Buddy Punch vs Truein (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 Truein if

• Fits if you have several sites and want staff to clock in with their face
• Works for field crews that need geofenced punches and offline capture

Look elsewhere if

• Too light for HR records or payroll, as it covers time and attendance
• Pricey if you want scheduling and overtime rules, which are Advanced at $3.50
• Watch out: live tracking and time-off management are paid add-ons on top of Advanced
• Watch out: over 1,000 staff means Enterprise, with no published price
• Not for you if you want named payroll integrations, as only API and FTP links are listed

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.

Truein

• Shift and job scheduling, overtime rules and advanced reports are on the Advanced plan, not Time Capture.
• Live tracking ($1.25 per user / month) and time-off management ($0.50 per user / month) are paid add-ons on top of Advanced.
• Companies with more than 1,000 staff are directed to Enterprise, which has no published price.
• The pricing page lists API and FTP integrations with HRMS and payroll systems but names no specific vendors; custom integrations are offered.

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.

Truein

Face-recognition clock-in

Staff clock in with a selfie in the mobile app or at a shared kiosk, and the system checks the face and flags suspected photo or video spoofing for admin review.

GPS geofencing

Punches can be limited to approved work sites, and each entry carries a location stamp.

Offline capture

When there is no network, punches are stored on the device with the face and location and sync once the connection returns.

Job-based time tracking

Hours can be logged against jobs, sites, shifts and staff categories, so a timesheet shows where time was spent.

Scheduling and pay rules

The Advanced plan adds shift and job scheduling, overtime and break rules, activity planning and contractor or agency management.

Multi-site dashboard

One dashboard covers every location, with approval workflows for time corrections and exception flags for late, off-site, duplicate or missing punches.

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.

Truein

• Time Capture$2.25

  per user / month, billed annually ($3.00 billed monthly)

  Face-recognition clock-in, GPS geofencing, kiosk and mobile punching, offline capture, job-based tracking and basic timesheets.

• Advanced$3.50

  per user / month, billed annually ($4.50 billed monthly)

  Time Capture plus shift and job scheduling, overtime and pay rules, advanced reports and contractor management.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Advanced plus an account manager, custom contracts and billing, integrations and priority support. For companies above 1,000 staff.

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.

Truein

• Annual discount

  25% off with annual billing

  The pricing page shows a Monthly and a Yearly toggle with a stated 25% saving for yearly billing, for example $2.25 instead of $3.00 per user a month on Time Capture.