Top 9 Best Location Tracking Apps for 2023

When your staff is dispersed throughout multiple cities or on a larger scale, it becomes suddenly possible to track their whereabouts and schedules in real time and from a distance. 

GPS tracking apps enable reliable data on which to base future decisions, allowing you to determine whether a particular employee has been spending their time as effectively as possible or whether there is possibly a better route to take than some of the ones that your team is now using. 

In this article, we will discuss the best tracking app that you can use in 2023. We will also look at the definition and benefits of geolocation apps as well as screenshots of the best ones. 

This way, you can make an informed decision about the best location tracking app for your business..

What is a geo locator app?

A geo locator app is a mobile application for acquiring GPS coordinates of a user's current location. It refers to the geographical (latitudinal and longitudinal) location of an Internet-connected device.

It’s a simple concept: by using a GPS tracker detector app, businesses can track the locations of their employees, vehicles, or other assets. This information can be used to improve efficiency or uncover potential problems.

How the GPS tracking apps work?

GPS tracking apps work by sending small signals from your smartphone or another device to a satellite. The satellite then relays the signal, allowing apps to determine your location and send alerts. 

There are a few different ways a location tracker app can use this information. First, they can be used to track your location and keep you informed about how far you’ve traveled. 

Second, they can be used to find you in an emergency. If someone gets lost or trapped in an unsafe area, GPS tracking could help rescue workers find them. 

Finally, they could be used to provide managers with a glimpse of the movement of assets such as cars and cargo containers.

One key downside of using a location-finding app is that it drains battery life more quickly than regular cell phone usage. This is why businesses and employees should make sure to have all devices charged, or bring a spare battery when in the field.

Why does your business need a GPS tracker detector app?

The best tracking apps offer reliable cross-platform solutions for location tracking and sharing real-time alerts and instant messaging. Employees are tracked for the number of hours spent at work and traveling done for field operations, further improving the efficiency of the workforce.

In fact, many companies use geo-tracking software to ensure compliance with safety regulations and other rules. These include law firms, construction firms, and even restaurants and hotels. 

In these cases, all employees need to have a phone tracking app that allows in-app tracking. They can track their location as well as their online activity at these locations. 

What’s the best GPS location tracker? 9 best location tracking apps for 2023

Finding the best GPS tracking app for your business can be difficult when there are so many location finder apps out there. While there are many considerations, like the ease of use and cost, the most important factor is whether the app will help your business. 

The top tracking apps should have a wide range of features that allow you to track data across all business channels and have a clear interface so employees don’t get lost in the data. 

1. Atto

A multilingual platform called Atto software enables managers, supervisors, and business owners to monitor the whereabouts, working hours, and break periods of their staff members. It gives supervisors up-to-date data and makes it possible for them to create timesheets automatically. 

Additionally, it enables users to access the platform from any location or device. It makes it easier for managers to monitor the development and output of each employee.

Image from Atto

Enterprise administrators can use the program to construct a personnel database with profiles, assign tasks to employees, and set access limits. Employees can choose whatever jobs they want to work and input their check-in and check-out hours for each shift. 

Additionally, Atto provides employees without technical expertise with a streamlined platform that enables them to simplify their procedures. It also enables managers to centrally manage all personnel and data.

You can download Atto on either the Google Play Store (for Android devices) or App Store (for Apple devices), as well as access the web app from any browser, either on Windows or Mac.

Features

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The Premium plan includes almost every feature.

• Intuitive user interface for easy navigation.

• Easy clock in and out option.

• Ability to assign pay rates to calculate salaries.

Cons:

• No free version besides a free trial.

• Desktop-only web portal.

Pricing info & link to website

Specta Labs offers two plan options for their Atto software. Their business plan is available for a monthly, per-user fee. Companies who want to have more users on the software can opt for the Enterprise plan, which can be customized for you by the vendor.

A free 14-day trial is available. For more information, you can visit them on their website. If you are a small business looking to streamline your time tracking and increase employee accountability, Atto could be a good fit for you.

Check out the Atto website here.

2. Timely

Timely works best for remote (decentralized) companies and teams who want to improve productivity.

Because Timely offers the possibility of accessing the software from multiple device locations, it’s preferred by field service teams and mobile teams.

Image from Timely

Features

• Timely is a project management and productivity tool which also has GPS cell phone tracking features. The software separates labor into time spent on various projects and programs.

• Employees can keep track of how they spend their time and decide which programs they should stop using to increase productivity. They may find, for instance, that they spend too much time on social media sites when they ought to be working. Then, they might take action to alter their routines.

• The project schedule feature of Timely allows managers to pinpoint which tasks are taking longer than anticipated. or those that demand greater resources. Then, they can create salary and performance assessment reports or utilize this data to plan future project timelines that are better. 

• Timely also offers integrations with many apps, like your device’s GPS. This way, employees can track how long they’ve been on the road to job sites.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Easy and simple to use.

• Automatic time tracking function is great.

• Systems learn to categorize projects better over time.

Cons:

• Inability to create flexible-time appointments.

• Does not offer a desktop app. 

Pricing info & link to website

The Starter plan is $10 per user per month, but it limits the number of users and projects. If you want unlimited users and more features besides location tracking, you can purchase the Premium plan. It costs $18 per user per month. 

Timely also offers an Unlimited plan for $26 per month for each user and offers priority support. For larger businesses who need a more customized plan, you can contact Timely to get a quote for their Enterprise plan. 

Each plan includes a 14-day free trial that you can use to test and figure out which one works best for you.

3. Hubstaff 

With Hubstaff's GPS phone tracker software, you can give your staff a simple way to keep track of their working hours. You'll receive thorough time sheets that detail the amount of time spent at each customer location.

Image from Hubstaff

View the current locations of your personnel on a live map to more accurately predict customer arrival times. You have access to real-time location information for everyone who is working, so you don't have to go from location to location to make sure your crew arrived.

Using your teams' GPS whereabouts to automatically clock them in and out can help you save even more time. To have time tracking begin and end when crew members enter or exit an area, you can set up geofences around job sites.

No more paper timesheets or texts with weekly hours thanks to geofencing; staff timesheets are now automatically generated. Simply show up with crews, and the app will do the rest.

Features

• Track expenses and stay within a set budget

• Automate payroll and spend less time chasing down timesheets

• Set up work orders and schedule one-time or recurring jobs

• Set and communicate crew schedules

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• No setup fee.

• Able to add multiple projects and track time spent on them.

• Easy-to-use online timesheets.

Cons:

• Difficult to navigate UI.

• Payroll integration can be confusing because of UI.

Pricing info & link to website

Hubstaff Field starts at $10 per user per month (minimum two users) and offers a 14-day trial period.

Hubstaff’s Enterprise plan offers VIP support as well as unlimited job sites. There is no set fee for this plan and you have to contact them directly for a quote. 

You can choose to be billed monthly or annually. Discounts are available for annual billing.

4. Timesheet Mobile

For businesses that need to precisely track staff out in the field, Timesheet Mobile offers a comprehensive solution for working hours and mobile phone presence.

The employee timesheet app offers time and location tracking in addition to employee schedules, project checklists, and team communications, and interfaces with numerous accounting and payroll platforms.

Image by Timesheet Mobile

You can quickly clock in and out of a job location using the punch prompt. With geofencing, the procedure can also be automated. Whichever choice you pick, everyone will find time recording to be simpler.

This tool assists you in managing vacation time and holidays and motivates your staff to take breaks on time. Your workers will be rested and motivated as a result.

Features

• To track your on-the-go mobile personnel, the app provides a web-based, GPS-enabled time, attendance, project, and workforce management solution.

• When workers leave the job site, you may instantly receive alerts and keep track of them while they are out in the field.

• It easily interfaces with the majority of accounting programs, making payroll and invoicing simpler.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great for administrative purposes.

• Different plans to choose from.

• User-friendly UI.

Cons:

• Customer support may sometimes be unhelpful.

• Only the Admin Assistant can make corrections.

• May have noticeable and occasional glitches.

Pricing info & link to website

Basics Plan

Monthly rate after the first year is $3.49 per employee for unlimited punches and a flat rate of $14.99 as a company subscription.

Per Punch Plan

Monthly rate after year 1 is 15 cents per punch and $29.99 as a company subscription.

Small Business

Monthy rate after year 1 costs $9.95 per employee for unlimited punches and $29.99 as a company subscription.

Medium Business

Monthly rate after year 1 is $2.49 per employee for unlimited punches and $149 as a company subscription.

Trial period

30-day

5. Hellotracks

Hellotracks is the GPS tracking platform you'll need if you're seeking employee check-in software that focuses on workers that provide field services. It offers features made especially for people who work in the logistics, sales, delivery, and transportation sectors. 

Your staff only needs to install the Hellotracks mobile app; the software will take care of the rest.

Image from Hellotracks

Features

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Simple UI and easy to implement.

• Ability to set up routes for drivers.

• View all activity in the field in real time.

Cons:

• An Admin can make a few changes to an already set-up route.

• Dashboard not customizable.

• Not possible to optimize routes with different start and end locations.

Pricing info & link to website

After a free 30-day trial, the Hellotracks Business plan is $10 per user per month. For larger teams who need more features, you can contact Hellotracks to get a custom quote for their Enterprise plan.

6. eBillity

Teams may simply track time and expenses for payroll, projects, and client invoicing with the help of flexible time and billing software.

Image from eBillity

With eBillity's Time Tracker, teams can more effectively track time to make payroll simpler. It's an excellent tool for mobile teams because of GPS and facial recognition capabilities. You won't ever have to worry about time theft or employees logging in or out for one another because of biometric facial scanning's ability to eliminate buddy punching.

Features

• Flexible time tracking

• Employee scheduling

• Payroll and accounting integrations

• Run projects on time and meet the budget

• Branded invoices with time-tracker

• Free app for iOS and Android

• Real-time GPS tracking with geofencing

• Time clock kiosk with facial recognition

• Paid and unpaid (PTO) leave

• Timesheet approvals with hierarchy capabilities

• Announcements and health screening questions

• Reports showing your most productive employees

• Alerts, reminders, automatic calculations, and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Free mobile application.

• Simple employee time and location tracking.

• Customizable dashboard.

Cons:

• Mobile app has frequent bugs.

• Expensive for businesses that have a lot of employees.

• Can only integrate with Gusto and ADP payroll software.

Pricing info & link to website

eBillity’s Time Tracker is priced similarly to QuickBooks Time and other products on this list. If you just need a basic time tracker, then you’ll have to pay $6 per user per month along with a base fee of $10 per month.

The Time Tracker + Billing plan also includes more features like expense tracking, job costing, and more. It costs $10 per user per month and an additional $18 per month as a base fee.

7. Jibble    

Jibble initially appears to be quite comparable to other GPS time-tracking apps. Basic time monitoring, GPS and geofencing capabilities, and even facial recognition skills are all included. What distinguishes it from the competition then? It's one of the best free tracking apps out there.

Teams on a tight budget may appreciate the flexibility of the free GPS time tracker. To add users, geofences, and more groups, larger teams will nevertheless need to rely on expensive upgrades.

Image from Jibble

Features

• Face Recognition Attendance

• GPS Tracking

• Online Kiosk

• Payroll Hours Tracker

• Employee Vacation Tracker

• RFID & NFC Attendance

• Work Hours Tracker

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Offers facial recognition.

• Has the option for physical attendance tracking with Kiosk mode.

• Offers geofencing.

Cons:

• No option to manage employees on leave.

• Limited integration options (Slack and Microsoft)

• No customer call support, only chat and email.

Pricing info & link to website

Jibble prides itself on being a free employee time solution that works on any device. If you want to get one of the best phone tracker apps with some other features, you have to upgrade to different plans. 

The Premium plan costs $2 per user and includes features like overtime calculations, workgroups, and GPS. 

The Ultimate plan costs $4 per user per month and offers its users unlimited locations, groups, and managers. 

The Enterprise plan is a customized plan for companies that need to register more than 500 users. You need to contact Jibble directly for custom rates.

8. OnTheClock

With the aid of OnTheClock, you can focus more on expansion and less on payroll, personnel management, and timekeeping.

Setting up geofenced sites for automated time tracking is possible with this tool, as well as the others on this list. Easy conversion of tracked time into timesheets is made possible by helpful connections with payroll applications like Gusto, Paychex, and Paylocity.

Image from OnTheClock

Features

• Employee time tracking

• Payroll & Project Reporting

• Advanced GPS Tracking

• Sign in on any device

• Automatic PTO tracking

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great customer support.

• Simple and straightforward design makes it easy to use.

• Can export directly to Quickbooks.

Cons:

• Some features are a little complicated to use.

• No option for multiple schedules.

Pricing info & link to website

OnTheClock is free for up to two users, but their pricing gets a little confusing if you want to add more users. To help you calculate costs easier, they have an incredible calculator on their pricing page that will calculate the exact amount you need to pay for the number of users you want to add. 

For example, a plan with 15 employees will cost you $44.25 in total per month, and a 5-person team will cost $15 per month.

Unfortunately, their calculator maxes out at 400 users and you have to contact OnTheClock to get a custom quote for the number of employees you need to register.

9. QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time is a phone location app that leverages enhanced GPS capabilities to backup data and offers location information even when employees are in locations with limited service.

Image from Quickbooks Time

The main function of QuickBooks is geofencing, which notifies staff members to complete actions like clocking in and out as they enter and exit a specified work area. Managers can generate progress reports, track past location data, and have direct conversations with staff members through the app.

Features

• GPS tracking through a mobile device and wi-fi

• Integration with QuickBooks bookkeeping to streamline payroll and invoicing

• Real-time employee reports

• Easy scheduling and employee time-off management

• Unlimited QuickBooks customer support

Best for Businesses that already use QuickBooks for accounting

Availability: Mobile (iOS, Android)

Pros & cons

Pros:

• Can clock in and out from a web app, mobile tracker app, or time kiosk.

• Offers geofencing and GPS tracking possibilities.

• Ability to track expenses and mileage.

Cons:

• Quite expensive when more users are needed, as you pay a monthly fee and a fee per user.

• No 24-hour customer support.

Pricing info & link to website

After a 30-day trial, QuickBooks Time’s Premium plan is $8 per user per month, plus a $20 base fee per month. Quickbooks Time also offers an Elite plan that costs $10 per user per month, as well as a $40 base monthly fee. This plan also includes more advanced features like real-time alerts for better project planning, collaboration, and time tracking.

How to find the right geo tracker app for your business?

There are numerous geo-tracker apps out there in the world today, and it can be quite a challenge to figure out which ones are right for your business. Before you choose one, you should first consider the following questions:

• What is your intended use of the app?

• What features does the app offer?

• How easy is it to use?

• What kind of customer support does the app offer?

Among the myriad of apps that track location available for Android phones and iOS devices, each with its own set of features, finding the one that’s best suited for your business is a matter of choosing the right fit.

Some things to consider when choosing a geo tracker app include:

Real-time tracking

An important factor in choosing a location tracking app is whether or not it offers real-time tracking. In many cases, being able to see exactly where your team is during the day makes it easier to assign shifts, give updates to customers, and help you monitor routes.

Functionality

Some apps only track location while others offer a much more comprehensive suite of features, such as the ability to record calls and messages, view live traffic data, and more. It all depends on what you need from your device tracking apps. You can also see if apps offer insights into location history or location sharing.

Cost

The cost of an app for finding location can vary widely depending on the features offered, so make sure you understand what you’re getting before you buy. It’s also important to take into account any additional costs associated with data or device fees.

Device compatibility

Before choosing a people tracking app, make sure that it is compatible with the devices that employees already have, or with company-provided devices. A good rule of thumb is to look for an app that works well with a majority (if not all) of platforms. You can also carry out an internal survey to determine the total number and type of devices that your employees have.

Final points on the best tracking apps

There are a few things to consider when choosing a location tracking app. First, ensure that the app is easy to use and provides detailed reports. 

Second, the app must offer a wide range of features. 

Third, it must be easy to use and compatible with your devices. 

Finally, make sure that the app has a good history of accuracy and reliability and check out reviews from other users to get a feel for what other people like about the app.

If you can’t decide whether you only need google maps or more apps to find location, don’t be afraid to try out multiple free trials. See which one fits best with your company’s workflow, if you like the UI and if you see a future with it. 

FAQs related to geolocation apps

What is the best employee time tracking app?

The best employee time tracking apps are Atto, Quickbooks Time, and Hubstaff. Each tool offers various extra features alongside employee time tracking to help you get the most out of them. With Atto, you have almost all of their 35+ features available within a single plan, without having the need to upgrade.

What is the best free location tracking app?

The best free location tracking app is Jibble. It is completely free to use and offers all of the basic tools you need for both location and time tracking. It also provides face recognition for punching in and out, as well as the option for offline tracking.

What is the best free tracking app for Android?

The best free tracking app for Android is Jibble. With Jibble, you can track employee time and location during shifts at no cost. It also offers the option to track PTOs and attendance. You can upgrade to other plans if you want more features.

What is the best free iPhone tracking app?

The best free iPhone tracking app is Clockify. Clockify’s free plan includes unlimited tracking, an Auto Tracker to track time spent across different apps and websites, a Pomodoro tracker, and more. It works great on iOS and offers a lot of integrations.

Is tracking your employees legal?

Yes, tracking your employees is legal. To what extent you are allowed to track your employees is determined by the federal laws of each state. In some cases, you need to inform employees in writing that you are tracking them, and in some cases, laws favor the privacy of a worker. Check with your legal counsel before implementing any tracking software.