As a CEO of a time tracking and timesheet software company my team and I are constantly looking at the best B2B software to know what’s going on in the market. That means we’re often researching about and/or playing around with their products, you know, it’s part of the job. Here, I share my findings of that research, giving credit to those products where credit is due and being honest about which products I believe you really need to avoid. And so, there you have it, this review, and in it, I try to be honest, fair, and insightful. I hope it helps you make the right decision…
Overview
Timesheet software helps small businesses accurately track the number of hours employees have worked. This can help you explore areas in which your business can improve and work more efficiently, but that’s not all. It can also help you stay on Uncle Sam’s good side, specifically when it comes to compliance with labor laws.
According to Recordkeeping Requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are required to keep a record of the hours worked and wages earned by non-exempt workers. The law doesn’t specify what form these records should be in, but your records do need to be accurate. Timesheet software can help ensure accuracy in recordkeeping and eliminate possible human error.
The apps I’ve picked out for this article are excellent options when it comes to accurate recordkeeping. They can help make time tracking easier, and you’ll have data on employee hours on hand whenever you need them. These apps also automate timesheets and reports, which drastically reduces the time you would typically need to spend on poring over employee time records.
What Qualifies as a Small Business in the US?
In the US, any independent business that has fewer than 500 employees counts as a small business. While big enterprises get a lot of press and attention, it’s the small ones that drive the American economy. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, there are 33.2 million small businesses today, which make up a whopping 99.9% of all businesses in the country.
Furthermore, small business employees make up about 46% of the US workforce. Though lots of businesses closed down or were negatively impacted by the pandemic, small businesses have created 5.5 million jobs for Americans despite the recession.
The Definitive List
1. Jibble
Jibble is a feature-rich time tracking and timesheet software that makes it easier for small businesses to record and track attendance. Employees can use Jibble to clock in and out from their cell phones or PCs, and the software automatically determines their working hours and creates data for payroll. Jibble’s main features include geolocation monitoring, real-time tracking, biometric device interaction, and leave management. Its mobile app enables users to record attendance from any location and has an offline mode for when they do not have internet access. The offline mode can subsequently sync to the database. Jibble works particularly well for companies with mobile workforces, especially in places with spotty internet access.
Along with an efficient attendance kiosk, Jibble’s real-time reporting generates intelligent insights and summaries of work progress. The software offers first-rate customer service and a variety of pricing options, including a fully-stacked free edition.
Sure, Jibble is our product, but independently it is actually the highest-rated app according to the aggregate of reviews on sites such as Capterra, GetApp, G2, App Store, and Play Store.
What Users Like
- Free
- Easy to use
- Affordable with a stacked free version
- Accurate time-tracking due to facial recognition and GPS tracking
- Excellent customer support
- Feature-rich software
What Users Don’t Like
- The CEO wears crazy white glasses
Key Features
- Attendance kiosk makes punctual attendance a habit
- Entry settings
- RFID and Nfc attendance
- Extensive reports and analysis
- Facial recognition and GPS tracking eliminates buddy punching
- Automated timesheets and reports
- Automated alerts
- Mobile access
The obvious advantage that Jibble has is that it’s a timesheet software. Start using Jibble right now.
2. Timesheets.com
Timesheets.com allows small businesses to track employee work time and manage business operations through a web browser. The interface is easy to navigate, and the customizable reporting options make it easy to stay on top of the team’s productivity.
What’s more, the employee management features are top-notch, making it a breeze to keep track of things like attendance, leave, and overtime. And with a plethora of time tracking features to choose from, including GPS tracking and photo timestamps, this timesheet software makes sure all your time tracking needs are fulfilled.
However, one area I feel where Timesheets.com falls short is its lack of integration options, which makes it challenging to track work time in different software. Additionally, the absence of a mobile version makes it difficult to manage time when away from the computer and becomes inaccessible for teams on the go. I also feel that the software is very basic and outdated and that customer support could use some improvement.
What Users Like
- Easy to use
- Free version
- GPS time tracking
- Fully customizable supervisor settings
What Users Don’t Like
- Lack of integrations
- No mobile app
- Outdated UI
- Substandard customer service
Key Features
- Extensive time tracking
- Mileage and expenses
- Scheduling
- Human resources
Why not check out our full, and of course completely honest, Timesheets.com review?
3. Buddy Punch
When it comes to managing employee hours and payroll, Buddy Punch’s cloud-based timesheet software provides a seamless, easy-to-use solution that simplifies time tracking and streamlines payroll processes. And let’s not forget about the push notifications that keep employees informed and ensure a simple and user-friendly experience.
The time-tracking system is where Buddy Punch truly shines. With real-time attendance tracking and automatic calculation of accrued time off and overtime, managing employee time has been made quite easy. Plus, the platform offers customizable reports that allow you to see how many hours your team works and monitor remote workers by tracking their location and assigning specific IP addresses. And if you’re worried about accountability, Buddy Punch integrates with payroll software and offers GPS and image tracking.
While Buddy Punch is undoubtedly a fantastic tool for keeping track of employee hours, it’s essential to be aware of its limitations. One issue is the time-consuming process of time-card management, which can be cumbersome for small businesses. The mobile app also has some rules that may impact its functionality, requiring users to adapt to its requirements. Lastly, some users have reported difficulties when punching out, leading to inaccuracies in timekeeping. These are important considerations to keep in mind when evaluating Buddy Punch’s suitability for your business needs.
What Users Like
- Great customer service
- Easy-to-use software
- Facial recognition
- Smooth functioning web version
- Helpful features for on-the-move teams
What Users Don’t Like
- Mobile app is limited
- Punching out difficulties
- Time-card step is time consuming
Key Features
- Time tracking and facial recognition
- Geofences
- Department codes
- Zapier integration
Ratings
- GetApp: 4.7/5
- Capterra: 4.5/5
- G2: 4.7/5
Why not check out our full, and of course completely honest, Buddy Punch review?
4. Deputy
Let me tell you about Deputy, the cloud-based time tracking and timesheet software that helps small businesses manage employee scheduling and time tracking. With features like attendance tracking, overtime monitoring, and break compliance, Deputy makes it a breeze to stay on top of employee management. And its accessibility on desktop and mobile devices makes it simple for employees to clock in and out from anywhere.
Some of the coolest things about Deputy’s time tracking software are its real-time digital timesheets, GPS location stamps, and facial recognition for timesheet verification. With automatic wage calculation, break compliance, and dynamic reporting to compare labor hours and profits, it’s a good choice for all your employee management needs. And the fact that it integrates with payroll systems like Xero is a great benefit.
However, Deputy does push my buttons when it comes to certain things. While it is cost-effective, I feel its time tracking software is a bit too complicated. And if you’re an Android user, you might be disappointed to know that the Android app has fewer features than the iPhone app. Plus, the design framework is not very customizable.
What Users Like
- Automates complex pay calculations
- Dynamic reporting
- Logging shifts through the mobile app
- Value for money
What Users Don’t Like
- Lack of functionalities in Android app
- Lack of user-specific customizations
- Outdated user interface
- Complicated time tracking
Key Features
- Time tracking and real-time attendance
- Payroll integrations
- Auto-scheduling
- Employee break compliance
Why not check out our full, and of course completely honest, Deputy review?
5. QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks Time (formerly Tsheets) meteoric growth was on the back of its strong integration with QuickBooks, which explains why QuickBooks’ owner, Intuit, bought them in 2017 for US$340m, gradually aligning it even closer with the family and eventually changing its name to Quickbooks Time. Given this, it should be no surprise that it’s the natural choice for users of QuickBooks’ accounting products.
QuickBooks Time, an employee time tracking and timesheet software, allows small businesses to manage office-based teams as well as mobile workers, but its real strength has always been the latter. With GPS tracking and geofencing, the software offers a really decent web dashboard, mobile app, and time kiosk that enables real-time monitoring of employees and their actions on-the-go. PTO tracking, team scheduling, time kiosk, project tracker, and API interaction with third-party applications are just a few other features in QuickBooks.
Quickbooks Time is an absolutely solid timesheet software, hats off, particularly if the goal is to track time for payroll, but it does have the kind of issues you’d expect from it being a cog in the massive Intuit machine. The product isn’t really developing quickly anymore, I’d argue that it not only feels dated but is just that, customer support isn’t great, and it’s pretty darn expensive with pricing starting at US$8/user/month plus a US$20/month base fee – ouch!
What Users Like
- Real-time GPS tracking and geofencing
- Mobile app for time tracking and scheduling
- Web dashboard, mobile app, and time kiosk
- Actionable reports and insights
- Streamlined payroll management
- Great QuickBooks integration
- A very solid product
What Users Don’t Like
- It feels dated, heck it is dated
- Not great for desk workers’ time tracking
- Rich pricing
- Poor customer support
- Not as well integrated with software outside the Intuit family as it should be
Key Features
- PTO tracking
- GPS tracking
- Team scheduling
- Time kiosk
- Project tracker
Why not check out our full, and of course completely honest, QuickBooks Time review?
6. Timeular
Well, let me tell you about Timeular, a trendy time tracking and timesheet software that small businesses can use to manage employees and track time.
The software comes loaded with a variety of features that can help you and your team stay on top of things, from simple time tracking to generating insights and monitoring productivity.
What I find interesting is that Timeular has a Bluetooth device that serves as a visual reminder to track time and improve concentration. This little gadget, known as the Timeular Tracker or Zei device, acts as a physical remote control that can be connected to your phone or computer. With it, you can easily log your hours while working on tasks from any device.
Another neat feature is Timeular’s goal-setting function, which helps you engage with your daily or weekly work tasks better. This allows you to set goals for yourself and your team, and then track your progress over time. And when you’re ready to create reports using all this information, it helps you gain valuable insights to make informed business decisions.
Now, as much as I love Timeular, I have to admit that it has some quirks. The Zei device isn’t always as reliable as it should be, with connectivity issues cropping up from time to time. And while the mobile app has a lot of great features, the complicated user interface can take a while to adjust to. This, coupled with the app’s slow processing, has earned Timeular a 3.7/5 star rating on the Google Play Store.
What Users Like
- Easy to sync across multiple devices
- Convenient Timeular Tracker device
- Editing tracked time
- Reports for deep insights
- Smooth integrations
What Users Don’t Like
- Slow and clunky mobile app
- Connectivity issues in the device
- The app takes some time getting used to
- Unreliable time tracking
Key Features
- Timeular tracker device
- Timesheets and calendar tasks
- Goal-setting and reminders
- Reporting and insights
Why not check out our full, and of course completely honest, Timeular review?
