Connecteam was founded in 2016 as a mobile-first workforce management and time tracking app for virtual, on-site, and distributed teams. 

This all-in-one app includes features across three separate hubs: Operations, Communications, and HR & Skills. In addition to location-based time tracking, these hubs offer tools for employee scheduling, paid time off (PTO) management, and employee engagement.

Consumers praise Connecteam for its ease of use and wide range of workforce management tools. However, some believe the range of features is limited and the user interface feels cluttered.

To test how the app helps managers schedule, communicate, and assign tasks, I signed up for a free 14-day trial, which gave me access to all three hubs. I reviewed its key features — from both a manager’s and an employee’s perspective — on its web interface and iOS app. Specifically, I looked at the time clock, scheduling, PTO management, communications, reporting, and integrations. I also assessed how Connecteam’s pricing structure and security credentials stack up against other time tracking apps.

Below, I break down where Connecteam really impressed and where it didn’t meet expectations. 

Final verdict

Connecteam is an impressive all-in-one workforce management app, with intuitive time tracking and strong geolocation features to minimize time theft. Users can easily adapt its flexible scheduling tools to business needs, and its handy communication tools can help companies keep employees in the loop.

However, it can become quite costly for growing businesses. The reporting functionalities could also be improved, as Connecteam offers surface-level analysis compared to competitors.

Total Score: 4.02 / 5

(Read the full review below for more information on how each section was scored.)

Account Creation and Setup	4 / 5
Comparison Features	4.1 / 5
→ Time tracking	4 / 5
→ Scheduling	4 / 5
→ Attendance and Labor Costs	4.5 / 5
→ Timesheets and Payroll	4.5 / 5
→ Paid Time Off and Leave	3.5 / 5
User Interface and Ease of Use	4 / 5
Mobile App	4 / 5
Reporting	3.5 / 5
Help and Support	4 / 5
Pricing	3.5 / 5
Integrations	4 / 5
Security	5 / 5

Pros and Cons

✅ Multiple functions in one tool	❌ The depth of reports could be improved
✅ Easy-to-use app and web interface	❌ No offline mode
✅ Flexible scheduling tool with the option to find a shift replacement	❌Pricing structure is complex
✅ Excellent geolocation tools to limit buddy punching/time theft	❌Frequent upselling during the trial period
✅ Robust communication tools to support remote/mobile employees
✅ Responsive customer support

Account Creation and Setup

Setting up an account on Connecteam as a manager was quick and simple. However, unlike other time tracking tools I’ve used, such as Clockify and Buddy Punch, I couldn’t see an option to authenticate with Apple or Google. 

After signing up, Connecteam asked some basic questions about my business, including its name, industry, number of employees, and number of branches. For this review, I created a fictional accountancy firm with three branches and 11–30 employees.

Connecteam asked me to specify which features I wanted to use. I selected key features across all three hubs, including Time Clock, Schedule, and Chat & Updates. 

I loved that Connecteam asked me to add a company logo. This small touch helped personalize the dashboard — a great way to help employees feel connected to the business whenever they open the app or website. 

Finally, it asked me to provide my mobile number. From the next sign-in, I could login quickly via the web browser using my email or with a four-digit verification PIN sent to my phone. 

Compared to other time tracking tools I’ve tested, Connecteam offers far more hand-holding initially, which helped me master the basics quickly. After a short welcome video, a “Getting started” wizard talked me through how to use each selected feature step by step. These resources remain available on the dashboard until you mark them as complete (or “skip” them), so you don’t need to complete them all in one session.

One thing that took away from my experience was the immediate upsell. Soon after signing up, I was asked to book a demo, and it sent me around in circles when I tried to proceed without it. The screen showed messages like “Complete all steps within 24 hours to earn $5 credit when upgrading” and “Get up to $165 worth of credits to use when upgrading to our paid plans.” 

If you can overlook the upselling, adding users to Connecteam as a manager is straightforward. While you can add users manually using their full name and mobile number, you can also upload users in bulk via a template — something I wasn’t able to do on Clockify. There’s no option to add users via email, but I could generate a QR code or an invite link to share with users. 

After adding members, I could create “smart groups” based on employees’ job roles, departments, qualifications, or any other category of my choice. This option for tailoring can give admins flexibility in managing data for different types of employees. 

Verdict: 4 / 5

Overall, Connecteam’s sign-up process is simple, with plenty of support to get started, but I found the upselling at this early stage a little off-putting.

Time Tracking

Connecteam features an intuitive time clock that can be accessed via a web browser on Windows or Mac, a mobile phone, and an on-site kiosk. Time clock data is automatically added to digital timesheets, making it easy for both managers and employees to track hours worked.

Time tracking for managers 

The manager dashboard felt a little cluttered. But on the upside, it allowed me to monitor employee attendance in real time, which was valuable. The at-a-glance dashboard showed which employees were clocked in and the time they started their shift. I could view this information for all employees at once or for different groups separately. 

To help minimize time theft and buddy punching, Connecteam offers both geolocation and geofencing tools. The tool allowed me to see a map view of employees who had clocked in that day and at which branch, along with their movements throughout the day.

Time tracking for employees 

Connecteam’s time clock function was straightforward. I just had to tap a button to clock in or out. A visual timer showed how long I’d been on shift. When the relevant setting was enabled, the time tracker maintained an accurate record of my location throughout the day.  

I was happy to see that when I tried to clock in outside my designated radius, an error message popped up, asking me to move into the work zone to clock in. 

However, unlike Clockify, the browser tab didn’t indicate my timer was running, so employees may forget to clock out. This is why the reminder to clock out at the end of my designated shift was especially useful. Because Connecteam checks for location, I was automatically clocked out once I left the geofence radius (if the relevant setting was enabled).

Connecteam also alerts you if you forget to log in after your shift has started or if you exceed overtime limits, although it may have been more useful to be notified before hitting overtime. I was impressed that Connecteam automatically clocked me out after 13 continuous logged hours, per the business rules I had set. I was prompted via email and app to update my time recording (or clock back in if I was still working), with edits sent straight to my manager for approval. 

I wanted to see if I could specify a project or task when recording time ad hoc but couldn’t easily find an option to do so. I later found an option to add “job” or “customer” to the time clock, but this feature was buried deep in the settings. 

I could also manually track time, subject to manager approval. This feature could be handy if employees work extra hours at short notice and need to update their timesheets retroactively. 

Verdict: 4 / 5

Connecteam offers easy-to-use time tracking tools that combine geolocation and geofencing to minimize time theft, but tracking time against jobs and projects doesn’t feel intuitive. 

Scheduling 

Connecteam offers a flexible scheduling tool to help managers plan and allocate work. Employees can set their availability and preferred hours, so it’s clear when they’re available to work. 

Managers can build shifts themselves or let the auto-scheduling tool do the heavy lifting. It can create shifts based on employee availability, qualifications, and applicable limitations.

Scheduling for managers

It took me some time to confidently master schedules in Connecteam, but this was largely due to the range of options. 

I could add a single shift or multiple shifts to populate a weekly schedule. I could even use shift templates (e.g., morning shift, evening shift). Alternatively, you could upload a shift pattern directly from Excel or copy schedules from the previous week — a time-saver if your employees have predictable working patterns.

When building multiple shifts, Connecteam let me add breaks to each shift. This can help managers demonstrate compliance with state meal and lunch break laws. 

I could leave shifts open for “claiming” or allocate them directly to employees. I could also add specific tasks to shifts before publishing. The tool sent an alert in case of clashes, and it was easy to drag and drop shifts as required. 

For busy managers and large teams, the Auto Assign tool can be efficient. It can assign employees to unassigned shifts based on their availability and qualifications, greatly reducing admin effort. Managers can still check to make sure everything looks good before publication. 

Once schedules are published, employees are notified instantly. As a manager, I could see at a glance which shifts had been confirmed. This should help managers track progress on work. I could even share a link with clients to keep them informed about project progress. 

Importantly, I could update schedules even after they’d been shared, and employees received notifications right away.

Scheduling for employees

As an employee, it was convenient that I could set periods of “unavailability.” I could mark myself as unavailable for an entire day or a set period of time during the day.  

I allocated myself a shift and received an instant phone notification and email with the shift details, including the date, time, and any allocated task. I could approve or reject the shift easily and communicate directly with my manager in the app. 

Unlike competitor scheduling tools such as Clockify and QuickBooks Time, Connecteam let me find a shift replacement directly by sending a request to “Available users.” 

However, despite rejecting a shift, I was still sent clock-in reminders an hour before it was due to start. This could cause confusion for employees. 

Verdict: 4/5

While they take some getting used to, Connecteam’s flexible scheduling tools include a variety of templates and upload options for efficiency. I loved the “Find replacements” feature, which can minimize admin burden.

Attendance and Labor Costs

Connecteam offers several features to monitor attendance and manage labor costs.  

Apart from showing who’s currently working, the time clock dashboard clearly displays whether an employee is running late or has failed to show for their shift — a useful tool for managing attendance. The geofence tools can limit time theft by preventing off-site clock-ins and automatically clock employees out if they leave a location during their shift. You can limit clock-ins to a few minutes before a scheduled shift start time, so your labor costs won’t go up due to early arrivals.

However, it doesn’t automatically inform managers if someone clocks out early. 

Being able to set a maximum number of hours per day or week was a useful feature. While I didn’t receive a notification in case of overtime, it flagged instances where set rules were broken, and managers can reallocate shifts where necessary. 

I was pleased to see various break options, including automatic break calculation, which deducted an unpaid break after a set number of hours had been logged. To simplify payroll, Connecteam offers punch rounding, automatically rounding off clock-in and clock-out times to the nearest 5-, 10-, 15-, or 30-minute interval (based on your set rules).  

The schedule view was a helpful feature. It provides managers a snapshot of scheduled and actual labor costs for a specified time period, which can support workforce planning.

Verdict: 4.5 / 5

With strong tools to prevent time theft, limit punches, and calculate breaks, Connecteam helps managers stay on top of attendance and labor costs. 

Timesheets and Payroll

Connecteam automatically creates digital timesheets that record the total hours worked over the pay period, including PTO. The view defaults to monthly, but I could also view hours worked during custom date ranges. 

While they can be locked, I liked that I could keep timesheets open for employees to edit, subject to manager approval. Once the pay period is complete, employees can click on a simple “Submit timesheet” button. 

Connecteam sends managers alerts when automated timesheets are ready for review, and these can be checked for each employee or for the whole team. In addition to showing total hours, breaks, and time off, it highlights any irregularities, such as missed clock-outs.

Once you approve timesheets, you can export them in various formats, adding extra columns or using templates ready for uploading into your payroll system. Connecteam keeps a trail of revisions made to timesheets after they have been approved by the manager, which can be useful for audit purposes. 

Verdict: 4.5 / 5

Connecteam creates editable timesheets and flags inconsistencies, making it easy to fix any mistakes before payroll runs. 

PTO and Leave

Connecteam’s PTO feature, which sits under the HR & Skills hub, helps managers monitor and process requests for paid and unpaid time off. 

PTO and leave management for managers

Creating a new leave policy — including specifying the number of days per year, accrual, and carry-over rules — was straightforward. I was glad that, unlike Clockify, you could allocate a fixed number of days off, adjusted based on the terms of contract (full-time or part-time work), without doing complex calculations. 

I could create policies for different leave types, from vacation and sick leave to parental leave, volunteering, and bereavement leave. I could then assign different policies to different groups or individuals — handy if your business works on various contractual terms. 

Taking action on leave requests was simple. I could view real-time leave balances and approve or reject requests with a single tap. That said, I did miss the calendar view in Clockify, which let me check for team cover before approving. In Connecteam, I couldn’t quickly check who else was on leave at the same time. I also couldn’t see a way to set blackout weeks to block leave requests during crucial business periods, like inventory weeks or client onboarding. 

I appreciated that I could add notes when approving or rejecting requests. This can cushion the blow when you reject leaves. Connecteam keeps an audit trail of all leave requests, which could prove useful if an employee is a no-show on a day for which leave was declined. 

PTO and leave management for employees

As an employee, I could check my leave balance at any time via the web browser or mobile app, along with all previous approved and rejected requests.

When requesting a leave, I simply had to select a “Time off type.” My remaining balance for the chosen leave type was shown based on this selection.

Under the business rules I set up for my Connecteam trial, employees must request leaves at least 14 days before the planned leave date. This prevented me from sending leave requests at shorter notice. The “Balance after approval” field turned red if I went into negative balance, but this did not block the request. 

Verdict: 3.5 / 5

Connecteam makes it easy to request and approve PTO. It supports flexible leave policies and shows real-time balances. As a manager, however, it’s not easy to see booked or requested leave dates by other employees before making a decision — a feature I appreciated in other time tracking tools. 

Reporting

Connecteam has a selection of automated reports to analyze time and attendance data, including:

• Time Clock Auto Reports
• Forms Auto Reports
• Shift Reports
• Weekly Timesheet Reports

I like how these can be scheduled to run automatically or downloaded as an Excel document or CSV file, which can then be used for detailed analysis. 

However, there was no dedicated reports dashboard, and I had to check multiple menus to find the reports.  

Verdict: 3 / 5

While it provides useful insights, Connecteam could improve its reporting. I’d love to have seen more visual charts like the ones in Clockify. Compared to competitors like Jibble or Buddy Punch, the analysis, particularly in relation to attendance, felt surface level. 

Other Features

As an all-in-one workforce management app, I explored many of Connecteam’s other features during testing, including:

• Quick tasks – handy for adding to-do lists to shifts so employees can view their tasks at a glance 
• Forms – useful for generating expense reimbursement reports and summaries of work completed 
• Directory – helpful for finding contact details for all employees in one place

The features in the Communications hub are particularly useful for remote or distributed teams. It offers an internal communication platform, where employees can view updates from the company and colleagues and chat with each other. As a separate hub, however, it incurs an additional charge. 

For crucial updates like essential readings and mandatory training sessions, you can track engagement directly on Connecteam to see who’s read, commented, and engaged.

User Interface

Connecteam’s web interface looks clean and modern. The intuitive (and colorful) menu makes it easy for employees to navigate between features. Clocking in, viewing timesheets, requesting time off, and viewing shifts are easy, even for non-technical users. I liked that the chat function is easily accessible, so employees don’t need to switch between multiple tools to resolve queries.  

In comparison, the manager’s view is much busier, with multiple blocks on the dashboard. The real-time view of who was clocked in was useful, but the upselling message created some clutter. This message may not be shown to paid subscribers.

On the left menu, features are organized by hub, but I could drag and drop to reorder them based on my preferences. The biggest drawback was that some customization options felt like they were hidden deep inside the Settings menu, which forced me to spend time looking for them and even check the support pages. 

Verdict: 4 / 5

Overall, the Connecteam user interface is colorful, engaging, and easy to navigate, but some customization options could be made more obvious. 

Connecteam’s Mobile App

Google Play Store Score: 4.8 / 5 (about 23,300 ratings)

Apple App Store Score: 4.9 / 5 (about 45,000 ratings) 

Employee view

As an employee, I found the Connecteam app simple to navigate. I could clock in, check my timesheet, view my schedule, confirm shifts, and view tasks and company-wide communications all in one place. The notifications were really useful, alerting me to new shift allocations or sending reminders when my shift was due to start. 

While some reviewers report lags or delays with the app, I didn’t experience any issues during testing. There is no offline mode, however, so strong connectivity is required.  

Manager view

Unlike some competitor apps, Connecteam allows managers to complete most relevant functions via the app, including approving PTO, scheduling shifts, and reviewing timesheets. I loved being able to see at a glance who was logged in at which location.

I did find it harder to build schedules on the app because of its restricted view. For analytics and reporting, I needed to return to the web browser. 

Verdict: 4 / 5

Although some tools are easier to use via the web interface, the Connecteam mobile app performs well for both employees and managers, as long as the internet connection is good. 

Pricing 

Compared to other time tracking apps I’ve tested, including Buddy Punch and Clockify, Connecteam’s pricing plans are significantly more complex. While you can customize plans, I found it difficult to work out exactly what I’d be charged. 

Pricing is modular across three hubs: Operations, Communications, and HR & Skills.

The free plan includes features from all three hubs but is capped at 10 users, so once your business grows, you will need to shift to a paid plan. If you’ve already grown to love the features across multiple hubs, you may have to plan your budget carefully to account for the sharp price increase.

I like that you can pick and choose which features you use. For example, you could have an Expert plan for the Operations hub, a Basic plan for Communications, and not use HR & Skills at all. If you need only basic time tracking, a Connecteam alternative might be a better choice. 

All three hubs offer fixed plans for up to 30 users. These plans cost the same for all hubs. After the first 30 users, you need to pay a per-user monthly price. 

The table below shows the prices and features available under different plans of the Operations hub. Each plan also offers limited features from the other two hubs. 

	Free plan	Basic	Advanced	Expert	Enterprise
Price per user/month billed monthly	$0 (max 10 users)	$35 for the first 30 users; $1 per additional user/month	$59 for 30 users for the first 30 users; $3 per additional user/month	$119 for the first 30 users; $5 per additional user/month	Price on request
Price per user/month billed annually	N/A	$29 for the first 30 users; $0.8 per additional user/month	$49 for the first 30 users; $2.50 per additional user/month	$99 for the first 30 users; $4.20 per additional user/month	Price on request
Example: 25 users, billed monthly	N/A	£35	$59	$119
Example: 25 users, billed annually	N/A	£29	$49	$99
Example: 60 users, billed monthly	N/A	$65	$149	$269
Example: 60 users, billed annually	N/A	$53	$124	$225
What’s included?	Everything in Operations Expert, with some limitations:   – A single time clock – No pay rates per resource – ADP not included in payroll – A single schedule – No activity analytics dashboard, API access, or support	Real-time clock-in and clock-out with: – GPS – Unlimited jobs (clients, projects, etc.) – Payroll integration – Basic scheduling, including open shifts – Unlimited checklists, forms, and tasks	Everything in Operations Basic, plus: – Time clock customization – Auto clock-out – Up to 10 geofence sites – Advanced filters and bulk actions – Schedule repeating shifts and templates – Shareable links for schedules – Conditional fields in forms	Everything in Operations Advanced, plus: – Unlimited shift attachments – Unlimited geofence sites – Auto-assign shifts in schedule – Up to 12 different schedules – Unlimited shift tasks – Auto-reports for time clock and forms data – API access	Everything in Operations Expert, plus: – Unlimited time clocks and schedules – Unlimited auto-reports – Unlimited shareable links for schedules – Unlimited data layers – Single sign-on (SSO) – Two-factor authentication (2FA) – Biometric app lock – Personal success manager

Verdict: 3.5 / 5

For small to medium businesses, Connecteam’s pricing is competitive. However, once you reach 30 users, the price per user per hub can become costly if multiple features are activated. My biggest concern was just how confusing it was to determine which level was best for my needs. I was confused by references to “limited access” to other hubs and wished this part was a little more transparent. 

Integrations

Connecteam integrates with several payroll providers, including Paychex, Xero, and Gusto.

Connecteam also offers POS integrations with Lightspeed and Square. Retail and hospitality firms will find this feature useful, as it lets businesses analyze workforce planning and sales data together to make more informed labor decisions. 

Verdict: 4 / 5

Connecteam offers direct payroll integration. However, the options are more limited than those of some competitors, including Buddy Punch and Homebase.

Security 

Connecteam offers impressive security credentials to keep personal data safe. Its data centers are located in Germany (AWS) and the Netherlands (MS Azure), which means it complies with strict privacy laws such as GDPR. 

It’s easy to control who sees what in Connecteam, thanks to role-based access controls and a wide range of feature-specific permissions and restrictions. Two-factor authentication for admins offers an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access. 

When it comes to compliance certifications, Connecteam meets key standards like SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001. It’s also compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, which makes it a good option for businesses that handle sensitive health and medical data.

Verdict: 5 / 5 

Connecteam’s security features outperform many of the best time tracking tools, providing strong protection against data breaches and loss. 

Help and Support

In addition to a step-by-step “Getting started” wizard, a Help Center, and messages on the screen offering assistance, Connecteam offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat.

I initially tried the live chat function at around 8 p.m. GMT and received an automated response saying someone from the team will get back within a “few minutes.” I actually had to wait for about half an hour for the first response from the team, as well as a few minutes between responses. But their clarifications were detailed, and they asked follow-up questions and directed me to relevant resources to resolve my query fully. 

I did receive multiple emails, calls, and text messages in the days immediately after signing up. While most of them offered support, some requested a meeting, and it felt pushy at times. This can be frustrating.

Verdict: 4 / 5

Connecteam’s customer support was responsive and helpful, but as someone who likes to test tools myself before asking questions, their persistent attempt to start a conversation felt unnecessary. 

Connecteam – Top 3 Alternatives

1. Buddy Punch

Overall, Buddy Punch is the best Connecteam alternative. This flexible time tracking app supports salaried, hourly, and shift-based teams, including remote, mobile, and field-based employees, across a wide range of industries.

Combining time tracking and attendance tools with payroll-ready reports, Buddy Punch is ideal for small to medium businesses, with non-invasive location-tracking features to minimize time theft.

• Captera Rating: 4.8/5 (1,115 reviews)
• Starting at: $4.49 per user ($5.49 with scheduling)

Time tracking 

Unlike Connecteam, Buddy Punch focuses specifically on time and attendance, making it a more efficient option for managers who are looking for time tracking features only. It offers multiple time tracking methods, including via a web browser, mobile app, QR code, or kiosk, and is easy to set up and roll out. 

With accurate GPS location tracking, geofencing, facial recognition, and IP address locking, managers have real-time visibility into their workforce and are protected from buddy punching and time theft. Buddy Punch also sends alerts to help you manage attendance issues such as late clock-ins or no-shows. 

Scheduling 

Buddy Punch offers flexible, customizable drag-and-drop scheduling tools. It supports shift templates, recurring shifts, and instant notifications, making it easy to build and edit schedules. Like on Connecteam, employees can set their availability and swap shifts with a colleague. 

PTO management

You can build a range of PTO policies in Buddy Punch, including holiday leaves, sick leaves, and personal leaves, and set up flexible accrual rules to automatically calculate your team’s allowance. Approving time off requests is easy, with the option to add notes when leave is rejected. Unlike Connecteam, you can also set blackout dates to prevent leave bookings during peak periods. 

And much more…

Buddy Punch offers seamless payroll integrations, customized project tracking, automatic break and overtime calculations, and more.

2. Homebase

With affordable pricing for single-location teams, Homebase is an easy-to-use app for scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and PTO management. Compared to Connecteam and Buddy Punch, however, it offers fewer integrations, limited reporting, and less flexible tools for time theft prevention.

• Captera Rating: 4.6/5 (1,130 reviews)
• Starting at: $0 per year for one location and up to 10 employees (minimum $24 per location per year for unlimited employees)

3. Jibble 

With a free-for-life plan for limited users, Jibble is a simple time tracking and attendance management tool. Though as your business grows, you’re likely to want paid features such as live location tracking and geofencing for deeper insights into your workforce.

• Captera Rating: 4.8/5 (1,157 reviews)
• Starting at: $0 per user

Methodology: How I tested Connecteam 

My experience with multiple HR information systems and time tracking tools (as an HR professional) gave me a solid foundation to begin this review. I already had a good idea of which features are most valuable for managing teams. 

To thoroughly test Connecteam, I signed up for a free 14-day trial and created a manager account and several employee accounts so I could understand how it works from both perspectives.

I began by following the “Getting started” wizard from start to finish and watched hours of videos on Connecteam’s social channels. Then, using real-world scenarios, I tested several features across Connecteam’s Operations hub, including time tracking, scheduling, forms, and quick tasks. I also tested the core functions in the Communications and HR & Skills hubs, including chat, company updates, and PTO management. Based on my experience with different features, I assigned a score to each section of this review. 

Managers and employees often use time tracking features via phone, so I accessed the tool via both the web browser (on MacBook) and iOS app. 

As I tried out different features, I took screenshots and noted my observations, both positive and negative. Whenever I ran into any challenges, I reached out to the Connecteam help desk. This helped me understand how responsive and supportive the team is. 

I also looked into its subscription plans to understand which features and functionalities are available in which hub. Finally, I reviewed Connecteam’s security credentials to assess if it adequately protects users’ personal data.

To wrap up, I calculated a final weighted score out of 5 based on each section’s score.