile app.
To determine the best time and attendance software on the market, our team of HR experts and software analysts evaluated an initial list of 20 platforms. After narrowing the group to 13, we chose six time and attendance services as our top recommendations.
As we whittled our list down, our decision-making process involved meeting with vendor representatives for product demos and asking them questions about their software. We then took the time to test each solution ourselves, assessing how easy or difficult it was to get started using the service and whether each feature performed as promised. We also researched customer testimonials to learn how real-life users felt about the platforms and to see whether their experiences were in line with ours.
In the end, our experts and analysts studied each solution’s functionality and judged the programs on more than 30 factors. These factors were broken down into categories and weighted differently in our overall conclusion. The weights were determined based on how much business owners prioritize these criteria when shopping for business software and services and making purchasing decisions.
Based on these criteria, we not only determined which time and attendance software our readers could trust but also the ways in which each solution could best serve different business needs. Some services were better at certain tasks than others or more suited to a particular type of company. These takeaways informed the “Best for” use cases you see on this page.
To learn more about our methodology, see our full editorial process.
You need to get time and attendance software as soon as you start hiring employees for your business. While solopreneurs may want to use a time clock platform to track their own hours and time spent on various projects, this kind of program is most commonly used at companies with one or more employees. When you begin hiring, you’ll want to have time and attendance software in place for the onboarding process and so your new hires can immediately start logging their time.
Biometric time and attendance software refers to software that identifies employees when they clock in or out using characteristics that are unique to them, such as their fingerprints or retinas. The software gathers that information to ensure the right person is using the time clock. The biometric devices that timekeeping providers offer are similar to those used at banks that may require your fingerprint, handprint or thumbprint as proof of identification.
Mobile time tracking is when you use a mobile app or a mobile-optimized website to track and manage time for off-site workers, such as field service technicians or remote employees. This option is especially valuable in today’s hybrid environment, in which many employees are working outside the office.
GPS works in a time and attendance system by using geolocation to record the exact locations of employees each time they clock in or out. Employers can then see those locations and make sure staffers are where they are supposed to be.
Some systems offer GPS tracking in conjunction with geofencing, which lets businesses set location boundaries that define where employees can clock in and out. For example, employers can set perimeters around a work site to ensure their workers are showing up at the correct location each day or to remind them to clock in when they arrive at the job site. Without this function, an employee, in theory, could clock in and out from home and never show up at the job site.
A few providers have added GPS-infused mobile tracking features that record the locations of off-site employees throughout the day. The system pings the workers’ mobile devices every few minutes so employers can view a map of where their field employees are at any given time.