Payroll and time clock software for small business

Three questions sort this list quickly. Where do people clock in: at a shared tablet, on their own phone in the field, or at a desk? Does the clock need to prove location? And does payroll need to calculate overtime and file taxes, or only record what each person is owed? A restaurant and a ten-person agency give opposite answers, and the tool that is perfect for one is wrong for the other.

Buddy Punch is built around the punch itself: kiosk punch-in, GPS, geofencing, and webcam photos. Plans run $4.99 to $12.99 per user per month billed annually, plus a $19 monthly base fee, and GPS and geofencing need the Pro plan or a $2 per user add-on. Payroll is a separate add-on at $8 per user plus a $49 base fee, with tax filing and direct deposit, per its pricing page in September 2026. Strongest for crews that work away from an office. We compare it with Wrkbase line by line on Wrkbase vs Buddy Punch.

OnTheClock is the low-cost option with the same shape. Time tracking is $4 per employee per month plus a $5 base fee and includes scheduling, PTO, and GPS with geofencing. Payroll is $6 per paid employee plus a separate $40 base fee, per its pricing page in September 2026. For 10 people that is $45 for the clock and $100 for payroll.

Homebase prices by location instead of by person, which suits a single shop or restaurant with many part-time staff. Its tiers were $0, $30, $70, and $120 per location per month when we checked in August 2026, with a point-of-sale integration so staff can clock in at the register. Payroll is an add-on on any tier: a $39 monthly base fee plus $6 per employee paid. Details are on Wrkbase vs Homebase. The two are compared head to head in Buddy Punch vs Homebase.

QuickBooks Time is the pick when your accounting already lives in QuickBooks, because approved hours flow into QuickBooks Payroll with no export. It is not sold on its own: it needs a QuickBooks Online subscription, and after the July 2026 price change Premium is $20 a month plus $10 per user and Elite is $40 a month plus $12 per user.

Wrkbase treats the clock as part of the working day, not a device on the wall. People sign in, take breaks, and sign off from the app, late arrivals are flagged against your office hours, and the same record feeds payroll: an hourly person's pay line is their rate times attendance hours, a salaried line is the salary. Tasks, leave, HR, and team chat sit in the same workspace. Free covers up to 5 people without payroll; Team is $8 per member per month with payroll included.

It is not a punch clock for a shop floor. There is no kiosk mode, GPS, or geofencing, no overtime rules, no tax filing, and no direct deposit. Payment goes through your bank or payroll processor and is marked paid in Wrkbase.

Field crews that must prove location: Buddy Punch or OnTheClock. One-location retail or hospitality with a register: Homebase. Books already in QuickBooks: QuickBooks Time. An office or remote team under 50 that wants attendance, pay runs, tasks, and HR in one place and has tax handled elsewhere: Wrkbase. Prices are as each vendor listed them on the dates above; confirm on their own pages before deciding.

Buddy Punch or OnTheClock. Both have GPS and geofenced clock-ins and sell a payroll add-on that files taxes. Wrkbase can require a sign-in location from a phone, but has no kiosk punch-in and does not file payroll taxes.

Free time clocks exist, free payroll does not. Homebase has a free Basic tier for one location and up to 10 staff, and Wrkbase is free for up to 5 people, but payroll is a paid add-on at Homebase and part of the paid Team plan at Wrkbase.

For office and remote teams, yes: people sign in, take breaks, and sign off, and late arrivals are flagged against your office hours. It is not a punch clock for a shop floor, with no kiosk mode, GPS, or geofencing.