Short answer for this QuickBooks Time review: QuickBooks Time is worth it when your books already live in QuickBooks Online, because approved hours flow into payroll without an export. It is a base fee plus a per-user charge, it needs a QuickBooks Online account on top, and for a team that does not use QuickBooks it is rarely the cheapest option. Full disclosure: we build Wrkbase, and the last section says when it is and is not an alternative.
Pricing
QuickBooks Time's pricing page lists two plans in October 2026. Premium is a $20 monthly base fee plus $10 per user. Elite is a $40 base fee plus $12 per user. Each base fee includes one admin. The page also shows a 50 percent discount on the base fee for 3 months, which is a promotion, not the ongoing price, and it does not apply to the per-user fee.
At list price, 10 users cost $120 a month on Premium and $160 on Elite, before the QuickBooks Online subscription the product requires. Prices are subject to change without notice, per the page.
What Premium and Elite include
Premium covers scheduling, a mobile app for tracking, submitting and approving time, payroll and invoicing sync, time off management, alerts, photo attachments on timesheets and a time kiosk. Elite adds mileage tracking, project tracking with deadlines, estimates against actual hours, an activity feed and timesheet signatures.
GPS tracking, geofencing and project tracking are not listed against Premium. A crew that has to prove where each punch happened should compare it with the tools in payroll and time clock software for small business.
The QuickBooks Online requirement
The page says QuickBooks Time requires a QuickBooks Online account. For a business that already pays for QuickBooks Online that is a non-issue, and the payroll link is the reason to choose it. For anyone else it is an extra subscription, which is why a standalone time clock is usually cheaper. When the goal is hours turning into pay, best payroll software with time tracking sets it against Gusto, OnTheClock and Buddy Punch.
Where Wrkbase is and is not an alternative
Wrkbase is not an accounting add-on and does not file payroll taxes. If your accountant works in QuickBooks and you pay hourly staff, QuickBooks Time with its payroll is the straightforward choice. It is an alternative for office and remote teams that want attendance, tasks, time tracking, leave, team chat and payroll tracking in one workspace, free for up to 5 people and $8 per member per month on Team, which is $80 a month for 10 with no separate subscription.
How much does QuickBooks Time cost?
List price, October 2026: Premium $20 a month plus $10 per user, Elite $40 plus $12 per user. The page also shows a 50 percent introductory discount on the base fee for 3 months.
Do I need QuickBooks Online to use QuickBooks Time?
Yes. The pricing page says QuickBooks Time requires a QuickBooks Online account, which is billed separately.
Does QuickBooks Time include GPS?
GPS tracking and geofencing are not listed on the pricing page. Elite lists mileage tracking, where GPS shows distance travelled while on the clock.
Questions this post answers
How much does QuickBooks Time cost?
List price, October 2026: Premium $20 a month plus $10 per user, Elite $40 plus $12 per user. The page also shows a 50 percent introductory discount on the base fee for 3 months.
Do I need QuickBooks Online to use QuickBooks Time?
Yes. The pricing page says QuickBooks Time requires a QuickBooks Online account, which is billed separately.
Does QuickBooks Time include GPS?
GPS tracking and geofencing are not listed on the pricing page. Elite lists mileage tracking, where GPS shows distance travelled while on the clock.
Employee management software for small teams: tasks, time tracking, attendance, leave, payroll and HR in one place.
Start freeSee the paid time off someone earns each pay period and their balance today. No sign-up.
Open the calculator