12 excellent employee time clocks for your workplace

4.5K

Are you sure your employees are working when they say they are?

It’s a tricky question, but one that can quietly cost your business thousands each month. Without a proper employee time clock, tracking work hours is like guessing how much gas is left in your tank without a fuel gauge. 

You just hope you’re right.

Here’s a quick example. 

If 50 employees lose just 30 minutes a day, that adds up to more than 1,100 paid hours every month. 

So, for a year, that’s over 13,000 hours, with no clear record of where that time went.

Paper timesheets may be a thing of the past, but the pressure to monitor time, attendance, and workload remains higher than ever. 

Missed clock-ins, extended breaks, and inaccurate paychecks can quietly erode productivity and harm team morale, whether your team is remote, hybrid, or in-office.

So, how do you track employee time without slowing everyone down?

This guide explains what an employee time clock is, why it matters more than ever, and which 12 tools can help your team stay on track.

Keep reading to find the best fit for your workplace.

Table of contents

Let’s dive in.

What is an employee time clock?

An employee time clock is a tool that records when employees start and finish their workday. It’s commonly used to track work hours for full-time, part-time, and hourly team members.

At its core, this system helps employers understand how time is spent across the team and improve overall time management. 

Most time tracking software now comes with built-in payroll and attendance features, which means you can automatically convert hours worked into accurate pay—no more guesswork or manual timesheets.

These clocks are helpful across all work environments, whether your team is remote, hybrid, or in-office. The system gives you a reliable way to handle employee monitoring, track hours in real time, and stay compliant with labor laws.

There are two main types of time clock systems:

Digital time clock

These systems let employees clock in using an app or web-based platform. They’re easy to use on desktop or mobile devices, making them ideal for teams working from anywhere.

Biometric time clock 

These tools rely on physical methods, such as fingerprint scans, facial recognition, or RFID cards. They’re often used on-site to prevent buddy punching and track attendance precisely.

Are employee time clocks legal? What employers need to know

Employee time clocks are legal, as long as you follow the rules and stay transparent.

Time tracking laws vary by region, but the goal remains the same. You need to track employee hours fairly, accurately, and with consent. 

Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or in-office, a clear policy combined with the correct employee time clock helps you stay compliant and accountable.

In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires accurate records of work hours, especially for hourly workers. Canada, the UK, Australia, and many EU countries also require businesses to document hours worked, overtime, breaks, and paid leave.

As there’s growing attention to privacy, many businesses are now inquiring about the difference between employee surveillance and monitoring. This is an important distinction.

Surveillance often feels secretive or intrusive, as it involves tracking individuals without their consent. 

In contrast, monitoring is transparent. It means openly collecting time and productivity data to meet specific business needs, such as improving attendance, processing payroll, or identifying unusual activity.

Today, more companies are reviewing updates to employee monitoring laws in 2025, including those in the US, EU, UK, Canada, and beyond. These laws underscore the importance of data transparency, employee awareness, and clear communication regarding the use of tracking tools.

How to choose the right employee time clock for your team

Before investing in a time tracking tool, ask yourself: Will it support how your team works?

From small in-office teams to a global distributed workforce, every business has unique needs. That’s why it’s helpful to review the 7 must-have features for time tracking software first. 

Then use these 5 simple steps to find the right fit.

Step 1: Understand how your team works

Do you manage on-site employees, remote teams, or a hybrid setup?

The right employee time clock needs to support your environment. Look for tools that offer:

• Desktop and mobile tracking
• Real-time syncing
• Reliable offline tracking

Flexibility matters. Especially for teams across different time zones or those with changing shifts.

Step 2: Prioritize innovative time tracking options

Manual timers are great, but people forget. That’s why the best tools include:

• Start/stop timers
• Automatic tracking when the device is active
• Idle time detection

These features help you accurately track time without needing to chase people for updates.

Step 3: Look beyond hours and get visibility into how work gets done

Modern time tracking software should help you do more than log hours. It should give you context.

Choose a system that offers:

This type of productivity analytics helps you understand how work is done, without micromanaging.

Step 4: Make sure the reports work for you

Data is only helpful if it’s easy to read and act on. Look for clear, customizable reports like:

• Hours tracked by day, week, or custom dates
• Task and project-level summaries
• Activity breakdowns by team or department
• Attendance, shift reports, and time-off requests summaries
• Export options for payroll processing

These insights help you spot inefficiencies, recognize top performers, and support informed decision-making.

Step 5: Look for integrations and ease of use

Time tracking should fit into your workflow, not fight it.

Look for tools that connect with:

• Payroll platforms (like Gusto, ADP, and Wise)
• Project management tools (like Trello or Asana)
• Communication apps (like Slack)

This keeps everything connected and reduces administrative time.

The best platforms provide intuitive onboarding and user-friendly dashboards that cater to both managers and employees.

Top 12 employee time clocks

Whether your business has one or multiple employees, having a trustworthy time clock system is essential.

However, a system that works for a large organization may not be suitable for a small one. 

That’s why we have handpicked the top twelve-time clock software to help you decide the best one for your business:

A. Digital clock system

Digital time trackers utilize mobile or desktop software to track time and typically integrate with various other software. 

This feature makes it easy to incorporate these clocks into your existing workplace systems. 

Let’s look at the eight popular digital time clocks available today:

1. Time Doctor

Time Doctor offers smart time tracking features that help you understand how work gets done, without adding pressure or complexity. From tracking hours to surfacing productivity patterns, it supports remote, hybrid, and in-office teams with real-time insights and flexible options.

A. Interactive time tracking

You can track time with a simple, manual timer.

The interface is easy to use. Employees simply hit “start” when work begins, pause for breaks, and resume when they return. That’s all it takes to log hours with a digital employee time clock.

If someone forgets to start or stop the timer, no problem. Time Doctor also offers automatic tracking. 

Once an employee turns on their device, the software begins recording work hours quietly. This gives employees more freedom while maintaining accurate time records.

B. Idle time tracking

What if someone turns on their timer but walks away from their desk?

Time Doctor tracks keyboard and mouse activity to flag idle time. If no activity is detected, it marks that time as idle.

Idle time will vary depending on the role. Sales reps on calls or leaders in meetings may appear inactive, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t productive. 

These insights, along with helpful notifications, let managers stay informed without micromanaging.

To clarify, Time Doctor never records keystrokes.

C. Offline time tracking

Need to track hours without Wi-Fi?

Time Doctor supports offline tracking, making it ideal for remote employees or field teams. Hours are recorded even when offline, then synced once the connection is back.

This ensures no lost time, even in disconnected environments.

D. Detailed reports

Time Doctor goes beyond simple time tracking. It delivers easy-to-understand, real-time productivity analytics through:

• Activity summary: See active minutes, seconds, and unproductive time per person
• Hours tracked: Review total work hours per day, week, or date range
• Projects and tasks: Understand how much time goes into each task or project
• Timeline view: Visualize how each workday is structured
• App and website usage: Track which tools employees use most

These reports, including the unusual activity, provide managers and teams with complete visibility, enabling them to make smarter decisions with minimal effort.

E. Payroll integration

Time Doctor helps you convert tracked hours into accurate payroll.

Just enter each employee’s hourly rate. The software multiplies tracked time by their rate, then processes payroll automatically.

You can even connect Time Doctor with trusted platforms like Wise or Payoneer, reducing admin tasks and keeping payments on schedule.

Pros

• Supports manual and automatic time tracking
• Allows edits to time entries with manager approval
• Connects with tools like Trello and Asana
• Tracks time without forcing users to select a task
• Offers a desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Includes a mobile app for Android users
• Built-in privacy controls and compliance support
• Easy-to-use Chrome extension
• Reliable customer support

Pricing and ratings

User ratings

2. Lathem PayClock Online

Lathem PayClock Online is a time clock software that processes the employees’ tracked hours for payroll. 

It supports time tracking on any device such as an online time clock, a smartphone, and even the Lathem biometric time clock.

Key features

• Eliminates employee time theft using facial recognition, fingerprint reader, etc.
• Ensures compliance with the Affordable Care Act and other labor laws.
• Integrates with a payroll provider like Intuit QuickBooks, Paychex, etc.
• Offers physical biometric clocks with facial recognition, proximity badge scanner, etc., to eliminate buddy punching.

Pricing

Plans start at $35/month for up to 10 employees.

User ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (4+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (90+ reviews)

3. Tanda

Tanda is a workforce management software that provides an employee time clock as one of its features. 

The time clock app can be set up on any device for employee punch-in and punch-out at the office.

Key features

• Offers electronic photo verification during check-in to prevent buddy punching.
• Supports auto-approval of the employee’s timesheet.
• Provides GPS-based clock-ins.
• Integrates with payroll systems like ADP, Xero, etc.

Pricing

Price available on request.

User ratings

• G2: 4.7/5 (20+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (90+ reviews)

4. OnTheClock

OnTheClock is an employee time clock for small businesses. It tracks the total hours of on-site and remote employees, helping you streamline your payroll processes. 

Key features

• Provides GPS tracking, geofencing, and location controls.
• Offers biometric punch-in from a tablet or smartphone.
• Enables managers to approve or disapprove employee PTO (Paid Time Off).
• Integrate time cards with payroll software like Quickbooks, Gusto, etc.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $9/month per user.

User ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (80+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (580+ reviews)

5. Stratustime

Stratustime is a cloud-based employee attendance and time solution that’s suitable for businesses of all sizes. It’s a simple software that requires very little training.

Key features

• Supports punch-in and out from various devices (mobile app, PC, web kiosk, etc.)
• Provides tracking and approval of employee time cards for time and attendance.
• Offers daily, weekly, and monthly employee scheduling options.
• Supports clock-in and clock-out from remote locations through geofencing.
• Integrates with payroll software like Sage, Workday, and many more.

Pricing

Price available on request.

User ratings

• G2: 3.8/5 (15+ reviews)
• Capterra: 3.6/5 (25+ reviews)

6. Quickbooks

Quickbooks is an employee time tracking app by Quickbooks. This time clock software is a tablet-based, digital clock kiosk for any Android tablet and iPad. 

However, you can’t view the future employee availability schedule since the tool doesn’t allow you to enter timesheets for upcoming days or weeks.

Key features

• Provides a time clock app for any tablet (Android and iOS) with an internet or WiFi connection.
• Supports facial recognition during punch-in to control time theft and buddy punching.
• Generates detailed reports for job costing and employee schedules.
• Integrates with a payroll app like Square payroll and more.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $3.50/user per month.

User ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (1300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (5000+ reviews)

7. TimeClock Plus

TimeClock Plus is a workforce management system that provides hardware and software time and attendance tracking solutions.

Key features

• Provides a biometric timeclock to eliminate buddy punching.
• Track employees in real-time with a mobile app.
• Monitor your team member’s attendance even if they change their employee codes or departments.
• Checks employee temperature during check-ins.

Pricing

The employee attendance and time plan costs $2.50/user per month.

User ratings

• G2: 3.9/5 (40+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (170+ reviews)

8. Clockify

Clockify is a time tracking software that enables teams to track their work hours for multiple projects.

Key features

• Categorizes tracked time according to projects.
• Marks specific time as billable.
• Generates customizable reports such as total tracked time, billable hours, and more.
• Sets employee rates per hour.
• Integrates with other apps like Trello, ClickUp, etc.

Pricing

Offers a free plan for simple time tracking. Paid plans start at a flat rate of $9.99/month.

User ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (70+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (1500+ reviews)

B. Biometric clock system

While software time trackers are undoubtedly beneficial, they may not be an affordable solution for small brick-and-mortar businesses. 

That’s where biometric time clocks come in! 

These electronic time systems come with a one-time pricing option and do the job well.

Here are the top four biometric clocks:

1. Amano Pix-95 Atomic Time Clock

Amano Pix-95 Atomic Time Clock is a manual clock system that is useful for small businesses. It offers features like a large digital display, a see-through print window, etc., for accurate timekeeping. 

Key features

• Synchronizes with the real-time office clock accurately.
• Automatically adjusts daylight savings time changes.
• Offers manual or automatic printing of timecards for accurate time recording.
• Provides an option of wall or desk mount.
• Generates multiple pre-set messages such as ‘sent’, ‘filed’, ‘received’, etc.

Pricing

Price is available on request.

2. Acroprint Punch Card Time Clocks

Acroprint provides electronic hardware-based as well as cloud-based time clocks. The ES700, ATR480 are employee punch card time clocks that can be a great asset for small teams. 

Key features

• Provides flexible printing options that support different types of timecards.
• Aligns documents and cards accurately.
• Offers a time and attendance system, document monitoring, and job costing functionality.
• Provides an internal battery backup.

Pricing

The punch clock systems start at $199.99.

3. IconTime

IconTime provides time and attendance management solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers automated and manual clock systems.

Key features

• Reliable time and date stamping.
• Doesn’t require a PC connection.
• Supports wall and table mounting.
• Supports multiple employees (up to 100).

Pricing

It offers two products in the manual category. Both cost $179.00 each.

4. Pyramid Time Systems

Pyramid Time Systems provides timestamps, time clocks, time and attendance software, and synchronized wall clock systems for all types of workforce.

Key features

• Accurately records the date and time of employee punch-in, punch-out, and breaks.
• Provides tamper-proof security locks for time clocks to prevent false time entries.
• Automatically calculates work hours for an accurate payroll report.
• Made of heavy-duty steel to withstand harsh work environments.

Pricing

These manual time clocks start at $225.00.

3 benefits of using a time clock for your business

Employee engagement is slipping, and it’s not just a phase. From the “Great Resignation” to quiet quitting, more employees are disconnecting from their work. 

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2022 Report shows that only 21% of workers worldwide feel actively engaged in their jobs. This lack of connection doesn’t just affect motivation. 

It impacts daily output, attendance, and team performance. That’s why accurate employee time tracking matters more than ever. 

It provides managers with a clearer view of how work actually occurs. With the right tool, you can spot trends, guide conversations, and use productivity analytics to support your team without micromanaging.

Here are three reasons why you should invest in one today:

1. Saves your business time and money

One of the most convincing reasons for investing in a good time clock is that it can save time and money significantly for the business owner. 

A reliable time clock can benefit your business by:

• Ensuring accurate payroll.
• Alerting you of attendance issues (long breaks, regular absenteeism, etc.)

Having precise data can help you to monitor the performance and productivity of your employees. You can also make better decisions for streamlining workflow.

2. Provides real-time information about labor cost

A modern employee time clock provides detailed information about the overall labor cost. 

This includes data such as:

• Time taken by different employees and departments for completing a task.
• Employees or departments that have high overtime costs.

Having this data will eliminate the guesswork regarding your labor cost and give you better control over your expenses.

3. Maintains fairness for all employees

A uniform time tracking system reassures the employees that no single person gets a special preference. 

Employee hours are monitored right down to the minute. 

This will ensure that a sincere employee doesn’t get overworked and that another employee doesn’t slack off.

Final thoughts

When it comes to accurate time tracking, it’s evident that digital and biometric clocks are both great tools.

However, there are some definite advantages of a software-based clock system. 

The tool you’ll choose would depend on your needs, team size, and your budget.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive tool that tracks time accurately, boosts team productivity, and generates payroll, you should certainly try Time Doctor.

Common mistakes when using employee time clocks (and how to avoid them)

Whether you’re using a mobile app, web-based tool, fingerprint scanner, or badge system, minor missteps in managing your employee time clock can lead to significant problems across your team.

Let’s examine a few common mistakes that impact both digital and biometric systems.

1. No clear tracking process

If your team doesn’t understand when and how to clock in or out, expect inconsistencies. With biometric time clocks, missed scans or delays at check-in points are common. 

For digital systems, unclear rules around manual time entry or logging breaks can lead to unreliable data. A simple walkthrough and written policy help everyone stay aligned.

2. Forgetting to cross-check attendance

Even with automation, it’s easy to overlook attendance errors. 

For example, biometric tools or face recognition scanners may misread inputs, while digital apps might allow entries without validation.

Checking attendance reports regularly ensures that hours match expectations and patterns don’t go unnoticed.

3. Overlooking idle time and app usage data

Some tools only show logged hours, but not how that time was spent. That’s where productivity analytics matter. Without reviewing factors such as keyboard activity or time spent in apps, you may miss signs of overload, disengagement, or workflow inefficiencies, especially in remote or hybrid teams.

4. Disconnecting time tracking from payroll

Tracking hours is only half the equation. If you’re still manually moving time data into your payroll system, you’re inviting errors. Whether you’re using a facial recognition tool or a web app, it’s best to opt for a solution that supports payroll integration to avoid time-consuming workarounds.

5. Using the same setup for every team

Not every role works the same way. Office staff prefer desktop timers, while field workers, warehouse employees, or job site crews need physical check-ins. Trying to apply one method uniformly across the board can lead to frustration. 

A good workforce analytics system adapts to your setup, whether it’s remote, hybrid, or in-office.

Why Time Doctor stands out as the best employee time clock

With so many options available, it’s easy to get caught comparing one feature at a time. But the best employee time clock doesn’t just track hours; it helps you run your team more effectively.

That’s where Time Doctor stands out.

While other tools specialize in one or two areas, Time Doctor combines everything in a single platform, such as employee time tracking, intelligent productivity analytics, real-time attendance visibility, and seamless payroll integration.

It’s built to support all types of teams, whether remote, hybrid, or in-office, and offers flexibility without sacrificing accountability. 

Whether you need screen monitoring, offline tracking, or role-based privacy controls, Time Doctor gives you the insights you need to lead with confidence, not control.

You don’t have to guess how time is spent or where the bottlenecks are. With Time Doctor, the data is already there and ready to help you make better decisions.

Final thoughts

Whether digital or biometric, a time clock provides you with data. But is that data helping you lead smarter, support your team, and make better decisions?

Are you using your current time clock to empower your team, or just to tick a compliance box?

If your answer leans toward the second, it’s time to reconsider what your time-tracking software is doing for you.

Get a demo of Time Doctor’s employee time clock software and discover a better way to track time, support your team, and scale with confidence.