Buddy Punch vs OnTheClock: Full Comparison
Both tools track hourly staff with GPS and PTO. Buddy Punch adds stronger scheduling. OnTheClock bundles GPS and PTO, with payroll as an add-on.
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Our quick verdict on both tools
Pick Buddy Punch if you want drag-and-drop scheduling built in and a tool with the strongest review scores in the category. Pick OnTheClock if you want GPS, geofencing, and PTO accrual included at the base price with no separate flat fee added on top.
Start tracking freeWhat this comparison covers
Buddy Punch and OnTheClock are both time tracking tools, compared here side by side so you can see how they differ.
If you actually bill clients for time instead of just tracking attendance, TimeTracker is worth a look as a third option too.
Compare the two products at a glance
Both tools solve time tracking. Here is what each one includes, side by side.
Buddy Punch
An easy time clock with a lot of ways to prove who punched: GPS on every punch, plus geofencing, PIN and kiosk punching and a webcam photo from the Pro tier up.
- Best for
- Small and mid-size hourly or field workforces that want an easy time clock with GPS and scheduling.
- Pricing
- No free plan, 14-day trial only. Billed annually: Starter $4.99, Pro $6.99, Advanced $12.99 per user a month, each plus a $19 monthly base fee. Extras are sold per user on top.
- Punch in/out from web, mobile, or kiosk
- GPS coordinates on every punch
- Geofencing, PIN and kiosk punching (Pro)
- Webcam photo on punch (Pro)
- Scheduling, included from Pro
- PTO accrual and approvals
OnTheClock
GPS tracking, geofencing, and PTO accrual come standard on the base plan, features most rivals gate behind higher tiers.
- Best for
- Small businesses that want a simple time clock with GPS, PTO, and scheduling included at the base tier.
- Pricing
- No free plan, 30-day trial. $4 per employee a month plus a $5 monthly base fee, so 2 employees is $13 a month. Payroll adds $6 per employee plus a $40 base fee, and a one-time $250 onboarding fee.
- GPS tracking and geofencing
- Biometric and IP punch verification
- PTO and leave tracking with accruals
- Drag-and-drop employee scheduling
- Project and job costing
- Tips, bonus, commission tracking
See how they stack up
Pricing, best fit, and top strengths for both tools, side by side.
Pricing checked 2026-07-30. Confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Which one fits your team
Choose Buddy Punch when…
You need to build and publish shift schedules, not just record punches after the fact.
Drag-and-drop scheduling lives in the same app as the time clock, so shifts and actual punches sit side by side.See how
You want the tool with the strongest track record for ease of use.
Buddy Punch holds a 4.8 out of 5 rating on both G2 and Capterra, a full point above where most attendance tools land.See how
You want to stop buddy punching, where one worker clocks in for another.
Photo capture on clock-in attaches a picture to every punch, so a supervisor can check who actually showed up.See how
You need PTO accrual and approvals without a separate leave system.
PTO accrues by policy and requests route for approval, so leave balances stay correct without a spreadsheet.See how
You want a live map view of where staff are clocking in right now, not just a log after the fact.
Real-time GPS with a live map view is part of Buddy Punch's plans, though the deepest version sits on its top tier.See how
You want geofencing you can size to fit each job site, not one fixed default zone.
Geofencing has a configurable radius, so a punch only counts once staff are actually inside the zone you set.See how
Choose OnTheClock when…
You want GPS and geofencing included at the base tier, not gated to a pricier plan.
GPS tracking and geofencing come standard on OnTheClock's one base plan, so you are not paying extra for location checks.See how
You want PTO accrual included without moving up a tier for it.
Leave tracking with accruals is part of the base plan, so time-off balances stay correct without an add-on purchase.See how
You want to track tips, bonuses, or commissions alongside hours worked.
Tips, bonus, and commission tracking sit next to the time clock, useful for restaurant and service staff pay.See how
You want job costing tied to punches without adding a separate billing tool.
Project and job costing let you see labor cost by job, which helps a field or trade business track a job's true cost.See how
You want biometric or IP-based punch verification as a standard option.
Biometric and IP punch checks cut down on buddy punching without needing a separate camera-based add-on.See how
You want to keep payroll as a separate, opt-in cost instead of bundled into every seat.
Payroll is a distinct add-on priced on its own, so a team that runs payroll elsewhere is not paying for it by default.See how
Popular features
Employee time tracking your team will actually use
One click starts a timer, or people type hours in by hand. Every entry ties to a client, project, and task, so the record stays clean.
Explore Time Tracking→See where the time really goes
Break hours down by client, project, and team member. Find the work that pays off and the projects that run over.
Explore Reports & Dashboards→Bill for every hour you earn
Mark each entry billable or non-billable while you work. Approved hours roll straight into reports you can bill from.
Explore Billing→Use cases this solves
Frequently asked questions
- Is Buddy Punch more expensive than OnTheClock?
- Buddy Punch starts around $4.49 a user a month plus a flat base fee. OnTheClock runs about $4 an employee a month plus a smaller $5 base fee, so OnTheClock is usually a bit cheaper for a small team. See how the base time tracking plans compare before you commit to either one.
- Which tool includes GPS tracking at the lowest price?
- OnTheClock includes GPS and geofencing on its one base plan. Buddy Punch also offers GPS, but the deepest real-time map view sits on its higher tiers. If your staff work across job sites, check which tier of each tool you actually need before comparing price.
- Does OnTheClock have scheduling like Buddy Punch?
- Yes, OnTheClock includes drag-and-drop scheduling too. Buddy Punch's scheduling is generally seen as more built out and is one reason it holds a higher review score for ease of use.
- Which tool handles PTO and leave better?
- Both handle it well. OnTheClock includes PTO accrual on its base plan. Buddy Punch's leave and PTO tracking also covers accrual and approvals, so the two are close on this feature.
- Does either tool include payroll?
- Neither includes payroll for free. OnTheClock offers payroll as a separate paid add-on at about $40 a month plus $6 per employee. Buddy Punch focuses on time and attendance and exports hours for an outside payroll tool instead.
- Which tool is easier to learn for a new team?
- Both score well with reviewers, but Buddy Punch edges ahead, with a 4.8 out of 5 rating on G2 and Capterra. OnTheClock also scores strongly at 4.7 on Capterra and 4.5 on G2. Either one's reports and dashboards are simple enough that most teams need little training.
- Which tool tracks job costs better?
- OnTheClock includes project and job costing on its base plan, useful for field or trade businesses that want cost tracking tied to punches. Buddy Punch focuses more on scheduling and attendance than job-level cost reporting.
- Does Buddy Punch track tips or commissions like OnTheClock?
- No, that is one area where OnTheClock goes further. It tracks tips, bonuses, and commissions next to hours worked, which suits restaurant and service staff pay. Buddy Punch does not offer this out of the box.
- Which tool fits overtime-heavy teams better?
- Neither tool advertises a dedicated overtime alert built into its plans. You would spot overtime from the hours already logged, not from a live warning while a shift is running. If overtime rules matter a lot at your business, check overtime tracking against your state or local rules before assuming either tool handles it for you.
- What if I need to bill clients for hours, not just track attendance?
- Neither Buddy Punch nor OnTheClock is built around client billing. Both are attendance tools first. If you need budgets and invoicing tied to tracked hours, our Clockify alternatives page covers billing-focused options, including TimeTracker, worth a look for that kind of work.
Ready to pick the right time clock?
Buddy Punch and OnTheClock both cover GPS, scheduling, and PTO. Weigh the plan structure and the extras each one bundles in before you commit.
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