Buddy Punch
6.5/10Cloud time clock and employee scheduling software that lets small and mid-sized businesses track hours, jobs, PTO and locations and send timesheets to payroll.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Buddy Punch is a web and mobile time clock for businesses that pay hourly staff. Employees can clock in from a phone, browser, shared kiosk, QR code or webcam. Admins can require GPS on punches, set geofences and check selfie photos to stop employees punching in for each other. Hours can be split by job code, so the tool also covers basic job and project time tracking. It also handles PTO tracking, break compliance rules, overtime calculation, timesheet approval and shift scheduling. Pricing is a 19 USD monthly base fee plus a per-active-user charge. Starter costs 5.99 USD per user, Pro 7.99 USD and Advanced 13.99 USD on monthly billing, with lower per-user rates on annual billing. Admins are free. Paid add-ons include real-time GPS, onboarding and task workflows, scheduling on Starter, advanced reporting, six-year data retention and a payroll service. There is a 14-day trial but no free plan. The main strength is payroll export, with direct syncs to QuickBooks Online and Desktop, ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex Flex, Paylocity, Rippling, Workday and others, plus Zapier and an API. Buddy Punch is not a project management suite. It has no task boards, Gantt charts, docs or team chat, so teams that need to plan and deliver projects will need a separate tool alongside it.
Our Rating
Who Buddy Punch is best for
Good fit
The low base fee, free admin users and payroll syncs suit small teams of hourly staff.
GPS punches, geofences and mobile clock-in suit staff working on site.
Job code time tracking and GPS geofencing suit hourly crews.
- HR Teams7/10
Handles PTO, break compliance and overtime, and syncs with payroll systems such as ADP and Gusto.
Less suited
- Mid-Market6/10
The Advanced plan adds SSO, manager permissions and dedicated support, but the feature depth is modest.
Job codes track hours by job, but there is no project planning or client billing workflow.
Integrates with Workday, but the vendor targets small and mid-sized businesses.
Built for businesses that pay hourly staff, not for solo workers.
It has no task boards, Gantt charts or docs.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Employees can clock in many ways, including mobile app, kiosk, QR code, webcam and selfie punches.
- Direct payroll syncs cover around 20 systems, including QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto, Paychex and Rippling.
- Admins are free and only active employees count toward billing.
- Reviewers describe support as fast and handled by real people.
- GPS punches and geofencing help verify that field staff are where they should be.
Cons
- It is not a project management tool: there are no task boards, Gantt charts or docs.
- Costs rise with each user and each add-on, and there is a 19 USD monthly base fee.
- Reviewers say correcting missed punches is manual and the admin settings take time to learn.
- Some users report the mobile app lags, especially on weak connections.
- An independent review rates the built-in reporting as basic, and advanced reports cost extra on lower plans.
Key Features
Buddy Punch Pricing
Advanced
- Single sign-on
- Dedicated support
- Everything in Pro
- Advanced reporting
- Manager permissions
- Priority onboarding
- Real-time GPS included
- Higher API and MCP limits
- 19 USD per month base fee plus 13.99 USD per user on monthly billing, or 12.99 USD per user on annual billing
Pro
- Activity log
- Offline mode
- Webcam photos
- Basic geofencing
- Break compliance
- Scheduled reports
- API and MCP access
- Scheduling included
- Multiple pay periods
- Everything in Starter
- QR code and kiosk punching
- 19 USD per month base fee plus 7.99 USD per user on monthly billing, or 6.99 USD per user on annual billing
Starter
- Reporting
- Mobile apps
- Job tracking
- GPS on punches
- Time off tracking
- Payroll integrations
- Unlimited free admin users
- 19 USD per month base fee plus 5.99 USD per user on monthly billing, or 4.99 USD per user on annual billing
Frequently Asked Questions
There is a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. There is no free plan after the trial.
No. Admins are free, and only active employees count toward the user total.
It syncs directly with QuickBooks Online and Desktop, ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex Flex, Paylocity, Paycor, Rippling, Workday, Justworks, TriNet and others. It also connects to Zapier and has an API.
Yes, on the Advanced plan. Employees can log in with Google, Apple, Okta or OneLogin.
Only time tracking by job code. Planning, task boards and team collaboration need a separate tool.
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