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Best Time And Attendance Software (2024)

Small Business Writer
Staff Reviewer

Reviewed

Updated: Mar 20, 2024, 9:50pm

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Time and attendance software enables employers to optimize team productivity and labor costs by accurately tracking employee attendance. With so many time and attendance software available for businesses of all sizes, choosing the right one can get challenging. To help you find the right solution for your business and its unique needs, Forbes Advisor analyzed the leading providers to find the best time and attendance software in the market today.

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The Best Time and Attendance Software of 2024


Best Overall

Clockify

Clockify
5.0
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

Free; $3.99 per month, per user

(billed annually)

Free trial

7 days

Standout features

Automated timesheets, paid time off (PTO) management, GPS and geofencing

Clockify
Learn More Arrow

Read Forbes' Review

Free; $3.99 per month, per user

(billed annually)

7 days

Automated timesheets, paid time off (PTO) management, GPS and geofencing

Editor's Take

Clockify is a cloud-based time and attendance software with a generous free plan for unlimited users, which is sufficient for most small businesses.

The attendance tracker app allows employees to clock in and out of the system using a smartphone, web app, browser extension or time clock kiosk. It can track both billable and nonbillable hours and takes care of paid time off management too. The software automatically tracks URL and apps used and sends idle detection notifications.

The timesheet for each employee is generated automatically and you can share the data with payroll and other apps integrated with the Clockify app. This eliminates manual timesheet data entry into the payroll workflow, reducing instances of incorrect employee payments or payroll recalculation.

Clockify Tiered plans and pricing:

  Basic Standard Pro Enterprise
Starting Price
$3.99 per user, per month (billed annually)
$5.49 per user, per month (billed annually)
$7.99 per user, per month (billed annually)
$11.99 per user, per month (billed annually)
Max. Number of Users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Project templates
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Invoicing
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Time off calculations
No
Yes
Yes
yes
GPS tracking
No
No
Yes
Yes

The Basic plan has project templates, allows you to audit time and customize reports. With the Standard plan, you can also generate invoices and set task reminders. The Pro plan has tools for project budgeting and cost estimations, GPS tracking and productivity enhancement through screenshots and URL tracking.

If you need greater security and control, you can go for the Enterprise plan that has added features, such as single sign-on (SSO), control accounts and audit log.

Learn more: Read our full Clockify review.

Who should use it:

Clockify is the best free time and attendance app for small businesses that want to track employee hours in real time and improve team productivity. Data generated from tools, such as app and URL tracking, screenshots and idle detection, is available to the employees so that they can track and improve their own productivity.

Pros & Cons
  • Free plan includes unlimited users, unlimited projects and unlimited tracking
  • Multiple ways to clock time
  • Visual dashboard
  • Payroll integration
  • Automated timesheet generation
  • Interface can take some time to navigate initially
  • Automated scheduling not available
  • GPS tracking available only in Pro and Enterprise plans

Best for Eliminating Time Theft

Buddy Punch

Buddy Punch
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$19 per month plus $3.99 per user, per month

Free trial

14 days

Standout features

GPS and webcam images, overtime monitoring and unlimited administrators

Buddy Punch

$19 per month plus $3.99 per user, per month

14 days

GPS and webcam images, overtime monitoring and unlimited administrators

Editor's Take

Buddy Punch is time and attendance software that enables businesses to track employee hours and ensure they are paid accurately for every hour worked. It stands out for its low price per user and feature-rich entry-level plan. For example, every plan comes with unlimited free administrators, GPS, helpful alerts and reminders, time off tracking, built-in break scheduling, reporting and payroll integrations for seamless payroll processing.

Buddy Punch tiered plans and pricing:

  Standard Pro Enterprise
Starting Price
$19 per month + $2.99 per user, per month billed annually
$19 per month + $3.99 per user, per month
Available on request
Max. Number of Users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Free Administrator Account
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
GPS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Time Off Tracking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Job Tracking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Break Planning
Yes
Yes
Yes
Payroll Integrations
Yes
Yes
Yes
Scheduling & Availability Management
No
Yes
Yes
Shift Trades
No
Yes
Yes
Employee Scheduling
No
Yes
Yes
Tardiness & Absence Reporting
No
Yes
Yes
SSO & API Access
No
No
Yes
API Access
No
No
Yes

The standard plan has all the time tracking features for business of any size while the pro plan comes with scheduling tools in addition to time tracking. The enterprise plan includes all the time tracking, scheduling and payroll tools. If you want to add payroll to the standard or pro plan, it will set you back by a base fee of $39 per month and $6 per month, per user.

Buddy Punch allows multiple punching methods such as facial recognition, username and password, quick response (QR) code scanning, time kiosks and PIN. To eliminate buddy punching, the software puts webcam photos on punches, assigns internet protocol (IP) addresses to remote employees, can lock specific devices and limits punches to specific times or scheduled shifts.

Buddy Punch has its own payroll software but it also integrates with most other payroll systems seamlessly. The software calculates over time automatically and you can even put a cap on overtime allowed to individuals. If you want, you can also assign automatic breaks to ensure compliance with labor laws.

Who should use it:

Buddy Punch is the best time and attendance software for businesses that need to eliminate buddy punching while also optimizing labor costs and complying with the labor laws.

Pros & Cons
  • Remote employee monitoring through dedicated IP address
  • GPS and webcam imaging
  • Multiple punching options
  • Automatic punch out
  • Automatic overtime calculations
  • Paid plans are expensive
  • Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) administration capability missing
  • Scheduling not available in Standard plan

Best for Retail and Restaurants

When I Work

When I Work
4.0
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$2.50 per user, per month

Free trial

7 days

Standout features

Advanced scheduling, overtime management and on-demand pay

When I Work

$2.50 per user, per month

7 days

Advanced scheduling, overtime management and on-demand pay

Editor's Take

When I Work is time and attendance software designed specifically for workplaces where employees work in shifts. It has advanced scheduling features that allow you or your managers to create and share team schedules quickly. The time and attendance features can then be used to track regular and overtime hours worked as well as paid and unpaid time off. Team communication tools allow employees to swap shifts, declare availability and request time off.

When I Work tiered plans and pricing:

  Standard Advanced
Starting Price
$2.50 per user, per month
$6 per user, per month
Max. Number of Users
Unlimited
unlimited
Administrator Accounts
Up to 3
Up to 3
Time and Attendance
Yes
Yes
Availability Management
Yes
Yes
Time Off Management
Yes
Yes
Overtime Management
Yes
Yes
SMS and Push Notifications
Yes
Yes
Mobile Clock in/out
Yes
Yes
Auto Scheduling
Yes
Yes
Break Management
Yes
Yes
Role Permissions
No
Yes
Labor Sharing
No
Yes
Custom Attendance Reports
No
Yes
Custom Shift Reports
No
Yes
API Access
No
Yes

You can also choose to subscribe only for the scheduling app, without the time and attendance app. That will cost you $2.50 per user, per month for Standard plan and $6 per user, per month for Advanced plan. The Time and Attendance app has tools for generating timesheets, overtime alerts, break management, attendance notifications, intensive reporting, GPS enforcement and more.

The Standard plan includes standard scheduling features, such as templates, auto-scheduling, multiple views, labor planning, scheduling roles and overtime management. The Advanced plan has advanced scheduling tools, such as role permissions, custom shift reports, labor sharing and more.

When you sign up for time and attendance, you can also choose to pay your employees a part of payment by integrating with Clair.

Who should use it:

When I Work is perfect for businesses where employees work in shifts, such as restaurants and retailers. Its robust scheduling and messaging tools ensure that you are never short of staff.

Pros & Cons
  • Automatic scheduling
  • Overtime management
  • Labor law compliance
  • Robust 1:1 and team messaging
  • Payroll and point-of-sale (POS) integration
  • On-demand pay
  • No free plan available
  • FMLA administration not supported

Most Affordable Solution

OnTheClock

OnTheClock
3.9
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

Free for two employees; $3.50 per employee per month

Free trial

30 days

Standout features

Biometric recognition, GPS and geofencing and workstation tracking

OnTheClock

Free for two employees; $3.50 per employee per month

30 days

Biometric recognition, GPS and geofencing and workstation tracking

Editor's Take

OnTheClock is an inexpensive alternative for automating all your time and attendance workflows. It is web-based, offers all the features for all users and integrates seamlessly with multiple payroll services, such as QuickBooks, ADP and Gusto

OnTheClock is free for up to two employees. The pricing starts from $3.50 per user, per month, and decreases as the number of employees goes up. If you have more than 400 employees, you must contact sales for customized pricing.

OnTheClock supports multiple punching methods, such as mobile app, browser, username and password. Besides supporting GPS and geofencing, it also allows you to implement device and Wi-Fi restrictions to prevent buddy punching and time thefts.

PTO management; salaried hours tracking; and tips, bonus, commission and mileage tracking ensures you pay your employees accurately each cycle. You can also create shift schedules quickly and share them with your team via Excel sheets, PDFs and emails.

Who should use it:

OnTheClock is an affordable time and attendance software for businesses of all sizes and industry.

Pros & Cons
  • Free plan for two employees with all features
  • Break and overtime management
  • Biometric recognition
  • Tips, bonus, commissions and mileage tracking
  • Automated PO requests and a profile
  • Integration with payroll
  • Automated scheduling not supported
  • FMLA administration missing

Best for Scheduling

Deputy

Deputy
3.7
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

Free for up to 100 shifts per month; $6 per user, per month

Free trial

31 days

Standout features

Biometric recognition, PTO and leave management and task management

Deputy

Free for up to 100 shifts per month; $6 per user, per month

31 days

Biometric recognition, PTO and leave management and task management

Editor's Take

Deputy is an affordable time and attendance software for small businesses. It has no free plan but you get a free trial of 31 days when you sign up. The software allows you to track time and attendance with location capture. You can also if you use an iPad kiosk, it also provides biometric recognition capability.

Deputy also has a separate scheduling product. The Premium plan combines both scheduling and time and attendance software. For advanced reporting, analytics and security for large teams, you can sign up for the Enterprise plan.

Deputy tiered plans and pricing:

  Scheduling Time & Attendance Premium Enterprise
Starting Price
$3.50 per user per month
$3.50 per user per month
$4.90 per user per month, billed annually
Custom pricing on request
Max. Number of Users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Timesheets per month
No
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Shifts/month
Unlimited
No
Unlimited
Unlimited
PTO and Leave Management
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Reporting
No
No
Yes
Advanced

You can customize timesheets fields to capture data, such as mileage and tips, and create unlimited timesheets per month. You can also assign one-time or recurring tasks. The time and attendance dashboard enables you to manage leave requests and approvals, shift swaps and check employee availability.

The scheduling app allows for unlimited shifts per month, auto-scheduling, mail and rest break planning, availability planning and task and project costing. The Enterprise plan provides single sign-on and advanced planning, reporting and analytics. You need to reach out to them for pricing details.

Who should use it:

Deputy is an affordable time and attendance app for small businesses that do not have employees working in shifts.

Pros & Cons
  • Biometric recognition
  • Unlimited timesheets
  • PTO and leave management
  • Payroll and POS integration
  • No GPS
  • No FMLA administration
  • Employee scheduling costs extra

Best for Nonprofits

Timesheets

Timesheets
3.7
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

Free; $5.50 per user, per month

Free plan

Yes; Free trial for one full payroll or billing cycle

Standout features

Time off and PTO management, employee scheduling and nonprofit discount

Timesheets

Free; $5.50 per user, per month

Yes; Free trial for one full payroll or billing cycle

Time off and PTO management, employee scheduling and nonprofit discount

Editor's Take

Timesheets is a web-based time and attendance software with an integrated HR system. Freelancers can use all its features for free but even for the paid plans, there are no setup fees, no base fees, no cancellation fees or long-term contracts. And all features are available for all users.

Timesheets pricing:

When it comes to pricing, its plans can get a bit confusing. The paid plan starts at $5.50 per user, per month. Timesheets charges you according to a range for the number of users, and you must pay for the higher number. For instance, if you have 23 employees, you will need to sign up for the 21 to 25 employees’ plan and pay for 25.

Timesheets provides discounts for nonprofits and prices start from $4.40 per user, per month. It also has a special referral program for accountants. If you want time-stamped photos of the employees at the time of punching, you again need to pay extra.

Who should use it:

Timesheets is perfect for nonprofits that need time and attendance software that comes integrated with HR, scheduling and expense tracking tools.

Pros & Cons
  • Location tracking
  • Biometric recognition
  • Payroll integration
  • Integrated HR tool for free
  • Break tracking unavailable
  • FMLA administration missing
  • Scheduling tool costs extra

Best for QuickBooks Integration

QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time
3.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$20 per month plus $8 per user, per month

Free trial

30-day trial

Standout features

QuickBooks integration, real-time reports and time clock kiosk

QuickBooks Time
Learn More Arrow

Read Forbes' Review

$20 per month plus $8 per user, per month

30-day trial

QuickBooks integration, real-time reports and time clock kiosk

Editor's Take

QuickBooks Time is an employee time and attendance software from Intuit. It comes integrated with QuickBooks, so if you are an existing QuickBooks user using this software makes sounds intuitive. However, even if you are not a QuickBooks user you can still use QuickBooks Time, especially for remote workforce as it provides real-time insights into each employee’s location and tasks being handled by them.

Quickbooks Time tiered plans and pricing:

  Premium Elite
Starting Price
$20 base fee + $8 per user per month
$40 base fee + $10 user per month
Max. Number of Users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Mobile app with GPS
Yes
Yes
Time off management
Yes
Yes
Geofencing
No
Yes
Project management features
No
Yes

QuickBooks Time is also currently running a promotion where you can sign up for a 30-day free trial or get 50% off base fee for three months by signing up immediately. The Elite plan has additional features such as mileage tracking, project tracking, timesheet signatures, geofencing and project estimates vs. actuals reporting.

Learn more: Read our full Quickbooks review.

Who should use it:

QuickBooks Time is ideal for existing QuickBooks users. If you can afford the somewhat expensive software, you can use QuickBooks Time for monitoring and tracking your remote employees even if you don’t use other Intuit products.

Pros & Cons
  • Base fee includes one admin account
  • Real-time reporting
  • QuickBooks integration
  • Time off management
  • Time clock kiosk
  • Jobs and shift scheduling
  • Unlimited live support
  • No free plan
  • Geofencing available only for Elite plan
  • No automated scheduling
  • FMLA administration not supported

Best On-premise Solution

TimeClick

TimeClick
3.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$249 (one-time fee)

Free trial

14 days

Standout features

One-time license fee, benefits administration and PTO management

TimeClick

$249 (one-time fee)

14 days

One-time license fee, benefits administration and PTO management

Editor's Take

TimeClick is an on-premise time and attendance software that charges a one-time license fee rather than a monthly subscription. The pricing plan is based on the number of devices on which you want the software to operate and not the number of employees. However, database security comes with an annual support plan depending upon your base plan. Each device has one database to store all time and attendance data.

If you have employees at multiple locations but you wish to maintain only one database, you can license only for one device. TimeClick will guide you on how to set up only one license for managing employees in multiple locations.

TimeClick tiered plans and pricing:

  Prime Premium Plus Platinum
Pricing (One-time fee)
$249
$499
$699
$999
Max. Number of devices supported
1
5
10
25
Number of Employees
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Database Security Plan pricing
$199 per year
$169 per year
$219 per year
$289 per year
Time audits
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mobile clock in/out
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Custom time tracking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

The software is installed on one device where you can add an unlimited number of employees. Each employee has a unique password that they use to punch time and request time off.

Premium and higher plans also support mobile clock in/out. Employees can download the TimeClick app on their mobile device and set it up with your license details to punch time on the go.

Besides time tracking and auditing, all plans support:

  • Employee scheduling
  • Mass time entries
  • Overtime roles configuration
  • Department and job tracking
  • Paid and unpaid break tracking
  • Automatic lunchtime deduction
  • Night shift support
  • Prevent clocking in outside of scheduled start time
  • Fully customizable reports
  • Bereavement, holiday and custom time tracking

Who should use it:

TimeClick is perfect for small businesses that operate in a traditional setup where all employees come to the office every day.

Pros & Cons
  • One-time license fee
  • Self-service portal
  • Benefits administration
  • Time off requests and approvals
  • Payroll integration
  • Customized reporting
  • Mobile app support
  • No cloud-based server
  • FMLA administration not supported
  • Automated scheduling not supported

Best for Optimizing Employee Productivity

TimeDoctor

TimeDoctor
3.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$5.90 per user, per month

(billed annually)

Free trial

14-days

Standout features

Automatic time capture, overtime calculator and productivity tracking

TimeDoctor

$5.90 per user, per month

(billed annually)

14-days

Automatic time capture, overtime calculator and productivity tracking

Editor's Take

Time Doctor is a cloud-based Time and attendance software that helps you track employee time accurately and gain insights for optimizing employee productivity and costs. For example, every plan includes task and project management as well as activity tracking. These features enable employers to gain real-time insight into employee performance and productivity as you can see which tasks employees are focusing on while they are clocked in. Additionally, you can also share tracking data with your employees so that they can improve their own productivity.

TimeDoctor Tiered plans and pricing:

  Basic Standard Premium
Starting Price
$7 per user per month
$10 per user per month
$20 per user per month
Max. Number of Users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Groups/departments
1
Up to 3
Unlimited
Task and project management
Yes
Yes
Yes
Screenshots
Yes
Yes
Yes
Track URLs
No
Yes
Yes
group/department
1 3
Unlimited
Data storage
1 month
6 months
Unlimited

TimeDoctor offers three plans that are all available with month-to-month or annual billing. Plans vary largely based on the features available. For example, while all plans include the basic features such as time tracking, task and project management, activity tracking and screenshots, the mid-tier plan also includes access to over 60 integrations, URL and app tracking and email notifications. Whereas the top-tier plan also includes client login, VIP support and unlimited groups.

Who should use it:

Time Doctor is perfect for teams that need to optimize productivity. Whether you monitor the employees actively or not, you can share time audit data with them to help them improve their own productivity.

Pros & Cons
  • Automatic time capture
  • Scheduling and GPS monitoring
  • Productivity monitoring
  • 60-plus integrations including payroll
  • Automated breaks
  • Alerts and notifications
  • PTO management and available
  • No GPS tracking
  • Automated scheduling not supported

Best for Small Teams and Freelancers

Everhour

Everhour
3.2
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

Free for up to five users; $5 per user, per month

(billed annually)

Free trial

14 days

Standout features

Visual dashboard, invoicing and task and project management

Everhour

Free for up to five users; $5 per user, per month

(billed annually)

14 days

Visual dashboard, invoicing and task and project management

Editor's Take

Everhour is time and attendance software suitable for tracking time for each project and task. It integrates well with multiple project management apps, such as Asana, Jira, monday.com, Notion, Todoist and more, making it the ideal solution for businesses that already use these other platforms and tools. In addition to time and attendance, Everhour also offers a range of features such as billing and budgeting (with expenses and invoicing) and task management (with visual planning).

Everhour Tiered Plans and Pricing:

  Free Lite Team
Starting Price
$0
$5 per user per month, billed annually
$8.50 per user per month, billed annually
Minimum number of users
1 2 5
Max. Number of Users
5 10
Unlimited
Time tracking
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Integrations
None
Trello, Notion and Todoist
All integrations
Invoicing
No
Yes
Yes
Scheduling
No
No
Yes

The forever free plan for up to five users that includes unlimited time tracking, unlimited projects, unlimited reports that can be exported and mobile app support. It is sufficient for very small teams with limited time tracking needs.

Paid plans have more features, such as scheduling, budgeting and invoicing, but they have minimum user criteria. The minimum number acts as a base price that you must pay even if you have fewer users. For instance, even if you have three users, you will still need to pay $42.50 (for 5 users) per month, billed annually to sign up for the Team plan.

Lite has additional tools for budgeting and invoicing. You can set project rates and track project costs. The app alerts you when you reach a certain percentage of the total project cost estimated. You also get native integration with other apps, automatic time approval, employee scheduling, time of management, expense management and priority support.

Who should use it:

Everhour is ideal for small freelancers and small teams that need to integrate their time and attendance software with project management tools.

Pros & Cons
  • Free forever plan for up to five users and affordable plans starting at $5 per month per user
  • Unlimited time tracking
  • Unlimited task and project tracking
  • Integration with project management software
  • Paid plans have a minimum number of user requirement
  • Employee scheduling supported only for paid plans
  • No GPS

Forbes Advisor Ratings

Company Forbes Advisor Rating Starting Price Free Trial Standout Features LEARN MORE
Clockify 5.0 5-removebg-preview Free; $3.99 per month, per user (billed annually) 7 days Automated timesheets, paid time off (PTO) management, GPS and geofencing Learn More Read Forbes' Review
Buddy Punch 4.3 4.5-removebg-preview-1 $19 per month plus $3.99 per user, per month 14 days GPS and webcam images, overtime monitoring and unlimited administrators View More
When I Work 4.0 4.0 star $2.50 per user, per month 7 days Advanced scheduling, overtime management and on-demand pay View More
OnTheClock 3.9 4.0 star Free for two employees; $3.50 per employee per month 30 days Biometric recognition, GPS and geofencing and workstation tracking View More
Deputy 3.7 3.5-removebg-preview-1 Free for up to 100 shifts per month; $6 per user, per month 31 days Biometric recognition, PTO and leave management and task management View More
Timesheets 3.7 3.5-removebg-preview-1 Free; $5.50 per user, per month Yes; Free trial for one full payroll or billing cycle Time off and PTO management, employee scheduling and nonprofit discount View More
QuickBooks Time 3.6 3.5-removebg-preview-1 $20 per month plus $8 per user, per month 30-day trial QuickBooks integration, real-time reports and time clock kiosk Learn More Read Forbes' Review
TimeClick 3.4 3.5-removebg-preview-1 $249 (one-time fee) 14 days One-time license fee, benefits administration and PTO management View More
Time Doctor 3.3 3.5-removebg-preview $5.90 per user, per month (billed annually) 14 days Automatic time capture, overtime calculator and productivity tracking View More
Everhour 3.2 3-removebg-preview Free for up to five users; $5 per user, per month (billed annually) 14 days Visual dashboard, invoicing and task and project management View More

Methodology

Forbes Advisor evaluated more than a dozen time and attendance software on multiple parameters to come up with this list of top 10. All the software was evaluated on these parameters:

  • Pricing: Cost is an important factor in choosing software. We considered whether the software had a free version available or not, free trials were available or not and how expensive or cheap the pricing tiers were.
  • General features: The general features evaluated for all the software included availability of mobile apps, calendar management, overtime calculator, FMLA administration, pin code and self-service portal.
  • Additional features: Some basic features are available in all time and attendance software. It is the additional features that are the deciding factor when choosing the one that fits your needs. Some of the additional features evaluated included vacation time or PTO management, break tracking, ease of use, reporting and analytics dashboard, app integrations, GPS functionality and automatic scheduling.
  • Ratings and reviews: Forbes Advisor also took into account the ratings and reviews provided by actual users on trusted review sites, such as Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra.
  • Experts’ score: Software experts are able to look into software features that might otherwise escape inexperienced eyes. So, we asked experts to score these apps on their standout features, ease of use, popularity and value for money.

How To Choose a Time and Attendance Software

There are dozens of time and attendance software available. It can be difficult to choose the one that is right for your team. Let us dive into factors to consider how you should choose time and attendance software.

Evaluate your needs

Before you look at the software available in the market, evaluate your own time and attendance needs. Some questions to ask should be:

  • Do I need to monitor employees in one location or multiple?
  • How mobile are my employees?
  • Do I need a single kiosk or a mobile punch-in/out?
  • What are the other apps the new software needs to integrate with?
  • Is my payroll system working fine or I should consider a new payroll system as well?

Technical expertise of your team

You should consider how good your team members are at using and getting used to getting started with a new application. The software that you choose should be easy to use, have a clean interface and allow employees to use mobile apps.

Software cost

Cost can be an important factor while considering the different time and attendance software. Since you have already evaluated your needs, you know exactly what you want from the app.

Most apps have different price plans for different features but there are some that offer all their features in every plan. The pricing varies according to the number of users. Calculate the pricing for each software you are considering and then compare them to see which one gives you the maximum return on investment (ROI).

Standout features

All time and attendance software offered basic features such as tracking time and generating timesheets. However, it is the additional features that make the difference because you need to pay for them. Look out for these special features:

  • GPS and geofencing
  • Payroll integration
  • Alerts and reminders
  • PTO and leave management
  • Overtime management
  • Labor laws compliance

Benefits of Time and Attendance Software

Time and attendance software is beneficial for businesses of all sizes. It helps to:

  • Calculating employee hours worked accurately
  • Generating timesheets automatically, eliminating errors introduced by human calculation manual calculation
  • Eliminating or reducing payroll calculation errors
  • Gaining insights into project time and costs
  • Optimizing labor costs
  • Improving employee productivity

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What software is used for time and attendance?

Clockify is the best free time and attendance software for small businesses of any size, operating in any industry. Clockify has robust employee activity tracking tools that give insights to help improve employee productivity.

What is attendance system software?

An attendance system software tracks employee hours worked, including paid or unpaid time off. Typically, the software generates timesheets automatically, which helps in processing payroll accurately each pay cycle.

What is clocking software?

Clocking software enables employees to clock in and out their time so that their work hours are tracked accurately. Clocking software may be installed on a time clock kiosk, desktop PC, laptop or mobile phone. The data generated by clocking software helps process payroll accurately, estimate project time and labor costs and improve team productivity.

Is time and attendance software secure?

As with most types of software, the best time and attendance software programs offer many levels of security. When choosing this type of software, you want to look for security features that include two-factor authentication (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA), documentation that shows frequent security updates and patches, intrusion detection, the monitoring of user activities, data encryption and privacy protection.


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