Buddy Punch vs Time Clock Wizard (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Buddy Punch if

• Fits if your hourly staff are spread across job sites, stores or clients' homes
• Works for small companies that want a time clock, scheduling and payroll links from one vendor

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a free plan, since everything is paid once the 14-day trial ends
• Pricey if you're only two or three people, as the $19 base fee is the same for any team and managers count as users
• Tight if you're on Starter and want geofencing, a kiosk, punch photos, offline mode or the API, which all start on Pro
• Watch out: scheduling is $1 a user extra on Starter, and real-time GPS and advanced reporting are $2 each on Starter and Pro
• Not for you if you want a Mac or Windows desktop app, as it runs in a browser, on phones and on ChromeOS

Pick Time Clock Wizard if

• Fits if you run a small crew and want to try a free clock before paying
• Works for shops that need schedules and PTO beside the time clock

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you need scheduling or GPS, since those sit on Pro at $49.95
• Pricey if you grow, because Pro rises to $109.95 for 31 to 50 users
• Skip it if you use anything but QuickBooks Online, the only accounting sync listed
• Watch out: it takes random screenshots of remote staff, and the page doesn't break out Free and Value features

Buddy Punch

• There is no free plan: the FAQ says all plans are paid once the free trial ends.
• Every plan carries a $19 monthly base fee on top of the per-user price, and managers count as paid users.
• Geofencing, kiosk and QR code punching, punch photos, offline mode and API access are not in Starter.
• Real-time GPS, advanced reporting and extended data retention are add-ons at $2 per user a month each on Starter and Pro.

Time Clock Wizard

• Pro is priced by user count, rising from $49.95 for 1-10 users to $109.95 for 31-50 on annual billing.
• The page does not break out which features sit on the Free and Value plans, so check before relying on scheduling or GPS.
• Remote screenshot monitoring is part of the product, so employees should be told.
• The vendor's only listed accounting sync is QuickBooks Online.

Buddy Punch

Punching from any device

Employees clock in from a browser, the iOS and Android apps or a ChromeOS app. A tablet can serve as a shared kiosk with four-digit PINs, QR codes or Face ID, and text-to-punch covers staff without internet.

GPS and geofences

Every plan records GPS coordinates with each punch. Geofences that block off-site punches start on Pro, and live location maps are a $2 per user a month add-on that Advanced includes.

Automatic timesheets and overtime

Punches are compiled into timesheets that employees submit for approval each pay period. More than a dozen overtime types, automatic breaks and punch rounding rules are available.

Employee scheduling

A drag-and-drop schedule builder with recurring shifts, templates, shift trades and availability. It costs $1 per user a month on Starter and is included with Pro and Advanced.

Time off tracking

PTO accrues by rules you set or is entered by hand. Employees see their balances and request time off, and approved time is added to timesheets and shown on schedules.

Payroll and payroll integrations

Hours sync to providers such as QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP and Paychex. Buddy Punch's own payroll service can be added to any plan for $8 per user a month plus a $49 monthly base fee.

Time Clock Wizard

Online time clock

Employees clock in, out and take breaks from the web or the iOS and Android apps, with timesheet reports for hours, breaks and absences.

Employee scheduling

A scheduling system that employees can open at any time, with shift-switch requests and notices to managers for late or missed clock-ins.

Clock-in controls

Photo capture at clock-in, a GPS employee locator and restrictions by IP address or device limit who can clock in and where.

Remote monitoring

Random screenshots of remote employees' screens while clocked in, with inactive time subtracted.

PTO and time off

Tracks PTO accruals, time-off requests and recorded absences.

Payroll reports and QuickBooks sync

Customizable payroll reports, plus a sync with QuickBooks Online; the vendor also advertises full-service payroll.

Buddy Punch

• Starter$4.99

  per user / month, billed annually ($5.99 monthly), plus $19 base fee

  Punch clock, GPS on punches, mobile apps, time off tracking, job tracking, payroll integrations and reports. Scheduling is a $1 per user add-on.

• Pro$6.99

  per user / month, billed annually ($7.99 monthly), plus $19 base fee

  Adds offline mode, basic geofencing, QR code and kiosk punching, punch photos, break compliance, API and MCP access, and scheduling.

• Advanced$12.99

  per user / month, billed annually ($13.99 monthly), plus $19 base fee

  Adds advanced reporting, SSO with Okta, OneLogin or SAML 2.0, manager permissions by group, real-time GPS and dedicated support.

Time Clock Wizard

• Free$0

  Basic employee time tracking for unlimited users.

• Value$29.95

  per month for unlimited users, billed annually ($34.95 billed monthly)

  Simple time tracking for unlimited users, with reporting and support included.

• Pro$49.95

  per month for 1-10 users, billed annually ($54.95 billed monthly)

  Scheduling, time tracking and payroll reporting for up to 50 users; $79.95 for 11-20, $89.95 for 21-30, $109.95 for 31-50.

• Enterprise$219.95

  per month, unlimited users, billed annually ($249.95 billed monthly)

  Everything in Pro with unlimited users, priority support and a dedicated account manager.

Buddy Punch

• Annual discount

  Save up to 18% with annual billing

  The pricing page labels annual billing "Save up to 18%": Starter is $4.99 per user a month against $5.99 monthly, Pro $6.99 against $7.99 and Advanced $12.99 against $13.99.

Time Clock Wizard

• Annual discount

  Lower prices with annual payments

  The pricing page shows an annual-payment price below the monthly one, for example $29.95 against $34.95 for Value.