The Top 11 Punch Clock Apps: Which One Is Right For You?

ByEric Czerwonka Last Updated

79% of employees are not productive during the entire working day. In fact, according to a report by the State of the Global Workplace, employees are productive for less than three hours of an eight-hour shift. 

This is a staggering fact, but thankfully, one that’s easily remedied. By implementing a punch clock in your workforce, you can easily encourage greater productivity.

But that’s not all. Punch clock apps come with many other benefits such as:

  • Providing real-time information on employee productivity.
  • Encouraging better time management from your team members while they’re on the clock.
  • Integrating directly with payroll processing software, streamlining the payroll process.
  • Cutting out human error when it comes to employee time data.

In this guide, where we’re going to review the 11 best punch clock apps on the market. We’ve selected these options based on a mix of attributes, including ease of use, effectiveness of features offered, and customer reviews.

1. Buddy Punch

We’re starting off the list with our very own Buddy Punch, but it’s not favoritism that has us esteeming it so highly. As a punch clock app, we made sure business owners would be able to track time across locations, construction sites, remote teams, and more. 

You can use Buddy Punch as an all-in-one employee management tool with options for time tracking, employee scheduling, paid time off management, overtime calculations, and even running payroll.

Our desire to make sure that business owners have every tool they could possibly want while managing employees comes from personal experience. We started our journey with punch clock tools when we were managing 20 employees at three different locations and struggled to stick to our manual methods of timekeeping. Paper timesheets just weren’t going to cut it if we wanted to improve productivity and profitability. 

We looked into various punch clock apps, but the options were either too sparse with their features or too complicated to easily adopt. So we set off to make our own.

There are many reasons why we think you should consider using Buddy Punch.

Simple and intuitive user interface

The primary reason to use Buddy Punch is because it’s so easy to use. Any of your team members, regardless of how tech-savvy they are, can easily adopt this punch clock app into their routine. This makes switching from another tool or upgrading from manual paper timesheets for time tracking a breeze.

Every time employees open the app they’re presented with a minimal number of options. They can clock in, clock out, and view or submit their timesheet. There’s nothing else to distract them, and this can be easily completed in seconds so they can get to work.

Flexibility

Buddy Punch maintains this emphasis on simplicity regardless of how you access it, which can be on any device with an internet connection. Windows and Apple Desktops, iOS and Android smartphones, and even tablets — your employees will always be able to clock in using Buddy Punch no matter where they’re working.

This is particularly useful for business owners with off-site workers, such as construction crews. Depending on which of Buddy Punch’s features you enable, you can even track your remote teams’ locations in real time or designate specific zones where they have to be present in order to start and stop logging time. 

Seamless onboarding

We made the ability to switch to Buddy Punch simple. Whether you’re upgrading from manual time-tracking methods or coming from another time-tracking app, you have the option to add employees manually or through an Excel import.

Either way, the Buddy Punch customer support team is ready to assist you at any step in the process. We can walk you through the steps to manually add employees, or we can send you an Excel file to fill out that we’ll use to create employees for your entire company.

Customer support

From the start, we knew we wanted Buddy Punch to have exceptional customer service, with real people answering your support tickets. Today, we’ve built a robust system of troubleshooting and communication that both employers and their employees can take advantage of. 

Our live chat boasts a median first response time of 54 seconds during business hours. Rest assured that our customer support team is as effective on the clock as your team will be while using Buddy Punch.

Our live chat representatives use and have studied Buddy Punch. No matter what sort of question or concern you may have, they’ll be able to resolve it for you ASAP.

How Buddy Punch improves productivity in your workplace

The whole point of using punch clocks is to cut down on tardiness, encourage better timekeeping while on the clock for your employees, and provide enough data and insight into your business that you can take actionable steps to improve your bottom line. Buddy Punch comes with several features that excel towards this goal.

Quick clock in / clock out

Using Buddy Punch will never be a burden on your employees. For team members to start logging time, they have multiple quick and easy options all set on a streamlined user interface. 

GPS tracking

Buddy Punch’s GPS tracking feature enables you to ensure that remote and field workers are where they’re supposed to be when they start logging time. You can allow GPS tracking only when an employee clocks in and clocks out, or you can allow it throughout their shift, using real-time data to monitor locations. 

Once an employee clocks out, their privacy is preserved and Buddy Punch stops all location tracking.

Geofencing

This automatic feature allows you to set a radius on an interactive map, called a geofence, up to a size of 5,000 feet. If an employee attempts to punch in or punch out while not within a geofence, they’ll receive an error notification and be denied. 

Job codes/project tracking

The job codes feature, also known as department codes, helps improve your understanding of how time is spent in your workplace. How long does it take Beth to restock the shelves? How long does Kyle take to measure, mark, and cut materials while working on the manufacturing floor? This feature lets you answer these questions by recording the time employees spend on tasks. 

Simply create codes for specific tasks and projects, and employees will be able to clock in directly to them to automatically log time. They can also easily swap between different codes throughout the day.

Facial recognition

If you’re worried about time theft occurring behind your back, we’ve got you covered. Buddy Punch works with Face ID to ensure that employees are who they claim to be, checking their face against a saved screenshot to verify identity. Never worry about one team member buddy punching for another again.

PTO management

Buddy Punch allows you to create custom PTO types to catalog the vacation time your employees take. All paid time off taken will automatically appear on employees’ time cards.

Employees also can create time-off requests — whether it be for vacation time, sick time, or personal leave — directly within Buddy Punch. You or your human resources administrators will receive a notification to then approve or deny the request. Alternatively, you can enable auto-approval.

Overtime calculations

To help business owners get a handle on overtime fees, Buddy Punch’s overtime calculations feature automatically calculates over a dozen different types of overtime. You can assign these calculations on a per-employee basis and easily view the time your team members have worked and how much it’s costing your business.

How Buddy Punch streamlines your payroll process

Automatic monitoring of all this employee data is a strong asset for business owners to have, but it would still be a hassle to deal with at the end of every pay period. That’s why we included several options for business owners to drastically simplify how they handle payroll.

Built-in payroll

You can turn Buddy Punch into your all-in-one solution for employee management by using the built-in payroll option. Easily manage your payroll from anywhere at any time, make use of automatic payroll tax filings and payments, and even allow for employee self-onboarding. Other features include:

  • Direct deposit
  • W-2s and 1099s
  • Integrated timesheets
  • Automated requests
  • Fully paperless usage

Payroll integrations

Alternatively, if you’re really attached to your favorite payroll provider, Buddy Punch plays well with other tools. 

We integrate directly with some of the most popular payroll processing software options on the market, allowing you to easily transfer data (employee hours worked, paid time off, overtime, and more) to simplify the payroll process. We integrate directly with QuickBooks, Zapier, Gusto, and more.

Payroll reports

Buddy Punch has multiple customizable reports that can be exported in Excel, CSV, and Adobe PDF format, including payroll exports. This allows you to get a detailed view of your employees, their hours, overtime accumulated, locations, and departments. Select from prior pay periods as needed; we always keep your records secure.

Additional features

All this and we’re still just scratching the surface of what Buddy Punch has to offer business owners. Click here to view a complete list of all of Buddy Punch’s features.

Customers love Buddy Punch

Buddy Punch’s diverse features, excellent customer service, and intuitive design are frequently cited among the reasons that caused over 10,000 business owners to choose our time-tracking tool. But don’t just take our word for it. You can see Buddy Punch’s reception for yourself over at the popular software review site Capterra.

Buddy Punch currently has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,017 reviews. Here is what some of our customers had to say about our software in their own words:

“I love how easy it is to access help on any aspect of using the software. You can do their chat, and they respond almost immediately. They will even help fix anything from their end if you need the help. I love the facial recognition feature and other features that are offered to ensure that your staff is on the job site in order to sign in.”

“We needed a new solution for timekeeping and Buddy Punch came through! Onboarding and integration were so easy. Once I figured out all the setting options, it’s really easy to customize to exactly what you need.”

“Buddy Punch has been a super-efficient business solution for our office. It is very user-friendly. The integration with Quickbooks has streamlined our payroll which has been a huge plus. Most importantly to me as the administrator who’s been responsible for the complete setup and training of all staff, the Buddy Punch customer service team has been absolutely outstanding!”

Want to see if Buddy Punch could work as well for you as it has for these users? Start a free trial (no credit card required), take an interactive tour of the product, or request a personalized demo.

2. Sling

Sling is a time-tracking app that specializes in employee scheduling, team communication, and time and attendance. It has a very clean design with simple features. They’re a solid pick for businesses of any and all sizes. Their offered features include highlights such as: 

  • Labor costs: Sling focuses on optimizing the cost of labor — often a business’s largest expense — in order to help improve your bottom line. Assign wages, calculate labor costs for each shift, manage your margins, and generally take control of your expenses.
  • Time clock: Sling allows you to precisely track how your employees spend time on the clock, turning any phone into a portable time clock app. You can also use the optional kiosk employee time tracker to designate a main device as a point of clocking in and out for your employees throughout the workday.
  • Task management: Improve work delegation and optimize team efficiency through clarity and task reminders per shift. Make sure work gets done and done well.
  • Communication: Encourage better cooperation among your team members through Sling’s communication hub. Employees can private message and group chat, send BCC messages, and even shoot each other images, GIFs, and emojis.

Though Sling is not the most popular tool on our list (at 170 reviews on Capterra), it still has a solid score of 4.6/5 stars. Here’s what one user wanted to highlight about it:

“I looked through several scheduling tools before settling on Sling. I settled on Sling because of the wide array of features for no cost and mobile app access. The mobile app experience, per my team, was easy and extremely convenient. I personally was impressed with the ease of the drag-and-drop scheduler.”

3. QuickBooks Time

Popular software hub QuickBooks has its very own employee time clock software known as QuickBooks Time. This specific branch of QuickBooks lets you manage people, projects, and payroll to ensure you’re always in control of your workforce. It comes with features including:

  • Mobile app: Use the QuickBooks Time mobile app to empower your team to track their own hours, while you can manage timesheets, projects, and schedules at will from any location. 
  • GPS tracking: Track where your team members are working and when they clocked in on-site. QuickBooks Time can function on any mobile device to verify locations throughout the workday.
  • Project tracking: QuickBooks Time lets you optimize and manage projects on the spot and also allows you to track team productivity, project status, and hours spent on jobs, which can be very helpful for accurate invoicing. 
  • Scheduling: Schedule like a pro with QuickBooks Time’s options for assigning shifts or jobs, making edits on the fly, and ensuring team members are always aware of their designated work times. 

QuickBooks Time (formerly known as TSheets) has a rating of 4.7/5 on Capterra, based on 6939 reviews. Here’s what one user said:

“Overall, QuickBooks Time makes it easy to track employee hours and manage time with its straightforward app. It works well with QuickBooks to simplify payroll and invoicing, which saves a lot of time. However, the cost might be a bit high for small businesses.”

4. Connecteam

Connecteam is an employee management tool that was designed to be an all-in-one solution for workforce management. As such, it comes with full employee scheduling and time-tracking features that you can enable or disable at will. Its most popular functionalities include:

  • Time clock: Accurately track frontline employee work hours and submit timesheets for payroll in a single click.
  • Task management: Connecteam allows you to manage, oversee, and communicate all tasks and projects for team members in a centralized user interface.
  • Employee scheduling: Connecteam makes it easy to create and share employee schedules to ensure shift awareness and efficiency.
  • Form and checklists: Use this feature to increase productivity through creating, managing, and tracking workflows for your team members.

Connecteam is a well-liked time tracking solution, as evidenced by it having 4.7/5 stars on Capterra, based on 341 reviews (at the time of this post’s writing). Here’s what one reviewer had to say about it:

“Easy operation to manage worker time and schedules for everyone’s shifts. Automating the attendance tracking to prevent mismanagement issues that we had with manual operation.”

5. OnTheClock

OnTheClock is an online time clock app that differentiates itself by specifically saying it’s designed for small businesses. Through relatively cheaper pricing and a focus on simplicity, it makes it so that you can upgrade from relying on manual spreadsheets even on a budget. Their features include (but are not limited to):

  • Online time clock: Streamline time entries and payroll to save both time and money. OnTheClock lets your employees clock in from mobile devices, tablets, or any tool they’re using to connect to the web. 
  • Shift scheduling: Optimize your time spent scheduling employees. Take full control over both how your employees work and how you work. OnTheClock lets you drag and drop to create employee schedules, provides a clean and accurate schedule for employee viewing, and lets you filter by locations, departments, tasks, and jobs. 
  • GPS/fingerprint scanning: OnTheClock has two built-in options when it comes to maintaining security and reducing time theft. OnTheClock’s fingerprint scanner works with any Windows computer, desktop, or tablet and will make sure employee data matches what’s on file when they attempt to clock in.
  • Payroll integrations: OnTheClock integrates directly with many popular payroll software, such as ADP, Gusto, Square, and more. 

OnTheClock has a Capterra score of 4.7 out of 5 stars, based on 543 reviews. Here’s what one reviewer had to say:

“I love this software because of its ease of use. The mobile app is very simple. Our staff have no problems using it. I love the reporting. Very simple, yet has everything I need.”

6. Hubstaff

Hubstaff is the sort of all-in-one time tracking software designed to completely overhaul how a business owner thinks about employee management. Just about any and every common feature required to manage your employees is available here, allowing you to completely convert to the Hubstaff way of managing employees. Features include:

  • Time tracking software: Track your employees in-office, at remote sites, or both. Get real-time data on your employees and how productivity and efficiency ebb and flow in your business, and use that knowledge to identify time-wasting activities, improve project management, and ensure accurate billing and invoicing.
  • Employee timesheets: Hubstaff lets you move completely away from reliance on timesheets. This timesheet software lets your employees easily track the time they spend on tasks and projects across devices — from Windows, to MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and even in Google Chrome.
  • Project cost management: Business owners can rely on Hubstaff to help them optimize their profits. Hubstaff comes with a built-in project cost management option that lets you set project or client budgets based on total costs (bill or pay rate) or total hours. You’ll receive notifications when your cost estimation limits are being approached or exceeded.
  • Time reporting: Hubstaff’s ability to track time across devices is further supported by its centralized time reporting system. You can access this data at will, and filter it based on week, team members, projects, or even by client. This level of understanding allows you to analyze specific patterns of performance.

Hubstaff has a strong reputation as well, with a Capterra score (as of this post’s writing) of 4.6/5, based on 1,501 reviews. Here’s what one user had to say about it:

“This program gives me a feeling of real-time optimization. By having a clear vision of how my time is being used, I can identify areas in which they could be more efficient and make adjustments to optimize workflow in each task, this gives me a feeling of real-time optimization.”

7.  Clockify

Clockify is one of the most popular time-tracking tools on the market, largely because it has a free plan that lets small business owners or teams on a tight budget track time for unlimited users. That said, many of its stronger features are locked behind paid plans. Here are some of its key features:

  • Time tracker: It’s simple enough to start and stop time tracking for your employees, which makes this a great feature for even less tech-savvy staff members. Team members can either track time through a timer or enter their hours manually — all to ensure that records are accurate.
  • Calendar: This visualization of tracked time, and the ability to connect to Google Calendar or Outlook, can help team members manage their projected timelines much better throughout the workweek. 
  • Rates: For any business owner who prefers to work with numbers, Clockify’s rates feature allows you to set hourly rates to calculate earnings, costs, and profits.
  • Auto tracker: Clockify lets you and your team members automatically track time spent across apps and websites. See when you started and completed work, see a group view and total time spent, and generally understand where time could be shortened to optimize efforts.

Clockify’s fame as a free tool means that it’s likely to be tried by many business owners, which is reflected in its Capterra stats. As of this post’s writing, Clockify has 9,092 reviews, and a score of 4.8/5 stars. As one reviewer put it:

“I was looking for an easy-to-use and cost-effective way of time recording my projects and daily tasks, and Clockify fits the bill absolutely perfectly. There are plenty of solutions out there that offer tons of features that Clockify doesn’t do, but Clockify is great because I don’t need loads of bells and whistles I’ll never use.”

8. Amano

Now we’re looking at more traditional punch clocks for business owners attached to physical devices, starting with Amano. Amano is an established time clock company that specializes in providing larger businesses with traditional punch clocks. They have several different types of time clocks, including:

9. Acroprint

Acroprint has four punch card time clocks you can choose from.

10. Lathem

Lathem is a well-established time-tracking company that offers both software and traditional punch clocks. Here are some of their options to consider.

  • 7500E Calculating Employee Atomic Clock. With this time clock, you can calculate time in actual or rounded time. It can handle up to 100 active employees, you can customize automatic break dedication, choose between either 12-hour or 24-hour time, and have unlimited punches per day.
  • 2100HD Heavy Duty Thermal Print Time Clock: This thermal print time clock eliminates the need for time clock ribbons (saving you money and hassle on ordering accessories). Plus, this time clock has a perpetual calendar that keeps records even during things like Leap Year or when the power goes out. Finally, it’s encased in heavy-duty steel so it can withstand harsh environments.

11. Pyramid time systems

Pyramid Systems sells all types of time clocks and time clock accessories, including software-based time clocks and manual punch clocks. For their manual punch clocks, they have options like:

Choosing the right punch clock app for your business

Let’s settle one thing first: there is no such thing as a universal “best punch clock app.” As we’ve covered in this post, there are many varying qualities that punch clock tools have, which means that all you can really do is find the one that’s best for your sensibilities, management style, and employees. 

That said, we do have a handy guide that should make the choice easier. When choosing a punch clock app, you should ensure that:

  • Employees can easily punch in and out through the device of their choice (e.g., via any phone, tablet, or computer).
  • There is a plethora of features that help increase employee accountability (e.g., by restricting employee punch-in to designated locations, having employees take a photo each time they punch in and out, and so on).
  • There is a plethora of features that save time and increase the accuracy of payroll (e.g., by having the software automatically calculate employee hours rather than doing so via a manual process that’s susceptible to human error and miscalculations). 
  • The app is easy to use, even for folks who aren’t technically savvy (which reduces the time that business owners and managers need to spend on training). 
  • There’s an exceptional level of customer service (you receive a helpful response in minutes rather than having to wait for several hours). 

If your goal is to make use of a punch clock app that fits the above qualities, you can’t go wrong with Buddy Punch. But preferences can still skew things.

A business owner concerned with project costs might like Hubstaff’s in-depth tools, while if you particularly like the idea of fingerprint scanning to verify employees, OnTheClock is the app for you. 

If you prefer physical punch clocks to digital apps, you might want to weigh if Lathems’s efficient thermal print time clock beats out Acroprint’s more standard punch card time clock for you.

At the end of the day, so long as you understand what would help your business the most, you can find your ideal punch clock app. Just don’t be hesitant to change between tools until you find something that truly feels like the perfect fit.