Time clock apps make it easier for employees to track their time worked and simplify payroll. We review the 10 best mobile time clock apps for 2023.

If your business has hourly employees, it’s critical to make sure you’re tracking time accurately. Employees expect to be paid for the time they work, and employers don’t want to waste money overpaying employees for idle time.

Mobile time clock apps simplify the process of tracking employees’ hours worked. Employees can punch in and out right from their smartphone with just a few taps. These apps also work no matter whether employees are in the office or in the field.

In this guide, we’ll review the 11 best time clock apps for 2023. We’ll also cover the key features of these apps so you can choose the best mobile time clock app for your business.

If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.

Our Top Picks

  1. Best all-in-one mobile time clock app

    Learn more

  2. Good for project management integrations

  3. Good for payroll integrations

What to Look For in a Time Clock App

The best mobile time clock apps are packed with features to not only track employees time worked, but also help you run your business more smoothly. Here are some of the key features to look for when choosing a mobile time clock app.

  • Location-based tracking: If you have employees in the field, you want to know where they are when they’re clocking time. GPS-enabled time clock apps provide location data alongside time entries.
  • Payroll integration: For many businesses, the point of time tracking is to get payroll right. Look for a time clock app that integrates seamlessly with your existing payroll software.
  • Attendance tracking: In addition to tracking time worked, many clock apps also keep track of leave accruals, sick days, and more.
  • Reporting: Supervisors need to know how many hours each employee has worked so they can schedule work appropriately and reduce labor costs. Look for apps that offer up-to-date reporting on employees’ hours.

The 10 Best Time Clock Apps of 2023

  1. Best for: All-in-one mobile time clock app

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android

    Connecteam is a mobile app time clock and so much more. With our app, employees can easily clock in and out with a tap. They can also assign time worked to specific projects, tasks or clients, making it easier to keep track of how to bill customers.

    The Connecteam app also has built-in GPS functionality. That’s a huge advantage for businesses like construction companies and delivery services that have employees spread out in the field. Supervisors always know where employees are when they’re working. 

    The GPS functionality offers several additional features. You can set up geofences that automatically clock employees into and out of projects. You can also limit what locations employees can clock in or out from in order to eliminate time theft.

    Approving timesheets is a breeze with Connecteam, too. Timesheets are auto-routed to supervisors for approval, making employee time tracking simple. Overtime and compliance issues are automatically flagged. If there’s ever a question, Connecteam doubles as an instant messaging app so supervisors and employees can chat about it.

    Leave requests and attendance management are integrated into Connecteam, enabling employees to track their hours and time off all in one place. Connecteam is also one of the best staff scheduling apps. So, employees can view their upcoming shifts and clock in using a single app.

    Connecteam automatically stores timecards and attendance records in the cloud. So, your business doesn’t have to think about legal compliance with record-keeping requirements.

    When it comes time to run payroll, you can easily import timesheets from Connecteam into Quickbooks Online or Gusto. Since Connecteam keeps track of overtime, breaks, and paid time off (PTO), you can be confident that wages are calculated accurately for every employee.

    All of Connecteam’s features are tied together with automatic reporting. Supervisors get real time updates on employee attendance for shifts and jobs, so you know right away if there’s a staffing problem. Managers can use Connecteam’s built-in report templates or create custom reports, then choose an interval for how frequently reports are produced.

    Overall, we think Connecteam brings together all of the features businesses need to manage employees’ time. It’s simple for employees to use, offers a wide range of monitoring and approval tools for supervisors, and integrates seamlessly with your business’s payroll process.

    Businesses with 10 or fewer employees can use Connecteam’s mobile app time clock for free. For larger businesses, time tracking starts at just $29 per month for up to 30 employees. Try out Connecteam free for 30 days and see how it can help streamline your operations.

    Key Features

    • Clock in and out with a single tap
    • GPS-enabled time tracking
    • Leave and attendance management
    • Alerts for overtime and compliance issues
    • Integrates with payroll software
    • Custom reporting with built-in templates

    Pros

    • Supports location-based clock-ins using GPS
    • Create project-specific reports and alerts
    • Manage employees’ schedules and clock-ins with a single app
    • Free for businesses with 10 or fewer employees

    Cons

    • Doesn’t automatically generate customer invoices

    Pricing

    Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users Free 14-day trial Free plan available

    14-day free trial, no credit card required

    Start your free trial

  2. Best for: Project management integrations

    Available on

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • iOS
    • Android
    screenshot of time tracking in timecamp with start a task option

    While many employee time clock apps are geared towards time tracking for hourly employees or work on jobs in the field, TimeCamp is more designed for tracking time spent on computer-based projects. This platform makes it easy for in-office and remote employees to build up their own calendars with tasks assigned to them, then track the time they spend on those tasks.

    What’s really great about TimeCamp is that it integrates with many popular team management apps. These include Asana, Trello, and Monday.com. Supervisors and teams can work collaboratively to assign tasks, then use TimeCamp to keep track of how much time each employee is contributing.

    The time data that TimeCamp produces can be used for everything from invoicing clients to payroll to tracking employees’ productivity. This app offers plenty of built-in reporting tools to help managers analyze time data.

    Learn more about TimeCamp

    Key Features

    • Track employee productivity
    • Generate invoices for customers
    • Manage time and attendance
    • Straightforward timesheet approval

    Pros

    • Integrates with popular team management software
    • Free plan supports unlimited users

    Cons

    • No GPS tracking features for employees in the field
    • No built-in communication tools

    Pricing

    Starts at $6.30/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

  3. Good for: Payroll integrations

    Available on

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • iOS
    • Android
    BuddyPunch home page showing tablet and mobile scheduling software

    BuddyPunch focuses on making it as simple as possible to run payroll. This mobile app time clock tracks time and lets you set multiple rates for each employee for different projects, tasks, or bonus periods. It can also manage PTO, unpaid leave, and sick leave. 

    BuddyPunch automatically routes timesheets to managers for approval, then integrates with more than 10 popular payroll platforms. It takes just minutes to run payroll with QuickBooks, Paychex, Workday, Gusto, and more.

    If you have employees in the field, BuddyPunch can also function as a GPS time clock. Geofences help keep employees accountable. The software also uses facial recognition to ensure that when an employee punches in, it’s really them doing the clock-in.

    Learn more about BuddyPunch

    Key Features

    • Integrates with 10+ payroll providers
    • Assign multiple pay rates to each employee
    • Facial recognition to prevent time theft
    • GPS-based clock-in reminders

    Pros

    • Very user-friendly mobile app
    • Create geofences to monitor employees in the field

    Cons

    • Cannot generate invoices for customers
    • No built-in communication tools

    Pricing

    Starts at $19/month + $2.99/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  4. Good for: Free time tracking

    Available on

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of time tracking in Inch showing time an employee spent on a task.

    Inch is a flexible and easy-to-use mobile time clock app that can translate hours worked into invoices for your customers. With Inch, managers can set each employees’ rate for each job. Employees clock in and out using the app and assign their hours to a specific client or task. Inch then combines hours from each employee and generates an invoice that’s ready to send off to your customer.

    Inch is GPS-enabled to help you manage employees in the field. You can set up geofences around job sites. If an employee enters or leaves a geofence without clocking in or out, they’ll receive a push notification reminding them to do so.

    Perhaps the best thing about Inch is that it’s completely free to use. The platform has no paid plans and you can track time for an unlimited number of employees.

    Learn more about Inch

    Key Features

    • Create invoices for clients based on time worked
    • Geofences remind employees to clock in and out
    • Powerful built-in reporting tools
    • Track location data alongside hours

    Pros

    • Supports employee scheduling in the same app
    • Built-in instant messaging

    Cons

    • Doesn’t integrate with payroll software
    • Cannot create multiple rates for billing clients and payroll

    Pricing

    Free for unlimited users Free Trial: No Free Plan: Yes

  5. Good for: Task-based time tracking

    Available on

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    screenshot of tasks and projects time tracking in harvest

    Harvest is a simple platform for tracking the time employees spend on tasks or projects. Simply tap or click on a project and Harvest will start a timer. When an employee is finished working, they can tap or click to stop the timer.

    While Harvest’s time clock feature is simple, this app offers an impressive reporting suite. Supervisors can track hours and budgets for each project and visualize which employees are being underutilized. Harvest also enables businesses to turn hours worked into a client invoice in seconds.

    Harvest offers a wide variety of integrations. You can import tasks from project management software like Asana or process invoices using PayPal or Stripe. It also supports automated workflows through Zapier and IFTTT.

    Learn more about Harvest

    Key Features

    • One-click time tracking
    • Build client invoices based on hours worked
    • Customizable reporting tools
    • Wide range of integrations

    Pros

    • Track time across all devices
    • Easily export data to Excel

    Cons

    • No GPS-based features for employees in the field
    • Employees can only have one wage rate per project

    Pricing

    Starts at $12/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

  6. Goof for: Tracking break time

    Available on

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Clockify Online Time Tracker User Interface

    Clockify is a do-it-all time tracking software that’s easy to use for both supervisors and employees. Supervisors can set up projects and templates to streamline time tracking. Employees then just have to tap or click a button to start tracking for the appropriate project.

    One thing we especially like about Clockify is how it handles break time. The software offers a Pomodoro timer, which reminds employees to take breaks at set intervals. Clockify also enables employees to track non-billable hours spent on breaks. These tools make it easy for employers to ensure that they remain in compliance with labor laws.

    Unfortunately, Clockify can get pricey for larger businesses, especially if you need advanced features like client invoicing and budget tracking. However, its ease of use makes it worth a look for businesses with just a handful of employees.

    Learn more about Clockify

    Key Features

    • Create templates for new projects
    • Pomodoro timer to encourage breaks
    • Track non-billable hours
    • Enables supervisors to lock timesheets

    Pros

    • Very user-friendly interface
    • Wide range of software integrations

    Cons

    • Expensive for businesses with many employees
    • Limited features for preventing time theft

    Pricing

    Starts at $3.99/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

  7. Good for: Managing multiple teams

    Available on

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • iOS
    • Web
    • Android
    screenshot of project time tracking chart in timely

    Timely is one of the best mobile time clock apps for agencies or supervisors who need to manage multiple teams. With this software, you can set up time tracking for an unlimited number of teams, each with their own projects. Data from each team can be segregated or combined for reporting, giving supervisors a ton of flexibility.

    Another great thing about this timesheet app is that the user interface is modern and seamless. Employees can drag and drop tasks from their calendar into categories to bill them to specific projects. Supervisors can create custom dashboards to keep an eye on what each of their teams are doing.

    Timely integrates with most popular business software, including calendar apps like Google Calendar, payroll software like Quickbooks, and project management software like Asana. You can also create custom integrations using Zapier.

    Learn more about Timely

    Key Features

    • Track time across multiple independent teams
    • Drag-and-drop task management
    • Wide range of integrations
    • Automatic timesheet reminders

    Pros

    • Can send dynamic reports to clients
    • Very flexible reporting tools

    Cons

    • Does not generate invoices for clients
    • No built-in employee scheduling tools

    Pricing

    Starts at $8/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  8. Good for: Businesses that use Quickbooks

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    screenshot of specific employee time tracking window in quickbooks time

    If your business relies on Quickbooks for payroll and accounting, you can save a lot of integration headaches by using Quickbooks Time to track employees’ hours. Data from Quickbooks Time can be used to run payroll with Quickbooks in seconds and then appear as a properly categorized expense in your business accounts.

    Even if your business doesn’t use Quickbooks, there are aspects of this software to like. It’s easy to use and offers overtime and compliance alerts for supervisors. It also includes GPS-based features like geofences to help manage employees in the field. In addition, Quickbooks Time enables you to schedule employees to shifts to help your business operate more smoothly.

    Learn more about Quickbooks Time

    Key Features

    • Attendance and time off management
    • Track project budgets
    • Overtime and compliance alerts
    • GPS-based time tracking reminders

    Pros

    • Seamless integration with other Quickbooks products
    • Includes employee scheduling tools

    Cons

    • Very few integrations outside of Quickbooks
    • App interface could be easier to use

    Pricing

    Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  9. Good for: Freelancers

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    screenshot of project time tracking in hubstaff on desktop and mobile

    We think Hubstaff is one of the top mobile time clock apps for freelancers. That’s in part because individual business owners can use this app completely free. It offers comprehensive time tracking features, including the ability to organize time by project or client.

    Of course, Hubstaff also offers plenty of features for larger businesses. Businesses with employees in the field can set up geofences to automatically start and stop time clocks on mobile. Supervisors can also get a visual breakdown of how much time employees spend in transit or at particular job sites.

    Hubstaff also supports payroll integration and customer invoicing. It’s a well-rounded platform with user-friendly mobile apps.

    Learn more about Hubstaff

    Key Features

    • Organize time by project or client
    • Geofences for automatic time tracking
    • Payroll integrations
    • Customizable reports

    Pros

    • Free for a single user
    • Run payroll directly through Hubstaff

    Cons

    • Minimum 24 users for paid plans
    • Timesheet approval costs extra

    Pricing

    Starts at $5.83/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

  10. Good for: On-premises time tracking

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    screenshot of time tracking in sling with some time slots highlighting

    Sling is an employee scheduling software that includes a number of useful clock app features. It can turn any smartphone into a mobile time clock and offers geofencing to ensure that employees are where they’re supposed to be when clocking time.

    One of the most unique things about this software is that it’s not just for enabling employees in the field to clock in and out. You can also use Sling to create a virtual punch clock in your office. So, every employee can clock in and out on the same terminal.

    Sling offers integrations with payroll processors like ADP and Gusto. It also integrates with Square for invoicing clients for hours worked.

    Learn more about Sling

    Key Features

    • Create a central time clock terminal
    • Gusto and ADP integrations
    • Geofence-based controls on clocking in and out
    • Employee scheduling tools

    Pros

    • Combines employee scheduling and time management
    • Supports attendance and leave tracking

    Cons

    • Limited selection of payroll integrations
    • Cannot edit timesheets on mobile

    Pricing

    Starts at $1.70/user/month Free Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

Compare the Best Time Clock Apps

Topic
Reviews
4.8
4.7
4.8
N/A
4.6
4.7
4.7
4.7
4.7
4.6
Pricing
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
Starts at $6.30/user/month
Starts at $19/month + $2.99/user/month
Free for unlimited users
Starts at $12/user/month
Starts at $3.99/user/month
Starts at $8/user/month
Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month
Starts at $5.83/user/month
Starts at $1.70/user/month
Free Trial
yes
14 days
yes
yes
no
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
Free Plan
yes
Up to 10 users
yes
no
yes
yes
yes
no
no
yes
yes

What are Mobile Time Clock Apps?

Mobile time clock apps are platforms that enable employees to log the hours they work. They are designed to replace paper time cards. An employee can clock in when they arrive at a job or begin work on a project. When they’re finished or pause work for a break, they can clock out.

Mobile time clocks enable hourly employees to track their hours accurately and report them to their employer. They also enable supervisors to monitor employees’ hours so they know how much an employee has worked and whether they are nearing overtime.

How Do Mobile Time Clock Apps Work?

Mobile time clock apps are as simple as the paper time cards they replace. An employee opens the app and clocks in, which often just requires a tap. When they’re done working, they can tap again to clock out.

Most time clock apps offer features for categorizing work. Employees who work on multiple projects may be able to clock in and out on each project. This helps managers understand how much time employees are spending on different tasks and makes it easier to bill customers for the hours spent on their projects. 

Mobile time clocks collect employees’ time data in timesheets, which can be used to run payroll. Some time clocks for mobile devices also offer reporting and analytics tools to help supervisors understand how their employees are spending their time.

The Benefits of Mobile Time Clock Apps

Having time clocks on mobile phones can help businesses in several ways.

First, they ensure that employees—especially hourly employees—are tracking their time accurately. These apps turn any smartphone into a time clock, so employees can clock in and out no matter whether they’re at the office or in the field. Many apps also use employee scheduling data or GPS location data to remind employees to clock in when they start work.

This time data can be used to run payroll. Clock apps typically generate timesheets that can be reviewed by employees and managers. These timesheets can then be imported into a payroll software to run payroll in minutes.

Another benefit to mobile time clocks is that they make it easier to bill hours to customers and clients. Employees can clock in and out of specific projects, so supervisors know exactly how many hours are spent on a project across all employees. Some clock apps even enable businesses to invoice clients directly.

How Much Does a Mobile Time Clock App Cost?

Mobile time clock apps can be relatively inexpensive. In most cases, you can expect to pay between $1 and $10 per employee. For example, TimeCamp starts at $6.30 per user, per month. Some apps that include employee scheduling software or advanced payroll tools may be slightly more expensive.

There are also free time clock apps. Connecteam is free to use for businesses with 10 or fewer employees. If you need to track time for more than 10 employees, Connecteam starts at just $29 per month for up to 30 employees. This makes it one of the most cost-effective mobile time clock apps available right now.

FAQs

Is there a free app for tracking employee hours?

Connecteam enables you to track employees’ hours for free if your business has 10 or fewer employees. If you have more than 10 employees, Inch offers free time tracking for an unlimited number of users.

Can employees track time with their phones?

Yes, employees can track time with their phone using mobile clock apps. These apps enable employees to clock in and out on their smartphone. They ensure that time is tracked accurately and that hours worked are visible to both employees and employers.

Do time clock apps track your location?

Some time clock apps track location using GPS during employees’ work hours. Location tracking is used to ensure that employees are at a job site when clocking in. This data can also be used to remind employees to clock out when they leave a job site.

The Bottom Line On Time Clock App

Mobile time clock apps make it easier for employees and employers to track hours worked. They can simplify payroll and ensure that your company accurately bills your customers for the work you’ve done.

We think Connecteam is the best mobile time clock app for the majority of businesses. It enables employees to clock in and out with just a tap, helps supervisors and employees to communicate about work, and integrates with popular payroll platforms. Connecteam is free for small businesses with up to 10 employees and paid plans start at just $29 per month.