Buddy Punch
by Buddy Punch · Time & Attendance
Cloud time clock, scheduling and PTO software with GPS and payroll integrations for hourly teams.
Updated August 2026 · By the ERP Research Editorial Team · Independent and vendor-neutral.
- Works with
- QuickBooks
WorkdayGustoADP Workforce NowPaychexPaycorPaylocityRippling+7 more - Deployment
- Cloud
- Company size
- SMB, Mid-market
- Pricing
- Subscription (per active employee/month + monthly base fee)
- Headquarters
- Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Overview
Buddy Punch is a cloud-based employee time tracking and attendance platform built for hourly and shift-based workforces, primarily in the US market. It combines a time clock, employee scheduling, PTO tracking, and an optional built-in payroll service, and reports serving more than 10,000 businesses across sectors such as construction, healthcare, retail, hospitality, education, and nonprofits.
Employees clock in and out from a web browser, the iOS, Android or ChromeOS apps, or a shared tablet kiosk, using a PIN, QR code, facial recognition, or photo verification. Administrators can require GPS coordinates or geofencing on each punch, lock punching to a company IP address, and configure automatic breaks, punch rounding and overtime rules; approved punches roll up into automatically calculated timesheets that go through an approval workflow before export.
Buddy Punch connects to payroll and HR systems including QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Gusto, ADP Workforce Now, Paychex, Paycor, Paylocity, Rippling, Workday, TriNet, iSolved, Justworks, SurePayroll, Wagepoint and Deltek ComputerEase, plus a Zapier connector and a documented API. Businesses that do not use an external payroll provider can instead run payroll directly through the Buddy Punch Payroll add-on, which covers direct deposit, pay stubs, benefit deductions and tax filing in all 50 states.
Screenshots & demo
Screenshots sourced from Buddy Punch.
Features & capabilities
Time Clock & Punch Methods
Multiple ways for employees to clock in and out depending on device and work setting.
- Web, iOS, Android and ChromeOS clock-in/out
- Time clock kiosk mode on a shared tablet
- Employee PIN punching
- QR code punching
- Facial recognition verification
- Text-to-punch for field workers without internet access
- Group punch for clocking multiple employees in at once
- Single sign-on via Google, Apple, Okta or OneLogin
Employee Accountability & Location
Controls aimed at verifying who is punching in and from where.
- GPS coordinates captured on punch
- Real-time GPS location tracking with breadcrumb history
- Geofencing to block punches outside a work site boundary
- IP address locks restricting punches to company networks
- Photo-on-punch verification
- Facial recognition required before punching
Timesheets & Labor Cost Controls
Automated timesheet calculation and rules to limit unplanned labor cost.
- Automatic timesheet calculation from punch data
- Timesheet submission and approval workflow
- Administrator timesheet editing for missed punches
- Overtime calculation across more than a dozen overtime types
- Automatic break deductions based on configured rules
- Punch rounding in 2-30 minute increments
- Overtime, early-clock-in and missed-shift alerts
- Automatic clock-out at shift end or after a set number of hours
Scheduling
Drag-and-drop shift scheduling with employee self-service.
- Drag-and-drop schedule builder
- Shift templates for recurring schedules
- Scheduling by job, project, location or department
- Employee availability tracking
- Shift trade and cover requests
- Automatic notifications on schedule changes
PTO & Payroll
Time-off tracking and either payroll integration or an in-house payroll option.
- PTO accrual tracking, manual or automatic
- Time-off request and manager approval workflow
- Approved PTO automatically appears on timesheets
- Native integrations with QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, Paycor and other payroll providers
- Optional built-in Buddy Punch Payroll add-on with direct deposit and 50-state tax filing
- Job/project cost tracking via job codes
- Exportable reports as CSV, PDF or Excel
Common use cases
- A multi-location restaurant or retail group tracking hourly staff clock-ins with GPS and geofencing to prevent off-site punching
- A construction or field-service contractor tracking job-costed hours across sites via text-to-punch for crews without reliable internet
- A healthcare or home-care provider verifying shift attendance with facial recognition and photo-on-punch
- A hospitality or event business building weekly shift schedules with a drag-and-drop scheduler and shift-trade requests
- A nonprofit or professional-services firm syncing approved timesheets directly into QuickBooks or Gusto for payroll processing
- An employer with distributed hourly staff enforcing overtime alerts and automatic break deductions to control labor cost
- A small business running payroll directly through Buddy Punch own payroll add-on instead of a separate payroll provider
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Combines time tracking, scheduling, PTO tracking and an optional in-house payroll service in one subscription rather than requiring a separate payroll product
- Wide set of punch-accountability controls (GPS, geofencing, IP locks, facial recognition, photo verification) aimed at preventing buddy punching and time theft
- Native integrations with a broad range of payroll providers (QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, Paycor, Paylocity, Workday, Rippling and more) rather than a single payroll partner
- Field-worker-specific punch method (text-to-punch) for workers without app or internet access on site
ERP integrations
QuickBooks Online supports a live/auto-run sync; QuickBooks Desktop integration is also available
Transfers approved time data for payroll
Paychex Flex
WebPay
Payroll
Construction accounting
Connects Buddy Punch to thousands of other apps
Pricing
Three tiers: Starter ($4.99/user/mo annual, $5.99 monthly), Pro ($6.99/user/mo annual, $7.99 monthly; adds geofencing, kiosk punch, QR codes, API access and scheduling), and Advanced ($12.99/user/mo annual, $13.99 monthly; adds SSO, advanced reporting and priority onboarding), each plus a $19/mo base fee. Optional add-ons: Real-Time GPS ($2/user/mo), Onboarding/Offboarding/Tasks ($4/user/mo), Data Retention ($2/user/mo). The built-in payroll service is $8/user/mo plus a $49/mo base fee. 14-day free trial, no credit card required; only active employees are counted. Get an independent shortlist with pricing guidance below.
Technical & security
- Hosting
- SaaS
- Mobile app
- Yes
About the vendor
- Headquarters
- Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Alternatives to Buddy Punch in Time & Attendance
Buddy Punch — frequently asked questions
Does Buddy Punch integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes. Buddy Punch has native integrations with both QuickBooks Online, including a live/auto-run sync option, and QuickBooks Desktop, letting approved timesheet data flow directly into payroll.
What clock-in methods does Buddy Punch support?
Employees can clock in and out from a web browser, the iOS/Android/ChromeOS apps, a shared tablet kiosk, a PIN, a QR code, or facial recognition, and field workers without internet access can punch by text message.
Does Buddy Punch offer its own payroll?
Yes, as an add-on. Buddy Punch Payroll handles direct deposit, pay stubs, benefit deductions and tax filing in all 50 states for $8 per user per month plus a $49 monthly base fee, on top of any Buddy Punch time-tracking plan.
How is Buddy Punch priced?
Plans run from $4.99 to $12.99 per active employee per month (billed annually) plus a $19 monthly base fee, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required. GPS, onboarding/offboarding and data-retention are available as paid add-ons on lower tiers.
What payroll providers does Buddy Punch connect to besides QuickBooks?
Documented integrations include ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex, Paycor, Paylocity, Rippling, Workday, TriNet, iSolved, Justworks, SurePayroll, Wagepoint and Deltek ComputerEase, plus a Zapier connector and a REST API for other systems.
Evaluating Time & Attendance?
Tell us your ERP and requirements and we'll send an independent shortlist — including Buddy Punch and the best-fit alternatives — with honest pros and cons.