6 best remote employee time clock apps for 2024

In the age of remote work and flexible schedules, keeping track of employee work hours can be challenging. Luckily, time tracking apps have emerged as a handy solution for businesses of all sizes.These modern, user-friendly tools allow employees to easily clock in and out of work from anywhere, simplifying the time tracking process and fostering a culture of accountability. With accurate timesheet data, businesses can ensure that employees spend their time effectively and that payroll processes run smoothly.

But time tracking apps aren’t only great because they calculate hours and ensure payroll accuracy. A feature-packed time tracking solution can greatly enhance the overall employee experience by streamlining internal operations and reducing administrative tasks. Of course, with so many time tracking apps on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your small business. That's where our guide comes in. We've done all the research and ranked the top six remote employee time clock apps in 2024 based on their stand out features and pricing options. Now, let’s begin.

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Key features to look for in remote employee time clock apps

The secret is to find a remote employee time clock app that strikes the right balance between functionality and user-friendliness, especially if you're looking for a cost effective solution that meets all your small business needs. So, let’s look at some of the key features you should consider while picking the best option for your business:

• Excellent design: Time tracking is an ongoing necessity, so it’s essential to choose a platform that’s easy for people to navigate. That way, you’ll reduce the need for extensive employee training and increase the likelihood that everyone will use it regularly.
• Wide range of integrations: As a small business, you may already be using certain platforms that you don’t want to part with. That’s why your remote employee time clock of choice should allow for seamless integration with a wide range of tools, like payroll systems, client relationship management (CRM) platforms, and point-of-sale (POS) solutions
• Value for price: For small businesses, cost is often a major deciding factor. And it makes sense to choose the most affordable option with the widest range of features. That’s why you should keep an eye out for a platform that has a free time clock app or a variety of budget-friendly paid plans.
• Mobile app: For remote and field-based employees who are constantly on the move or small business team members who are always on their feet, a fully functional mobile time tracking app is ideal.
• Alerts and reminders: All employees forget to take a break or sign out of work from time to time. These issues can be managed through a remote employee time clock app with customizable alerts and reminders. For instance, you can set up reminders to initiate breaks and prompt people to recharge their batteries.
• Geofencing capabilities: Some remote employee time clock apps come with geofencing capabilities. Geofencing can set up virtual fences around work locations that trigger clock ins or outs when an employee's mobile device enters or leaves the area. This is especially handy for managers who oversee dispersed teams and can’t be there to make sure everyone is tracking time correctly.

Our top pick for remote employee time clocks in 2024 (+ the rest ranked)

In 2023, our #1 pick for the most versatile remote employee time clock is Homebase — a time tracking app equipped with built-in payroll, geofencing capabilities, and a range of seamless integrations. Our platform offers:

• A free plan that includes basic scheduling, time tracking, and employee management features.
• A simple and quick setup that doesn’t require time-consuming product demos or interaction with a sales representative.

Plus, our transparent pricing sets us apart from the rest of the tools on this list. You can easily compare all ​​of our paid plans before making your decision.Speaking of our list, here are the rest of our favorite picks for 2023:

1. Best all-in-one solution: Homebase
2. Best for task management: Connecteam
3. Best for simplicity: When I Work
4. Best for mileage tracking: QuickBooks Time
5. Best for employee monitoring: Clockify
6. Best for freelancers: Toggl

Comparison chart: Top 6 remote employee time clock apps in 2024

Software

Time trackingPayrollEmployee schedulingIntegrationsFree plan and usersPTO managementHiring toolsGeotechnologyPricing

✓

✓✓✓✓(up to 20 employees)✓✓

✓

Plans range from free to $99.95 per location per month.

Payroll add-on costs $39/month base fee + $6/month per active employee.

Homebase customers can also save 20% when they commit to an annual plan

✓

✓✓✓✓(up to 10 users)✓✓

✓

Connecteam’s plans cost from free to $99/month + additional charges per user per month.

Payroll is included in all the plans.

✓

✓✓✓✗✓✓✓When I Work has the most affordable plans, ranging from $2.50 to $8/month per user. Payroll is integrated into both plans.

✓

✓✓✓✗✓✓✓

Premium plan costs $20/month plus $8/user, while the Elite plan costs $40/month plus $10/user. Payroll is included in both the plans.

✓

✓✓✓(no third-party payroll integrations)✓(unlimited users)✓✓✓Clockify’s prices range from free to $14.99/user per month. Payroll is included from the Standard plan onwards.

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓ (up to 5 users)

✓

✓

✗

Toggl provides a free plan, followed by Starter and Premium plans costing $10 and $20/month respectively. The Enterprise plan has custom pricing.

A breakdown of the 6 best remote employee time clock apps

Let's take a closer look at each of the six remote employee time clock apps from the comparison chart to understand their unique features.

1. Best all-in-one solution: Homebase

Top features

• An intelligent time clock tracks hours, breaks, overtime, and PTO and automatically transforms the data into timesheets that are ready for payroll.
• Allows you to not only pay your team but also take care of tax deductions and calculations.
• Seamlessly integrates with other popular payroll systems like Gusto, Rippling, and QuickBooks.
• Turns any computer, iOS, and Android device, or POS system into a time clock.
• Great remote time tracking features. You can verify clock in locations, snap sign in photos, and prompt employees to sign into work with custom PINs to prevent time theft and buddy punching.
• Helps you comply with local, state, and federal labor laws and keeps you up to date with any changes that may affect you.
• Manages labor costs by setting alerts for when employees approach overtime and automatically clocking them out when they forget.
• Sends shift alerts to your team to prevent no-shows and to tell you when employees clock in late.
• Enables you to set targets for your team by importing sales data and tracking labor versus sales.

Pros and cons

Homebase is the all-in-one solution that every small business needs. Packed with the most advanced features in a single place, our platform means SMB owners don’t need multiple tools to manage their daily operations.Unlike the other time clock systems on our list, Homebase comes with a free plan that includes up to 20 employees at one business location. It also has basic time tracking, scheduling, and employee management tools.However, Homebase doesn’t offer advanced tools for performance management. So, if these are something that you require, you might have to look for other options.

Pricing

Homebase’s scheduling and timesheet tool is completely free. However, if you want to maximize efficiency and get the most out of the software, we offer the following price options.

• Basic. Free for one location and up to 20 employees. It includes basic scheduling and time tracking, employee management tools like Messaging, point-of-sale integrations, and access to email support.
• Essentials. $24.95 per month per location. Everything in Basic, plus payroll integrations, team communication, performance tracking,  advanced time tracking and scheduling, and access to live support.
• Plus. $59.95 per month per location. Everything in Essentials, plus hiring tools, retention and performance tracking, time off controls, and departments and permissions.
• All-in-one. $99.95 per month per location. Everything in Plus, with HR and compliance, new hire onboarding, labor cost controls, and business insights.

You can also add the payroll feature to any of these plans for $39/month plus $6/month per active employee.Users can also save 20% on their overall cost when they sign up for an annual plan.

One easy app to manage your hourly team.

Get your team in sync with our easy-to-use, all-in-one employee app.

Get started for free with Homebase

2. Best for task management: Connecteam

Connecteam’s extensive geofencing capabilities allow you to limit the locations employees can clock in from. Source[/caption]

Top features

• GPS time clock that can track and monitor employee time and location in real time.
• The ability to set up geolocations and receive alerts when employees clock in or out outside your established boundaries.
• Multi-location support by managing time tracking across different locations and job sites.
• Facial recognition technology that can easily identify employees and prevent buddy punching.
• Automated timesheets that can be exported directly to payroll for easy and accurate processing.
• Allows for the allocation and supervision of tasks, guaranteeing that specific work is assigned to appropriate employees.
• Communication tools that allow you to contact individual employees, groups, and your entire team with features like chat messages, surveys, suggestion boxes, and polls.
• A mobile app that works with most Android and iOS devices.

Pros and cons

Connecteam is perfect for mid-sized and large businesses that work with remote and field-based employees. It allows you to assign job sites and link them to specific customers, jobs, or projects. This ensures that team members are only clocking in and getting paid for work done at their designated work locations.The platform is highly customizable and has a user-friendly design. It also allows employees to claim available shifts, view past due tasks quickly, and save tasks as drafts for future completion. It doesn’t have a built-in payroll product or integrate with a wide variety of payroll systems, but it does connect with Gusto and QuickBooks.However, most of Connecteam’s features are only accessible with the most expensive plans, which can be unaffordable for small businesses. In addition, the free plan is restricted to ten users only.

Pricing

• A Small Business plan, which is free for up to ten users
• A Basic plan for $29/month and $0.50/month per additional user
• An Advanced plan for $49/month and $1.50/month per additional user
• An Expert plan for $99/month and $3/month per additional user

The monthly pricing quotes for the Basic, Advanced, and Expert plans apply to the first 30 users. You’ll have to pay additional charges if you add more.

3. Best for simplicity: When I Work

When I Work’s intuitive design makes it easy for employees to track timesheets, control labor costs, and simplify payroll. Source[/caption]

Top features

• Employee timesheets that integrate seamlessly with the payroll process.
• Employee location tracking for clocking in and out of work, which helps prevent time theft and buddy punching.
• Geofencing capabilities to make sure employees stay within the designated working area.
• Facial recognition and photo capture features that ensure employees are using their own time cards.
• Real-time insights into who's working, who's on break, and who's running late, so you can make informed decisions.
• Alerts and labor reports that prevent employees from working overtime.
• Dynamic scheduling tools that can record employee breaks.
• The ability for employees to request time off and track sick time and vacation time accruals.

Pros and cons

When I Work can morph any device into a time clock. With its simple and intuitive design, anyone can clock in and out of work from their devices in less than 30 seconds.The platform provides a better way of managing labor costs and monitoring staff activity by allowing managers to control how employees sign in and out of their shifts. With the ability to generate attendance reports, digital timesheets, and other essential data, When I Work simplifies labor forecasting and workforce management.However, this platform doesn’t come with a free option. Furthermore, some users in G2 have complained about certain things, like issues with the GPS tracking tool and a lack of integrations.

Pricing

• A Standard plan for $2.50/month
• An Advanced plan for $6/month

You can add the time and attendance feature to the above plans for an extra $1.50 and $2, respectively.When I Work doesn’t offer a free plan, but you can opt for a 14-day free trial.

4. Best for mileage tracking: QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time is known for its flexibility and geofencing capabilities, tracking your team’s location and mileage throughout their shifts. Source[/caption]

Top features

• A time clock that lets employees sign in and out of work from mobile devices, web browsers, or even an on-premises kiosk.
• ‘Crew functionality’ that allows crew leaders to clock the entire team in and out as they move between job sites.
• PTO balances, time off requests, and manager notifications.
• The ability to build schedules by shift or job using drag-and-drop tools.
• Team location monitoring capabilities
• Automatic GPS mileage tracking that displays mileage on timesheets and payroll reports.
• The ability to monitor job schedules and task progress through comparison charts and timesheet audit trials.

Pros and cons

QuickBooks Time is a cloud-based software that’s accessible via web browser and mobile app. It has a user-friendly design, similar to other QuickBooks products, which minimizes the learning curve for administrators and employees. The drag-and-drop scheduling tools enable users to adjust timetables quickly, while geotechnology allows managers to add new jobs, assign employees, and notify them with push notifications. The platform also offers built-in mileage tracking and job costing tools that let administrators access comprehensive reports on time, attendance, schedules, and budgets.Unlike its competitors, QuickBooks requires a monthly subscription on top of per-user fees, which makes it more expensive than other tools. Moreover, the tool has comparatively fewer integrations, which might be a hassle for some companies.

Pricing

• A Premium plan for $20/month plus $8/user
• An Elite plan for $40/month plus $10/user

Users have to pay for QuickBooks’ time clock per user, which can add up quickly. It also comes with a 30-day free trial.

5. Best for employee monitoring: Clockify

Clockify’s ability to monitor an unlimited number of projects and users makes it ideal for thriving enterprises with a large workforce. Source[/caption]

Top features

• Over 20 time tracking features, including the ability to monitor an unlimited number of projects or timecards, start and stop timers, and manual hour entry.
• Advanced versions offer additional control measures, GPS functionality, and screenshots every five minutes.
• Allows administrators to define different hourly rates for workspaces, users, and projects.
• Simple billing for clients and project cost estimates.
• Geotechnology, which enables more accurate time logs for businesses with field staff or teams that visit a client’s site.
• Reports and dashboards that help small business owners estimate labor costs.
• Over 80 integrations that seamlessly connect with project management and CRM software.

Pros and cons

Clockify's time tracker is most suitable for large companies as it can track an unlimited number of users and projects. The app also includes GPS tracking to monitor employees' whereabouts and offsite work hours. It also streamlines administration by automatically calculating billables based on employees’ hourly rates for each project. Clockify consolidates all its tools into one column, allowing users to easily switch between time tracking, analytics, timesheets, and management tools.However, Clockify doesn’t integrate with third-party payroll providers like ADP or Gusto.

Pricing

• A free plan
• A Basic plan for $4.99/user per month
• A Standard plan for $6.99/user per month
• A Pro plan for $9.99/user per month
• An Enterprise plan for $14.99/user per month

6. Best for freelancers: Toggl

Toggl is known for its easy-to-use design, advanced time tracking features, and ability to generate detailed work reports. Source[/caption]

Top features

• Users can track their time across different devices.
• The ability to set billable rates for each project, client, or team member, and the app will automatically calculate the billable amount.
• Collaboration and task management tools.
• Detailed reports on time usage, which can be exported in different formats such as Excel and PDF.
• Integrates with 100+ third-party tools such as Salesforce, Trello, and Slack.
• Mobile apps for Android and iOS let users track their time on the go.
• Idle detection feature that automatically stops the timer when the user is inactive, helping to track time usage accurately.

Pros and cons

Toggl’s easy-to-navigate dashboard design makes it a popular time clock app with freelancers and businesses. It helps you generate detailed reports by identifying areas that have an impact on productivity and efficiency and suggests improvements for upcoming projects.However, Toggl’s free version has minimal features to work with. And even though its project management tools offer restricted functionality, getting the complete hang of the software can be cumbersome.

Pricing

• A free plan for up to five users
• A Starter plan for $10/month
• A Premium plan for $20/month
• An Enterprise plan for custom pricing for unlimited users

However, if you commit to any of these plans annually, you’ll save 10%.

Track time efficiently with Homebase

Precise time tracking is essential for any business to increase productivity and customer satisfaction. And it can help you reduce employee turnover and save money. That’s why selecting a remote employee time clock app that meets the specific needs of your business is crucial. While there are plenty of time tracking solutions available online, Homebase emerges as a clear winner. From automated timesheets that make payroll a breeze to time tracking features that prevent time theft, Homebase has it all. Our features let you transform any device into a time clock and seamlessly integrate with different payroll software. So you can focus your energy on what matters most — growing your

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‍**The information above is based on our research on remote employee time clock apps. All user feedback referenced in the text has been sourced from independent software review platforms, such as G2 and Capterra, in May 2023.