Time clocks · September 20, 2026
Best time clock apps for small business (2026)
Hours that become a check. A spreadsheet in the break room is not a clock.
By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure
A time clock fails when people text “I forgot to punch” and Friday becomes archaeology. The job is: in, out, breaks, and a file payroll will take. Agency timers that become invoices are a different ranking.
Homebase wins when the schedule is already the leak. Deputy wins when you want published PEPM labor software. QuickBooks Time wins when the books already live in QBO. When I Work is the simple published alternative.
Prices as of September 20, 2026. This is not wage-and-hour advice. Geofencing does not make you a lawyer.
The short list
Public list prices as of September 20, 2026. Promos change. Confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
| # | Product | Best for | Public starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homebase | Hourly shops that need a clock the crew will open because the schedule already lives there | Free scheduling/time tier plus paid location plans on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a $120/mo plan appears on the public card). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid. | 8.4 |
| 2 | Deputy | Operators who want published per-user labor software with time and compliance depth | Lite $5/user/month, Core $6.50, Pro $9 (USD, taxes extra). A $49 base + $8/user monthly option also appears. Minimum spend $30/month on monthly Lite/Core/Pro as of Deputy’s public note (from September 1, 2025). | 8.2 |
| 3 | QuickBooks Time | Shops whose books already live in QuickBooks Online and want punches in the same family | Premium $20/mo + $10 per user; Elite $40 + $12 per user on Intuit’s public Time cards we reviewed. Requires a QuickBooks subscription. Confirm quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/. | 8.0 |
| 4 | When I Work | Managers who want a straightforward clock and schedule without a platform religion | When I Work publishes per-user scheduling and time plans on wheniwork.com/pricing. Confirm the live PEPM — packaging has moved between scheduling-only and bundles. We will not freeze a stale third-party $2.50 figure. | 7.8 |
01
Homebase
Hourly shops that need a clock the crew will open because the schedule already lives there
Public pricing: Free scheduling/time tier plus paid location plans on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a $120/mo plan appears on the public card). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid.
Homebase official pricing (joinhomebase.com/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You already have a schedule that works and only need punches next to QBO. QuickBooks Time is the narrower buy. Or you need Deputy-grade compliance modules on day one.
Why it ranks
- The clock sits on the schedule. That is why people actually punch.
- A path to payroll without a second vendor if you want it.
- Priced for one location, not a 400-person HCM.
- Ranks on retail and restaurant payroll pages for the same reason.
Watch-outs
- Location-priced plans add up at a second shop.
- Payroll is extra. Budget both.
- Not a professional-services timer.
- Predictive scheduling and break laws are on you.
02
Deputy
Operators who want published per-user labor software with time and compliance depth
Public pricing: Lite $5/user/month, Core $6.50, Pro $9 (USD, taxes extra). A $49 base + $8/user monthly option also appears. Minimum spend $30/month on monthly Lite/Core/Pro as of Deputy’s public note (from September 1, 2025).
Deputy pricing (deputy.com/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You have eight people and a simple week. Deputy’s $30 monthly minimum plus per-user fees is more product than a cart needs.
Why it ranks
- Published PEPM you can model against headcount.
- Time, leave, and scheduling in one labor OS.
- Better when you have multiple sites and actual compliance work.
- Exports to Gusto, ADP, and QBO exist — confirm the live connectors.
Watch-outs
- The $30 minimum means a 3-person crew still pays a floor.
- Pro is easy to overbuy.
- Implementation is heavier than Homebase Free.
- AI add-ons are optional notes — not a reason to buy.
03
QuickBooks Time
Shops whose books already live in QuickBooks Online and want punches in the same family
Public pricing: Premium $20/mo + $10 per user; Elite $40 + $12 per user on Intuit’s public Time cards we reviewed. Requires a QuickBooks subscription. Confirm quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/.
Intuit QuickBooks Time pricing, reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You are not on QBO and do not plan to be. Do not buy Time to drag the whole file into Intuit.
Why it ranks
- Hours that land next to Workforce or a QBO journal without a CSV ritual.
- Published base-plus-user math you can put next to Deputy.
- GPS and job codes appear on paid tiers — confirm the live grid.
- Useful when the CPA already refuses a second vendor login.
Watch-outs
- You are paying QBO plus Time. Model both.
- Not a restaurant labor OS. Homebase or 7shifts if the floor is F&B.
- Elite is easy to overbuy for a 6-person shop.
- List prices move. Confirm the live Time page, not a 2024 TSheets post.
04
When I Work
Managers who want a straightforward clock and schedule without a platform religion
Public pricing: When I Work publishes per-user scheduling and time plans on wheniwork.com/pricing. Confirm the live PEPM — packaging has moved between scheduling-only and bundles. We will not freeze a stale third-party $2.50 figure.
When I Work official pricing page, reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You need Homebase’s payroll add-on in the same login, or QBO-native time.
Why it ranks
- The UI is a schedule plus a clock. That is a feature.
- Messaging covers the “can you cover Thursday” loop.
- Useful when you do not want Homebase’s full product gravity.
- A known name for managers hired from other hourly shops.
Watch-outs
- Confirm current bundles so you do not buy time-clock twice.
- Payroll is usually elsewhere (Gusto, ADP, Square).
- Less restaurant-specific than 7shifts.
- Export before you switch; punches are operational memory.
How we picked
The job is US hourly punches that become a paycheck. We scored schedule adjacency, published pricing honesty, payroll export, and setup friction. Agency timers (Harvest, Toggl) stay on the time-tracking ranking. Rippling time stays off unless IT is the fire.