Buddy Punch vs Timerack (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 Timerack if

• Fits if you run a staffing agency with many pay and bill rates per worker
• Works for firms that want clocks and kiosks at client sites

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you aren't a staffing business, as the pages describe nothing else
• Not for you if you want a price list, since cost needs a demo request
• Tight if you want to try it free, as no trial is listed
• Watch out: the vendor's own clocks and kiosks may mean hardware costs, and the phone platforms aren't stated

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.

Timerack

• No prices are published; the site points to a demo request, so the cost is unverified.
• It is built for the staffing industry and its pages do not describe use for other kinds of businesses.
• The vendor's mobile app page lists features but does not say which phone platforms it supports.
• Punch capture leans on the vendor's own clocks and kiosks, so a rollout can involve hardware as well as software.

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.

Timerack

Assignment-based time tracking

Employees are managed by assignment, with several pay and bill rates per worker across clients and locations.

Time clocks, kiosk and mobile app

Punches come from the vendor's hardware clocks, a mobile kiosk or a mobile app with geofencing and photo capture.

Pay and bill rules

Rules and exception-based workflows calculate pay and billing from the collected hours, aimed at pay and bill errors.

ATS and payroll integrations

Lists Aqore, Avionté, Carvin Software, COATS, Greenfield and Tempworks as staffing systems it connects to.

Identity checks

Options include biometrics with attestation, intended to deter buddy punching and confirm who clocked in.

Dashboards and analytics

Real-time dashboards and reports show hours at the employee or department level across clients and sites.

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.

Timerack

Pricing could not be confirmed. See timerack.com.

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.

Timerack

No public discounts listed.