Top 6 Buddy Punch alternatives in 2023

Your small business needs accurate time tracking. It’s not only vital for keeping labor costs within budget. Precise timekeeping helps you:

Stay compliant with labor regulations
Make future scheduling and staffing decisions
Understand how employees are spending their time and adjust workloads as needed
Find ways to improve efficiency

Time tracking software like Buddy Punch can help, and it can make life even simpler with built-in scheduling and payroll features. However, Buddy Punch is only a three-in-one — not an all-in-one — solution. Settling for its limitations means you could be missing out on additional tools that would help you run your small business more efficiently.

That’s why we researched top time tracking and scheduling solutions and referenced real customer reviews from websites like G2 and Capterra in May 2023 for this article. Below, we’ll explore key features, pros and cons, pricing, and user ratings for the best six Buddy Punch alternatives so you know what you’re getting into before you invest time and resources into a new time tracking solution.

What is Buddy Punch and what is it used for?

Buddy Punch is a time clock platform that employees can use to punch in and out of work from any device, including tablets and mobile phones. As the name suggests, it also offers a wide variety of tools to prevent buddy punching and time theft. For example, its webcam feature automatically captures employee photos when they clock in and out to verify identity, and its IP address locks prevent team members from signing in on an unauthorized device.

Buddy Punch also offers easy drag-and-drop scheduling features that let employees view their upcoming shifts from their phones. Additionally, it syncs built-in payroll tools with staff time cards so business owners can review wage data and submit employee paychecks easily.

Why you might choose a Buddy Punch alternative

While Buddy Punch is a solid time tracking platform, it has a few shortcomings that could impact your team’s efficiency.

It doesn’t have all the features you need

Buddy Punch’s three main tools simplify employee time tracking, scheduling, and payroll — which are all important aspects of team management. But it’s missing key components, like features for communication, simple onboarding, and HR and compliance, which you need to sustainably grow your team, keep everyone organized and on task, and avoid legal and regulatory issues.

Thankfully, more all-encompassing platforms exist. They may include additional elements for:

Employee happiness and engagement
Mileage tracking
Task management
Benefits management
Timesheets

You need a mobile app that has more functionality

Buddy Punch conveniently lets team members clock in and out of work from their phones. However, today’s small business owners also use mobile devices to coordinate and communicate with their staff throughout the day, which Buddy Punch can’t accommodate. That’s why you may prefer an equally usable mobile app that incorporates tools for compliance, document storage, and team messaging.

You’re looking for a more cost-effective option

Unlike other time trackers and employee schedulers, Buddy Punch lacks a free plan. That’s not practical for new customers who need more than 14 days or a month to try out a platform.

Buddy Punch paid plans also start at $19 per month and $3.49 per user per month. While that price point may be feasible for small teams, consider how per-person pricing will add up as you expand. It’s better to opt for a solution like Homebase that has per-location pricing, so your expenses will only increase as you add more stores or shop fronts.

Key features to look for in a Buddy Punch alternative

Adding another platform to your toolkit should lighten your load, not add to your burden. Here are a few important elements to factor into your research:

All-in-one solution — If you’re new to using automated tools for time tracking and scheduling, a straightforward solution with a few simple features may seem less overwhelming. But it’s best to start with a versatile option that also includes key functions for messaging, hiring, and HR and compliance. That’ll make it easy for you to grow your business and give you peace of mind that you’re on the right side of labor and tax regulations.
Ease of use — Intuitive software means team members are less likely to make mistakes or overlook important details when checking their shifts, updating their availability, or clocking in and out of work. A well-designed app will guide users through its workflows, reducing confusion and clearly presenting information.
Range of integrations — Platforms that integrate with lots of other popular apps help you avoid inefficient and error-prone double data entry — no need to copy and paste between systems. The right integrations can also improve your team’s communication and collaboration. Knowing that, make sure your software of choice connects with the tools you use every day for point-of-sale (POS), task management, and accounting.

The breakdown: 6 top Buddy Punch alternatives

Your small business’s needs are unique, and so is every option on our shortlist of Buddy Punch alternatives. That’s why we’ve broken our comparison down based on the best use case for each platform:

1. Homebase: Best all-in-one solution
2. Deputy: Best for unique compliance features
3. QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets): Best for real-time GPS coordination
4. Paychex Flex: Best for self-service payroll
5. Rippling: Best for automated time tracking workflows
6. Clockify: Best for project tracking

1. Homebase: Best all-in-one solution

Running an hourly small business team is hassle-free with Homebase. Not only does our platform equip you with the intuitive time tracking, scheduling, and payroll features you need every day — it also keeps everyone connected and in the loop with team messaging.

Plus, Homebase helps you tackle two of the most tedious tasks for hourly businesses: hiring and employee onboarding. Post jobs, track applicants, digitally onboard new hires, and store all of your employee paperwork in one place.

What really sets Homebase apart, though, is the human resources features. With a Homebase plan, you’ll have access to live HR experts who can review your company policies, answer questions on hot topics like termination law, and even help you build your first employee handbook. That’s a major win for businesses that don’t want to hire an entire HR department.

Top features

Time tracking with GPS and geofencing tools to prevent time theft
A time clock that automatically converts hours into timesheets complete with wage and overtime data
An easy employee scheduling tool that auto-populates timetables with shifts every week
Simple shift-swapping features that limit extra work for managers
Full-service payroll software that calculates wages, sends payments, and files taxes for you
An employee messaging app you can use to send messages to individuals, custom groups, or the entire team
Hiring and onboarding tools with job description templates, digital new hire onboarding, and document storage tools
HR and compliance functions that make it quick and easy to create policies and procedures and centralize staff information in one place
Sales forecasting tools that help you make money-saving scheduling decisions
A cash out feature that lets employees withdraw up to $400 of their wages
A mobile app that empowers managers and employees and lets them manage everyday team tasks from anywhere

Pros and cons

Pros

👍 Free account offers basic scheduling and time tracking for up to 20 employees

👍 Only takes a few minutes to set up

👍 Easy shift-swapping makes it ideal for managers and employees alike

👍 Per-location pricing for better affordability

👍 Beginner-friendly platform with no learning curve

👍 Built-in payroll reduces the need for additional software

Cons

👎 No mileage tracking or task management tools

👎 Not possible to view multiple work locations at the same time

Pricing

Homebase’s basic scheduling and time tracking tools are 100% free. Here’s a breakdown of all the plans we offer so you can make the best choice for your small business:

Basic — Free for one location and up to 20 employees. It includes basic scheduling and time tracking and employee management tools like messaging, point-of-sale integrations, and access to email support.
Essentials — $24.95 per month per location. Everything in Basic, plus payroll integrations, team communication, performance tracking, advanced time tracking and scheduling, and access to live support.
Plus — $59.95 per month per location. Everything in Essentials, plus hiring tools, retention and performance tracking, time off controls, and departments and permissions.
All-in-one — $99.95 per month per location. Everything in Plus, with HR and compliance, new hire onboarding, labor cost controls, and business insights.

Users can also save 20% when they sign up for an annual plan.

Homebase payroll is an extra add-on and costs a base fee of $39/month plus $6/paid employee per month.

User ratings

G2 — 4.3 / 5 (100+ reviews)
Capterra — 4.6 / 5 (900+ reviews)

2. Deputy: Best for unique compliance features

Deputy is a staff scheduling and time tracking app business owners and managers can use to run their teams from any device. With its mobile app, employees can access work schedules, clock in and out of shifts, and communicate and share documents with their managers and teammates, which is handy for keeping information centralized and organized.

Deputy makes scheduling easier with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) that auto-populates employee shifts using labor and sales data. But it’s most noteworthy for its Active Attestation function, which automatically prompts staff to confirm when they’ve requested overtime or chosen to miss breaks. This is particularly helpful for keeping accurate compliance records and avoiding legal issues.