What is the best time and attendance software for manufacturing in 2026?
On a plant floor, a time clock is judged by its shared kiosk, its offline mode and what lands in payroll.
Your operators don't sit at a computer. They punch in at the line, sometimes at 10 p.m. for a shift that ends at 6 a.m. Payroll gets missed punches, buddy punching and overtime totals that someone has to fix by hand. Most "best time clock" lists are written for office teams and remote staff. That isn't your floor.
The short answer. Homebase scores highest: a flat price per location, and, on its All-in-One plan at $120 per location, a block on early clock-ins that stops unscheduled overtime. Clockify has the cheapest kiosk per operator, with kiosk-only seats from $0.79 a month on yearly billing. Connecteam is free for up to 10 users with a kiosk on every plan. Buddy Punch puts an offline kiosk on its Pro plan and connects to ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, Gusto and Paylocity. Deputy has the strongest overtime rules. Jibble is free with unlimited users. Above a few hundred employees with union rules, enterprise suites like UKG come in, quote only.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best factory time clock by situation
Kiosk-only seats from $0.79 yearly
Offline kiosk with job trackingPro plan, $6.99 per user yearly
Under 10 workersFree for life up to 10 users
Best overall, price per location$30 per location; early clock-in block at $120
Complex overtime rulesCore $6.50 per user
A zero-budget pilotFree with unlimited users
6 time and attendance apps for manufacturing, compared
The ranking follows what a plant manager, HR lead or payroll admin needs: operators who punch on a shared terminal, shift work, and hours that reach payroll clean. Every price comes from the vendor's official pricing page, in US dollars. Rank follows the overall score.
| Best for | What it does best on the floor | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homebase | Best overall | Flat price per site, early clock-in block on All-in-One | 4.4/5 | $0; Essentials $30/location | ✓ | Single-site plants | Visit → |
| 2 | Clockify | Cheapest kiosk seat | Kiosk-only seats, apps that work offline | 4.2/5 | Basic $3.99/seat | ✓ | Any plant size | Visit → |
| 3 | Connecteam | Best free up to 10 | Kiosk on every plan, 30 users in Basic | 4.2/5 | $0; Basic $29/mo | ✓ | Small shops | Visit → |
| 4 | Buddy Punch | Best offline kiosk | Kiosk and offline mode on Pro | 4.1/5 | $19 base + $4.99/user | — | 20 to 150 workers | Visit → |
| 5 | Deputy | Best for overtime rules | Labor rules and overtime | 4.1/5 | Lite $5/user | — | Multi-shift plants | Visit → |
| 6 | Jibble | Best free, unlimited | Free, unlimited users | 3.7/5 | $0 | ✓ | Pilots | Visit → |
Scores on five weighted criteria, explained in the method. Deputy has a $30 monthly minimum per invoice on monthly plans; Homebase prices per location; Jibble shows only its free plan clearly. Prices read in 2026 on official pages.
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How we compared and scored for the plant floor
This page is for the factory, not the office. The typical reader runs 30 to 300 hourly workers in food processing, metal fabrication or contract manufacturing. Operators don't have a company email, work rotating or fixed shifts, and punch on a shared terminal. The top Google results on this question list a dozen tools, but few give a real monthly bill at 50 or 200 workers, and almost none explain what happens when the Wi-Fi drops.
We compared each vendor's official pricing page, the conditions of every plan (billing unit, kiosk availability, offline mode, payroll export) and user feedback, starting with the negative reviews. We also reread the federal rules on overtime and rounding and the Illinois biometric law.
The weights follow what costs money on a plant floor when you get it wrong. Clock-in reliability weighs 25%: shared kiosk, personal PIN, audit trail, offline mode. Overtime and labor rules weigh 20%, payroll export 20%, value for money 20% (priced at 50 and 200 workers), and ease of use 15%.
Rank follows the overall score, and each card says which plant the tool fits. A cheaper tool lower down can still be the right buy for your floor.
Not ranked, and why. UKG, Paycor and Paylocity don't publish prices; only third-party estimates exist, so we don't print a number. TimeTrex shows plan names but no dollar amount on its pricing page, with a minimum one-year term and a possible activation fee: it gets a card below, without a score. Swipeclock's pricing page did not load and it is largely sold through payroll partners, so we left it out rather than guess.
- Clock-in reliabilityShared kiosk, personal PIN, edits approved and logged, offline mode.25%
- Overtime and labor rulesOvertime over 40 hours, night shifts, early clock-in blocks.20%
- Payroll exportPayroll integrations, clean exports, reports for payroll.20%
- Value for moneyMonthly cost at 50 and 200 workers, minimums, add-ons.20%
- Ease of use and appSetup on the line, manager screens, support as users describe it.15%
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Time clock pricing changes every year. Get the updates
Homebase
Homebase charges per location, not per head. Basic is free for one location and up to 10 employees, with punches on a tablet, computer or POS. Essentials costs $30 per location a month and adds mobile clock-in with geofencing. Plus costs $70, and All-in-One $120, which adds auto clock-out and a block on early clock-ins. Yearly billing takes off up to 20%.
That early clock-in block matters on a line: workers who punch 15 minutes before the shift create overtime you didn't schedule. Payroll is an add-on at $49 a month plus $6 per employee. The limit: Homebase grew up in retail and restaurants, and its free plan stops at 10 employees, so a real plant starts on a paid plan.
- Flat price per location
- Hardware: tablet, computer or POS on Basic
- Payroll: built-in add-on at $49 a month + $6 per employee
- ✓Bill doesn't grow with headcount
- ✓Blocks unscheduled overtime
- ✓Highest score on this page
- ✗Free plan capped at 10 employees
- ✗Built for retail first
- ✗Offline mode not listed
Great value for a single site with many workers. Pick All-in-One if early punches are costing you overtime.
Clockify
Clockify solves the most expensive problem on a factory floor: paying a full software seat for someone who only punches in and out. Its kiosk-only seat is built for "users that don't have an email and can only clock in via a kiosk". It costs $0.79 to $2.39 a month on yearly billing ($0.99 to $2.99 monthly), depending on the plan. For 50 operators, that's $39.50 to $119.50 a month, plus full seats for your supervisors.
Second, Clockify lets people track time on mobile or desktop "even if you're offline", then syncs. That line is written for the apps: the kiosk's offline behavior is not stated, so check it with the Wi-Fi off. The kiosk starts on Basic ($3.99 per seat yearly, $4.99 monthly) and kiosk photos on Pro. Clockify also runs dedicated pages for manufacturing and factory worker time clocks, so it knows the use case.
The limits. The free plan has no kiosk, and its user cap reads differently on two pages (5 users on the plan card, 4 invited users in the FAQ). Overtime rules stay basic: Clockify counts hours, and your payroll applies shift differentials. Check that export with your payroll provider before rollout.
- Kiosk-only seats for operators without email
- Hardware: tablet kiosk, photo from Pro
- Payroll: send time to QuickBooks, or other tools through Zapier
- ✓Cheapest kiosk per operator
- ✓Apps keep tracking without Wi-Fi
- ✓Dedicated manufacturing setup
- ✗Free plan has no kiosk
- ✗Basic overtime and differential rules
- ✗User cap unclear on free plan
The cheapest way to put a reliable kiosk in front of every operator. Pair it with a payroll system that handles your differentials.
Connecteam
Connecteam ships its Kiosk Station on every plan, free included. The Small Business plan is free for life up to 10 users. After that, Basic costs $29 a month on yearly billing for the first 30 users, then $0.80 per extra user. At 50 workers, that's about $45 a month yearly and $55 monthly. Very low.
The downside for a plant: the pricing page says nothing about offline mode, users report GPS draining phone batteries, and the bill climbs fast on Advanced and Expert. Ratings stay high, around 4.6 out of 5 on roughly 5,000 reviews.
- Kiosk Station on every plan
- Hardware: tablet kiosk
- Payroll: Gusto, QuickBooks, Paychex Flex, Xero
- ✓Lowest entry price
- ✓Simple app for operators
- ✓Kiosk even on free
- ✗No offline mode listed
- ✗Price climbs on upper tiers
- ✗Basic shift rules
A great start for a shop under 30 people with reliable Wi-Fi. Test what happens when the network drops before you roll it out.
Buddy Punch
Buddy Punch was built against the problem in its own name: one worker punching in for another. Its kiosk and offline mode, which records punches "without an internet connection", sit on the Pro and Advanced plans. That is the exact pair a plant needs.
The pricing has two parts: a $19 monthly base fee, plus a per-user price. Starter costs $4.99 per user on yearly billing ($5.99 monthly), Pro $6.99 ($7.99), Advanced $12.99 ($13.99). For 50 workers on Pro, that's $368.50 a month on yearly billing and $418.50 monthly. The trial runs 14 days with no credit card.
The catch: Starter has no kiosk or offline mode, so the real entry price for a plant is Pro. At 200 workers, Pro passes $1,400 a month, which is where Clockify's kiosk-only seats win on cost.
- Kiosk and offline mode on Pro
- Hardware: tablet kiosk, QR codes, photo verification
- Payroll: ADP Workforce Now, Paychex, QuickBooks, Gusto, Paylocity
- ✓Offline kiosk out of the box
- ✓Clear per-user pricing
- ✓Made for hourly teams
- ✗Kiosk not on Starter
- ✗$19 base fee on top
- ✗Gets expensive past 150 workers
A strong pick for a mid-size plant with poor coverage. Budget for Pro from day one, and compare against Clockify once you pass 100 operators.
Deputy
Deputy scores highest on this page for overtime and labor rules. It is built for shift-based teams, with scheduling and time tracking in one place. Lite costs $5 per user a month, Core $6.50 and Pro $9, excluding taxes. Monthly plans carry a $30 minimum per invoice, and yearly billing takes 10% off.
At 50 workers on Core, you pay $325 a month. At 200, $1,300. That's the price of the rules. The limit: per-user pricing hurts on a big floor, and offline kiosk behavior is not stated on the pricing page. The Core kiosk uses face unlock: in Illinois, that is biometric data under BIPA, so get written consent first or switch it off.
- Strong overtime and break rules
- Hardware: kiosk with face unlock on Core
- Payroll: ADP, Paychex, Gusto, QuickBooks
- ✓Best rules engine on this page
- ✓Clear per-user price
- ✓Good for rotating shifts
- ✗Expensive at 200 workers
- ✗$30 monthly minimum
- ✗Offline not stated
Worth the cost when overtime errors already cost more than the subscription. Otherwise, Clockify or Homebase are cheaper.
Jibble
Jibble is free with unlimited users. Jibble offers a shared kiosk with PIN or face ID and offline clock-ins that sync later. Its pricing page no longer says clearly whether both sit in the free plan, so check when you open the account. For a pilot on one line, nothing is faster.
One setting to change first: Jibble promotes AI-powered face recognition. If you have workers in Illinois, BIPA requires written consent before you collect biometrics, and other states are moving the same way. Use the PIN unless legal signs off. The limit: basic payroll exports and paid plan prices you can't read on the official page.
- Free with unlimited users
- Hardware: tablet kiosk with PIN
- Payroll: basic timesheet exports
- ✓Zero cost for a pilot
- ✓Offline included
- ✓Fast setup
- ✗Face ID needs BIPA consent in Illinois
- ✗Paid prices not readable
- ✗Basic payroll export
The best way to test a kiosk on your floor for free. For the whole plant, move up the list.
Enterprise suites and dedicated hardware
Past a few hundred workers, with union rules and several plants, buyers look at enterprise workforce suites. They don't publish prices, so we don't score them or invent a number.
UKG: the enterprise default, quote only
Quote onlyUKG shows up in nearly every manufacturing list for big plants with complex pay rules. UKG sells on quote only, and the numbers you'll find online are third-party estimates, so we don't repeat them. Ask for a quote that splits licenses, terminals and implementation.
- Price
- Quote only
- For
- Large, multi-plant employers
TimeMoto: a standalone terminal that works offline
HardwareTimeMoto sells physical time clocks linked to its TM Cloud software: hours, overtime, breaks, audit trail and project punches. The terminals work offline and can be emptied by USB stick. They offer biometrics against buddy punching: check BIPA and state rules first.
- Strength
- Offline standalone terminal
- Check
- Terminal and license price
TimeTrex: published plans, no published dollar amount
QuoteTimeTrex comes up in many manufacturing searches. Its pricing page lists Professional, Corporate and Enterprise editions, but shows no dollar amount. Prices are based on a minimum one-year term, new accounts may pay an activation fee, and there is a 30-day free trial. Facial recognition time clocks appear in the Professional edition, with additional fees possible. Check BIPA before you switch them on.
- Trial
- 30 days
- Term
- Minimum 1 year
What you actually pay at 50 and 200 workers
Lists give a starting price. On a plant floor, what matters is the monthly bill for every hourly worker, plus hardware. Here is the math from official pricing, one location.
50 workers
Jibble is free. Clockify kiosk seats cost $39.50 to $119.50 yearly, plus supervisors. Connecteam Basic is about $45 yearly. Homebase Essentials is $30 for the location, without the early clock-in block ($120 on All-in-One). Deputy Core is $325. Buddy Punch Pro is $368.50 yearly.
200 workers
Clockify kiosk seats: $158 to $478. Connecteam Basic: about $165 yearly. Homebase stays flat per location. Deputy Core: $1,300. Buddy Punch Pro: $1,417 yearly. At this size, get a UKG quote too, on the same spec sheet.
Hardware
Most apps on this page run on a tablet. Plan one terminal per entrance, and time the line at shift change during the pilot: if it spills past shift start, add one.
- Billing unit: per seat, per kiosk seat, per location
- Whether the kiosk is on the plan you're buying
- Offline behavior, checked with Wi-Fi off
- Monthly minimums and base fees
- Payroll export to your provider
- Implementation and hardware outside the subscription
Labor rules that hit the plant floor
Generic lists stop at "you need a time clock". On a plant floor, the questions are sharper.
Overtime past 40 hours
FLSANon-exempt workers earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Your clock must total the workweek correctly across a night shift that crosses midnight.
Rounding must be neutral
FLSARounding punches is allowed only if, over time, it doesn't shortchange workers. A rule that always rounds in the employer's favor fails that test.
How long to keep records
RecordkeepingKeep time cards for 2 years and payroll records for 3 years. Export them from your app before you switch tools.
Biometric clocks and BIPA
IllinoisIn Illinois, BIPA requires written consent before you collect fingerprints or face scans. Use a PIN or badge unless legal has signed off.
The night shift that crosses midnight
PayrollA 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift must stay one shift, on the right workweek, with its differential sent to payroll. Some apps split it into two days, which breaks daily overtime and differential reports. Load a full week with a Sunday night shift in the demo, then read the payroll export line by line.
Shift differentials count toward overtime
FLSAA night or weekend differential is part of the regular rate. So when a night-shift worker goes past 40 hours, overtime is 1.5 times the regular rate including the differential, not the base wage alone. Many plants get this wrong when the time clock sends only hours and payroll adds the premium later. Ask each vendor where the differential is calculated: in the time app, or in payroll. Deputy and Homebase handle labor rules in the app; Clockify and Jibble leave it to payroll.
Union contracts set their own rules
CBAA collective bargaining agreement can add its own overtime triggers (daily, not just weekly), call-in pay, seniority for overtime offers and specific rounding. None of the apps on this page advertises union rule templates. Bring the contract to the demo, pick three clauses that cost the most when wrong, and ask the vendor to configure them live. If they can't, payroll or an enterprise suite will have to carry them.
Missed punches
ProcessThe worker flags it, the supervisor approves the fix, and the app keeps the audit trail. Never edit hours without a record.
Six settings for a time clock that holds up on the line
These tips come from user feedback and the traps that keep coming back in reviews.
Turn off the Wi-Fi during the demo
ReliabilityAsk the vendor to punch on their tablet with the network off, then back on. Punches must sync with the right time. Where Wi-Fi is weak, a wired terminal fixes it at the source.
Time the punch line at shift change
HardwareDuring the pilot, time the line at shift change. If it spills past shift start, add a terminal instead of tolerating sloppy punches.
Ask early about your existing badges
HardwareAlready have prox badges or a wall clock? Ask on the first call. The apps on this page run on tablets with a PIN, QR code or photo, and their pricing pages don't mention badge readers. TimeMoto sells its own terminals, and enterprise suites usually quote hardware separately.
Personal PIN, not biometrics
ComplianceA PIN, a badge or a kiosk photo makes buddy punching visible without BIPA risk.
Block early punches
OvertimeWorkers who clock in 10 minutes early every day add up to unscheduled overtime. Homebase All-in-One can block early clock-ins.
Run old and new side by side for two weeks
RolloutCompare totals every Friday. Gaps reveal bad break and rounding settings before they hit a paycheck.
Start from the general ranking if you have office staff too
Next stepIf half your team works in offices or in the field, read our general time and attendance ranking as well. For the rest of the chain, compare employee scheduling software, payroll software for small and midsize businesses and timesheet software.
A new factory time clock worth a look? We'll tell you
Factory time clock questions
What is the best time clock for a factory?
For a single-site plant, Homebase: a flat price per location, with early clock-ins blocked on All-in-One ($120 per location). For the cheapest kiosk per operator, Clockify, with kiosk-only seats from $0.79 a month on yearly billing. For an offline kiosk, Buddy Punch Pro at $6.99 per user.
Are biometric time clocks legal?
Yes, with conditions that vary by state. In Illinois, BIPA requires written consent before collecting biometrics. For most plants, a PIN or badge kiosk is simpler and carries no biometric risk.
Can a time clock work offline?
Some do. Buddy Punch (Pro and Advanced) records punches without internet and syncs later, Jibble offers offline clock-ins (check your plan); Clockify's apps track time offline, and its kiosk's offline behavior is not stated. TimeMoto terminals store punches and can be emptied by USB. Connecteam lists no offline mode.
How do manufacturers track labor per work order?
With project or job tracking on top of attendance. Clockify and Buddy Punch can log hours against jobs. For true work order costing, the ERP is usually the right home.
How much does a time clock cost for 50 workers?
From $0 to about $370 a month. Jibble is free, Connecteam is about $45 yearly, Homebase Essentials $30 per location (without the early clock-in block), Deputy Core $325, Buddy Punch Pro $368.50 yearly.
Do shift differentials change overtime pay?
Yes. A shift differential is part of the regular rate, so overtime past 40 hours is paid at 1.5 times the rate including it. Check whether your time app or your payroll applies the differential before overtime is computed.
Can I keep my existing badge readers?
Ask before you buy. The apps ranked here run on tablets with PIN, QR code or photo and don't list badge readers on their pricing pages. Dedicated terminals like TimeMoto, or enterprise suites, are the usual route if you want to keep badges.
How should overtime rounding work?
Neutrally. Rounding is allowed only if it doesn't shortchange workers over time. Set rounding to the nearest increment, both ways, and keep raw punches.