The 7 Best Mobile Time Clocks for Small Businesses in 2024

When running a small business, few things are more important than accurate time tracking. With the best mobile clock app around, you can make sure your team is paid what they’re owed while protecting your business.

Not only will the best time clock software help you stay on top of employee expenses, it can also help you deliver more flexibility to your team, manage time off, and more.

But, what’s the best mobile time clock app look like? So glad you asked. Let’s look at a few and find out!

The best features in the best mobile time clock apps.

There are several must-have features when it comes to apps for time cards. No matter the time card app you choose, look for the following features when shopping around.

Time and attendance tracking.

The best mobile time clock apps for small businesses should excel in recording precise arrival, departure, and break times, as well as the total hours worked. They should also offer the flexibility to adjust times, accommodating situations like delayed arrivals due to unforeseen circumstances.

All this ensures accuracy in timekeeping, which is important for fair payroll processing and management oversight. It also helps your team stay involved in their own scheduling management, which can give them a sense of heightened responsibility.

GPS capabilities.

Modern mobile time tracking apps use GPS technology to confirm the location of team members when they clock in. This method is more accurate than traditional timekeeping systems and avoids privacy concerns associated with biometric data.

GPS functionality is especially useful for teams working at remote locations. This key feature ensures reliable attendance records—and less chance of buddy punching or time theft.

Labor cost controls.

The best mobile time clock apps should include labor cost tools that help with cost management. This can prevent employees from clocking in too early or staying late unintentionally.

By setting specific time boundaries, the app ensures that work hours are strictly adhered to. It can be hard to know how much difference these things make to budget management and labor expenses until you’ve started to track it!

Alerts and reminders.

Top-tier time tracking apps include push notifications to remind team members about their work schedules. This feature reduces the risk of missed shifts or unplanned overtime.

With this feature, managers can receive instant updates about late arrivals or absences, enabling quick response and coverage planning. Plus, scheduling changes won’t go unnoticed—just push the notification and rest assured your team has been notified.

Compliance tools.

Compliance with labor laws is a critical aspect of workforce management. Certain mobile time clock apps assist in ensuring compliance by prompting breaks and alerting managers when employees are nearing overtime. This helps in adjusting work schedules or pay rates according to state regulations, avoiding potential legal issues.

Leave management.

Managing employee leave is a vital function of mobile time clock apps. This enables streamlining the process of handling vacation requests, approving leave, and tracking personal time off balances. This feature aids in planning and ensures a fair and organized approach to leave management.

Reporting and analytics.

With the wealth of data collected, mobile apps should offer valuable insights into labor trends like overtime, costs, and absenteeism rates. These analytics play a significant role in strategic planning and decision-making, helping businesses optimize their workforce management.

Payroll management.

An ideal mobile time clock app integrates payroll management features. This integration simplifies the process of transferring timesheet data to payroll systems, ensuring accuracy and saving time on manual data entry.

Integrations.

For seamless operations, your app of choice should offer integration with a range of other business tools. This feature supports the diverse technological needs of small businesses, enabling a more streamlined and efficient workflow.

Compatibility with various devices.

The best time clock app for Android should also work on iOS. Even if you’re on one operating system, your team may not be—and your business might switch down the line..

Comparison chart: Top mobile time clock apps in 2024.

What is the best app for clocking time?

What’s the best app for clocking time? Well, it depends.

Every small business has different time tracking needs, so what’s best for you might not be best for another. To help you find the best time clock app for small businesses, we’ve broken down some of the most popular choices and explored their strengths and weaknesses.

1. Homebase: Best all-in-one solution.

Homebase is an all-in-one HR app with a variety of time tracking features to help you stick to your labor budget.

Our time clock tool lets employees sign into work from anywhere and provides management with multiple verification options, like GPS, photo capture, and PIN codes.

Homebase can also remind team members about their shifts and automatically clock them out of work to make sure they’re only working their scheduled hours.

All of this makes our platform the best time clock app for small businesses worried about budget.

Top features

• Free time tracking and timesheet features
• GPS time clock to verify staff’s locations upon arrival and departure
• Geofencing capabilities to create clock in points for off-site workers
• Time kiosks available for tablets, computers, and point of sale (POS) terminals
• Option for photo capture during sign ins for an extra layer of verification
• Compliance tools, like alerts for missed breaks and overtime
• Labor cost controls to prevent early clock ins and automate clock outs
• Staff reminders about upcoming shifts
• Built-in payroll management and a range of integrations

Pros and cons

With our free plan and competitive rates, Homebase is one of the most affordable options on our list—and one of the best all-around time tracking apps. Our flexible pricing also means you’re likely to find a plan that fits your budget.

But don’t think we sacrifice functionality for cost. Homebase has a versatile range of time tracking features, from our GPS time clock to labor cost controls and leave management.

One drawback to Homebase is our lack of tools specifically geared to office workers. Because our platform is designed for small businesses and hourly work, we don’t offer a desktop time tracker or browser monitor like some competing apps do.

Pricing

Homebase offers four plans, and they all include our free mobile app. You can also take 20% off with a yearly commitment:

• Free for up to 20 employees at one business location. Includes basic time tracking and scheduling tools, as well as employee management features like messaging, point-of-sale (POS) integrations, and access to email support.
• Essentials for $24.95 per month per business location for everything in Free, plus advanced time tracking and scheduling, team communication features, payroll integrations, performance tracking, and access to live support.
• Plus for $59.95 per month per business location for everything in Essentials, plus hiring tools, retention and performance tracking, time off controls, and departments and permissions.
• All-in-one for $99.95 per month per business location for everything in Plus, plus HR and compliance, new hire onboarding, labor cost controls, and business insights.

Payroll is available as a separate add-on for $39.95 per month plus $6 per employee.

2. QuickBooks Time: Best for mobile teams.

QuickBooks Time’s time and location tracking tools make it a good choice for traveling work crews, like technicians and delivery drivers. You can track each employee’s mileage and check their locations throughout the day, allowing you to verify routes and any pit stops.

Top features

• GPS time clock to verify staff locations on arrival
• Geofencing to let employees sign into their shifts at offsite locations
• Location and mileage tracking to monitor travel times and routes
• Project progress tracking to ensure teams complete tasks by the expected deadlines

Pros and cons

QuickBooks Time is an Intuit product, so it can easily connect to its wider range of products and integrations. You can choose from categories as diverse as shipping, benefits, and customer relationship management (CRM).

But many small businesses may not have the budget for QuickBooks Time. The flat rate for all the time tracking features is $40, which is higher than many competing apps. On top of that, there’s an additional charge per employee.

Pricing

There are two QuickBooks Time plans that also come with a 30-day free trial:

• Time Premium at $20 per month plus $8 per employee, which includes the time clock and leave management.
• Time Elite at $40 per month plus $10 per employee for everything in Time Premium, as well as geofencing and mileage tracking features.

3. Harvest: Best for freelancers.

Harvest’s manual timer makes it a good option for small businesses that work with freelancers.

You can ask contractors to download the free iOS or Android time clock app and send you a report of their time. Or, for more oversight and control, opt for the paid plan and compare how much time each person spends on their tasks. That means it’ll be easier to spot when there’s a problem with a client or an employee that’s slowing a project down.  

Top features

• Manual timer for desktop and mobile
• Expense management, which helps you invoice clients based on billable time
• Data insights into how much time employees or teams spend on projects

Pros and cons

If you’re collaborating with freelancers or contractors, you can’t dictate their working hours—but you still need a record of their time to bill clients correctly. Harvest’s manual timer lets staff track their own hours and report them, so it’s easier to prepare accurate invoices for clients.

Since Harvest only has a manual time tracker, it’s less suitable for small businesses with regular employees. Without the accuracy of a GPS time clock, you risk potentially losing money to buddy punching and staff misreporting their hours.

Pricing

Harvest has a free plan and a paid plan that costs $12 per employee per month. They have the same features, but while the free plan limits you to one user and two projects, the paid plan is unlimited.

4. When I Work: Great for restaurants and retail businesses.

When I Work is a scheduling app that sticks to the basics: scheduling, time clocks, payroll, and messaging. It prioritizes the mobile experience, allowing you to manage time on the go. With the added communication features, When I Work is especially great for restaurants and retail, two industries where shifts can change on a dime.

Top features

• Employee scheduling tools that streamline time off, shift switches, and more.
• Time clocks that track attendance, PTO, and any breaks.
• Messaging functionality that makes it easy to communicate shift  changes.

Pros and cons

The communication functionality is a huge benefit for restaurants, retail, and other industries where rapid changes have to be communicated.

The scheduling support can help you save time on planning shifts, which is especially important if you’re dealing with a large team and countless unplanned changes.

Some users do comment that the app can result in scheduling mixups, and that it’s difficult to change shift assignments. The pricing also adds up quickly when you add in time tracking and attendance, and additional users.

Pricing

When I Work offers three pricing plans:

• The Essentials plan is $4 per user per month with time tracking and attendance, and includes unlimited users, auto scheduling, forecast tools, and more.
• Pro is $7 per user per month with tracking and attendance, and includes advanced scheduling, labor sharing, role permissions, and other advanced features.
• Premium is $10 per user per month with tracking and attendance, and includes API key access, Webhooks, and SAML/SSO.

5. Sling: Best for different time zones.

Sling is a mobile time clock app with additional scheduling and task management features. It’s noteworthy for its time zone management capabilities, which let you schedule and track shifts in local time for all your employees. If you have teams in other countries, you’re less likely to get confused about when they worked and pay them incorrectly.

Top features

• GPS time clock for accurately recording employee working hours
• Controls to stop staff from clocking in early and clocking out late
• Reports on no shows, sick days, and late arrivals to help recognize trends

Pros and cons

Priced at $2 per employee per month, Sling is an affordable app for very small teams.

But like When I Work, Sling doesn’t have a full range of HR features like payroll or recruiting tools. Also, it only has integrations with Gusto and ADP, so businesses that use other accounting software may have to switch or deal with entering their timesheet data manually.

Pricing

Sling offers three plans:

• Free for unlimited employees and business locations. However, this plan doesn’t include any time tracking features.
• Premium at $2 per employee per month, which has a GPS time clock, labor cost controls, and geofencing.
• Business at $4 per employee per month for all the reporting features.

6. Timesheet Mobile: Best for small EU businesses.

If you run an EU-based business, Timesheet Mobile may be for you. It’s one of the few apps that offers compliance tools for businesses outside the US so they can avoid penalties. With this feature, you get alerts when your business is about to violate strict EU regulations, like working more than 48 hours a week.

Top features

• GPS time clock to check each employee’s location at the start of their shifts
• Geofencing to let staff clock in and out of work at remote locations
• Project checklists that send administrators notifications as teams complete tasks
• Tools to make sure European businesses stay compliant with EU directives

Pros and cons

Timesheet Mobile’s time tracking and compliance controls make it easier to ensure you follow applicable EU regulations, like checking staff take their mandated breaks.

The language support and chat features help you contact anyone involved in a potential labor law violation to request they stop working or take a break.

Timesheet Mobile’s paid plans may be restrictive for some small teams. You have to choose between paying per punch — which can add up quickly — or paying per employee at higher rates than other apps.

Pricing

There are several Timesheet Mobile paid plans:

• Basics at $14 per month plus $3.49 per employee for unlimited clock ins, which includes geofencing, leave management, and break reminders.
• Per Punch at $29.99 per month plus 15 cents per punch for everything in the Basics plan, plus overtime alerts and team messaging.
• Small Business at $29.99 per month plus $9.95 per employee for unlimited clock ins and the same features as the Per Punch plan.
• Medium Business at $149 per month plus $2.49 per employee for unlimited punches. This also shares all the Per Punch plan features.

7. Connecteam: Best for range of business tools.

Connecteam is an employee management and engagement app with time tracking features. These features help you boost your team’s performance with courses, quizzes, and surveys.

While Connecteam has an array of features, it’s worth noting that the platform lacks payroll, which means you have to depend on integrations.

Top features

• GPS time clock to confirm employees’ arrival times
• Geofencing to let teams clock in and out of work offsite
• Task management to track job progress

Pros and cons

If you’ve got ten or fewer employees, you can take advantage of Connecteam’s free plan, which includes a range of basic time tracking features.

If you manage a larger team, you may not appreciate all the upgrades you’re required to make to access all of Connecteam’s essential tools. You have to subscribe to the most expensive plan to use all the time tracking features. Even then, there’s still a limit on the number of reports and time clocks per location you can use.

Pricing

Connecteam has five plans available:

• Free for up to ten users with all the basic features.
• Basic for $29 per month, which includes timesheets, notifications, and the GPS time clock.
• Advanced for $49, which has everything in Basic, plus clock in controls and geofencing.
• Expert for $99, which has all the features from the previous two plans, plus the GPS tracker and reporting tools.
• Enterprise with custom pricing, which has all the features from the other plans.

There’s also the option of a 14-day free trial.

8. Time Clock Wizard: Great for scheduling.

Time Clock Wizard offers web-based time tracking, scheduling, notifications, and more. It really shines with scheduling, allowing you to set alternating work days, various pay rates, and reimbursements.

Top features

• Mobile time tracking and punch in and out functionality
• Customizable weekly schedules with PTO requests
• Photo capture for logging in and out
• The ability to see who is clocked in or out

Pros and cons

Many comment on how easy Time Clock Wizard is to navigate and use.

The app also allows for multiple users and admins with varying access, which is great for small businesses that are growing or have multiple sites.

While Time Clock Wizard is one of the best time clock apps for small businesses looking to monitor cost, any additional features require a monthly subscription. Prices go up to $219.95 per month, making it rather costly.

Pricing

Time Clock Wizard offers four plans:

• Free basic time tracking for unlimited users.
• Value for $29.95 per month, which includes basic  tracking, reporting, and support.
• Pro for $49.95 per month for up to 50 users, which includes scheduling, tracking, payroll reporting, and more.
• Enterprise is $219.95 per month and includes unlimited users, priority support, and an account manager.

9. Clockify: Best app for flexible working.

Clockify is a popular time tracking app that allows unlimited users for free. It shines with its ability to easily manage hours, breaks, time off, and more. This makes Clockify ideal for those with numerous flex employees because of their unpredictable schedules.

Top features

• Advanced time tracking and reporting under one view
• Various integrations that streamline tracking and payroll
• The ability to handle invoices and expenses

Pros and cons

The advanced reporting makes Clockify one of the best time clock apps for many users, as it allows for detailed month-end reports.

The flexible work functionality is a big perk for businesses with flex employees or sporadic spikes in demand and hours.

Many point out that it’s easy to forget to stop the time tracker, which makes for inaccurate reporting.

Pricing

Clockify offers four plans:

• Standard is $6.99 per month and includes timesheet and billing functionality.
• Pro is $9.99 per month and includes additional profit and productivity features.
• Enterprise is $14.99 per month and includes single sign-on, custom subdomains, and more.
• The Productivity Suite bundle through Cake.com includes enterprise features and those from Cake.com.

How to choose the best clock in and out app.

Now that you’ve got the information you need about the time clock apps for small businesses, it’s time to make a decision. Consider the following as you decide on and implement an app:

Identify your needs.

Unique  elements like team size, industry, and employee work patterns play a crucial role in what software will work best for you.

For example, in industries with split shifts, such as restaurants, it’s vital to choose a time clock app that can handle multiple clock-ins and clock-outs per day.

Assess your specific needs, such as the need for robust overtime tracking or the ability to manage flexible schedules, to find a software solution that aligns with operational demands.

Do your research.

In-depth research is essential, especially for businesses in specialized markets.

For industries like healthcare, where shift patterns and on-call responsibilities are complex, it’s important to find a time clock app tailored to these needs.

Read user reviews, compare features, and understand how different apps cater to unique industry challenges. This could involve looking into how well an app integrates with existing HR systems or its ability to handle shift-swapping and temporary staffing needs.

Test the app.

Before committing, it’s wise to test the shortlisted apps through free trials or demos. Evaluate the app’s functionality in real-world scenarios that you regularly find yourself in.

Testing should cover aspects like ease of use, mobile accessibility, and how well the app integrates with other business systems. Companies should also assess the app’s reliability in tracking time and its effectiveness in generating accurate payroll data.

Ask for feedback.

Employee feedback is crucial in selecting the right time clock software. Their ease of use and satisfaction with the app are key to its successful adoption. This is especially important for businesses with a diverse workforce, including those with disabilities who might require accessibility features.

Train team members.

Organize comprehensive training sessions that include how to download, set up, and use the app. Providing resources like instructional videos, FAQs, and support contacts can help in addressing common queries and issues.

Regularly review and update.

Continuously review and update your time clock app to ensure it’s meeting your needs and staying on budget. Your business will evolve, and your mobile time clock needs will evolve with it. As your company grows you’ll likely need more seats, better analytics, and integration with other tools.

Homebase makes time tracking a breeze.

As a small business manager, you want to pay employees for their time while protecting your bottom line. But it might seem impossible to record hours accurately without micromanaging your team or being everywhere at once.

That’s where Homebase comes in. Our mobile time clock app lets team members effortlessly clock in and out via GPS as they arrive to work. If they’re late or don’t show up, managers will immediately receive a notification via the mobile app. That also means you won’t have to ask staff any awkward questions or stay on the premises to know they’ve turned up to work.

And our affordable rates and per-location pricing scheme mean you won’t cancel out all the funds you save by preventing labor leakage.

Our Basic tier punches above its class, with free scheduling and tracking. Why not see for yourself and give us a try today.

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