Buddy Punch vs Homebase: pricing and features compared

Buddy Punch charges per user: $4.99 to $12.99 per user per month billed annually, plus a flat $19 monthly base fee, as listed in September 2026. There is no free plan. Homebase charges per location: $0, $30, $70, or $120 per location per month as listed in August 2026, whatever the staff count, and the free Basic tier covers one location with up to 10 staff.

For 10 people at one location, Buddy Punch's lowest plan is $68.90 a month and Homebase is $0 on Basic or $30 on Essentials. For 10 people split across three sites, Buddy Punch is still $68.90, while Homebase on Essentials is $90. Headcount per location is the number that decides this.

Buddy Punch is built around the punch: kiosk punch-in, webcam photos, GPS, and geofencing. GPS on punches is on every plan; geofencing, kiosk, and webcam start on Pro at $6.99 per user, and real-time GPS is a $2 per user add-on. Homebase includes basic time tracking from the free tier and integrates with point-of-sale systems, so staff clock in at the register. If proving where someone clocked in is the requirement, Buddy Punch is the more specialised tool. If the clock lives at a till, Homebase fits better.

Scheduling is Homebase's home ground. Basic scheduling is on the free tier, advanced scheduling starts at Essentials, and an AI scheduling assistant is on Plus at $70 per location. Team communication also starts at Essentials. Buddy Punch sells scheduling as a per-user add-on and offers no team chat at any tier.

Neither product includes payroll in a base plan. Buddy Punch payroll is $8 per user plus a $49 monthly base fee. Homebase payroll is a $39 monthly base fee plus $6 per employee paid. For 10 people that is $129 a month at Buddy Punch and $99 at Homebase, on top of the plan. Buddy Punch lists tax filing and direct deposit with its add-on; check Homebase's pricing page for what its payroll add-on covers.

Task management follows the same pattern. Homebase's Task Manager is a $13 per location add-on. Buddy Punch bundles tasks with its onboarding add-on at $4 per user, included by default only on the top Advanced tier.

Pick Buddy Punch for field or multi-site crews where location-verified punches matter and headcount per site is small. Pick Homebase for one or two fixed locations with many hourly staff, shift scheduling, and a register. Prices are from each vendor's own pricing page on the dates above; confirm them before deciding. If payroll is part of the decision, payroll and time clock software puts both next to three other tools.

Wrkbase is not built around the punch clock: it has a weekly rota and a phone clock with optional location, but no kiosk mode, shift swaps, or register integration, and it does not file payroll taxes. If those are the requirement, choose between the two above. It is an alternative for office and remote teams who looked at these tools mainly for attendance and pay records: attendance, tasks, time tracking, leave, team chat, and payroll tracking are in one workspace, free for up to 5 people and $8 per member per month on Team. The line-by-line versions are on Wrkbase vs Buddy Punch and Wrkbase vs Homebase.

It depends on headcount per location. Buddy Punch charges $4.99 to $12.99 per user plus a $19 base fee. Homebase charges $0 to $120 per location regardless of staff count. A single location with many part-time staff is usually cheaper on Homebase; a small crew spread across sites is usually cheaper on Buddy Punch.

Yes. Homebase's Basic tier is free for one location with up to 10 staff. Buddy Punch has no free plan.

Neither includes it in a base plan. Buddy Punch payroll is an add-on at $8 per user plus a $49 monthly base fee. Homebase payroll is an add-on at a $39 monthly base fee plus $6 per employee paid.