Top 5 Best Clock-In Clock-Out Apps in 2023

In today's fast-paced business environment, time is an essential commodity. Managing employee hours accurately and efficiently is crucial for any company's success, regardless of its size. Investing in a good clock-in clock-out app is essential to streamline the time-tracking process, increase productivity, and reduce administrative errors. 

The right clock in and clock out app can save your company time and money by automating payroll processes and providing real-time data for informed decision-making. Choosing the best time clock app is necessary to ensure your company operates efficiently, effectively, and remains competitive in the market.

Why do you need a clock-in and clock-out app?

A clock-in and clock-out app can help businesses ensure accurate time tracking and automate the payroll process. By using a work clock-in app, businesses can eliminate the need for manual time tracking, reducing the risk of errors and disputes. 

The app can also calculate employee hours, factoring in overtime and deductions, and generate payroll reports, streamlining the payroll process. 

Additionally, a clocking in app can help increase accountability by alerting managers if an employee misses a clock-in or clock-out. Overall, a time clock rounding app for employees to clock-in can save businesses time and money while increasing accuracy and accountability.

5 Top employee clock-in clock-out apps for 2023

Take a look at our selection of the top five employee clock-in and out app and gain a comprehensive understanding of each product. This will enable you to determine the most suitable option for your organization's specific needs.

Atto

Atto is an excellent time card application suitable for small businesses seeking an all-in-one, user-friendly solution for managing employee clock-in and out time and work activity. The app aims to enhance time tracking for employees, regardless of their location, to minimize payroll expenses and enhance productivity. 

Atto enables businesses to clock into work , breaks taken, time off, and other relevant information, thereby enhancing the precision of job estimates.

Features

• Clock-in and clock-out available on mobile devices

• Remote time card viewing and approval for managers

• Real-time shift scheduling for managers

• Detailed reports on employee hours, payroll, and labor law compliance

• Location tracking for real-time monitoring of employee movements

• Instant notifications to keep managers informed

• All-in-one platform for managing team's time

Pros

• User-friendly design for easy use

• Automation saves time and increases productivity

• Real-time updates on team's location and movements for managers

• Detailed reports on employee hours worked and compliance

• All-in-one solution for managing a team's time

• Flexible pricing options that can grow with your business

• Scalable plan to accommodate more users

Cons

• Requires internet connection for proper functioning

• Customization options may be limited and not meet specific needs of some businesses

Pricing info & link to website

Opt for Atto for an effective and economical solution for your small business. The pricing plan starts at $7.95 per user per month for 1-99 users and includes all services. Custom plans are available for businesses with 100+ users, which include all features of the premium package along with additional features. 

Check out more at https://attotime.com/.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff is a cloud-based time tracking and workforce management platform designed to help businesses automate many of their operations. Hubstaff is designed to help businesses better manage their remote workforce, increase productivity, and gain insight into how their team is spending their time. 

It is suitable for businesses of all sizes, from freelancers to large enterprises, and can be used across a range of industries.

Features

• GPS time tracking: track employee attendance with GPS

• Geofences: set up virtual perimeters to track employee and fleet activity

• Work orders and jobs: assign tasks and projects to employees

• Timesheets: track employee hours worked and other details

• Fleet tracking: track location, speed, and status of vehicles in real-time

• Budgets and job costing: track job costs and compare against budget

• Invoicing and payments: generate invoices and receive payments for completed work

Pros 

• Increase profitability: Accurately track time and monitor project budgets to prioritize tasks and ensure you're getting a good return on investment.

• Bill and pay accurately: Clear time tracking helps set goals and removes confusion around what tasks each person should be working on.

• Set clear objectives: Time tracking towards specific tasks helps set clear goals for everyone and reduces confusion around what each person should be doing.

• Increase productivity: Hubstaff allows teams to stay on task and see where potential issues are.

• Manage projects better: Insight into how long tasks take, enabling better prioritization of future projects and team capacity.

• Provide transparency: Hubstaff's tracking clock-in software helps team members log hours automatically and give transparency into their work.

Cons

• Not user-friendly: The Hubstaff digital time clock for employees can be challenging to navigate, especially for people who are not tech-savvy or have no experience with time-tracking software.

• No in-app messaging: Hubstaff lacks an in-app messaging system, making it more difficult for team members to communicate with each other in real-time.

• Expensive: Compared to other time-tracking tools, Hubstaff can be relatively expensive.

Pricing info & link to website

Hubstaff offers pricing options tailored to diverse business requirements. The free employee time clock apps plan caters to a solo user and offers fundamental time tracking features. The Desk Starter plan begins at $140 monthly, charged at $5.83 per user per month. The Desk Pro plan starts at $200 monthly, priced at $8.33 per user per month. The Enterprise plan is adaptable to fit the distinctive necessities of extensive enterprises. 

Paymo

• Time tracking: Paymo provides a simple and efficient way to register, monitor, and analyze all work-related tasks.

• Kanban Board: A visual tool for tracking task progress through various stages of a project.

• Team Collaboration: Easy collaboration among team members in different locations, with real-time tracking of time spent on each project.

• Gantt Chart: A tool for planning projects and tasks on a timeline, ensuring on-time delivery.

• Invoicing and Estimates: A convenient platform for invoice creation, expense management, and payment automation.

Features

• Time tracking: Paymo provides a simple and efficient way to clock-into work, monitor, and analyze all work-related tasks.

• Kanban Board: A visual tool for tracking task progress through various stages of a project.

• Team Collaboration: Easy collaboration among team members in different locations, with real-time tracking of time spent on each project.

• Gantt Chart: A tool for planning projects and tasks on a timeline, ensuring on-time delivery.

• Invoicing and Estimates: A convenient platform for invoice creation, expense management, and payment automation.

Pros

• Profitability tracking: By monitoring expenses and revenues, businesses can track the profitability of their projects, gain insight into financial performance, and make informed decisions.

• Efficiency tracking: Paymo provides pie charts that visually represent the number of hours tracked per client, project, or user, helping users to understand where their time is spent, allowing for better resource allocation.

• Customizability: Paymo's customizable timesheets allow for personalized layout to fit specific work styles, leading to a seamless time tracking experience that is tailored to individual work habits and requirements.

Cons 

• Limited integration options: Advanced users may require more comprehensive integration choices than what Paymo currently provides.

• Limited customization options: Some users may find that Paymo's feature set and settings cannot be fully tailored to their unique business requirements and workflows.

• Limited features for freelancers and small teams: Paymo may not be the most cost-effective or necessary solution for very small teams consisting of less than five users.

Pricing info & link to website

Paymo offers a range of pricing plans for its time tracking and project management application, with costs determined by the features needed and the number of users. 

The Free Plan is aimed at individuals and includes basic time card app features. The Starter Pack is available for up to one user and is priced at $5.95 per user per month. The Small Office Pack is designed for small teams and costs $11.95 per user per month. The Business Pack is intended for medium to large teams and is priced at $24.95 per user per month.

BuddyPunch

Buddy Punch is an online time tracking software that allows employees to clock in and out, track attendance, and manage time off requests. This punch clock app also helps managers monitor overtime and ensure that labor laws are being followed. Overall, it is a useful tool for streamlining time tracking and keeping track of employee hours in real time.

Features

• Scheduling: Enables individuals to organize and plan their work schedule in an efficient manner.

• Notification and Alerts: Facilitates the dissemination of important information and updates to users.

• Punch Management: Provides the capability for users to easily add, edit, or remove punches from their time records.

• Multiple Punch and Login Methods: Offers various methods for employees to clock in and out, including web portals, mobile applications, and time clock devices.

• Time Card Approval: Facilitates the review and validation of time cards by managers or supervisors for the purpose of payroll processing.

• Project and Job Tracking: Allows for the tracking and monitoring of time spent on different projects and job codes.

• Attendance and Punctuality Monitoring: Ensures accountability and records attendance and punctuality of employees.

• Payroll Streamlining: Simplifies the payroll process and reduces the likelihood of errors.

Pros 

• Easy to use: The app is user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it accessible to all employees. 

• Time-saving: Eliminates manual time card entry, reducing the time and effort required to process payroll.

• Accurate time tracking: The app uses GPS technology to ensure accurate time tracking and to prevent buddy punching.

• Real-time monitoring: Allows managers and supervisors to monitor employee attendance and punctuality in real-time.

• Streamlining payroll: Automates the process of payroll and reduces the likelihood of errors.

Cons 

• Limited accessibility: If an employee does not have a device with a webcam or is unable to scan QR codes, they will not be able to clock in or out efficiently.

• Potential for errors: If the QR code is not scanned properly, the employee may not be logged in or clocked in/out correctly.

• Privacy concerns: Some employees may have concerns about their picture being taken and stored by the system.

• Security Concerns: an employee may share the QR code with other people, which would allow them to clock in/out, this could be a security vulnerability.

Pricing info & link to website

BuddyPunch app has three pricing plans: Standard plan at $2.99/user/month (billed annually) or $3.49/user/month (billed monthly) + base fee of $19/month; Pro plan at $3.99/user/month (billed annually) or $4.49/user/month (billed monthly) + base fee of $19/month; and the Enterprise plan which includes all features from Standard and Pro plans plus additional features, and its pricing is customized based on the specific needs of your business. Contact the company directly for pricing information.

DeskTime

DeskTime is a computer tracking software that allows you to monitor employee activity on both PC and Mac by tracking the websites, programs, and applications used, and categorizing them as productive or unproductive.

Features

• Automatic Time Tracking: Automatically tracks all time spent across the organization, regardless of the app or device used.

• URL and App Tracking: Allows for monitoring of URLs and apps employees use during work hours.

• Document Title Tracking: Allows for tracking of specific tasks and how long they are worked on.

• Idle Time Tracking: Allows for tracking of work time spent away from the computer.

• Automatic Screenshots: Option to automatically take screenshots of employees' workstations, useful for managing remote teams.

Pros

• Automatic tracking saves time and effort compared to manual tracking methods.

• Provides insight into employee productivity and can help identify areas for improvement.

• Customizable productivity categories allow for tailored tracking to fit the needs of the organization.

• Useful for managing remote teams through automatic screenshots.

Cons

• May raise privacy concerns among employees and require transparency and consent.

• Can be seen as intrusive and create a lack of trust between employees and employers.

Pricing info & link to website

DeskTime offers four pricing plans: Lite, Pro, Premium, and Enterprise. Lite is one of the free app for clocking in and out, but only for one user. Pro costs €6 per user per month and includes additional features and options. Premium costs €9 per user per month and offers even more advanced features and options. 

Enterprise costs €18 per user per month and is tailored for large organizations and businesses, including all features and options offered in the other plans, as well as additional support and customization options.

What to look for in a good employee clock-in app?

Good clock-in apps for employees should be accurate, reliable, and user-friendly, allowing employees to easily clock-in and out of work, and providing employers with accurate attendance and work hour data. 

This is important for businesses to effectively manage their workforce and avoid errors in payroll and labor compliance. Other factors include: 

Clean and easy-to-use interface

The employee clock-in app should have a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and use. This will help reduce errors and increase employee compliance with clocking in and out.

Remote access 

Apps to clock in and out of work should be accessible from any location with an internet connection, so employees can record clock in and out time from their devices regardless of their location. This is especially important for remote workers.

Alerts for missed or late clock-ins 

The app should send alerts to employees and managers if a clock-in or clock-out is missed or is submitted late. This helps ensure that time records are accurate and up to date.

Manual options for editing timesheets 

The app should allow manual edits to timesheets for cases where an employee may have forgotten to clock in or out or if there are discrepancies in the time record.

Integration with payroll software 

The app should integrate with payroll software to streamline the payroll process and reduce errors. This can include automatic data transfer, automatic calculation of overtime, and automatic deduction of breaks.

GPS tracking 

GPS tracking can be used to ensure that employees are clocking in and out from the correct location. This can be especially important for companies with employees who work at different job sites.

Facial recognition or biometric authentication 

Facial recognition or biometric authentication can ensure that only the correct employee is clocking in and out. This can help prevent time theft and increase accountability.

Customizable reports 

The app should provide customizable reports that allow managers to analyze employee time records and identify patterns or discrepancies. Reports can include total hours worked, overtime hours, and missed clock-ins.

Security and compliance with data privacy regulations 

The app should be secure and compliant with data privacy regulations to protect employee data and prevent unauthorized access. This includes features such as secure data storage, encryption, and role-based access control.

Final points on the best apps for employees to clock-in

• When choosing apps to clock-in and out of work, consider the features that are most important to your business, such as GPS tracking, biometric authentication, and scheduling tools.

• Look for an app that is user-friendly and easy to navigate for both employees and managers.

• Consider the pricing plans and whether they fit within your budget.

• Always prioritize security and data privacy to protect your employees' information.

• Finally, take advantage of free trials or demos to test out different apps before committing to a subscription.

FAQs related to clock-in apps for employees

Are there any free apps for clocking-in and out?

Yes, there are several free apps for clocking in and out available for clocking-in and out, such as Clockify, TSheets, and TimeClock. However, most of these free apps have limited features and functionalities. 

It's important to evaluate your business needs before selecting a free clocking-in and out app, as a paid app may offer more features and provide better support.

What is the best clocking-in app for small businesses?

Atto is the best clocking-in app for small businesses. It offers a user-friendly interface, GPS tracking, and automatic payroll integration. Atto's affordable pricing plans cater to small businesses' needs, with features like scheduling, time-off requests, and reporting. 

It also offers excellent customer support, making it the perfect choice for small business owners.

Should you use a clock-in app for employees if your team works remotely?

Yes, using apps for employees to clock-in for remote employees can help track their working hours accurately, increase accountability, and ensure that they are compensated fairly. It can also help managers monitor employee productivity and ensure that the team is meeting project deadlines.

Is there a clocking-in and out app with GPS?

Yes, the Atto time app offers clocking-in and out functionality with GPS. This feature enables employers to accurately track the location of their employees, ensuring they are where they are supposed to be during work hours. It also simplifies payroll and scheduling processes. 

With Atto, you can increase productivity, reduce errors, and save time and money.

How does a clock-in/out app help with the payroll process?

A clock-in/out app can help with the payroll process by automatically recording the time worked by employees, making it easier for managers to accurately calculate their pay. 

It can also help reduce errors and discrepancies, ensure compliance with labor laws, and streamline the overall payroll process.