Best employee time clock apps: free plans, GPS and real costs

Time clock apps at a glance

Free plans

Homebase, ConnecteamHomebase: 1 location, 10 employees

GPS clock-in documented

Connecteam onlyof the five we rank

20 staff, lowest paid

$30 a monthHomebase Essentials, per location

Clock tier unclear

Deputy, When I Workask before you buy

The best time clock apps, ranked by score

Ranked by our scheduling scores. Price for 20 staff is 30 of the 100 points, features 25, payroll link 15, contract 15 and complaints 15. The full method is on how we score providers; we compare published terms, not hands-on tests.

What a time clock app costs for 10 and 20 staff

These are scheduling plans with a clock included, not standalone clock products. If you already have a scheduling tool and only need clock-in for payroll, a payroll add-on can be cheaper: Patriot's Time and Attendance add-on is $6 + $2 per employee a month on top of its payroll, so 10 staff add $6 + 10 x $2 = $26 (Patriot pricing page, checked October 16, 2026). More on that in time tracking software that feeds payroll.

Which plan actually includes the clock

Two vendors leave you guessing. Deputy does not publish which tier includes the time clock, so a 20-person team could pay $100 on Lite or $130 on Core. When I Work's page conflicts on whether Essentials includes time tracking, which is a $50 a month question for 20 staff. Start a trial on the cheapest plan and try to clock in before you pay.

GPS and geofenced clock-in

A GPS clock records where a worker was when they punched in. A geofence goes further and blocks or flags punches outside a set area around a job site or store. For crews that start at customer sites, either one saves arguments about start times.

In our research, only Connecteam documents a GPS time clock. None of the five names geofencing on the pages we checked. If you need a fence around each site, ask the vendor to show it in the trial and to confirm which plan includes it. Also ask what happens when a worker's phone has location turned off, since that decides whether the feature stops anything.

From punch to paycheck

A clock only saves time if hours reach payroll without retyping. Homebase runs its own payroll, so punches flow into it directly at $49 + $6 per employee paid. Deputy Payroll (by Paycor) is $49 + $8 per user, but only on annual Core or Pro plans. When I Work routes payroll through Rippling. Connecteam exports to outside payroll, not on its free plan. 7shifts has its own payroll add-on with no published price.

If you would rather pick payroll first, see payroll software ranked, or compare Gusto's plans (time tracking comes with Plus at $80 + $12 per person) and Square Payroll ($35 + $6 per person paid).

Scores in full

Contract and exit terms to check

• Deputy: annual plans paid upfront, no refund, no downgrade, no headcount reduction. Monthly plans have a $30 minimum and new users are billed a full month.
• Connecteam: monthly plans cancel anytime with no refund of prepaid amounts; annual plans get a prorated refund only in the first 30 days.
• Homebase: "change plan or cancel anytime"; no annual refund rule published.
• When I Work: cancel anytime, "no contracts or hidden fees"; card payment only.
• 7shifts: contract terms not captured in our research.

Before you cancel any of them, export your timesheets. You will want those records after you leave, and none of the five publishes how long punch data stays available after cancellation.

Common mistakes when buying a time clock app

• Counting only hourly staff. Deputy bills admins and managers as users. Twelve logins on Lite is $60, not $50.
• Assuming the cheapest plan has the clock. On When I Work and Deputy, that is not clear from the pricing page.
• Signing annual before testing. Deputy's annual plans cannot be refunded or downgraded.
• Forgetting wage rules. A clock records hours; it does not set pay. Check minimum wage by state for 2026, and for tipped staff how tip credits work in payroll.
• Ignoring the second location. Homebase charges per location, so a second shop adds a second tier fee.

For the total cost of each hourly hire, including payroll taxes, use our employer cost calculator. All five apps have their own pages: Homebase, Connecteam, Deputy, When I Work and 7shifts. The scheduling software hub has the rest.