(650) 332-8623The 6 Best Biometric Time Clocks for 2025
Looking for a biometric time clock for your construction business? We’ve reviewed 6 of the best apps on the market to help you choose!
Biometric time clocks use fingerprint or facial recognition to track employee work hours, offering security and convenience while reducing time theft. But which is right for your business?
This article explores the best biometric time clocks for 2025, detailing features, pros, cons, and alternatives to consider for your construction needs.
Let’s dive in.
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Best for business timekeeping needs
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Best for office-based timekeeping
Track time to the minute, on site or in the field, with Workyard
See how it works
Top Picks
Below, you’ll find a summary of each app we’ve reviewed, with our scores, each app’s ideal use cases, its pricing, the availability of any free trials or free tiers, and the platforms on which the app is available. Each app has been thoroughly investigated and analyzed for users like you, with pros and cons, key features, integrations, and real user reviews.
Let’s take a look…
9.2 
14-day free trial, (no card needed)
7.7
15-day trial with no credit card required
7.7 
One-time purchase only
8.0
14-day free trial with no credit card required
8.3
14-day free trial with no credit card required
7.8
One-time purchase only
Track time to the minute, on site or in the field, with Workyard
See how it works
Final Thoughts
Although biometric time clocks help eliminate buddy punching and time theft, some employees can view them as invasive and even unhygienic. Requiring them to place their fingertips on a biometric time clock before entering the workplace can put their health at risk, especially in these post-pandemic times.
If you don’t want to deal with most common biometric time clock-related problems, consider Workyard’s time clock app. Like biometric time clocks, the Workyard app accurately and securely tracks your employees’ hours. The difference is it eliminates the need to keep up with ever changing compliance and privacy laws.
It’s also a reliable and long-term option. When an employee clocks into Workyard, they simply tap the button on their smartphone to punch in, and it will capture the punch-in even if they have oily, wet, or dirty fingers.
Workyard also provides real-time GPS coordinates so you know exactly where and what they’re doing. You get all the benefits of a biometric time clock and more.
See why over 50,000 contractors trust Workyard’s GPS time clock, or try it for free today!
Our Scoring System Explained
Our 8-part scoring system was created to help you understand the potential value of any software we review simply and fairly.
We created it after reviewing dozens of software products, which we covered in depth, but without providing a direct and simple way for readers to compare products on their merits – without spending a lot of time looking through our articles for the information they needed to make an informed decision.
Every app we review will include Customer Support and Company scores, which we’ll explain in more detail below. Many of the factors reviewed in this article will also be consistent across most (or all) of our software reviews, with some differences:
The 8 factors assessed and their contribution to a product’s overall score may differ slightly from product to product based on various factors, such as the use case we’re reviewing for, the type of business these products are tailored to, and other considerations. However, all reviews will feature an 8-part score, weighted and combined to calculate each product’s overall score.
How We Score Software
All factors in our reviews are scored on a 10-point scale – technically 11 points – from 0-10. However, we only give products a score of 0 if it does not include an essential feature at all, and we try to avoid giving out 0 scores if a product can demonstrate any functionality in line with the specific factor being reviewed.
In general, the 0-10 range translates as:
- 9.0 – 10 – One of the absolute best in its category (amazing).
- 7.5 – 8.9 – Very good, but with some minor issues (very good).
- 6.0 – 7.4 – Mediocre performance with notable shortcomings (average).
- 3.0 – 5.9 – This feature is not ready for prime time (borderline).
- 1.0 – 2.9 – This feature actually makes its product worse (unacceptable).
- 0 – The product doesn’t include this important feature at all.
How We Calculate Overall Scores
The 8 factors reviewed are weighted based on an overall total of 100%:
- Ease of Use: 20%
- Time Tracking Accuracy: 20%
- Scheduling Features: 15%
- Job Tracking: 15%
- Integrations: 10%
- Customer Support: 15%
- Company: 5%
Methodology for Each Factor
Ease of Use
We evaluate a product’s ease of use based on three main considerations:
- How easy is it to set up this app?
- How easy is it for managers to use the backend dashboard?
- How easy is it for frontline workers to use the (mobile) app?
These three considerations cover the main ways you and your team would use the software being reviewed – when you first obtain it, when someone (a manager, executive, team leader, or similar role) needs to use it to manage people, money, data, and other things, and when workers you’re tracking use the app (usually a mobile version of the software designed for frontline and/or field team members) to clock in, clock out, record time worked, or address other day-to-day needs.
Time Tracking Accuracy
Every minute matters when you’re trying to control payroll costs. This factor accounts for various features and common needs in time-tracking apps, such as…
- How accurate or precise is its GPS tracking capability?
- How accurate – and how customizable – is its geofencing feature?
- How accurate is its travel and mileage tracking (if available)?
- Can it automatically clock workers in and out based on the above?
- Can you set and/or restrict rules for clocking in and out?
- Can the app continue tracking workers while offline?
- How easy is its mobile app and/or kiosk for frontline workers?
Scheduling Features
Many construction businesses prefer to manage as many aspects of employee labor activity as possible in a single app, which is why many time-tracking apps also include worker scheduling as a core feature.
When we consider a product’s scheduling features, we look at:
- Its dashboard customizability (daily, weekly, or monthly views).
- Its project-based scheduling and visibility.
- Its real-time updates and notifications for workers.
- Its real-time map views of worker locations for best-fit scheduling.
- Its recurring schedule (copies to subsequent weeks, etc.) functionality.
Job Tracking
This factor helps you understand if the software can also provide insight into specific projects, which is particularly handy when your business deals with many customers or clients who generally need shorter-term work. Effective job tracking typically also includes accurate job costing functionality for construction companies.
We assess several things when calculating a product’s job tracking score:
- Its project-based tracking for multiple projects per day/week/etc.
- Its ability to track multiple / many projects simultaneously.
- Its use of (and your ability to customize) construction cost codes.
- Any built-in job costing views.
- Any integrations for cost coding (QuickBooks etc.)
Integrations
No business can operate on a single app, which is why integrations with other apps and tools are such important aspects of modern business software.
To calculate a product’s integration score, we’ll examine:
- How many native integrations (the simplest connection) does it offer?
- How effective and easy-to-use are its integrations with payroll software?
- Does it have robust data import and export features?
Customer Support
Learning how to use a new app can be frustrating, even if it’s meant to be the most user-friendly app around. That’s why great customer support is so essential when considering which time-tracking app to use.
Customer support scores are calculated based on:
- Live support channels available (phone, email, chat, etc.).
- Live support hours (business hours only, 24/7, etc.).
- The strength of the product’s online help center and/or FAQs.
- What other users say about support in online reviews.
Company
A great company with a highly customer-friendly approach can often make up for shortcomings in their software products – at least up to a point.
When assessing this score, we’ll examine:
- Transparency (easy-to-find pricing, etc.)
- Trial period (duration, feature availability, credit card requirements, etc.).
- Subscription flexibility (contracts, required durations, etc.).
- Ease of cancellation or pausing subscriptions.
- Customer perceptions (online product reviews).
- Website (a minor consideration, but great companies tend to have great websites).
Any questions about our scoring system? Have any suggestions on how we could make it even better? Click here to send us your feedback – we’d love to hear from you!
It’s a device that tracks employees’ work hours and attendance using their unique physical characteristics. These systems identify individuals based on specific biological traits, eliminating the need for traditional methods like punch cards or key cards.
The main types of biometric time clocks include:
- Fingerprint scanners: These devices scan and match an employee’s fingerprint to clock them in or out.
- Palm scanners: Similar to fingerprint scanners, these devices analyze the unique patterns and geometry of an employee’s palm.
- Facial recognition systems: These use cameras and software to identify employees by their facial features.
- Iris scanners: These devices scan the unique patterns in an employee’s iris for identification.
- Hand geometry readers: These measure the size and shape of an employee’s hand without capturing fingerprints or palm prints.
Biometric time clocks are physical hardware devices that use biological traits like fingerprints or facial features to track employee attendance. As such, they are not typically available for free.
If you’re specifically interested in biometric time clocks, purchase hardware devices from manufacturers. Weigh the pros and cons, including accuracy, security, and potential legal considerations.
The process typically works as follows:
- Enrollment: Employees provide a sample of their biometric data (e.g., fingerprint, facial scan), securely stored in the system’s database.
- Authentication: When clocking in or out, employees present their biometric trait to the device (e.g., placing their finger on a scanner or facing a camera).
- Matching: The system compares the presented biometric sample with the stored data.
- Verification: The employee’s identity is verified if the sample matches the stored data.
- Time recording: The system records the employee’s clock-in or clock-out time in the database.
These biometric methods offer increased accuracy and security compared to traditional time-tracking systems. They are challenging to manipulate and require the physical presence of the employee. They also eliminate issues like buddy punching and lost ID cards, making them an increasingly popular choice for workforce management.
Biometric time clocks offer enhanced security and accuracy by using unique physical traits to verify attendance. This technology eliminates time theft, reduces payroll inaccuracies, and saves businesses from manually verifying timesheets. It also simplifies compliance by providing detailed records of employee hours. Because biometric clocks prevent shared logins, they foster accountability, making them ideal for companies seeking reliable timekeeping that’s difficult to manipulate.
Yes, biometric time clocks are generally safe for employee privacy when used responsibly. Most devices store biometric data as encrypted templates rather than actual images, making it challenging to recreate or misuse the information. Reputable biometric systems comply with data protection laws, like the GDPR, ensuring secure handling of biometric data. Before implementation, employers should inform employees about data storage practices, security measures, and obtain consent to address privacy concerns transparently.
Yes, some biometric time clocks are designed for mobile or remote employees. Certain systems use facial recognition through mobile apps, allowing employees to clock in from anywhere with their smartphone. GPS integration further enhances accountability by verifying the employee’s location during clock-in, making it ideal for businesses with field workers or remote teams. Choosing a biometric solution that offers both stationary and mobile options ensures flexibility for various work environments.
When selecting a biometric time clock, consider factors like biometric type (fingerprint, facial, or iris), integration capabilities with your payroll system, data security features, and user-friendliness. If your workforce includes remote or mobile employees, look for solutions with mobile compatibility. Additionally, ensure the device complies with privacy laws and offers encryption to protect employee data. Reviewing user feedback and checking for reliable customer support can help you choose a device that meets your business’s unique needs.
