Timebutler vs TimeTac (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick TimeTac if

• Fits if you track hours and leave for a team and want apps on phones and computers
• Works for teams that bill projects as well as hours

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want one price per head, as there is a base fee on Working Hours
• Tight if you need compliance, approvals or the API, which start on Standard
• Pricey if you want automated tracking, which sits on Project Time Advanced at $18
• Watch out: prices vary by visitor country, and hardware is priced separately

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.

TimeTac

• The Working Hours licence adds a base fee on top of per-user prices: $20 a month billed yearly or $25 billed monthly.
• The price table is built by page script and varies by visitor country; the dollar prices here are the page's US rates.
• The page invites teams of 20 or more users to request a personalised quote.
• Hardware such as terminals and premium support services are priced individually, not listed.

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.

TimeTac

Several ways to clock in

Browser, mobile apps with offline mode, NFC tags, terminals and a time tracking cube, with GPS and geofencing on higher plans.

Absence management

Leave requests with approval workflows, absence quotas, public holidays and holiday templates, with balances and entitlements from Standard.

Overtime and payroll data

Overtime rules, paid breaks, automatic break rules and compliance checks prepare hours for payroll on the Standard plan and above.

Project time and budgets

Track hours by client, project and task, compare against budgets and run billable-hours and client reports.

Automatic time tracking

A desktop app records apps and browser tabs in the background and suggests entries to confirm. The plan matrix lists it under Project Time Advanced.

Integrations and API

Integrations and an API are part of the Standard plans, with API users and bulk actions on Advanced working hours.

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.

TimeTac

• Working Hours: Essential$5

  per user / month, billed yearly ($6 billed monthly)

  Time tracking, absence management, reporting, multi-device access and exports. Plus a base fee of $20 a month ($25 billed monthly).

• Working Hours: Standard$9

  per user / month, billed yearly ($11 billed monthly)

  Adds compliance checks, approval workflows, overtime and payroll, geofencing, integrations and API. Base fee applies.

• Working Hours: Advanced$11

  per user / month, billed yearly ($13 billed monthly)

  Adds advanced absence rules and team workshops or pilot projects. Base fee applies.

• Project Time: Essential$10

  per user / month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly)

  Project time tracking, basic reporting and budget overview. No base fee when bought without Working Hours.

• Project Time: Standard$14

  per user / month, billed yearly ($17 billed monthly)

  Adds budgets and cost control, billable hours, client reports, team utilization, geofencing and API.

• Project Time: Advanced$18

  per user / month, billed yearly ($22 billed monthly)

  Adds automated time tracking, custom workflows, advanced BI and team workshops or pilot projects.

Timebutler

No public discounts listed.

TimeTac

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing is cheaper per user

  The pricing configurator defaults to yearly billing and lists a lower per-user rate for each plan than the monthly one, for example $5 against $6 on Working Hours Essential.