Time is money, and that’s never more clear than when tracking hourly staff.
To be efficient, your company needs to know when and how teams are working so you can eliminate time theft, set goals, and ensure you don’t go over your labor budget. You also want to make sure you pay staff accurately and can pinpoint inefficiencies or wasted time.
And it’s essential to be able to do this whether employees are in the office, spread across sites, working remotely, or clocking in and out at different times. Each business needs a timesheet app that works for them, and in today’s hyper-connected world, it makes sense to find one that works on mobile devices.
But finding one can feel like a full-time job in itself. Comparing tools and figuring out if they’re any good, how much they cost, and whether they’ll actually work for you is a time-waster many can’t afford.
That’s why we’ve done the legwork for you. In this post, we cover:
- The key features to look for in mobile timesheet apps
- Our top mobile timesheet app pick in 2023
- What each option is best for in terms of business use cases and features
- A rundown of each platform’s key features and pricing
We’ve also compared the software solutions on our list in a handy table, so you can determine which will work best for your business at a glance.
Key features to look for in mobile timesheet apps
When looking for the right mobile timesheet app for your business, we recommend checking for the following functions:
- A mobile app that has the same features as the desktop version — The best apps translate across devices and let managers and workers track time wherever, whenever.
- Works for both salaried and hourly employees — Many small businesses have salaried and hourly staff. If this applies to you, be sure to check that your chosen tool can handle both.
- Labor cost control features — This is crucial to maximize efficiency and stick to your budget. Look for tools like early clock in prevention, automatic clock outs, and alerts when staff approach overtime. You might also want cost tracking by hour, department, and role.
- Overtime rules and compliance — Check your app will help you keep track of working laws, so you’ll automatically comply with applicable labor regulations, receive alerts when labor laws change, and store your data as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires.
- Overtime alerts and break reminders — Avoid staff burnout and resentment and prevent expensive overtime by sending workers reminders to take breaks and alerting managers when overtime is approaching.
- Automatic wage calculations — Check your chosen app can automatically calculate wages based on its time tracking data, even if hours differ by worker or shift type. Make sure it factors in breaks, PTO, and tips and ensures payroll will be accurate.
- An interconnected suite of tools — The best platforms will include timesheets and time tracking as part of their wider toolbox, so everything syncs well and works together effortlessly. Keep an eye out for tools like payroll, team communication, and HR and compliance.
- Free or affordable plans — Evaluate your budget and make sure your chosen tool is affordable and includes the timesheet features you need. Homebase’s basic time tracking tools are free for one business location and up to 20 employees, and its advanced features are just $24.95 per month per location for unlimited employees.
Our top pick for mobile timesheet apps in 2023 (+ the rest compared)
Of course, we believe Homebase is the best mobile timesheet app available. Our platform has a free plan, it’s easy to use, and you can easily connect our time tracking features with all the must-have team management functions you might need, including payroll, HR and compliance, time off, and staff happiness tools.
However, we get that responsible business owners and managers may want to check what else is available before making a final decision.
So, we’ve compared Homebase with five other top time tracking tools to help you decide. They are:
- Homebase: Best all-in-one solution
- QuickBooks Time: Best for QuickBooks integrations
- actiTIME: Best for teams that work on client projects
- Timely: Best for desk-based teams
- Tick: Best for simplicity
- Time Doctor: Best for data insights
Comparison chart: Top 6 mobile timesheet apps in 2023
|
Software |
Mobile app with similar function to desktop? | Suite of other features in same tool? | Labor cost planning? | Break and overtime alerts and reminders? | Calculates wages and runs payroll? | Free plan or trial? |
Pricing |
 |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Plans range from free to $99.95 per location per month. Homebase payroll costs $39 per month base fee plus $6 per month per employee. You can save 20% if you sign up annually. |
 |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
From $8-10 per user per month, plus a $20 or $40 base fee depending on the plan. |
 |
✓ | X | X | ✓ | X | ✓ |
Free for 1-3 users per month. Starts at $7 per user per month for 1 to 40 users. |
 |
✓ | X | ✓ | X | X | X |
Starts at $11 per user per month for 50 projects and three teams. |
 |
✓ | X | ✓ | X | X | ✓ |
Free for one project a month. Starts at $19 per month for ten projects and unlimited users. |
 |
✓ — Android only | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ |
From $7 to 20 per user per month. |
A breakdown of the 6 best mobile timesheet apps
1. Homebase: Best all-in-one solution
Homebase is an all-in-one team management solution for small businesses that rely on hourly workers. Our timesheets tool is just one of our wider suite of features that save time and hassle by automating breaks, overtime, pay, and labor cost calculations. It also seamlessly integrates with our other products for payroll, hiring, team communication, and employee happiness.
Top features
- Calculates hours, breaks, overtime, and wages
- Time tracking features work for both salaried and hourly workers
- Has a mobile app for on-the-go staff, as well as a desktop version for desk-based managers
- Saves time with daily, weekly, and monthly timesheet templates
- Sends alerts and reminders for breaks and overtime
- Fills in online timesheets automatically based on employee clock ins and outs
- Works together with the payroll feature to translate timesheets into automatic, accurate wage calculations
- Automatically calculates tax payments based on time tracking and wage payments
- Lets users manage labor costs by limiting early clock ins and enabling auto-clock outs
- Allows users to set data-guided sales and labor goals
- Ensures businesses stay on the right side of state, city, or federal labor laws with compliance tools
Pros and cons
Users praise Homebase for being “easy to use,” particularly the app. They also like how “everything is in one place.” However, if you’re looking for a timesheet-specific tool that doesn’t have many other features, then our platform may be more than you need.
Pricing
Homebase’s basic time tracking features are free. Here’s a breakdown of all our plan options, both paid and free:
- Basic. Free for one location and up to 20 employees. It includes basic time tracking features, like the ability to build your own weekly schedule, clock in and out on tablets, POS devices, and computers, and manage and store timesheets for up to 90 days.
- Essentials. $24.95 per month per location. Everything in Basic, plus advanced time tracking features like custom overtime and break preferences, availability and time off management tools, shift trade, cover, and claim features, photo clock ins and outs, real-time reminders and notifications for employees, the ability to manage and store timesheets for 4+ years.
- 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 add Homebase payroll as an add-on for a $39/month base fee plus $6/month per active employee. They can also save 20% on their monthly payments when they sign up for an annual plan.
2. QuickBooks Time: Best for QuickBooks integrations
From Intuit and the QuickBooks suite of products, QuickBooks Time was designed with on-the-go time tracking in mind. It aims to boost productivity and reduce the time necessary to manage payroll while integrating seamlessly with the rest of the QuickBooks offerings.
Top features
- Possible to manage several timesheets at the same time
- Mobile app for iOS and Android
- Option to use an on-site tablet that acts as a clock in and clock out kiosk
- Tracks workers and projects to show who’s working, on what, and when
- Generates customizable reports that help predict job costs and plan for payroll
- Syncs with geofencing tools and alerts to remind staff to sign in or out when arriving at and leaving work
- Sends alerts for scheduling changes, overtime, and timesheet approval deadlines
- Creates schedules and sends them to staff to plan and manage overall hours
- Integrates with the wider suite of QuickBooks tools, including payroll and invoicing
Pros and cons
Users say they like QuickBooks Time’s “flexibility” and how “no matter where you are, you can open the app and clock in and keep accurate time.” However, if you don’t need or want to use the rest of QuickBooks’ software (and therefore won’t take advantage of the direct integrations), it may not be worth choosing QuickBooks Time over other options. In addition, you may need to pay more to benefit from the full suite of QuickBooks products and functionality.
Pricing
- Premium: $8 per user per month, plus a $20 base fee per month. Unlimited users.
- Elite: $10 per user per month, plus a $40 base fee per month. Unlimited users. Includes everything in Premium, plus project estimates, timesheet signatures, and geofencing.
QuickBooks Time offers a free 30-day trial.
3. actiTIME: Best for teams that work on client projects
Designed to make monitoring projects and client work easier and quicker, actiTIME lets users manage projects and teams while also connecting with billing and invoicing tools. In addition, actiTIME offers reporting and data analysis, plus task management and assignment.
Top features
- Offers weekly timesheets with manual management
- Has a calendar view to see hours at a glance
- Calculates overtime to comply with company, state, and federal rules
- Lets managers review and approve timesheets
- Sends automatic reminders for overtime and timesheets submission
- Has a mobile app
- Integrates with other tools for reporting and task and team management
Pros and cons
Reviews praise how actiTIME helps with their workplace “organization” and say it’s “easy to navigate and great for people working at different sites.” However, you may need to sign up for multiple plans to get full functionality, which may prove complicated or take you over budget. For example, actiTEAMS, the company’s team management tool, is sold separately.
Pricing
- Free: For one to three users per month. Limited functionality.
- 1-40 users: $7 per user per month for one to 40 users.
- 41-200 users: $6 per user per month for 41 to 200 users.
- 200+ users: Fixed cost per month for 200+ to unlimited users.
4. Timely: Best for desk-based teams
Timely uses AI to automate as much time tracking as possible to ensure accuracy, boost productivity, and make the whole process more efficient. It’s best for desk-based teams who need to track billable hours because it monitors background apps and activity while team members are working. It also has features that are designed to ensure no one is over or underworked.
Top features
- Records time spent in different apps automatically
- Tracks time automatically to reduce errors and interruptions
- Monitors employee activity while retaining privacy, with no keystrokes monitoring or secret screenshots
- Creates time tracking reports for data-driven insights
Pros and cons
Users say they like how “simple” Timely is and praise its “machine learning” that helps track time accurately. However, the platform is designed primarily for desk-based employees that use apps and work on the same computer all day, which may not work well if your team is mobile or non-desk based.
Pricing
- Starter: From $11 per user per month. Up to 50 projects and three teams.
- Premium: From $20 per user per month. Unlimited projects and teams.
- Unlimited: From $28 per user per month. Unlimited projects, teams, features, and capacity.
- Unlimited +: Custom pricing and tailored features. Available on request.
5. Tick: Best for simplicity
Tick is a straightforward tool that enables simple time tracking and easy communication, and it’s popular with businesses on a budget. Despite being light in terms of its own features, it does offer integrations with more than 750 web apps, particularly task management tools like Asana and Trello.
Top features
- A timecard tracker that includes just three steps (project, task, and time)
- Timesheet recording to get budget feedback and control costs simply
- A mobile app for iOS and Android, plus a Chrome browser extension, an Apple Watch app, and a desktop app for Macs. Also works on tablets
- In-app timers that automatically switch as employees move between tasks
- Project and task budgets
- Budgets can be set for individual tasks or overall projects
- Reports that are ready for third-party accounting and payroll software
Pros and cons
Reviews say Tick is “flexible, trustworthy, intuitive and user-friendly,” as well as “simple” to use and install. However, it doesn’t include built-in functionality for tasks like running payroll and it’s more focused on computer-based tasks. That means it may not work for hourly staff that clock in and out at a physical location.
Pricing
- One project per month: Free. Unlimited people. Basecamp integration.
- Ten projects: $19 per month. Unlimited people. Basecamp integration.
- 30 projects: $49 per month. Unlimited people. Basecamp integration. Recurring projects.
- 60 projects: $79 per month. Unlimited people. Basecamp integration. Recurring projects.
- Unlimited projects: $149 per month. Unlimited people. Basecamp integration. Recurring projects.
Tick offers a 30-day free trial.
6. Time Doctor: Best for productivity insights
Time Doctor empowers teams to track time and gain insights into improving performance and boosting productivity. It’s packed full of features to help managers get the most out of timekeeping, reduce distractions, and offer actionable data for more efficient work.
Top features
- Tracks staff time per task or project
- Automatic distraction reminders if no activity is detected
- Works on computers, tablets, and mobile devices (Android only)
- Accurately tracks time and translates it into timesheets for correct client billing
- Automatic activity monitoring
- Designed for both remote teams and in-office staff
- Works when offline
- Integrates with key project management, payroll, and communication tools like Asana, Avaza, Monday.com, ClickUp, Gusto, Slack, and JIRA
Pros and cons
Users like Time Doctor’s effectiveness and how the desktop and smartphone apps are “intuitive.” However, it’s designed for desk-based staff working on client projects, so it may not be ideal for you if your team doesn’t work in that way.
Pricing
- Basic: $7 per user per month. Includes time tracking, tasks and projects, and activity tracking.
- Standard: $10 per user per month. Includes everything in Basic, plus payroll, integrations, and email notifications.
- Premium: $20 per user per month. Includes everything in Standard, plus VIP support, extra reporting, and unlimited data history.
Time Doctor offers a 14-day trial.
The best timesheet apps are efficient, simple, and powerful
Keeping accurate timesheets is key to smooth, efficient operations.
Any of the apps we’ve discussed in this article might be the best option for you as each has a different focus and works best for different workplaces.
For example, Timely uses AI for automatic desk-based tracking, while actiTIME is great for team projects and Tick is simple and to the point for basic tracking.
However, if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that makes time tracking for both hourly and salaried employees as simple as possible, Homebase is your best bet. Our platform also makes sure your timesheets are accurate and useful and sync seamlessly with the rest of your tasks, like payroll and compliance.
Time may be money, but there’s no reason to accidentally waste either of them with these apps.
**The information above is based on our research on mobile timesheet apps. All user feedback referenced in the text has been sourced from independent software review platforms, such as G2 and Capterra, in April 2023.
Remember: This is not legal advice. If you have questions about your particular situation, please consult a lawyer, CPA, or other appropriate professional advisor or agency.
