Best ClockShark Alternatives in 2026 for Contractors & Field Teams

You didn’t grow a field service business just to spend your mornings deciphering paper timesheets. If chasing missing time cards and re-entering hours are part of the routine, your next time tracking software should cut that work down.

From BusyBusy’s free plan for construction teams to automatic mileage logs in Timeero, we compared 10 ClockShark alternatives side by side to help contractors and field service teams find a fit for their crews. Read on to see which options could save your office the most hassle.

Key Takeaways about ClockShark Alternatives in 2026 Tools split into two categories: GPS time clocks for field crews (busybusy, Workyard, ExakTime, Timeero) and broader platforms with built-in scheduling (Connecteam, Deputy, When I Work). For a lower-cost GPS option, look at Buddy Punch or busybusy; for QuickBooks teams, QuickBooks Time. TimeCamp adds GPS, a free kiosk, and project profitability. There’s no single winner: the right pick depends on whether you need job costing, scheduling, payroll sync, or the lowest price.

 

How do we review software in TimeCamp? A human is behind every word posted here. We value our users’ time and trust, so you can be sure our team (Ola, Wojtek, Kasia, Iza, Robert, and others) spent real hours testing the apps, and then researching, briefing, and writing this article. Our editorial team has 10+ years of experience writing SaaS content, including testing and using a variety of tools daily. Our writers are also app users, so we write our recommendations based on what we would read as potential clients. Our main rule is “do not cover without a source.”We also revisit and update our articles to cover notable changes to the app’s features or pricing (at least quarterly). Read more → How do we create content and review software in TimeCamp? Happy reading!

ClockShark alternatives in 2026 at a glance 

Because the market is full of tools and they usually don’t compare 1:1, I want to clearly say: there’s no ranking here! Just start with the row that matches what your crew needs.

Prices are in USD, before tax, excluding introductory discounts. Annual prices are monthly equivalents billed annually. One thing I noticed while reviewing: the starting paid price does not necessarily cover every feature described.

Tool	Reason to consider it	Starting paid price	Free plan	Platforms	G2 / Capterra
TimeCamp	Field and office hours linked to client billing	$3.99/user/month, billed annually	Yes; unlimited users	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	4.7 / 4.7
BusyBusy	Free time tracking for construction sites	$9.99/user/month + $40/month admin license, billed annually	Yes; unlimited users	Web, iOS, Android	4.8 / 4.5
Workyard	Location tracking for site visits and travel	From $6/user/month, billed annually	No	Web, iOS, Android	4.8 / 4.7
Arcoro Time (formerly ExakTime)	Rugged time clocks for job sites	From $9/employee/month, with an annual contract and annual payment	No	Web, iOS, Android, JobClock hardware	Capterra only: 3.6
QuickBooks Time	Field timesheets connected to QuickBooks	$20/month + $10/user/month, billed monthly	No	Web, iOS, Android	4.5 / 4.7
Timeero	Automatic mileage tracking	$5/user/month, billed annually; maximum 10 users on Basic	No	Web, iOS, Android	4.8 / 4.5
When I Work	Employee scheduling and availability	From $2.50/user/month for scheduling	No	Web, iOS, Android	4.4 / 4.5
Connecteam	Field time tracking and digital forms	Operations Basic: $29/month for the first 30 users, billed annually	Yes; Small Business plan for up to 10 users	Web, iOS, Android	4.6 / 4.6
Deputy	Scheduling with labor compliance controls	$5/user/month, billed monthly; $30 monthly minimum	No	Web, iOS, Android	4.6 / 4.6
Buddy Punch	Simple clock-ins with GPS punch records	$4.99/user/month + $19/month base fee, billed annually	No	Web, iOS, Android	4.8 / 4.8

 

A few more subscription details of the products above: 

• BusyBusy’s $40 monthly admin license includes the first user.
• Workyard’s “from” price covers the published starting seat rate, not a confirmed total subscription cost.
• QuickBooks Time requires a separately priced QuickBooks Online account.
• When I Work’s pricing page gives conflicting information about whether attendance is included, so confirm the combined cost of scheduling and time tracking.

Important: Ratings are out of 5, checked in October 2026. Arcoro Time’s Capterra score comes from the ExakTime listing; no product-specific G2 rating was confirmed. Each profile below explains the relevant plan restrictions.

 Why look for a ClockShark alternative?

Switching time tracking software takes effort. Start with the problem you expect the move to solve.

• Check the commitment first. ClockShark offers a trial but no permanent free plan. Its pricing page specifies a three-year contract across all tiers. Base fees and per-user charges add up as your crew grows.
• Attendance management shouldn’t mean buying more than you need. Want a time clock and leave requests in one system? Compare the full package price. ClockShark reserves PTO management and advanced job costing controls for Pro.
• Field problems create office work. User reviews flag GPS inconsistencies and limited report customization. Gaps in location records leave hours to verify; reports that need reworking add administrative work.

Payroll integrations can reduce repeat data entry, but ClockShark doesn’t process payroll itself. It sends recorded hours to various payroll systems. If you still correct those hours by hand, check which details get transferred and where the extra work starts.

Considering a switch? Check ClockShark’s features and limitations to see whether your current plan already covers what your crew needs.

TimeCamp: connect field hours with client billing

Estimates and client paperwork take time, too. TimeCamp records that office work alongside field hours under the same client or project. Paid financial tools help you compare labor costs with what you charge.

Field workers use the mobile app for GPS tracking. Enterprise adds geofencing time tracking across multiple job sites: entering an assigned area starts a task entry, and leaving stops it. The app needs to run in the background. Desktop capture records office work automatically, with keyword rules assigning time to projects.

TimeCamp offers two extensions to cover the needs of teams that work in more than one place:

• Its browser-based time clock kiosk supports task-based clock-ins on shared devices, with optional PIN verification. Workers can also record breaks.
• Shift scheduling covers planned shifts, but since it’s an extension, it remains separate from attendance management, a core feature of many ClockShark-like time tracking tools. 

What does TimeCamp cost for a 10-person team?

Plan	Per user/month, billed annually	Monthly equivalent for 10 users	Relevant scope
Free	$0	$0	Unlimited users, basic time tracking and GPS
Starter	$3.99	$39.90	Attendance, time off and invoicing
Premium	$6.99	$69.90	Billable time and invoice exports to QuickBooks and Xero
Ultimate	$9.99	$99.90	Billable rates and labor costs
Enterprise	Custom quote	Custom quote	Geofencing and the Time Clock Kiosk feature listed in the core pricing table

 

Month-to-month rates are $5.49 for Starter, $9.99 for Premium, and $13.99 for Ultimate. The free Marketplace kiosk is a separate add-on from the kiosk feature listed under Enterprise.

Free plan: Yes, for unlimited users and unlimited projects

Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

Where does TimeCamp help, and where are the limits?

Pros	Cons
Field and office hours feed the same client records	Job costing relies on projects and budgets; there’s no dedicated construction job management module
Financial tools connect recorded hours with billing	Billable rates require Ultimate; geofencing requires Enterprise
Shared-device clock-ins reduce reliance on individual phones	Shift planning stays separate from attendance; payroll runs in another system

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.7/5 on G2 and 4.7/5 on Capterra.

Paweł, Chief Revenue Officer at Contentation, rated TimeCamp 5/5 on G2 on August 27, 2026. He uses client and project hours to assess profitability and improve estimates. For contractors billing office preparation alongside site work, that’s a useful connection: recorded hours can inform the next quote.

Dominic, a package/freight delivery consultant, gave it 4/5 on Capterra on November 11, 2025. He praised automatic desktop capture but reported hanging mobile timers and unpredictable geofencing or offline entries. His experience highlights the trade-off for mixed teams: desktop convenience doesn’t establish how reliably the mobile app will handle a crew’s day.

BusyBusy: construction time tracking with a free plan

BusyBusy gives small construction teams a free way to replace paper timecards. There’s no user cap, so hiring another crew member doesn’t add a license charge.

Workers select the current job, keeping labor hours attached to the right cost records. Equipment tracking adds machine use to that picture. On an excavation job, the operator’s time and the loader’s hours both count.

Clock-in locations show where a shift started; breadcrumbing records movement throughout the day. BusyBusy captures GPS coordinates when workers punch in or out. Following their route requires a paid plan, which also unlocks employee scheduling.

What does BusyBusy cost for 10 users?

Plan	Annual-billing rate	Monthly equivalent for 10 users	Relevant scope
Free	$0	$0	GPS time tracking, job costing and equipment tracking
Pro	$9.99/user/month + $40/month admin license	$129.91	Scheduling, GPS breadcrumbing and supervisor tools
Premium	$14.99/user/month + $40/month admin license	$174.91	Pro features plus daily project reports and progress tracking

 

The $40 admin license includes the first user, so these totals cover nine additional seats. Subscriptions at these rates are billed annually. Monthly billing raises the per-user rate to $11.99 for Pro or $17.99 for Premium, plus the admin license. BusyPayroll costs extra.

Free plan: Yes, for unlimited users

Platforms: Web, iOS and Android.

Where does BusyBusy help, and what adds friction?

Pros	Cons
Free plan supports unlimited crew members	Scheduling and breadcrumbing require a paid plan
Equipment records complement labor hours	Paid plans combine an admin fee with seat charges
Job selection keeps timecards tied to site work	One reviewer reported blurry photo uploads

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.8/5 on G2 and 4.5/5 on Capterra.

Getting help counts when payroll questions are piling up. In Capterra’s review summary, construction HR and payroll specialist Yuri reported getting answers to problems and having feedback taken into account. The full review also praised a dedicated representative and updates shaped by user suggestions. For a team adopting BusyBusy, that means an identifiable contact when setup questions come up.

Sarah rated it 4.5/5 on G2 on December 29, 2025. She valued project switching and used the resulting records for certified payroll. Photo uploads were less successful: in full review she reported blurry images that needed resending by text. That extra step undermines the convenience of keeping site documentation with the timecard.

Workyard: account for site visits and travel between jobs

Workyard helps you review travel-related hours across multiple job sites. Its GPS timeline separates driving trips from time spent at each address, so office staff have more than a daily total to check.

An unplanned parts run between customer visits still eats into a technician’s shift. Workyard records the route and mileage during clocked-in travel, even if the stop hasn’t been set up as a project. You still decide how that travel gets paid.

Starter lets foremen clock in field crews together. Pro adds employee scheduling and calculates labor costs by project and cost code at each clock-out. Geofenced automatic clock-ins require Autopilot; Pro provides arrival detection and clock-in reminders.

What does Workyard cost for 10 users?

Plan	Published price	10-user example	Relevant scope
Starter	From $6/user/month, billed annually	From $60/month equivalent in seat charges	GPS site visits, travel records and payroll exports
Pro	Custom quote	Custom quote	Scheduling, geofencing restrictions and job costing
Autopilot	Custom quote	Custom quote	Automatic clock-ins and timecard assistance

 

The $60 Starter example covers 10 seats at the published annual starting rate; sales confirms the total subscription cost. Monthly billing is also available, though Workyard doesn’t publish that rate. There’s a free trial, but no permanent free plan.

Free plan: Not available

Platforms: Web, iOS and Android.

Where does Workyard help, and what are the limits?

Pros	Cons
Site and trip records help explain travel-related hours	A manually corrected punch doesn’t necessarily recover missing mileage
Supervisor controls support crew-level clock-ins	Starter excludes scheduling and automatic labor-cost calculations
Pro allocates labor costs to projects and cost codes	Higher-tier prices require a sales quote

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.8/5 on G2 and 4.7/5 on Capterra.

Material runs are easy to lose in a daily total. Small-business owner Nicholas found Workyard’s reports helpful for separating those trips from driving and time on site, awarding it 5/5 on G2 on March 25, 2026. He also wanted manually added clock-ins to reconstruct missing journeys. Fixing recorded hours and recovering an untracked route are separate problems.

Checking assignments and remembering to clock out were the practical wins for Kaley, who rated Workyard 5/5 on G2 on March 3, 2026. Accessible schedules and clock-out reminders earned praise; user-icon customization drew criticism. That’s a favorable account of the app’s everyday usability, with a minor personalization complaint.

Arcoro Time: rugged clocks for demanding job sites

Arcoro Time, formerly ExakTime, fits contractors who want crews to punch in at a physical station on site. Its JobClock hardware handles that routine without requiring each worker to use a personal phone.

Employees clock in with colored key fobs for different job codes or locations. Both models are battery-powered and weatherproof, so an electrical outlet isn’t required. Hornet uploads hourly through a cellular data plan; LE transfers punches over Bluetooth through an iOS or Android device. Both store records locally, allowing crews to punch in even when the site has no internet connection.

Mobile GPS tracking also supports technicians moving between assignments. For the payroll handoff, Arcoro lists compatibility with over 100 payroll and ERP systems, including construction software. Ahead of signing, get confirmation from the sales team that the connector supports your accounting package and transfers the fields your payroll staff uses.

What does Arcoro Time cost for 10 employees?

Plan	Starting price per employee/month	Monthly equivalent for 10 employees, licenses only	Relevant scope
Time Essential	$9	$90	Mobile attendance, GPS and perimeter controls
Time Professional	$12	$120	Job assignments and PTO administration
Time + Payroll	$20	$200	Time records connected to Arcoro Payroll

 

These rates require an annual contract and annual payment. During my pricing research, I found a $50 monthly base fee listed in Arcoro’s Resources section, though its main pricing page doesn’t mention it. Get an itemized quote to confirm whether that charge applies to your subscription.

Free option: Trial available; no permanent free plan is advertised.

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android and JobClock hardware.

What works well, and what takes extra planning?

Pros	Cons
Physical clocks give crews a shared station on site	Hardware and cellular service add costs to check
Local storage preserves punches until synchronization	Hornet uploads hourly; LE requires Bluetooth collection
Payroll and ERP compatibility covers a wide range of systems	Job assignments and PTO require Time Professional or higher

What do users report?

Capterra’s ExakTime listing shows 3.6/5 from seven reviews, checked in October 2026.

Ditching paper timecards was an easy transition for Andrea’s employees. In a five-star Capterra review dated March 31, 2026, the construction office manager found the mobile app easy to follow. Back-office setup differed from the tools Andrea had used previously, and the feature request process wasn’t clear. During onboarding, give administrators time to learn the configuration as well as showing crews how to clock in.

Billing issues prompted Richard’s 1/5 Capterra rating on September 19, 2025. The construction business owner reported an unexpected price increase and having to pursue a refund through his bank, though readable timesheets and easy clock-ins still earned praise. His review puts price-change notices and refund terms on the purchasing checklist alongside day-to-day features.

QuickBooks Time: move field hours into your accounting workflow

QuickBooks Time fits contractors whose bookkeeper still retypes crew hours into QuickBooks each payday. Connecting field timecards to the accounting setup removes that extra round of data entry.

Crews clock in through the QuickBooks Workforce app or a shared kiosk, with GPS records documenting location during clocked-in time. The QuickBooks Online integration keeps timesheet edits synchronized in both directions. Approved hours also feed connected QuickBooks Payroll, with payroll-item mapping determining how recorded time is handled.

Elite adds mileage tracking and compares estimated project hours with actuals. Geofencing sends reminders when workers enter or leave a job site. They still have to clock in or out; crossing the boundary doesn’t start or end a shift for them.

What does QuickBooks Time cost for 10 workers?

Plan	Standard monthly price	10 workers + one included admin	Relevant scope
Time Premium	$20 base + $10/user	$120/month	Mobile time entries, PTO and kiosk
Time Elite	$40 base + $12/user	$160/month	Mileage, geofencing reminders and project estimates versus actuals

 

These figures exclude introductory discounts. New subscriptions require a QuickBooks Online account, priced separately, and the Time plans don’t include payroll processing. Check your existing package first: Workforce Premium includes Time Premium, and Workforce Elite includes Time Elite.

Free option: Trial available; no permanent free plan.

Platforms: Web, iOS and Android through QuickBooks Workforce.

Where does QuickBooks Time help, and what are the trade-offs?

Pros	Cons
Connected timecards reduce re-entry into QuickBooks	Payroll-item mapping requires setup and checks
Mobile and kiosk clock-ins suit different crews	Mileage and geofencing reminders require Elite
Project-hour comparisons help review estimates	Geofencing prompts workers to act; it doesn’t clock them in

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.5/5 on G2 and 4.7/5 on Capterra.

Stability and approval limits drive the lower marks from operations manager Hallye, who warned the app “can have crashes” and cited single-level approvals as a bottleneck. In her 3/5 Capterra review (March 26, 2026), Hallye credited the initial payroll sync during her trial, but found interface changes frustrating and support weak for the price. Test the handoff with your actual pay codes and approval routine: an integration still has to work for the person closing payroll.

Transferring timecards into QuickBooks Desktop worked well for Krista, a construction-company VP. In her 4-star Capterra review (April 23, 2026), she gave high marks to customer support when glitches occurred, though custom PTO accruals were a clear sticking point: service-based increases didn’t fit the setup and required manual handling. Check those rules if leave allowances scale with employment milestones.

Timeero: account for the miles between jobs

Driving between service calls adds miles that a timesheet alone doesn’t explain. Timeero lets technicians track time and mileage together, giving office staff a route record to check against reimbursement requests.

Segmented Tracking breaks the day into trips and stops after a single initial clock-in. You can see how long a visit took and how much driving came with it. Offline tracking keeps collecting records through areas with patchy reception; data syncs after the phone reconnects.

Pro includes automatic clock-in/out, but that feature can’t run alongside Segmented Tracking. Turning on automatic clock-out also stops time and mileage tracking between jobs. For crews claiming travel expenses, that’s a setting to settle during setup.

Premium’s kiosk adds face recognition to shared-device punching. A suspected photo mismatch triggers an email to the administrator for review, helping flag someone clocking in for a coworker, but this feature is limited to the kiosk app.

What does Timeero cost for 10 users?

Plan	Per user/month, annual / monthly billing	Monthly equivalent for 10 users, annual / monthly billing	Main feature set
Basic	$5 / $6	$50 / $60	Time and mileage tracking with GPS; maximum 10 users
Pro	$7.50 / $9	$75 / $90	Job tracking, geofencing and payroll integrations
Premium	$10 / $12	$100 / $120	Time-off management and facial recognition kiosk
Enterprise	Custom quote	Custom quote	Implementation support and account management

 

Annual rates are monthly equivalents billed annually. There’s no base fee, and administrators count as paid users. Segmented Tracking starts at an additional $5/user/month on eligible plans, adding at least $50 for 10 users.

Free option: Free trial; no permanent free plan.

Platforms: Web, iOS and Android.

What are Timeero’s strengths and limitations?

Pros	Cons
Mileage tracking starts on Basic	Basic is limited to 10 users
Segmented Tracking separates driving from time at stops	The paid add-on can’t run alongside automatic clock-in/out
Offline records sync after reconnection	One reviewer reported extra reconciliation for sick time

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.8/5 on G2 and 4.5/5 on Capterra.

Construction business owner Marcus Vinny L. found Timeero easy to navigate and got quick responses when questions came up. Those strengths earned it 5/5 on Capterra on April 10, 2026. Slow loading and limited report customization were the drawbacks. Try building the reports your office actually uses during the trial, particularly if standard exports leave you doing extra spreadsheet work.

Capterra’s review snapshot pairs positive feedback on time and mileage tracking with complaints about reporting. Director Tetyana flagged sick time being included in total hours. In her full 5/5 review (March 26, 2026), she explained that separating it required another report and manual calculations, with each staff member selected individually. Route breadcrumbs and QuickBooks compatibility earned her approval. If you track sick leave, check the report breakdown during your trial before sending hours to your accounting system.

When I Work: get shift coverage out of the group chat

When I Work handles the back-and-forth of filling shifts. If someone drops out the night before, staff can arrange a trade in the app for a supervisor to review. Submitted availability stays alongside the schedule, helping team leaders avoid assigning someone who’s already marked themselves unavailable.

With time and attendance enabled, workers clock in from their phones or a shared terminal. Location restrictions limit mobile punches to approved sites, and supervisors compare scheduled hours with hours worked. A shift that ran late shows up in the attendance records, even if the published schedule hasn’t changed.

What does When I Work cost for 10 users?

Plan	Listed scheduling rate per user/month	Scheduling cost for 10 users/month	Main scope
Essentials	$2.50	$25	Schedule templates, open shifts and shift swapping
Pro	$5	$50	Scheduling rules, role permissions and custom reporting
Premium	$8	$80	API access, webhooks and SAML/SSO

 

Plan cards present time and attendance as an optional addition, but… the pricing FAQ says it’s included. Confirm the combined scheduling and time-tracking price before treating these figures as your total cost. Managers count as paid users.

Free option: A 14-day trial; no permanent free plan.

Platforms: Web, iOS and Android.

What are When I Work’s strengths and limitations?

Pros	Cons
Staff submit availability and request shift trades in the app	Advanced scheduling rules require Pro
Attendance records show how actual hours compare with planned shifts	Published pricing leaves the attendance cost unclear
Mobile clock-ins support location restrictions	One reviewer found reporting and integrations limited for complex requirements

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.4/5 on G2 and 4.5/5 on Capterra.

Moving shift coordination out of Excel and email saved time for a financial services compliance professional posting as MrElonElon U. on Capterra. Employees arranged swaps in the app, and supervisors approved them quickly. Reporting and integrations fell short of the reviewer’s more demanding requirements, resulting in a 4/5 Capterra rating on April 18, 2026. If another system depends on scheduling exports, bring a sample of the required output to the demo.

Dan, a food and beverage COO, hadn’t heard complaints from employees about using the app to track hours. Finding the control to start a shift was less intuitive in his own experience. His June 25, 2026 Capterra review still gave When I Work 5/5. Include a first clock-in in onboarding so new hires know where to start recording their hours.

Connecteam: keep field reports close to the time clock

When field paperwork arrives through scattered messages, the office has to piece together what happened on site. Connecteam puts mobile forms alongside time tracking and employee scheduling. Technicians can complete a service checklist and attach photos of finished work; supervisors review those submissions in the same app.

An inspection form gives the dispatcher details that a timecard alone can’t provide. Required fields prompt field workers to fill in missing information before submitting the report, cutting down on follow-up calls.

Paid subscriptions are divided into hubs. Operations handles time tracking and field tasks. Communications and HR & Skills have separate subscriptions, so the total depends on which features your team uses.

What does Connecteam cost for 10 users?

Plan	Monthly price, annual / monthly billing	Main scope
Small Business	Free for up to 10 users	Access across all hubs for eligible accounts
Operations Basic	$29 / $35 for the first 30 users	GPS clock-ins, job scheduling and forms
Operations Advanced	$49 / $59 for the first 30 users	Adds repeating shifts and up to 10 geofence sites
Operations Expert	$99 / $119 for the first 30 users	Adds unlimited geofence sites and automated reports
Enterprise	Custom quote	Expanded limits and a dedicated success manager

 

Paid Operations plans charge a flat rate for the first 30 users. Basic costs $29/month with annual billing whether you have 10, 15 or 30 people. Adding an eleventh employee to an existing paid plan doesn’t increase that subscription; moving from Small Business to a paid tier does. Additional user charges begin at 31. Communications and HR & Skills are billed separately.

Free option: Small Business supports up to 10 users, including active and archived accounts. Exceeding that limit requires an upgrade. A 14-day trial is also available.

Platforms: Web, iOS and Android.

What are Connecteam’s strengths and limitations?

Pros	Cons
Mobile forms support photos and required responses	Subscribing to multiple hubs increases the total
Small Business includes features across the platform	Archived accounts count toward its 10-user ceiling
Paid Operations pricing stays fixed through 30 users	Geofencing starts on Advanced
Job-based time entries support labor reporting	Administrators can face a learning curve during setup

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.6/5 on G2 and 4.6/5 on Capterra.

Assigning hours to individual tasks improved job costing accuracy for Patricia’s construction company. The finance and administration director gave Connecteam 5/5 on Capterra (June 1, 2026), but finding settings and configuring job sites took considerable effort. Mobile clock-ins were straightforward for the crew. Her experience points to where onboarding time belongs: getting the office setup ready for the first payroll run.

Payroll integration was the sticking point for HR director Kaitlyn. In a 1/5 Capterra review (April 20, 2026), she reported that the Gusto connection remained unresolved across three payroll cycles, leaving her team to enter PTO manually for 61 employees. Scheduling was easy to learn, but the extra administrative work outweighed that benefit.

Deputy: check labor costs before publishing the schedule

Adding another person to a shift changes the labor bill. Deputy’s Core plan includes wage budgets and demand forecasting, so supervisors can check the cost of planned coverage as they build the schedule.

Core also cuts down on routine timesheet approvals. Set acceptable differences between scheduled and recorded hours for each location, and qualifying entries receive automatic time approval. A technician staying late beyond that tolerance still needs a supervisor’s sign-off. Warning flags also send an entry for manual review, even when the hours fall within your settings.

What does Deputy cost for 10 users?

Plan	Per user/month, annual / monthly subscription	Monthly equivalent for 10 users, annual / monthly subscription	Main scope
Lite	$5 / $5.50	$50 / $55	Basic scheduling and time tracking, with leave management
Core	$6.50 / $7.25	$65 / $72.50	Adds wage budgets and auto-scheduling, plus timesheet auto-approval
Pro	$9 / $10	$90 / $100	Adds custom access levels and advanced timesheets, with Analytics+ included

 

Annual rates require an annual subscription; paying in monthly installments still carries that commitment. Prices are in USD before tax. Administrators and supervisors count as paid users. Monthly plans have a $30 minimum spend, already exceeded by these 10-user examples.

HR and payroll cost extra. Deputy Payroll is available in the US with annual Core and Pro subscriptions.

Free option: Free trial; no permanent free plan.
Platforms: Web, iOS and Android, with tablet time-clock apps.

What are Deputy’s strengths and limitations?

Pros	Cons
Wage budgets help assess staffing costs during scheduling	Lite excludes wage budgets and demand forecasting
Configurable tolerances reduce routine approval work	Approval rules need configuration for each location
Leave and availability management start on Lite	Administrators and supervisors add to the paid seat count

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.6/5 on G2 and 4.6/5 on Capterra.

Radha found real-time updates particularly helpful, according to a 5/5 Capterra review dated April 20, 2026. Getting comfortable with the app took time, and basic tasks involved extra steps. During onboarding, have staff complete the actions they’ll repeat every day; a feature tour won’t reveal how many taps each one takes.

Amy, a retail vice president, reported easy payroll exports on November 25, 2025. Her concern was specific: kiosk punches overlapping a time-off request were not recorded, with no warning to the worker. Test an early return from leave during your pilot, so a missed entry gets caught before timesheet approval.

Buddy Punch: keep clock-ins straightforward across job sites

Staff log hours against their assigned work in Buddy Punch, giving the office job-based timecards to approve for payroll. GPS captures the location of each clock-in and clock-out, helping flag offsite entries.

With basic geofencing enabled on Pro, mobile clock-ins and clock-outs outside an assigned site boundary are blocked. These controls help reduce time theft, though GPS alone won’t prevent buddy punching by someone using a coworker’s phone at the same site. Crossing the perimeter doesn’t start the timer: workers still tap to begin and end their shifts. Starter users get access to geofencing through the paid Real-Time GPS add-on.

Patchy reception? Pro supports offline mobile entries after an administrator enables the feature, provided workers sign in before losing their connection. Closing the app preserves those records. Signing out offline discards anything that hasn’t synced.

What does Buddy Punch cost for 10 employees?

Plan	Per employee/month, annual / monthly billing	Monthly equivalent for 10 employees, including base fee, annual / monthly billing	Main scope
Starter	$4.99 / $5.99	$68.90 / $78.90	Time tracking with GPS punch records; includes PTO
Pro	$6.99 / $7.99	$88.90 / $98.90	Adds basic geofencing and offline mode; includes scheduling
Advanced	$12.99 / $13.99	$148.90 / $158.90	Adds advanced reporting; includes Real-Time GPS

 

Every plan carries a $19 monthly base fee, included in these totals. Annual figures are monthly equivalents billed annually. Administrator-only accounts are free.

Real-Time GPS adds $2 per employee/month on Starter and Pro. Scheduling costs an additional $1 per employee/month on Starter and is included in the higher tiers.

Free option: A 14-day trial; no permanent free plan.

Platforms: Web, iOS and Android.

What are Buddy Punch’s strengths and limitations?

Pros	Cons
GPS punch locations are included on Starter	Starter requires an add-on for geofencing
Administrator-only accounts don’t add seat costs	The base fee increases the effective cost for small crews
Pro supports offline mobile entries	Signing out offline discards unsynced punches

What do users report?

Independent ratings checked in October 2026: 4.8/5 on G2 and 4.8/5 on Capterra.

Moving timecards into QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise was the strongest point for HR and payroll manager Janice. In a 5/5 Capterra review dated January 28, 2026, the reviewer reported spending substantially less time processing payroll and found clock-ins easy for employees. That benefit concerns the Desktop Enterprise integration; it doesn’t establish how overtime transfers into QuickBooks Online.

QuickBooks Online was a different story for Anna. Scheduling and PTO tracking worked well, but transferring hours required manual overtime corrections, according to a 4/5 Capterra review dated January 19, 2026. Check how regular and overtime hours arrive in your bookkeeper’s exact QuickBooks product. A successful Desktop Enterprise connection doesn’t establish how the Online integration handles those entries.

How do you choose a ClockShark alternative for your crew?

Pick two or three options that target the problem eating up the most administrative hours. A dispatcher scrambling to cover last-minute call-outs across job sites has a different priority from a bookkeeper fixing hours logged against the wrong job before payday. Let that specific headache guide your shortlist:

Your main requirement	Tools to shortlist	What to check during the trial
Connect field hours with client billing and profitability	TimeCamp	Follow one job’s hours into labor-cost and billing reports; check the required plan
Start with free construction time tracking	BusyBusy	Confirm that the free tier covers the records your office requires
Document site visits and travel between jobs	Workyard	Compare recorded visits and driving time with a known route
Use dedicated, durable time-clock hardware on site	Arcoro Time, formerly ExakTime	Test JobClock punches and how they reach the office
Move field hours into QuickBooks payroll	QuickBooks Time	Check overtime and job assignments in your existing QuickBooks setup
Record mileage between appointments	Timeero	Review a day with several stops and verify the mileage report
Handle shift changes and replacements	When I Work	Have staff request a swap and a supervisor approve it
Collect field paperwork alongside attendance	Connecteam	Submit a checklist with photos and review it from the office
Check staffing costs and automate routine time approvals	Deputy	Review the wage budget, then submit an entry outside your approval tolerance
Use a straightforward clock with site restrictions	Buddy Punch	Try an authorized punch and an out-of-bounds attempt on the selected plan

 

With continuous GPS enabled, measure battery drain across a full shift on your crew’s phones. Real-time labor-cost reports flag unplanned overtime early enough for supervisors to adjust assignments and keep jobs moving within project budgets. Configured break rules help identify potential compliance issues ahead of payroll. Check whether cost calculations include employer payroll taxes and benefits so the figures reflect your fully burdened labor rates.

Jobs involving heavy machinery also call for equipment records. Look for time tracking software for construction that logs machine usage alongside crew hours, reducing the office time spent matching separate records.

ClockShark Alternatives FAQs

What are the best ClockShark alternatives?

TimeCamp connects field and office hours with client billing. BusyBusy offers free construction time tracking, and Workyard records site visits and travel. Arcoro Time supports rugged physical clocks; Timeero tracks mileage. When I Work and Deputy focus on shift coverage, Connecteam combines attendance with field forms, and Buddy Punch handles straightforward clock-ins. Compare GPS capabilities and scheduling against your crew’s routine, then check payroll integration and ease of use.

Is there a free alternative to ClockShark?

Yes. TimeCamp and BusyBusy offer free plans for unlimited users. Connecteam’s Small Business plan supports up to 10 users, counting administrators and archived accounts toward that limit. Paid features still vary: BusyBusy reserves scheduling and GPS breadcrumbing for upgrades, and TimeCamp’s free plan excludes geofencing and advanced billing tools.

What is a cheaper alternative to ClockShark?

Connecteam’s Operations Basic costs $29/month with an annual subscription or $35 month-to-month for the first 30 users. ClockShark Standard costs $130/month for 10 employees at its published $40 base fee plus $9 per seat. Connecteam Basic includes GPS punch records; geofencing requires an upgrade.

BusyBusy’s paid plans aren’t always more expensive than ClockShark. For 10 users, Pro costs $129.91/month equivalent annually or $147.91 month-to-month, including its admin license. Its free plan, or TimeCamp’s, avoids subscription costs if the included features cover your requirements.

Does ClockShark process payroll itself?

ClockShark sends time data to external payroll providers through integrations and exports; the connected service processes payroll. QuickBooks Time links recorded hours with QuickBooks accounting and payroll services. Payroll requires a separate subscription or an eligible bundle, and regular hours and overtime must reach the correct pay categories.

Which ClockShark alternatives work well for construction crews?

BusyBusy suits contractors recording labor and equipment use, with a free starting point. Workyard provides GPS records of visits between multiple job sites. Arcoro Time offers battery-powered, weatherproof JobClock hardware for crews using a shared clock-in station. Match the setup to how field workers start their shifts and the connectivity available on construction sites.

Do GPS tracking and geofencing prevent buddy punching?

Geofencing prevents offsite clock-ins when the app blocks entries outside an assigned boundary. GPS tracking records location, helping payroll staff spot suspicious activity and correct disputed timecards before processing pay.

Both controls help curb time theft, but preventing buddy punching also requires checking who is clocking in. Someone using a coworker’s phone at the approved site could pass the location check. Photo verification or face recognition adds identity checks, though some systems only flag mismatches for review.

Do these time tracking apps work offline?

Yes. Timeero records time and mileage offline, syncing stored data when the internet connection returns. Its Segmented Tracking supports automatic trip and stop records after an initial clock-in, including in remote areas. GPS mileage records also support reimbursement calculations.

Buddy Punch offers offline punching on eligible plans, with prior sign-in required. Workers must remain signed in until their entries sync. Offline records aren’t immediately visible to the office.

How does time tracking help with job costing and profitability?

Hours assigned to the correct job, combined with accurate pay rates, show actual labor costs against project budgets. Timely updates help supervisors adjust coverage and catch overtime pressure. Configured break and pay rules also support compliance checks; cost visibility alone doesn’t establish compliance.

Profitability calculations require revenue data as well as labor costs. TimeCamp’s time and billing software connects recorded hours with client charges, with financial features depending on the subscription.

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Sources:

https://www.clockshark.com/pricing/
https://www.clockshark.com/features/

https://busybusy.com/price/
https://busybusy.com/features/gps-time-tracking/
https://busybusy.com/frequently-asked-questions/
https://www.capterra.com/p/132787/busybusy/reviews/
https://www.g2.com/products/busybusy/reviews

https://www.workyard.com/pricing
https://www.workyard.com/time-clock-app-with-gps
https://help.workyard.com/en/articles/6594905-how-gps-geofencing-mileage-tracking-works-in-workyard
https://help.workyard.com/en/articles/10402530-starter-subscription-setup-guide
https://www.g2.com/products/workyard/reviews
https://www.capterra.com/p/215558/Workyard/reviews/

https://arcoro.com/exaktime/pricing-plans
https://arcoro.com/exaktime/our-solutions/rugged-time-clocks
https://www.capterra.com/p/149379/ExakTime/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/pricing/
https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/feature-preferences/set-use-geofencing-quickbooks-time/L3pZUXKzW_US_en_US
https://www.capterra.com/p/151722/TSheets/reviews/
https://www.g2.com/products/quickbooks-time/reviews

https://timeero.com/pricing
https://timeero.com/mileage-tracking
https://timeero.com/segmented-tracking
https://help.timeero.com/segmented-tracking
https://timeero.com/post/offline-gps-mileage-tracker
https://help.timeero.com/report-types
https://www.capterra.com/p/175900/Timeero/reviews/
https://www.g2.com/products/timeero/reviews

https://wheniwork.com/pricing
https://wheniwork.com/features/employee-scheduling-software
https://help.wheniwork.com/articles/how-time-clock-attendance-works/
https://www.capterra.com/p/121248/When-I-Work/reviews/
https://www.g2.com/sellers/when-i-work

https://connecteam.com/pricing/
https://connecteam.com/employee-time-clock-app/
https://help.connecteam.com/en/articles/6410944-the-small-business-plan
https://www.capterra.com/p/153140/Connecteam/reviews/
https://www.g2.com/sellers/connecteam

https://www.deputy.com/pricing
https://help.deputy.com/hc/en-au/articles/4755605465743-Pricing-plans
https://help.deputy.com/hc/en-au/articles/4973093941007-Timesheet-auto-approval-settings
https://www.capterra.com/p/167811/Deputy/reviews/
https://www.capterra.com/p/167811/Deputy/reviews/?page=2
https://www.g2.com/sellers/deputy

https://buddypunch.com/pricing/
https://buddypunch.com/industries/construction/
https://docs.buddypunch.com/en/articles/16202890-how-to-enable-offline-mode-administrator-web
https://docs.buddypunch.com/en/articles/16202898-how-to-punch-in-and-out-offline-employee-app
https://www.capterra.com/p/134003/Buddy-Punch/reviews/
https://www.g2.com/products/buddy-punch/reviews

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Markdown

Wojciech Piwowarski Wojciech Piwowarski is an author covering time tracking, business operations, and productivity. He specializes in turning complex topics such as workflow efficiency, profitability, and performance measurement into clear, practical insights. His experience comes from years of working with SaaS, B2B, and operational content built for decision-makers and professional teams. His work focuses on the role time data plays in better processes, sharper decisions, and stronger business performance.

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