HR & People · 14 tools ranked
Best Time and Attendance Software in 2026
Deputy ranks first in time and attendance software, followed by Tamigo and Protime. Time and attendance software records worked hours, applies overtime and break rules, gets managers to approve timesheets and passes the result to payroll.
The top three
How this list is ordered: by our editorial assessment of fit for organizations of 50 to 1,000 people. Vendors can pay for more visibility; paid placements are labeled and explained in our disclosure. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
1. DeputyRanks first because a time clock, timesheets and published per-user prices from $5 sit in one product sold in the US, UK and Australia.
2. TamigoSecond because it records hours actually worked and feeds payroll with overtime and bank holiday hours, at a published entry price of 15 euros per location.
3. ProtimeThird because it applies collective agreement and working-time rules to recorded hours, hosts data in the EU and feeds payroll natively with SD Worx.What is time and attendance software?
Time and attendance software records when employees start and stop work, applies the pay and labor rules that count those hours, and routes the result to a manager for approval. It covers clock-in methods such as mobile apps, kiosks and terminals, plus breaks, overtime and absence, and usually ends in an export or integration with payroll. Its output is an approved timesheet that can be defended in an audit.
How we ranked these
Most companies do not shop for time and attendance software because they love timesheets. They shop because a payroll run went out wrong, an inspector asked for hours nobody could prove, or a manager spent Friday afternoon retyping paper cards.
This ranking judges one narrow job: getting a true record of who worked when, into an approved timesheet, and from there into payroll. We looked at three things above all else.
The first is the clock-in itself: phone, shared tablet, hardware terminal or browser, and what stops a colleague from punching in for a friend. The second is approval, meaning how an exception such as a missed punch or an overtime spike reaches a manager before pay is calculated.
The third is the handoff to payroll, through an export file or a live integration. Several products here began as scheduling tools or HR suites.
They stay on the list because they record time too, but we judged them on clock-in, approval and payroll export only, not on how nicely they draw a rota. A product that plans shifts well and records hours poorly sits below one that does the reverse.
We assume a buyer with 50 to 1,000 employees, some paid by the hour, and at least one person who must defend the numbers to an auditor or a works council.
Setup: how fast can a first site clock in for real?
A single site with a mobile app or shared tablet can be live within a week; terminals, union rules and multi-country pay codes stretch that to a quarter. We asked what has to exist before the first punch counts: employee records, pay rules, a place to put a tablet, and in some products a hardware order. Browser and phone clocks win on speed. Hardware-led suites and rule engines take longer because someone must translate collective agreements into configuration.
We also checked who does that translating. Where the vendor sells consulting as part of the deal, setup is slower but the rules arrive tested.
Where you configure alone, expect a few wrong overtime runs in the first month, so we favored products that let you preview pay rules before payroll receives anything.
The real price: what does a month cost for 200 people?
The listed price is rarely the invoice: base fees, minimum spends, add-ons for GPS and payroll, and clock hardware decide the total. We priced each product for a mixed team and counted what a time clock needs to be useful. Some vendors charge per user, some per location, and several only quote after a demo. A low per-user number with a monthly base fee and a paid payroll add-on can cost more than a higher tier that includes both.
Hardware terminals add a one-off cost and sometimes a service plan. We marked where a free plan exists and where it stops, and we treated unpublished pricing as a cost in itself, because it slows a buyer who needs a number before a budget meeting.
Getting your data out: can you leave with your hours and audit trail?
Time records are legal evidence in many countries, so the test is whether you can export raw punches, edits and approvals, not just a payroll summary. We looked for CSV or Excel exports, an API, and a clear statement of how long punch history is kept. Several vendors keep full retention behind a paid add-on or a higher plan, which matters when a claim arrives two years later. We also checked whether an edited punch shows who changed it and when.
A product that exports totals only leaves you rebuilding history from payroll files if you switch. Native payroll feeds were counted as a plus, but a feed is not an export of the underlying records.
Independence from the vendor: who owns the clock, the rules and the records?
Independence here means your punches, pay rules and hardware keep working if the relationship ends or the vendor changes direction. We looked at who owns the terminals, whether the pay rules live in an exportable form, and whether the product is tied to one payroll provider. Some suites are owned by payroll groups and work best with the parent's payroll, which is convenient and also a lock-in. Others are independent and connect to many providers.
We also noted renames and ownership statements on vendor pages, and where a vendor's legal entity could not be verified from its own site we said so rather than guess.
Who it's for: which kind of workforce does each product actually suit?
The right choice depends on the shape of your workforce more than on the feature count. Hourly teams in shops, restaurants and care homes need shift context next to the clock. Factories and hospitals need rule engines for night, weekend and collective agreement pay. Field and remote crews need GPS and offline punches.
Small offices usually need little more than a timer and an approval screen. We grouped products by these shapes and ranked within the whole list on how well each serves a company of 50 to 1,000 people, while saying plainly where a product is wrong for a given shape.
Sector focus is listed in every entry.
Compared at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Pricing | Free option | HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deputy | Hourly teams in US, UK, Australia | Per user / month | Free trial | Australia |
| 2 | Tamigo | Retail and hospitality chains | Per location / month | Free trial | Denmark |
| 3 | Protime | Rule-heavy European employers | Quote only | None | Belgium |
| 4 | ATOSS | Large industrial and healthcare sites | Quote only | None | Germany |
| 5 | TimeClock Plus | Multi-site hourly employers | Quote only | None | United States |
| 6 | Skello | European hospitality and retail | Quote only | Free trial | France |
| 7 | Kenjo | Shift-based SMBs of 50-500 | Per employee / month | Free trial | Germany |
| 8 | Buddy Punch | Small hourly teams, US-style rules | Per user / month | Free trial | United States |
| 9 | Workforce.com | Hourly employers wanting one suite | Quote only | None | United States |
| 10 | Papershift | German and UK SMBs needing HR basics | Base fee + per employee / month | Free trial | Germany |
| 11 | When I Work | Small US hourly teams | Per user / month | Free trial | United States |
| 12 | Connecteam | Small crews wanting an app plus clock | Flat monthly + per user | Free plan | Israel |
| 13 | OnTheClock | Very small US businesses | Per user / month | Free trial | United States |
| 14 | Homebase | Single-site US small businesses | Per location / month | Free plan | United States |
The 14 tools, reviewed
How this list is ordered: by our editorial assessment of fit for organizations of 50 to 1,000 people. Vendors can pay for more visibility; paid placements are labeled and explained in our disclosure. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
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Published pricesHourly staffMulti-country
Why #1: Ranks first because a time clock, timesheets and published per-user prices from $5 sit in one product sold in the US, UK and Australia.
- Best for
- Hourly teams in US, UK, Australia
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Key features
- Time clock, Timesheets, Shift scheduling, Analytics+ add-on, HR add-on
- Falls short
- The $30 monthly minimum spend per invoice is a small but real floor for tiny teams, and several useful pieces such as analytics, messaging and HR are paid add-ons that...
- Wrong for
- Employers in continental Europe who need collective agreement rules applied automatically, and factories that need hardware terminals.
Full assessment of Deputy
Deputy earns first place for the plain reason that a buyer can see what the clock costs before talking to anyone. Staff punch in on the Deputy time clock, managers review timesheets, and the result can move to payroll through integrations or, in the US, an add-on.
Three published tiers make a budget easy to build for a company with a few hundred hourly workers across several sites. The vendor sells in the US, UK and Australia and bills in local currency, which helps businesses that straddle those markets.
Where it falls short
The $30 monthly minimum spend per invoice is a small but real floor for tiny teams, and several useful pieces such as analytics, messaging and HR are paid add-ons that raise the real price. The payroll add-on is US only, so UK and Australian buyers rely on integrations.
Rule depth for collective agreements is thinner than in the European rule-engine suites below.
Wrong for
Employers in continental Europe who need collective agreement rules applied automatically, and factories that need hardware terminals. Look at Protime or ATOSS for those cases.
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EU-basedRetailPer location
Why #2: Second because it records hours actually worked and feeds payroll with overtime and bank holiday hours, at a published entry price of 15 euros per location.
- Best for
- Retail and hospitality chains
- Pricing
- Per location / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Denmark
- Key features
- Hours actually worked, Shift scheduling, Absence management, Payroll exports, Overtime and bank holiday rules
- Falls short
- The product is described for retail and hospitality, and an office with flexible hours will find the scheduling-heavy design more than it needs.
- Wrong for
- Office-based companies without shift work, and buyers who want a time clock without a scheduling module.
Full assessment of Tamigo
Tamigo is the best fit on this list for a retail or hospitality chain that wants one record of hours actually worked rather than hours planned. Its payroll exports calculate overtime and bank holiday hours before the file leaves the system, which removes a manual step that tends to go wrong at month end.
Pricing is per location, so a company with many small sites and a lot of part-timers pays a predictable amount. The Danish vendor also lists SSO and integrations with HR, payroll and point-of-sale systems.
Where it falls short
The product is described for retail and hospitality, and an office with flexible hours will find the scheduling-heavy design more than it needs. The two upper tiers are quote only, so the numbers that matter for larger chains are not public.
Per-location pricing can also look expensive for one large site with hundreds of staff.
Wrong for
Office-based companies without shift work, and buyers who want a time clock without a scheduling module. Buddy Punch or Deputy are lighter starting points.
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EU hostingCollective agreementsHardware
Why #3: Third because it applies collective agreement and working-time rules to recorded hours, hosts data in the EU and feeds payroll natively with SD Worx.
- Best for
- Rule-heavy European employers
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- Belgium
- Key features
- Terminal, app and browser recording, Collective agreement rules, Manager hour approval, Workforce planning, Access control
- Falls short
- Sales is demo-led with no self-service trial and no published price, so comparison shopping is slow.
- Wrong for
- Small teams that want to sign up and punch in the same day, and companies outside the European markets Protime serves.
Full assessment of Protime
Protime suits employers whose pay depends on rules rather than on simple hours. It records time from terminals, apps and browsers, applies working-time and collective agreement rules automatically, and sends approved hours to payroll, natively for SD Worx and by integration for other providers.
Data is hosted in the EU and the vendor lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. The same suite adds workforce planning and access control, which helps sites that already badge people through a gate.
Where it falls short
Sales is demo-led with no self-service trial and no published price, so comparison shopping is slow. Terminal recording needs hardware, which adds cost and installation.
The vendor serves specific European markets, and the product is part of the SD Worx group, so payroll beyond that provider depends on integrations.
Wrong for
Small teams that want to sign up and punch in the same day, and companies outside the European markets Protime serves. Buddy Punch or Deputy fit those buyers better.
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GermanyEnterpriseShift planning
Why #4: Fourth because it combines legally compliant time recording with shift planning for large sites, though quote-only pricing and consulting-led rollouts slow smaller buyers.
- Best for
- Large industrial and healthcare sites
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Key features
- Legally compliant time recording, Shift planning, Capacity planning, Workforce intelligence, Employee self-service apps
- Falls short
- The vendor site we checked is in German and we could not confirm English product pages, so international buyers should ask for materials in their language.
- Wrong for
- Small firms without an implementation budget and companies with no interest in SAP integration or advanced planning.
Full assessment of ATOSS
ATOSS is the heavyweight of the European names here, built for sites where recording working time has to stand up legally and where shift plans follow demand. The vendor targets manufacturing, healthcare, retail, logistics and call centers, and claims about 21,100 customers on its own site.
It adds capacity planning, workforce intelligence with alerts and a module for SAP environments. For a company with several hundred shift workers and a works council, the depth is the reason it ranks fourth.
Where it falls short
The vendor site we checked is in German and we could not confirm English product pages, so international buyers should ask for materials in their language. Consulting and implementation form part of the sale, and no price is published.
The breadth is wasted on a small team that only needs punches and approvals.
Wrong for
Small firms without an implementation budget and companies with no interest in SAP integration or advanced planning. Tamigo or Deputy are lighter routes.
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Hardware clocksHourly staffAccruals
Why #5: Fifth because it covers punches across locations, hardware clocks, accruals and pay-rule automation for hourly staff, with a founding history in time and attendance since 1988.
- Best for
- Multi-site hourly employers
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Punch collection across sites, On-site, mobile and web clocks, Overtime tracking, Pay-rule automation, Break and exception tracking
- Falls short
- Scheduling is a separate TCP product, not part of this one, and payroll arrives only through integrations.
- Wrong for
- Buyers who want scheduling and payroll in a single product, and teams without budget for time clocks.
Full assessment of TimeClock Plus
TimeClock Plus is a focused attendance product rather than a suite, and that focus is its strength. It collects punches across locations from on-site, mobile and web clocks, tracks overtime and breaks, and automates pay rules before hours reach payroll.
Leave requests for PTO, FMLA, holiday and sick time and accruals for hourly employees sit in the same product. The company says it started in San Angelo, Texas in 1988, which shows in how much of its design is about hardware clocks and exceptions.
Where it falls short
Scheduling is a separate TCP product, not part of this one, and payroll arrives only through integrations. Pricing is not published, and the legal entity's current headquarters street was not on the pages we opened.
Buyers must also plan for clock hardware, which adds cost.
Wrong for
Buyers who want scheduling and payroll in a single product, and teams without budget for time clocks. Deputy or Workforce.com are closer to an all-in-one.
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FranceHospitalityPayroll prep
Why #6: Sixth because it clocks staff in on tablet or mobile, prepares payroll and checks labor rules in seven European countries, though pricing was not visible to us.
- Best for
- European hospitality and retail
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- France
- Key features
- Tablet and mobile clock-in, Geolocation, Electronic timesheet signature, Leave balances, Payroll preparation
- Falls short
- We could not open a pricing page, so cost is unknown until you ask.
- Wrong for
- Companies outside Europe that need US payroll rules, and office-based teams without shift work.
Full assessment of Skello
Skello is a French workforce suite that handles clocking as one step in a chain from rota to payroll preparation. Staff clock in and out on a tablet or phone, with geolocation for remote workers, and timesheets can be signed electronically.
The product checks hours against labor rules and collective agreements in seven European countries and exports to payroll and accounting software. It works best for hospitality, retail and similar service businesses whose managers want one tool for schedules, hours and leave.
Where it falls short
We could not open a pricing page, so cost is unknown until you ask. The focus on service sectors means an office or industrial setting gets less value, and the labor rules covered are European, so US or UK pay rules are outside its focus.
Payroll is prepared and exported rather than run.
Wrong for
Companies outside Europe that need US payroll rules, and office-based teams without shift work. Buddy Punch or Deputy suit those buyers better.
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EU-basedHR suiteKiosk clock
Why #7: Seventh because it adds a QR or PIN time clock to HR records for shift staff at a published price from 6 euros, but its depth is in HR.
- Best for
- Shift-based SMBs of 50-500
- Pricing
- Per employee / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Key features
- QR or PIN kiosk clock, Time tracking, Absence management, Shift planning, Payroll preparation
- Falls short
- Time rules are less detailed than in dedicated attendance suites, and the Starter tier caps shift planning at 15 active shift employees, which a growing hospitality business will pass quickly.
- Wrong for
- Employers with complex collective agreements, hardware terminals or thousands of shift workers, and buyers who need only a time clock.
Full assessment of Kenjo
Kenjo makes sense when the buyer wants a single record for people data and hours worked. Staff can clock in at a kiosk with a QR code or PIN, absence requests live next to the time data, and payroll preparation closes the loop.
Published tiers from 6 euros per employee per month keep budgeting simple for companies of 50 to 500 people. It is a good choice for a German-speaking firm that currently runs time sheets, leave and personnel files in three places.
Where it falls short
Time rules are less detailed than in dedicated attendance suites, and the Starter tier caps shift planning at 15 active shift employees, which a growing hospitality business will pass quickly. The product is an HR system first, so a company that only wants a clock pays for modules it will not use.
Wrong for
Employers with complex collective agreements, hardware terminals or thousands of shift workers, and buyers who need only a time clock. Protime or Buddy Punch fit better.
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Published pricesGPSTime clock
Why #8: Eighth because GPS punches, mobile apps and tiered published prices from $4.99 per user make it a simple clock, though add-ons and payroll cost extra.
- Best for
- Small hourly teams, US-style rules
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- GPS on punches, Mobile apps, Kiosk and QR punching, Offline mode, Webcam photos at punch
- Falls short
- There is no free plan after the 14-day trial.
- Wrong for
- Teams that need a permanent free plan, buyers who want payroll bundled into the entry price, and European employers needing collective agreement rules.
Full assessment of Buddy Punch
Buddy Punch does the core job without ceremony: people punch from a phone, a browser or a kiosk, GPS is stamped on punches, and managers review timesheets. The Pro tier adds offline mode, basic geofencing, webcam photos at punch and break compliance, which are the features that answer the buddy punching problem its name alludes to.
Prices are published down to the add-ons, so a buyer can model the cost before a trial. It suits a business with a few dozen hourly workers.
Where it falls short
There is no free plan after the 14-day trial. A $19 monthly base fee applies, and add-ons such as real-time GPS at $2 per user, advanced reporting at $2 and data retention at $24 per user per year push the real price up.
Payroll integration costs $8 per user per month plus a $49 base fee.
Wrong for
Teams that need a permanent free plan, buyers who want payroll bundled into the entry price, and European employers needing collective agreement rules. Homebase or Protime serve those.
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SuitePayrollQuote only
Why #9: Ninth because it captures hours, breaks and time off on timesheets approved before pay, inside a suite for hourly workforces, but publishes no prices.
- Best for
- Hourly employers wanting one suite
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Hours, breaks and time off, Timesheet approval, Labor forecasting, Shift swapping and bidding, Payroll with overtime rules
- Falls short
- No prices or currency are published, only employee-count bands on request.
- Wrong for
- Buyers who want published prices before a sales call and teams that need time tracking without a payroll module.
Full assessment of Workforce.com
Workforce.com sells time and attendance as part of a broader suite for hourly and shift-based staff. Timesheets capture hours, breaks and time off and are approved before pay is processed, with payroll rules for overtime and differentials sitting in the same system.
The vendor operates in the US, Canada and the UK and says it started in 2012. It is worth a look for a company that would rather buy one system for time, scheduling and pay than connect three.
Where it falls short
No prices or currency are published, only employee-count bands on request. Payroll export is not described as a feature on the pages we read, and the vendor's own footer says it is not affiliated with Workforce Software LLC, which can confuse searches.
Its legal entity was not named on the page.
Wrong for
Buyers who want published prices before a sales call and teams that need time tracking without a payroll module. Deputy or Buddy Punch are easier to price.
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EU-basedGDPR hostingAbsence
Why #10: Tenth because it joins time tracking, absence and digital personnel files with EU hosting, but a monthly base fee and demo-led trials slow small buyers.
- Best for
- German and UK SMBs needing HR basics
- Pricing
- Base fee + per employee / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Key features
- Time tracking, Absence management, Rota planning, Shift allocation, Digital personnel file
- Falls short
- A 39 euro monthly base fee applies on any plan, and a test account arrives only after a demo, which slows a quick comparison.
- Wrong for
- Buyers outside the German and UK markets, companies wanting a self-serve trial, and employers with complex collective agreements.
Full assessment of Papershift
Papershift covers the German-speaking market's basics well: time tracking, absence, a digital personnel file and a payroll export in one product hosted in the EU. Role permissions and an audit trail help the HR lead who has to show how hours were edited.
It works for a firm of 50 to 300 people with several sites and a mix of hourly and salaried staff, particularly where absence handling matters as much as the clock.
Where it falls short
A 39 euro monthly base fee applies on any plan, and a test account arrives only after a demo, which slows a quick comparison. The product leans on German and UK conventions, and its time rules are shallower than those of rule-engine suites.
Growth beyond a few hundred staff may outpace its configuration depth.
Wrong for
Buyers outside the German and UK markets, companies wanting a self-serve trial, and employers with complex collective agreements. Skello or Protime are closer fits.
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US-basedPublished pricesSmall teams
Why #11: Eleventh because per-user tiers from $2.50 and a time clock suit small hourly teams, though SSO and API access wait until the top plan.
- Best for
- Small US hourly teams
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Time clock, Timesheets, Auto scheduling, Shift swaps, In-app messaging
- Falls short
- API access and SAML SSO arrive only on the Premium tier, so a company that needs identity management pays the top price.
- Wrong for
- European employers with working-time rules, and larger companies that need SSO or an API without paying for the top tier.
Full assessment of When I Work
When I Work is among the cheapest published entries here, and for a small hourly team with a US footprint that matters. Staff punch in from the app, managers see hours alongside the schedule, and payroll and point-of-sale integrations carry the results onward.
The tiers are easy to read and a 14-day trial lets a manager test punch flows on real staff. It is reasonable for a restaurant or retail group with a few sites.
Where it falls short
API access and SAML SSO arrive only on the Premium tier, so a company that needs identity management pays the top price. The product began as scheduling, and its attendance rules are thin next to dedicated suites.
Overtime handling beyond US conventions and detailed audit trails are not its focus.
Wrong for
European employers with working-time rules, and larger companies that need SSO or an API without paying for the top tier. Tamigo or Protime fit those cases.
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Free planDesklessMobile app
Why #12: Twelfth because a time clock sits inside a low-cost deskless app with a free plan for ten users, but attendance rules are not its strength.
- Best for
- Small crews wanting an app plus clock
- Pricing
- Flat monthly + per user
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- Israel
- Key features
- Time clock, Scheduling, Forms and checklists, Updates feed, Chat
- Falls short
- Attendance is a module inside a broader app, so overtime rules, exception handling and payroll depth are lighter than in the dedicated products above.
- Wrong for
- Employers who need an auditable time record under strict labor rules, and companies with no need for a mobile communication app.
Full assessment of Connecteam
Connecteam is an app for deskless staff in which the time clock is one module among many. For a crew of ten or fewer it is free, and beyond that a flat monthly fee covers the first 30 users, which is cheap for a small business that also wants chat, checklists and training in one place.
Employees already open it for other reasons, which makes clocking in a habit rather than a chore. We include it for companies that value the app more than the rule engine.
Where it falls short
Attendance is a module inside a broader app, so overtime rules, exception handling and payroll depth are lighter than in the dedicated products above. Buyers who only need hours and approvals pay for communication and training tools they may not use.
Price per extra user beyond the included block adds up at several hundred staff.
Wrong for
Employers who need an auditable time record under strict labor rules, and companies with no need for a mobile communication app. Protime, ATOSS or Buddy Punch fit those cases.
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Small businessPayrollBiometric options
Why #13: Thirteenth because it offers a time clock, scheduling, PTO and payroll for small businesses with biometric options, but prices were not visible on the pages we read.
- Best for
- Very small US businesses
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Phone, computer and kiosk clock, GPS and geofencing, Biometric options, Scheduling, PTO accruals
- Falls short
- The homepage shows no prices, and the payroll flow is described as a data flow rather than a standalone export.
- Wrong for
- Larger enterprises with several HR systems and companies that want prices on the homepage.
Full assessment of OnTheClock
OnTheClock is built for the very small business that wants a clock, a schedule, time-off balances and payroll from one vendor. Staff clock in from phones, computers or shared kiosks, GPS and geofencing limit where they can do it, and approved timecards flow into the vendor's payroll product or into QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto and Square.
Billing only for employees who use the system in a month suits seasonal staffing. It is a pragmatic pick for owners who do payroll themselves.
Where it falls short
The homepage shows no prices, and the payroll flow is described as a data flow rather than a standalone export. Its design targets small employers, so audit depth and multi-site controls are not what a 500-person company expects.
The clock-in verification options also raise privacy questions.
Wrong for
Larger enterprises with several HR systems and companies that want prices on the homepage. Buddy Punch or Deputy offer published tiers for growing teams.
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Free planUS-basedSmall business
Why #14: Fourteenth because a free plan for one location and ten employees makes it easy to start, but limits on depth and per-location pricing bite at scale.
- Best for
- Single-site US small businesses
- Pricing
- Per location / month
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Time clock, Timesheets, Scheduling, PTO controls, Payroll add-on
- Falls short
- The free plan stops at one location and ten staff, and the paid tiers charge per location, so a multi-site business pays repeatedly.
- Wrong for
- Multi-site employers, companies outside the US and organizations with works councils or collective agreements.
Full assessment of Homebase
Homebase is the easiest product here to try, because the Basic plan is free for one location with up to ten employees. Staff clock in, timesheets collect hours, and PTO controls and a payroll add-on handle the rest for a small local business.
The per-location price, with unlimited employees on paid tiers, is predictable for a single shop or restaurant. We rank it last because the product is designed for the smallest employers rather than for a company of several hundred.
Where it falls short
The free plan stops at one location and ten staff, and the paid tiers charge per location, so a multi-site business pays repeatedly. Payroll costs $49 base plus $6 per employee on top.
Attendance rules and audit trails are basic compared with dedicated suites, and there is little help for non-US labor law.
Wrong for
Multi-site employers, companies outside the US and organizations with works councils or collective agreements. Tamigo, Protime or Deputy are better matches.
What the data says about this market
Of the 14 products ranked, 6 are headquartered in Europe (Tamigo in Denmark, Protime in Belgium, ATOSS, Papershift and Kenjo in Germany, Skello in France), 6 are US-based, one is from Australia (Deputy) and one from Israel (Connecteam). European vendors tend to build for working-time law and works councils from the start, while US vendors build for overtime and break rules set by state or federal law.
Pricing splits into three camps. Eight products publish an entry price or a free plan (Deputy, When I Work, Homebase, Buddy Punch, Tamigo, Papershift, Kenjo and Connecteam). Four ask for a demo first (ATOSS, Protime, TimeClock Plus and Workforce.com), and two, Skello and OnTheClock, showed no price on the pages we could read.
Homebase and Connecteam are the only two with a free plan, and per-location pricing appears at Tamigo and Homebase.
Pay attention to what sits outside the headline price. Buddy Punch lists add-ons for real-time GPS, advanced reporting, data retention and payroll. Papershift charges a monthly base fee on every plan.
Deputy applies a monthly minimum spend per invoice. These are public facts taken from the vendors' pricing pages, and they are why a quote for 200 staff often lands far from the per-user figure on the front page.
How to choose
1. Write down your punch-to-payroll path before you open a demo
Map the path a single shift takes from clock-in to payroll file, and name who touches it. Write down how people punch (phone, tablet, terminal), who approves exceptions, which pay rules apply (overtime, night, bank holidays) and which payroll provider receives the result. Add the count of hourly staff and the number of sites. This one page tells you whether you need a rule engine such as Protime or ATOSS, a retail-focused suite such as Tamigo or Skello, or a lighter clock such as Buddy Punch or Deputy.
It also gives every vendor the same brief, which makes quotes comparable.
2. Test the three ugly cases with real data
Run a missed punch, an overnight shift crossing midnight and a manager edit through each shortlisted trial. Pretty dashboards hide the cases that cause payroll disputes. Ask the vendor how the product treats an employee who forgets to clock out, how it splits hours across two dates, and whether a manager's edit leaves an audit trail with name and time. Also test your own payroll export with a real month of dummy data.
If a vendor will not give you a trial, ask for a sandbox or a reference customer of similar size and sector, and call that customer.
3. Price the full stack and check how you leave
Ask for a written total for your headcount including add-ons, hardware, onboarding and payroll integration, plus the exit terms. Compare it against the published per-user figure. Ask how long punch history is kept, in what format you can export it, and what happens to the data after cancellation. In Europe, ask where data is hosted and whether biometric or GPS features need consent or works council approval.
A vendor that answers these in writing before signature is usually one that will answer them after.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time and attendance software in 2026?
Deputy ranks first for most mid-sized hourly teams, with Tamigo second and Protime third. Deputy combines a time clock, timesheets and published per-user prices in three tiers. Tamigo is better when you run retail or hospitality sites and want payroll exports that handle overtime and bank holidays. Protime is the stronger pick for Belgian and wider European employers with collective agreements and EU hosting.
Pick ATOSS instead if you run complex shift planning in a large industrial or healthcare setting.
What is the difference between time tracking and time and attendance?
Time tracking measures effort, usually for billing; time and attendance records presence for pay and compliance. A time tracker asks how long you spent on a client project. An attendance system asks whether you were at work, for how long, and whether the hours trigger overtime or breaks. The two overlap, and several products here do both, but the approval flow and legal audit trail are what separate attendance software.
Do I need hardware time clocks?
Not for most teams: a phone app or shared tablet handles the majority of punches. Hardware terminals make sense in factories, warehouses and hospitals where phones are not allowed or staff share no device. TimeClock Plus and Protime both sell terminals and access control. If you use biometrics, check consent rules first, because fingerprint and face data are treated as sensitive in many jurisdictions.
How does the software stop buddy punching?
Through verification at the moment of the punch: GPS, a photo, a PIN, a badge or a biometric check. Buddy Punch lists webcam photos on its Pro tier, and OnTheClock lists biometric options. Each method has a cost: photos and biometrics raise privacy questions, GPS only proves a phone was nearby. A mix of a PIN with a location rule works for many teams.
Can time and attendance software send hours straight to payroll?
Yes, either as an export file or as a live integration, and the details differ widely. Protime feeds SD Worx payroll natively, TimeClock Plus lists payroll and HR integrations, and OnTheClock feeds QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto and Square. Buddy Punch sells payroll as a paid add-on. Ask for a sample export file in your payroll provider's format before you buy.
Is it legal to track employee location with GPS?
It depends on the country and on how you do it, so get legal advice before switching on location features. In the EU, location data of employees is personal data, and consent, purpose limits and works council rights may apply. In the US, rules differ by state. Limit tracking to working hours, tell staff what is recorded and use geofencing on punches rather than continuous tracking.
How much does time and attendance software cost?
Published entry prices in this list run from $0 on free plans to $30 per location, with quote-only suites costing more. When I Work starts at $2.50 per user, Buddy Punch at $4.99 billed annually, Deputy at $5 and Tamigo at 15 euros per location, Homebase Essentials at $30 per location. Base fees, minimum spends, add-ons and hardware raise the total. Ask for a written quote for your headcount.
Is there a free time and attendance tool?
Yes, but free plans are limited by users or locations. Homebase offers a free plan for one location and up to ten employees, and Connecteam is free for up to ten users. Buddy Punch and several others only offer a free trial. A free plan suits a single site; once you need payroll export, GPS or several locations, expect to pay.
Which product suits a company with shift work in Europe?
Tamigo, Skello, Protime and ATOSS are built around European labor rules and shift patterns. Tamigo covers retail and hospitality, Skello adds compliance checks for seven European countries, Protime applies collective agreements, and ATOSS targets manufacturing, healthcare and logistics. Kenjo and Papershift are lighter options for German-speaking firms. Check language support and hosting location in each case.
How long does it take to switch systems?
A small team can switch in a few days; a company with terminals and collective agreements should plan for one to three months. Most of the time goes into pay rules and employee data, not software. Run the old and new systems in parallel for one pay period and compare hours line by line before you retire the old one.
What should I ask a vendor before signing?
Ask how long punch history is kept, how edits are logged, what a payroll export looks like, and what the total cost is for your headcount. Also ask where data is hosted, how biometric and GPS features are handled legally and what happens to your records if you cancel. Get answers in writing and test them in the trial, not in the sales call.