Best employee time clock apps in 2026: an honest buyer's guide
The best time clock app depends on your team. For free time tracking with unlimited users, Jibble. For scheduling and team communication, Connecteam or Deputy. For US shops paying per location, Homebase. For crews on sites, in shops or on the road who need proof of presence (QR, GPS, selfie) and offline clock-ins at a low price per employee, QRtimetrack.
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The short answer: which app for which team
| App | Best for |
|---|---|
| QRtimetrack | Construction, cleaning, security, retail and hospitality teams that need proof of where and when people clocked in, also without signal, at €1.99 per employee |
| Clockify | Office and project teams that mainly track hours against projects and clients, with a free plan to start |
| Jibble | Teams that want a free attendance app for unlimited users, with face recognition and geofencing in the app |
| Connecteam | Deskless companies that want time clock, scheduling, chat and checklists in one app |
| Deputy | Shift-based businesses where rostering and labour-cost planning matter as much as the clock |
| Homebase | US small businesses with one or a few locations, paying per location rather than per employee |
What to compare before you choose
- Proof of presence. Can the app show that the person was actually at the site: a QR code at the location, a GPS zone, a photo, a biometric check? A clock-in button alone proves little.
- Buddy punching. Can one employee clock in for another? Look for one account per phone, rotating codes and flags for suspicious punches. More in how to stop buddy punching.
- Offline mode. On building sites, farms or basements there is often no signal. The app should save the punch with the real time and send it later.
- Languages. Your crew may not read English. Check the languages of the employee app, not just the website.
- Legal records. In the EU and UK you must keep reliable records of daily working time. You need exports per employee and day, and a history of every correction. See working time records in the UK and Ireland.
- Real price per employee. Compare per user, per location and flat plans on your own headcount, and check minimums and which features sit in higher tiers.
Comparison table: 6 time clock apps side by side
| QRtimetrack | Clockify | Jibble | Connecteam | Deputy | Homebase | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No (7-day trial, up to 10 employees) | Yes, with limits | Yes, unlimited users | Yes, up to 10 users | No (free trial) | Yes, 1 location, up to 10 employees |
| Paid price | €1.99 per active employee/month, min. 5 billed (€9.95) | From $3.99 per seat/month (annual) | — | From $29/month for the first 30 users (annual) | From $5 per user/month | From $24 per location/month (annual) |
| QR code clock-in | Yes (printed and rotating on a tablet) | Kiosk QR, from Standard | — | — | — | — |
| GPS / geofence | Yes, GPS zone per location | GPS from Pro | Yes | GPS from Basic, geofence from Advanced | Geofencing listed | Geofencing from Essentials |
| Photo or biometric check | Selfie + Face ID / fingerprint on the employee's phone | Kiosk photo, from Pro | Face recognition | — | Face-unlock kiosk, from Core | Photo verification |
| Kiosk / shared tablet | Yes (PIN, badge, phone code) | From Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Offline clock-in | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — | — |
| Scheduling | Work schedules, late and no-show alerts | From Pro | Work schedules | Yes, deeper in higher plans | Yes, advanced from Core | Yes |
| Payroll | Exports for your payroll (Excel, CSV, PDF) | Exports, QuickBooks | Exports (Xero, QuickBooks, Deel…) | Payroll integrations from Basic | Payroll add-on (US) | Payroll add-on (US) |
The apps one by one
QRtimetrack
Built for teams that don't sit at a desk. Employees scan a QR code at the site, clock in inside a GPS zone, and can be asked for a selfie and the phone's Face ID or fingerprint; the face and fingerprint never leave the phone. Punches made without signal are saved and sent later. There is an entrance tablet mode with PIN, printed badge or a code on the phone that changes every 30 seconds. The employee app speaks 23 languages. Price: €1.99 per active employee per month, minimum 5 billed, excluding VAT; 7-day trial for up to 10 employees, no card. Where others are better: no payroll and no full shift-rostering module; no permanent free plan. Details: features and pricing, QR code time clock.
Clockify
A popular time tracker with a free plan and paid plans from $3.99 per seat per month billed annually ($4.99 monthly). Kiosk starts in Basic, QR kiosk clock-in in Standard, GPS and scheduling in Pro ($7.99). Strong at project and client time, timesheets and reports. Best for: office, agency and project teams. Comparison: QRtimetrack vs Clockify.
Jibble
Free forever for unlimited users, with mobile and web clock-ins and basic timesheets. The product also offers face recognition with anti-spoofing, GPS, geofencing, a shared kiosk and offline mode with sync; paid plans unlock more, and Jibble applies localised pricing in some countries. Best for: teams that want to start at zero cost. Comparison: QRtimetrack vs Jibble.
Connecteam
An all-in-one app for deskless teams: time clock, scheduling, chat, checklists and training. Free for up to 10 users on the Small Business plan; the Operations hub starts at $29 per month for the first 30 users (annual). GPS stamps from Basic, geofence from Advanced. Best for: companies that want one app for operations and communication. Comparison: QRtimetrack vs Connecteam.
Deputy
Scheduling first, with time clocking built in. Lite $5, Core $6.50 and Pro $9 per user per month; monthly plans have a $30 minimum spend. Core adds biometric (face-unlock) kiosk clocking and advanced scheduling. Best for: hospitality, retail and healthcare with complex rosters.
Homebase
Free Basic plan for one location and up to 10 employees; paid plans are priced per location ($24, $56 or $96 per month billed annually) with unlimited employees. Geofencing from Essentials, payroll as a US add-on. Best for: US restaurants and shops with one or a few locations.
How to pick in 10 minutes
- Mostly office staff, billable projects: Clockify.
- Zero budget, any team size: Jibble's free plan.
- You also need rosters, chat and checklists: Connecteam or Deputy.
- US, one shop, under 10 people: Homebase Basic.
- Sites, shifts and field work where you need proof and offline punches: QRtimetrack. Read construction site time tracking or compare methods in time clock comparison.
Whatever you choose, run a one-week pilot with a real crew at your hardest site (weak signal, early start, people sharing phones). That week tells you more than any feature list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free employee time clock app?
Jibble is free for unlimited users, Connecteam is free for up to 10 users, Homebase is free for one location with up to 10 employees, and Clockify has a free plan with limits. QRtimetrack has no permanent free plan: it offers a 7-day trial for up to 10 employees, then costs €1.99 per active employee per month.
Which time clock app is best for construction sites?
Look for QR or GPS proof at the site, offline clock-in and a simple app in the workers' languages. QRtimetrack is built around these needs; Connecteam and Jibble also offer GPS and geofencing. Test any of them for a week on a site with weak signal.
Which app prevents buddy punching best?
Combine several checks: one account per phone, a QR code or GPS zone at the location, and a selfie or biometric check. QRtimetrack uses the phone's own Face ID or fingerprint so no biometric data is stored on servers; Jibble and Deputy offer face recognition.
Is a time clock app legal for working time records in the EU and UK?
Yes. The law requires reliable records of daily working time but no specific format. The app must let you export hours per employee and day and keep a history of corrections.
How much does a time clock app cost per employee?
Per-user apps checked in November 2026 range from about $4 to $10 per user per month on paid plans; Homebase charges per location instead. QRtimetrack costs €1.99 per active employee per month, minimum 5 billed, excluding VAT.
Is this comparison independent?
No, it is written by QRtimetrack, so we are one of the products listed. We checked every competitor fact on the vendor's official site in November 2026 and wrote “—” where we could not confirm something.