The right attendance tool to switch to depends on what happens after someone clocks in. If hours feed a rota and a payroll run, choose a tool that bundles scheduling or payroll with the time clock. If you need oversight of remote work, look at team visibility tools. If you bill clients for hours, pick a project-based tracker.
Clock-in data only earns its keep once it reaches the rota and the payroll run. Jibble leads with free time tracking and attendance for unlimited users, which makes it an easy start for hourly teams. Once you outgrow it, the question becomes what the tool around the time clock does for you. Here are nine alternatives, in no particular order, grouped by whether they're built around shifts, oversight or projects.
What does each free tier hold back?
The product you're leaving makes a lot of its free tier, so that's the right place to start comparing. Many time and attendance tools offer a free plan or a free trial, but what sits inside it varies widely. Scheduling, payroll exports, location tracking and admin controls are the features most often reserved for higher plans.
Before you commit, write down the three things you use every week: maybe clock-in from a phone, an approved timesheet and an export to payroll. Then check each shortlisted tool's own plan page to see which of those you'd get without upgrading. That five-minute check stops a free switch turning into a surprise later.
Shifts, oversight or projects: three kinds of attendance tool
Shift and payroll tools. Homebase, When I Work, Connecteam and Buddy Punch bundle the time clock with scheduling, and some with payroll. One covers schedules, time tracking, payroll and hiring; one is a workforce app for shifts, time and team messages; one is built for frontline teams who need scheduling and chat in the same place; and one adds location tracking and PTO management. If your staff work shifts, this group handles the hand-off from rota to hours to pay with the fewest gaps.
Team visibility tools. Hubstaff and Traqq add a view of what teams are working on. One monitors productivity and turns approved hours into payments, and the other describes its approach as visibility without surveillance. Rules on staff consent and notice for this kind of tracking vary by country, so check the regulator or an adviser where you operate before you switch it on.
Project time trackers. Everhour, TMetric and Clockify log hours against projects rather than shifts. One works inside project tools such as Asana and Jira, so attendance stays in your HR system while project hours stay where the work is planned. Another adds billing and payroll, and the third keeps things to a simple timesheet. These suit office teams more than shift workers.
Nine attendance tools in one table
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Buddy Punch | Time clock with scheduling | Time and location tracking with PTO and payroll |
| Clockify | Simple time tracker | Logging work hours on timesheets across projects |
| Connecteam | Frontline team app | Scheduling, time tracking and chat for frontline staff |
| Everhour | Time tracking inside project tools | Hours logged inside Asana, ClickUp, Monday and Jira |
| Homebase | Scheduling, time clock, payroll | Schedules, time tracking, payroll and hiring together |
| Hubstaff | Time tracking and productivity | Monitoring work and turning approved hours into payments |
| TMetric | Time tracking for projects | Work hours, projects, billing and payroll for teams |
| Traqq | Team time tracking | Time across projects and tasks for whole teams |
| When I Work | Shift scheduling and time | Shift scheduling, time tracking and team messaging |
Each tool listed A to Z
In alphabetical order, in no particular order of preference.
Buddy Punch
Best for: Mobile and field teams who need time and location tracking with scheduling, PTO management and payroll, which the vendor says goes where your team goes.
Clockify
Best for: Office teams who want a simple time tracker and timesheet app for logging work hours across projects.
Connecteam
Best for: Frontline teams who want scheduling, time tracking and team communication in one app, replacing what the vendor calls scattered tools.
Everhour
Best for: Project teams who plan work in Asana, ClickUp, Monday or Jira and want hours tracked inside those tools, with billable hours and threshold alerts built in.
Homebase
Best for: Owners of hourly teams who want to build schedules, track time, run payroll and hire from one app the vendor calls easy.
Hubstaff
Best for: Managers who want time tracking with productivity monitoring that turns approved hours into payments.
TMetric
Best for: Agencies and teams tracking work hours who also want project management, billing and payroll in the same time tracker.
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Traqq
Best for: Team leads who want to track work time, projects and tasks with what the vendor describes as visibility without surveillance.
When I Work
Best for: Shift-based businesses that schedule shifts, track time and message staff from one workforce app.
Try one real shift on a phone
Attendance tools live or die on the phone in your staff's pocket. Run this with one willing team member before you roll anything out.
- Install the app on the phone they use for work, not a spare test device.
- Clock in at the start of a real shift and note how many taps it takes.
- Take a break and clock back in, the way they would on a busy day.
- Clock out and check the hours appear on the manager's timesheet correctly.
- Approve the timesheet and run the export your payroll process needs.
My advice for hourly teams
Pick the tool that matches how your people work, not the one with the longest feature list. Shift workers need a quick clock-in, a clear rota and accurate hours flowing to payroll. Office teams billing clients need project tracking more than a time clock. Trying to make one kind of tool do the other's job is where most switches go wrong.
Keep your staff in the loop when you change systems, especially if the new tool tracks location or activity. For more options, see my guide to time and attendance software and my list of timesheet software.
Questions for the payroll hand-off
- Does the tool connect directly to the payroll software you use, or will you be exporting files by hand?
- How are overtime, breaks and late clock-ins shown on the timesheet before approval?
- Can a manager correct a missed clock-out, and is that change recorded?
- Who approves timesheets, and can you set a deadline before the payroll run?
- Can you export every past timesheet if you move to another tool later?
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Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between time and attendance software and a time tracker?
Time and attendance software records when staff start and finish shifts, often with scheduling and payroll exports. A time tracker usually logs hours against projects or tasks, which suits office and client work.
Is free time tracking software enough for a small business?
It can be for basic clock-ins and timesheets. Check what the free tier leaves out, such as scheduling, payroll exports or admin controls, before you rely on it.
Can staff clock in from their own phones?
Most attendance tools include a mobile app for clocking in. Test it on the phones your team uses, and agree a clear policy on personal devices.
Is it legal to track employee location or activity?
Rules on monitoring staff vary by country and sometimes by region. Requirements differ, so check the regulator or an adviser in your country and tell staff what's tracked.
How do I move timesheet history to a new tool?
Export past timesheets from your current tool before you cancel, and keep a copy. Ask the new vendor whether they can import history or whether you'll start fresh.
Do I need scheduling and time tracking in the same tool?
If your staff work shifts, having both in one place means hours can be checked against the rota automatically. If they don't, a simpler time tracker may be enough.
