Buddy Punch Review
Buddy Punch is time clock, scheduling and optional payroll software for small businesses whose hourly staff work in more than one place.
Best for
- Small businesses with hourly staff across several sites who need GPS and photo punch controls
- Teams that want public pricing, free admin users and a no-card trial
- Employers who want an optional payroll add-on with US tax filing
Not ideal for
- Teams that need offline punching, break compliance or API access on the entry plan: they start on Pro
- Buyers who need a published SOC 2 or ISO 27001 report: none is named on the security page
- Large enterprises that need a dedicated HCM suite: Buddy Punch is built for small businesses
Also listed in
How we evaluated Buddy Punch
This review rests on the 26 facts this page shows, each checked against the source listed under “Sources”, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score uses only those verified facts, as our methodology explains; third-party ratings, where we quote them, never count in the score.
Our verdict
Buddy Punch fits small businesses with hourly staff across job sites, stores or patients’ homes that want punch controls (GPS, geofences, photos, kiosks) and published prices. Plans run from a $19 monthly base plus $4.99 per user billed annually; scheduling comes with Pro ($6.99 per user) or as a per-user add-on to Starter, and payroll is an add-on that files taxes in all 50 states. It is less suited to buyers who need offline punching, break compliance or an API on the entry plan, since those start on Pro.
Strengths
Public, add-on based pricing
A $19 monthly base plus $4.99 to $12.99 per user billed annually, a 14-day trial, no contract and unlimited free administrator users.
Evidence: Free trial: Yes1
Strong punch accountability
Photos on punches, IP locking, geofencing and PIN, QR or facial-recognition kiosks help reduce buddy punching.
Evidence: Punch fraud controls: Yes1
Wide payroll integration list
Buddy Punch lists 20 integrations, including QuickBooks, ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex, Paylocity, Rippling and Workday, plus Zapier.
Evidence: Native integrations: 203
Scheduling and PTO in one product
Scheduling includes shift swaps, availability, templates and mobile access, and approved PTO flows to timesheets.
Evidence: Open shifts and swaps: Yes4
Optional payroll with US tax filing
The Payroll add-on costs $8 per user a month plus a monthly base fee and files taxes in all 50 U.S. states.
Evidence
Extra costs: Real-Time GPS $2 per user per month (included in Advanced), Onboarding / Offboarding / Tasks $4 per user per month (included in Advanced), Scheduling $1 per user per month (included in Pro and Advanced), Data Retention $2 per user per month, Advanced Reporting $2 per user per month (included in Advanced), Payroll $8 per user per month plus $49 base fee per month1
Weaknesses
Key controls need higher tiers
Offline mode, break compliance, geofencing and API access start on Pro, and SSO, advanced reporting and manager permissions need Advanced.
Add-ons raise the per-user cost
Real-time GPS ($2), scheduling on Starter ($1), data retention ($2) and onboarding tasks ($4) are priced per user per month.
Evidence
Extra costs: Real-Time GPS $2 per user per month (included in Advanced), Onboarding / Offboarding / Tasks $4 per user per month (included in Advanced), Scheduling $1 per user per month (included in Pro and Advanced), Data Retention $2 per user per month, Advanced Reporting $2 per user per month (included in Advanced), Payroll $8 per user per month plus $49 base fee per month1
HR onboarding add-on is not live yet
The Onboarding / Offboarding / Tasks add-on is priced but labeled Coming Soon.
Evidence
Modules: Time tracking, Scheduling, Payroll, PTO tracking, Attendance, Onboarding / Offboarding / Tasks (priced add-on, labeled Coming Soon)1
Price at a glance
Buddy Punch cost at 10 to 100 employees
- Starter$19/mo base + $4.99/employee/mo
- Pro$19/mo base + $6.99/employee/mo
- Advanced$19/mo base + $12.99/employee/mo
| Employees | Starter | Pro | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $68.90/mo | $88.90/mo | $148.90/mo |
| 25 | $143.75/mo | $193.75/mo | $343.75/mo |
| 50 | $268.50/mo | $368.50/mo | $668.50/mo |
| 100 | $518/mo | $718/mo | $1,318/mo |
Monthly cost at each plan’s annual-billing rate, before add-ons and taxes, from the published price model of each plan.
Quick answers
- How much does Buddy Punch cost?
- Buddy Punch charges a $19 monthly base plus $4.99 (Starter), $6.99 (Pro) or $12.99 (Advanced) per user per month billed annually, or $5.99, $7.99 and $13.99 billed monthly.Based on Starting base fee: $19/mo (billed annually)1
- Does Buddy Punch have a free trial?
- Yes. The trial lasts 14 days and requires no credit card.Based on Free trial: Yes1
- Does Buddy Punch integrate with QuickBooks and ADP?
- Yes. QuickBooks Online and Desktop, ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex and Workday are among the listed integrations.Based on Notable integrations: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex, Paylocity, Paycor, Rippling, Workday, Justworks, TriNet Payroll, Zapier3
- Does Buddy Punch support geofencing?
- Yes. Geofences are on the Pro plan and above.Based on Geofencing: Yes1
Coverage of core time & attendance software capabilities
Each core capability we evaluate in Time & Attendance Software, checked against Buddy Punch’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.
11 verified of 11 core capabilities
Specifications
Fit
Product
Buddy Punch integrations
16 integrations we document, by how they connect or as the vendor names them. Buddy Punch says it has 20 integrations.
Native integrations: A–P
Native integrations: P–W
Connected through Zapier
Named by the vendor
- TriNet Payroll
Buddy Punch integration coverage
The 10 apps that time & attendance software products document most often, and whether Buddy Punch documents each.
5 of the 10 most-connected apps documented by Buddy Punch; median of the 21 products compared: 3
- QuickBooks · documented by 18 of 21
- ADP · documented by 11 of 21
- Paychex · documented by 10 of 21
- Gusto · documented by 9 of 21
- Zapier · documented by 8 of 21
- Square · documented by 6 of 21
- Clover · documented by 5 of 21
- Lightspeed · documented by 5 of 21
- Xero · documented by 5 of 21
- BambooHR · documented by 4 of 21
Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier, API or named by the vendor), 21 live time & attendance software products. Not documented does not mean not possible.
Where it ranks
- #3 of 14 scoredTime & Attendance Software
- #9 of 10 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software
- #4 of 4 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software for Construction
- #5 of 5 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software for Healthcare
- #4 of 5 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software for Restaurants
- #6 of 7 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software for Retail
- #9 of 10 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software for Small Business
- #2 of 6 scoredTime & Attendance Software for Construction
- #2 of 7 scoredTime & Attendance Software for Healthcare
- #2 of 13 scoredTime & Attendance Software for QuickBooks
- #1 of 5 scoredTime & Attendance Software for Restaurants
- #2 of 7 scoredTime & Attendance Software for Retail
Buddy Punch alternatives
ClockShark85% similar
QuickBooks Time68% similar
Hourly67% similar
TCP Humanity48% similar
Timeero47% similar
busybusy37% similar
Compare Buddy Punch
Implementation and support
About Buddy Punch
Official profiles
Frequently asked questions
Is Buddy Punch legit?
Buddy Punch is sold by the company of the same name, which was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, US. Before you sign, review the contract terms and ask for the security documentation that applies to your plan.
Does Buddy Punch run payroll?
Yes, as an add-on at $8 per user per month plus a monthly base fee, with tax filings in all 50 states and direct deposit.
Does Buddy Punch support SSO?
Yes. Google, Apple, Okta and OneLogin sign-in are listed, with Okta, OneLogin and SAML 2.0 on Advanced.
What is Buddy Punch used for?
Buddy Punch, on the market since 2013, is a time & attendance software product built for small businesses. Its modules include Time tracking, Scheduling, Payroll, PTO tracking, Attendance, and Onboarding / Offboarding / Tasks.
What are the best alternatives to Buddy Punch?
In our time & attendance software ranking, the highest-scored products other than Buddy Punch are Clockify, TCP Humanity, and Deputy. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: Buddy Punch alternatives.
Which is better, Buddy Punch or Connecteam?
Our Buddy Punch vs Connecteam comparison sets out when each one fits.
What are the pros and cons of Buddy Punch?
Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: Public, add-on based pricing, strong punch accountability, and wide payroll integration list. It is less suited to teams that need offline punching, break compliance or API access on the entry plan: they start on Pro and buyers who need a published SOC 2 or ISO 27001 report: none is named on the security page.
Does Buddy Punch have an API?
Yes. Buddy Punch offers an API.
Does Buddy Punch have a mobile app?
Yes. Buddy Punch lists mobile apps: iOS, Android, ChromeOS.
Is Buddy Punch good for small businesses?
Buddy Punch lists small businesses among the company sizes it is built for (small businesses); for 10 employees its list prices come to $68.90 a month. It ranks #1 of 12 in our time & attendance software for small businesses.
How this page was made
What it is built from
26 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 9, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested Buddy Punch hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction
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Buddy PunchLeadChange Score 8.1
Sources
The 8 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/pricing“Billed Annually (Save up to 18%) Starter Time tracking essentials for small teams and businesses. $4.99/user/mo” “There is a per employee fee and then a base fee each month. This can be paid monthly or annually. If paid annually there is a discount.”
- Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/about-us“Buddy Punch builds easy to use and affordable workforce management software that helps small businesses track time, manage schedules, and run payroll without the headaches.” “This web-based app was designed to simplify and automate employee time tracking and stop time theft without the need for any hardware.”
- Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/integrations“Connect Buddy Punch to your existing payroll provider, use our API to manage and edit your data at scale, or set up single sign-on.” “Transfer your time data to QuickBooks in seconds.”
- Buddy Punch docs.buddypunch.com/en/articles/5013753-how-to-setup-trades-covers
- Buddy Punch buddypunch.com“Features like employee GPS tracking, job costing, and mobile apps make Buddy Punch perfect for industries like construction, landscaping, cleaning services, plumbing, home repair, HVAC, and agriculture.”
- Buddy Punch docs.buddypunch.com/en/articles/4720858-how-to-set-up-overtime
- Buddy Punch docs.buddypunch.com/en/articles/919241-how-to-add-or-edit-punches-employee-web-app
- Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/features“We’ll pay your employees with direct deposit, create pay stubs, deduct benefit costs, file taxes for you in all 50 U.S. states, and more.” “We also have apps for iOS and Android phones/tablets and a ChromeOS app for Chromebooks.”