Time is Money: 5 Best Employee Time Clock App Choices for 2024

One of the most fundamental parts of managing a business that employs hourly workers is ensuring that employees clock in and out when they’re supposed to. If they clock in too soon, you will pay them too much. They clock in too late, and you won’t pay them enough or work doesn’t get done on time. The best employee time clock app can keep these headaches from becoming yours. 

Simply put: you can’t pay employees accurately without accurate time keeping. Additionally, time tracking data is extremely valuable for understanding staffing’s impact on profitability.

There used to be a time when employees had to clock in and out manually, but thankfully those days are gone. Today, there are plenty of mobile app time clocks that can make time tracking easy, saving both employees and employers time, energy, and frustration.

On the surface, it might seem like all time clock apps are the same. But each has unique features that might better suit some businesses more than others. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best top 5 mobile app time clocks.

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What do employee time clock apps do?

Remember the old punch card system for clocking in and out? Employee time clock apps are the modern version. But because they’re digital, they can do so much more.

In addition to effortless time tracking, including tracking breaks, overtime, and PTO, these apps can automatically send reminders to employees that their shift is starting. Some of them leverage smartphone GPS, enabling geofenced clock ins to prevent “buddy punching,” when employees clock in coworkers who are not physically there.

And when an employee doesn’t clock in at the expected time, the app can send the manager on duty an alert. Some apps can also prevent early clock ins and automatically clock out employees when their shift is over.

All of this data then flows into a dashboard system where businesses can use it to better understand their labor costs. The data can also be imported into a payroll system, significantly reducing the amount of work needed to run payroll.

Best of all, there are many free employee time clock apps available, which means businesses can get a huge efficiency boost with no investment.

What can an employee time clock app do for your business?

Streamlining business processes is always a safe bet for making operations run more smoothly, and that’s the main benefit of using an employee time clock. Why waste time chasing down employees to clock in or clock out, correcting timesheets, and manually entering hours worked into a payroll system when all that can be handled automatically?

Not only do time clock apps make your business more efficient, but they help create a more transparent workplace. Employees can easily log in to see their hours worked, PTO accrued, and other important information, all in real time.

Time clock apps also protect your business by ensuring compliance with labor laws while managing labor costs by ensuring accurate record keeping. They help you keep an eye on overtime, alerting managers when employees are close to going over and enabling them to manage staffing more cost-effectively.

But maybe the biggest benefit of these apps is being able to understand the impact labor has on costs and profitability. Time clock apps with robust reporting features that integrate with POS systems can make it easy to calculate and visualize sales data and labor costs side by side, giving you a full picture of what it takes to run your business.  

How to choose the time clock app that fits your business.

As with any app—free or otherwise—it’s always a good idea to do your homework before implementing a new system. Here are a few things to consider when looking for a time clock app for your business:

• Core features: Do you need basic time tracking or advanced features like GPS tracking and biometric verification?
• Ease of use: The app should be intuitive for both managers and employees.
• Integration: Check if the app integrates with payroll or other business management software for seamless data transfer.
• Reviews and ratings: Read reviews and ratings on app stores or other sources to get a sense of an app’s reliability and customer service.
• Cost: While many free apps are feature-rich, you might find it’s worth the cost to upgrade to get additional features.

Remember, the right time clock app can significantly streamline your business operations and improve efficiency. Choose wisely!

The top 5 employee time clock apps.

There are plenty of great time clock apps out there. We’ve picked out the top five that we believe best serve businesses with hourly employees.

Whether you’re a mom-and-pop retailer, a cozy little coffee shop, or a franchise of a larger brand, these tools make it easy for even the smallest businesses to manage time clocks like a pro. Here are our top five choices for apps that will make time tracking as easy as pushing a button.

1. Homebase

Homebase offers a free, top-rated time clock app that allows businesses to track hours, breaks, overtime, and paid time off without the need for data entry or calculations. It can be used on most devices, including Android tablets and smartphones, iPads, iPhones, computers, and POS devices.

The app features unique PINs for clocking in and out, real-time alerts when employees are late, GPS time clock for location verification, and smooth integration with Homebase’s payroll system, as well as timesheet export for external payroll systems.

Homebase also helps manage labor costs by preventing early clock ins and using auto clock outs. The app builds team member trust by providing easy and transparent access to their work info in one easy-to-use app.

2.  Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a comprehensive online scheduling solution that offers a range of powerful tools to streamline business operations. It provides customizable appointment scheduling that automates workflows, payments, and bookings. With Acuity, you can control your availability, manage multiple locations, and let clients easily cancel or reschedule their own appointments.

It also offers automated appointment booking, sends automated receipts and reminder notifications, and allows you to create custom intake forms to personalize your customer experience. Additionally, Acuity provides secure payment options and no-show protection tools like storing credit cards and secure deposits.

3. Connecteam

Connecteam offers a comprehensive employee scheduling app that allows businesses to plan and distribute schedules, manage day-to-day operations, and prepare payroll and invoicing. It provides visibility into employees’ availability, qualifications, and preferences, and allows quick schedule building with templates, auto-scheduling, and regulatory limitations and inconsistencies.

The app enables communication about scheduling changes and can connect work schedules to personal calendars. Additionally, it automates shift reminders, helps managers find replacements for no-shows, and provides real-time insights with digital forms and checklists.

Lastly, it records accurate work hours, calculates overtime, breaks, and time off, and exports timesheets to payroll providers.

4. Asana

Asana is a comprehensive work management platform that offers robust time tracking features. It allows businesses to create more efficient processes, manage projects across departments, and get more done in less time.

With Asana, you can track work from start to finish, ensuring every team stays in sync and on schedule to hit their goals. It also provides resource management features, allowing users to plan accurate timelines, adjust workloads, and stay on top of projects.

5. TIMIFY

TIMIFY is a flexible online appointment scheduling software that caters to businesses of all sizes and industries. It offers convenient online booking options for service businesses, allowing customers to self-schedule appointments from various platforms, including websites, social media, apps, and more.

TIMIFY provides powerful and efficient scheduling with features like collaborative calendar, resource management, and branch management dashboards. It also offers custom-developed solutions for organizations with high-level demands around performance, security, data management, and existing infrastructure. Additionally, TIMIFY's App Marketplace expands the capabilities of the software with a variety of tasks from auto-generating invoices and video conferencing to gathering customer feedback.

Punch above your weight with Homebase.

Ditch paper-based time clocks and give your employees something they’ll love to use. Homebase has all the features you expect from a premium app, including geofenced clock-ins, time tracking, shift alerts, and more, but without the cost. 

Not only will you make clocking in and out a breeze for your employees, but you’ll save yourself time wrangling payroll. No more calculating hours or figuring out overtime pay—it’s already done in the app! And when you want to get into the nitty-gritty of how your business works, Homebase gives you detailed reports that show labor costs and their impact on profitability.

Plus, with Homebase’s scheduling features, you’ll be able to quickly and easily make schedules, while employees can just as easily swap shifts and find replacements if they need to call out.

Try Homebase for free today.