Clockodo vs Timebutler (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clockodo grades higher than Timebutler: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Clockodo grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Clockodo
Work time and project time tracking for service businesses
Timebutler
German time tracking and leave planning with a flat team price
Which one is for you
Pick Clockodo if
- Fits if you bill clients by the hour and want projects and budgets tracked
- Works for small German-style offices that need holiday and break rules
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want customer projects, which need Pro or Pro Plus
- Skip it if you need single sign-on, as it needs a Plus plan
- Watch out: Pro allows 1 webhook with 3 event types
- Watch out: prices are shown in euros and dollars, and the vendor sells to businesses
Pick Timebutler if
- Fits if you run a German team and need leave and overtime balances
- Makes sense if you want a flat price for the whole team
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need English prices, since the pricing page is German
- Not for you if you work outside German law, as time rules are built around it
- Tight if you grow past 200 people, which means an individual quote
- Watch out: after a term ends unrenewed the account is frozen, viewable but not editable, and prices exclude VAT
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAClockodoGood | 2.2GPATimebutlerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$3.80 per user a month billed annually on Basic, $9.50 on Pro, against a category middle of $6.99. | C€29.95 a month for the whole team of up to 5, about €6 a head, excluding VAT. €59.95 up to 35 people. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day free trial of all features with no card. | C6 weeks free for the whole team with no card, then it ends. No free plan. |
| Features | BWork time, projects, absences, reports, invoicing links, an open API and webhooks. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job. | CTime clock, leave, overtime, shifts, personnel files and a DATEV file export. Aimed at German rules, and DATEV is a file, not a sync. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Customers and projects have to be set up. | CNo store rating on record. The pricing page is in German, and rules and calendars need setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, plus Lexware, sevdesk, QuickBooks, Jira, Asana, Slack and Zapier. No desktop app. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with an API and DATEV export. No desktop app. |
| Best for | service businesses that bill by the hour | German-law time tracking and leave planning |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Clockodo and Timebutler. How we grade
Price against what you get
Clockodo starts at $3.80 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Timebutler starts at about $33.46 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Clockodo scores higher and starts $29.66 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 2 score higher than Clockodo for less, and 41 score higher than Timebutler for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Clockodo also covers invoicing.
- Timebutler also covers shift scheduling and employee records.
At a glance
| Clockodo | Timebutler | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $3.80 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly) | €29.95 per month for the whole team of up to 5 people, excl. VAT |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of all features, no credit card required | 6 weeks free for the whole team, no card needed; ends by itself |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Clockodo GmbH | Timebutler GmbH |
| Price read from | clockodo.com | timebutler.de |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Clockodo
- Webhooks are limited to 1 webhook with 3 event types on Pro, and unlimited only on Pro Plus.
- Single sign-on and the extended SLA need a Plus plan.
- Work time and project time are separate product lines, so tracking customer projects needs Pro or Pro Plus.
- The pricing page shows each price in both euros and dollars; the vendor says it is sold to businesses.
Timebutler
- Pricing is in euros, excludes VAT, and the pricing page is in German; the free period is a 6-week trial, not a free plan.
- Prices cover the whole team by user count, and teams over 200 people get an individual quote.
- Time rules are built around German working-time law, and direct debit is offered only in Germany.
- After the term ends without renewal the account is frozen: data stays viewable and downloadable but cannot be changed.
Key features
Clockodo
- Work time tracking
- Clock in, clock out and record breaks in the browser or the app, with target hours, time accounts, overtime and break deduction.
- Project time tracking
- Time is assigned to customers, projects and services with hourly rates, flat rates, project budgets and budget alerts.
- Absence management
- Vacation quotas, public holidays, sick leave and an approval process, with a calendar showing who is away.
- Reports and invoicing
- A reports builder with PDF and CSV export, and invoice line items that transfer to tools such as Lexware Office, sevdesk and easybill.
- Open API and MCP server
- A REST API, webhooks and an MCP server for custom integrations, plus a browser extension for starting the stopwatch.
- Optional AI helpers
- The pricing page lists optional AI features for adding time entries by voice and improving or generating descriptions.
Timebutler
- Time recording
- Staff clock in with a virtual time clock in the browser, enter hours by hand or punch in at a shared tablet or terminal.
- Vacation and absence planning
- A color-coded team calendar shows who is away, with leave limits, request approval and sick-note handling.
- Overtime accounts
- Tracks each person's overtime balance, with Excel export and an API to sync the data to other systems.
- Shift planning
- A weekly calendar shows who works when and which shifts still have gaps.
- Digital personnel file
- Stores employee records and uploaded documents, with custom fields you define yourself.
- DATEV export
- Exports hours and absences as a DATEV ASCII file for import, for example into DATEV LODAS. It is a file export, not a live sync.
Plans
Clockodo
Basic$3.80
per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
Work time line: clock-in and out, breaks, holiday management and personal support by phone and email.
Basic Plus$5.70
per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
Work time line with single sign-on, priority service with an extended SLA and automatic backups.
Pro$9.50
per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Project time line: customers, projects, budgets, hourly rates, absences and invoicing-tool integration.
Pro Plus$11.40
per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
All Pro features plus single sign-on, priority support, extended SLA, budget warnings and unlimited webhooks.
Timebutler
Up to 5 people€29.95
per month for up to 5 people, excl. VAT
One price for the whole team, with every feature included.
6 to 35 people€59.95
per month for up to 35 people, excl. VAT
One price for the whole team, with every feature included.
36 to 200 people€59.95
per month, plus €1.39 per person above 35, excl. VAT
Base price for 35 people plus €1.39 a month for each additional person; 50 people costs €80.80.
Over 200 peopleCustom
Individual quote for teams larger than 200; sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Clockodo
- Annual discount
5% off with annual billing
Each plan on the pricing page has a Monthly or Annually toggle, with annual billing marked 5% lower.
Timebutler
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Clockodo or Timebutler?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clockodo is cheaper to start with: $3.80 a month for each person, against about $33.46 a month for each person for Timebutler. Clockodo starts at $3.80 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly), and Timebutler starts at €29.95 per month for the whole team of up to 5 people, excl. VAT.
Which has a free plan, Clockodo or Timebutler?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Clockodo nor Timebutler has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Clockodo and Timebutler run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Clockodo lists a browser extension. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.