The 7 Best Employee Punch Clock Apps for 2025

Looking for an employee punch clock app for your construction business? We’ve reviewed 7 of the best apps on the market to help you!

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FAQs
What are key features of the best employee time clock apps?

The best employee time clock apps have features that make it easy to track when and where your team works. They let you see who is working in real-time and make sure everyone gets paid right. Here are some top features:

  • GPS Tracking: Know where your team is when they clock in or out.
  • Scheduling: Plan who works when and where.
  • Time Tracking: Keep track of work hours easily.
  • Breaks and Overtime: Manage break times and extra work hours.
  • Reports: See work hours and job costs in simple reports.
  • Payroll Integration: Connect the app to your payroll system to pay your team.
  • Mobile Access: Use the app on phones so your team can clock in from anywhere.
  • Alerts: Get alerts for when it’s time to start or stop work, or if there are any issues.

These features help keep things fair and clear for everyone at work.

What is the best time clock app for small businesses?

The best time clock app for small businesses is one that is easy to use, doesn’t cost too much, and has features that match what your business needs. A good choice for many small businesses is QuickBooks Time. It’s popular because:

  • It’s Easy: You can start using it fast and it’s simple for your team.
  • It Tracks Time Well: It keeps track of work hours and where your team is working.
  • It Works with Payroll: You can easily pay your team with the hours tracked in the app.
  • It’s Made for Small Businesses: It fits what small businesses need without being too complicated.

QuickBooks Time is well-suited for small businesses looking for a straightforward way to manage time and payroll.

However, small businesses in certain industries may want more tailored features – smaller construction companies still need to track job costs and may need to manage prevailing wage schedules, and QuickBooks Time isn’t optimized for these features. For many construction companies (large and small alike), Workyard’s GPS time clock is ideally-suited, because it was built from the ground up to support the construction industry.

What employee time clock app do the largest construction companies use?

Few construction companies – large or small – publicly share the software they use, which makes it difficult to accurately assess which employee time clock apps are popular in this industry.

However, based on our experience working with construction companies of all sizes, we’ve found that many large organizations with over 500 workers will opt for fairly comprehensive construction management software, of which time-tracking is one of many apps or key features available. Procore, Raken, and Fieldwire are three such apps used by many construction companies – Procore, for example, is a publicly-traded company worth about $10 billion, which we can only assume means it has quite a few large construction companies as clients!

It’s important to keep in mind that what’s good for a big company may not work for smaller organizations. A construction company that doesn’t regularly submit bids and budgets for large projects may not need the multiple features in Procore that appear designed to support the bidding-and-budgeting process for general contractors.

How much data do employee time clock apps use?

Employee time clock apps like ClockShark and Workyard are designed to use minimal data.

ClockShark typically uses between 5MB to 25MB per month for an employee using the app.On the other hand, Workyard’s GPS tracking feature is efficient in data usage, consuming less than 1 MB per day.

These apps are optimized to minimize data consumption while providing essential time tracking and GPS functionalities for businesses.

How much of a mobile phone’s battery do employee time clock apps use?

Employee time clock apps like ClockShark, Workyard, and OnTheClock are optimized to use minimal battery power on mobile phones.

ClockShark typically uses around 20% of a healthy, fully charged mobile battery during an 8-hour shift. Workyard’s geofence time clock app is designed to minimize battery consumption, typically using 3% or less daily, allowing employees to use it throughout their workday without excessive drain on their devices.

OnTheClock is also optimized for minimal battery usage, ensuring that employees’ phones do not power down in the middle of a shift. These apps prioritize efficiency while providing essential time tracking features for businesses.

Is there a free clock in clock out app I can use, and what are the trade-offs?

Yes. A free punch clock app or free tier is common and helps small teams test rollout. Expect limits like user or location caps, shorter data retention, basic support, and fewer controls, such as GPS, geofencing, or photo punches. Exports might be restricted. If you need long-term records, certified payroll support, or multiple sites, you will likely outgrow the free plan and move to paid time clock applications.

How does punch clock software stop buddy punching and time theft?

 An employee clock-in system can require PINs, selfies, or kiosk photos at punch. GPS and geofencing confirm on-site presence. Auto clock-out and late punch alerts reduce padding. Audit logs show edits by user and time. Together, these controls make an employee punch clock app far harder to game than a paper timecard.

What is the difference between a simple time punch clock app and full employee time tracking software?

 A basic punch time clock app tracks start and stop times. Full employee clock-in and -out software adds scheduling, PTO and break rules, job and cost code tracking, approvals, payroll integrations, and reports. If you only need quick punches, a lightweight punch clock software works. If you want cleaner payroll and better job costing across many sites, choose a broader employee time clock app.

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