Teaching business owners the best clock-in clock-out apps to monitor employee working hours and make your payroll processing easy.
You’ve spent all day managing sales calls, directing employees, putting out marketing materials, and interviewing potential hires, and now you get to spend your only free time at night inputting payroll data. If managing employee working hours means you can’t achieve a healthy work-life balance, you need a system that automatically manages employee clock-in and clock-out times.
Take a look at the best clock-in clock-out apps that help track employee working hours and keep you focused on what matters most in your business.
What To Look For in a Clock-In Clock-Out App
What to Look For in a Clock-In Clock-Out App
The best clock-in and out app depends on the features each one provides and your business needs. The most common features you’ll find include:
- Override Options: While most of the features are automated, you need to be able to manually enter time punches if needed.
- Accessible From Anywhere: With remote access, employees and admins can access the app from anywhere in the world and on any device.
- Important Notifications: When time discrepancies are logged into the app, you’ll get real-time updates and notifications.
- Easy to Use: The apps on this list are all easy to use and include a user-friendly interface that doesn’t take long to learn.
1. TimeCamp – Best for Project-Based Time Tracking
TimeCamp is a cloud-based app that lets you and your employees access the platform from any device and any location. The app does a great job tracking employee working hours to ensure productivity and make managing project budgets and timelines easy.
All timesheets have an approval process so you can minimize any errors and catch problems before they get sent to payroll. The app is smart enough to realize when workers are taking a break from their computers and will pause the time tracked.
The app works in the background so employees won’t notice it while focusing on their tasks for the day. It also integrates with a ton of business tools like Google Calendar, Trello, and Asana so your team can easily streamline it into their current workflow.
Key Features
- Categorizes projects automatically by keywords
- Tracks and organizes all working hour activity
- User-friendly digital timesheet
- One-click time punches from any location
Pros
- Tracks working hours and productivity levels
- Easy-to-read color-coded timesheets
Cons
- App turns on toggle-off without user input
- Does not integrate with all online tools
2. Clockify – Best for Collaborative Teams
While some apps include many complicated features, Clockify keeps it simple. The app is perfect for tracking employees’ billable hours, and you can even set up specific projects and tasks that workers can assign to each hour they track. All they need to do is press one button to start the timer and click the button one more time to stop it.
Employees can manage their working shifts and request time off from one location, and you can manage all requests from your dashboard for easy access. The app will notify you of any time off requests or suspicious time tracking.
Employees submit their own timesheets to you for streamlined payroll processing, and you have detailed reports on all employee behavior to correct any issues. You can even assign different pay rates for specific employees to get more accurate estimates of project budgets.
Key Features
- Customized labels for each project, client, and team member
- Additional notes available for each team member’s timesheet
- App tracks billable and non-billable hours
- Immediate notifications for late clock-outs
Pros
- User-friendly dashboard
- Can clock in remotely from any mobile device
Cons
- App becomes disorganized with additional projects opened
- No app toggle-off feature for missed clock outs
3. Buddy Punch – Best for Hybrid Work Staff
As the name implies, your business should have an easy time preventing buddy punching with this convenient app. Buddy Punch has employee-specific codes that allow them to clock in and out, and they only work on their own devices. That means no colleagues are able to clock each other in, even if they know each other’s codes.
Admins can include an option to add their location and the specific task they are working on to ensure your project is on target to meet its timeline and budget. To make the app even more secure, Buddy Punch has a photo capture feature that takes a photo of the employee whenever they clock in or out.
Buddy Punch also has GPS tracking so field teams can be monitored at all times. The integration with QuickBooks makes it great for processing payroll as well. You just need to export all your data into QuickBooks. Unfortunately, Buddy Punch doesn’t have many other integration capabilities, so you will have a harder time streamlining it with your other online tools.
Key Features
- Employee dashboard shows hours logged when they sign in
- Job codes simplify the clock-in process across departments
- Flexible clock-in/out options like facial recognition, PINs, QR codes, or credentials
- Notifications remind staff when shifts are about to begin
Pros
- Alerts for pending timesheet approvals and time off requests
- Employees can easily swap shifts or adjust schedules
Cons
- Limited integrations compared to some competitors
- No free version, subscription plans only
4. TriNet Zenefits – Best for Small to Medium Virtual Businesses
Like the other apps on this list, Zenefits is a cloud-based software allowing everyone on the team to manage their own timesheets from their device. No matter where you are, you can always log into the app and monitor your employees’ activity. Once workers have the app, they can easily clock in and out with one click of a button.
From your dashboard, you’ll have quick access to all employee behavior like who’s clocked in, what projects they’re working on, how many hours they’ve worked, and if anyone is in danger of going into overtime. Zenefits even includes a GPS function to track employees when they are clocking in to prevent time theft from clocking in early or leaving work early and clocking out at a later time.
The app has an extra layer of security by requiring employees to take a photo when they are clocking in.
Key Features
- Automatically integrates clock-in data with payroll, benefits, and HR systems
- Flexible clock-in/out via digital terminals or facial recognition selfies
- Reminders for scheduled breaks and meals
- Overtime metrics and analysis
Pros
- Shared company calendar
- Employees can view hours worked and PTO balances
Cons
- Only offered in English currently
- Support limited to chat and email
5. Connecteam – Best for All-In-One Employee Clock In and Out App
When you want an all-in-one solution that manages employee time management, then Connecteam is a great choice. You can track every working hour from all employees and go through the data all in one platform. The app also integrates easily into existing payroll solutions, so you don’t have to input every employee’s time data manually.
A feature that sets Connecteam apart from other apps on this list is its multi-functional GPS tracking. Every time an employee clocks in, the app knows their exact location. You can also set the tracker to determine where the employee is by monitoring their app activity. You can even set up a geofence that prevents employees from clocking in early or clocking each other in.
Key Features
- Auto-generates timesheets
- Links with payroll systems
- Manages PTO and time off
- Tracks time by job, project, or client
- Locates employees in real-time
- One tap to clock in and out
Pros
- Simple, intuitive interface
- Affordable pricing
- Excellent customer support
- All tools in one platform
Cons
- Expanding integrations with other software
What Is a Clock-In Clock-Out App?
A clock-in and clock-out app is a tool businesses can use to keep track of their employees. It helps them know when people are starting work, taking breaks, or leaving for the day. The app records how many hours someone worked and lets businesses know if employees have taken too much time off.
Most apps have a GPS function attached so owners can know exactly where their employees are and what location they are clocking in from. You can also create projects and tasks that your employees can use as labels for their working hours.
The Benefits of Clock-In Clock-Out Apps
While clock-in and out apps do a great job at tracking the exact hours an employee works, they offer a number of other benefits, too. For example, you’ll get access to a complete database that has all the employee behavior information you need to make informed HR decisions.
You’ll see if someone is late, has missed a shift, requests off, and more. Most systems include alert notifications that are sent to your email or phone if concerning activity is taking place. You can manage your project budgets and progress so there are no surprises in terms of labor costs and stay in contact with employees so everyone knows when they’re scheduled to work.
