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Top ClockShark Alternatives for Employee Monitoring

Andjelka Prvulovic
Last update on:
April 18, 2024 1:55 AM
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Employee monitoring is essential for any business that wants to ensure accuracy, optimize productivity, manage costs, and improve profitability. But with so many tools, how do you choose the best one for your needs?

One of the tools is ClockShark, a GPS time-tracking software designed for businesses with a mobile workforce, such as field service and construction. But ClockShark might not be the best fit for everyone; you might be looking for a more affordable solution, a mileage tracking option, or a more accurate GPS tracking feature.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top ClockShark alternatives today. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of the top ClockShark competitors in the GPS time-tracking space, each with its strengths and weaknesses. We’ll also compare their features, integrations, customer support, and pricing to help you make an informed decision. Finally, we’ve also included screenshots of the software so that you can better understand the user interface and how to navigate its features.

So whether you’re already using ClockShark and want to switch to a different tool, or you're just starting your search for a GPS time-tracking solution, this article will help you find the best option for your business!

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What is ClockShark?

ClockShark is a popular software-as-a-service (SaaS) that you can use to track time jobs, tasks, and locations using a mobile app or a web browser. 

Besides tracking your employees' time and locations, ClockShark has solid scheduling and reporting functionalities, helping you better manage your resources and streamline your business processes, such as invoicing, billing, or payroll.

Because of its GPS capabilities and geofencing, it is a popular choice for businesses with a mobile workforce in construction, landscaping, cleaning, field services, etc.


To help you make an informed decision, we’ve tested the software for you and given a comprehensive overview of its features. So if you want to learn more about the app, check out our ClockShark Review.

Below is a brief sum-up of what decision-makers usually want to know.

Does ClockShark track your location?

ClockShark uses GPS technology to monitor your employees' locations when they punch in and out and when they go on and come back from breaks. Besides these GPS points, ClockShark captures locations several times during each working hour.

Does ClockShark have a desktop app?

ClockShark doesn’t have a desktop app.

As it is cloud-based time-tracking software, it can be accessed via the web by logging into the portal on their website.

What is the cost of ClockShark?

ClockShark has two pricing plans. To subscribe to Standard Plan, you must pay a $40 monthly base fee and $8 per month for each user. Pro Plan has a $60 monthly base fee plus an additional  $10 per user. In addition, there is a 14-day free trial to test the app.

So, now that we’ve covered the ClockShark basics, we can move on to today’s topic and introduce the best ClockShark Alternatives.

Timeero - All-In-One ClockShark Alternative

At the risk of sounding a bit biased, as we’re the team behind it, we can still confidently say that if you’re looking for the best ClockShark alternative, Timeero is your best shot.

Timeero is a cloud-based GPS time-tracking app that allows teams to clock in and out from their mobile devices. Timeero tracks employees’ time and locations, records their routes, and calculates their mileage if they travel during their shifts.

Timeero Who's Working Dashboard
Timeero - the top ClockShark Alternative

The mobile app is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing employees to clock in and out effortlessly.

 

Timeero GPS Time Clock
Timeero GPS Time Clock: Employees can easily punch in and out using the app

While your employees are on the clock, the app will capture their GPS data quite frequently and accurately so that you can see their locations in real time. Using the Who’s Working dashboard, you can see the times and locations of all your available employees and the job they are currently working on.

If your employees travel during the shift, the app will record their mileage. As soon as the app recognizes driving speed, it will start tracking their mileage automatically and record the exact routes they took. This feature, which ClockShark does not offer, is beneficial if you’re reimbursing your employees for mileage or want to cut down on your mileage costs.

Timeero Suggested Mileage
Timeero Route Shows Accurate Data on Your Employees’ Business Miles

Besides clocking in and out from work, employees can use the Timeero mobile app to take breaks, view their timesheets and schedules, accept or decline new shifts, request PTO or attach notes to their time card entries.

Quite similar to Clockshark, Timeero has a Kiosk app with a facial recognition feature that you can use to prevent buddy punching, a widespread time theft scheme.

The geofencing feature can help you with more accurate attendance tracking. Using this functionality, you can set virtual boundaries around job sites and other places of interest, and for example, remind your employees to clock in or out when they enter or leave a specific location.

To improve accountability, Timeero allows you to restrict employees from logging in offsite, or let them clock in but alert the admin and flag employees’ timesheets for violations. 

Timeero geofencing
Timeero: Creating a Geofenced Job

Timeero has a strong scheduling feature that can help you with better tasks and time management. It lets you create schedules easily and prevent potential scheduling conflicts.

 

For example, when an employee’s time off is approved, it will be shown in the schedule automatically, ensuring that your managers won’t schedule an unavailable team member. 

Timeero Scheduling
Timeero Scheduling

Timeero has robust reporting capabilities, helping you get a better insight into job costing and labor costs and granting you more control over your resources. In addition, as it integrates with some common payroll and accounting tools, Timeero can help you streamline payroll and mileage reimbursement. 

When compared to ClockShark, Timeero does a much better job when it comes to employee monitoring. For more details on how Timeero compares to ClockShark, you can check our Timeero vs. ClockShark side-by-side comparison article.

Key Features:

  • GPS time clock software
  • GPS tracking
  • Who’s Working Dashboard
  • Mileage Tracking
  • Jobs
  • Geofencing
  • Employee Scheduling
  • Time Off Requests and Approvals
  • Break Management
  • Overtime Monitoring, Rules, and Management
  • Reporting
  • Timesheet approvals
  • Kiosk App with Facial Recognition
  • Message Blasts

Integrations:

  • ADP Workforce Now®
  • QuickBooks Online and Desktop
  • RUN Powered by ADP®
  • Xero
  • Paychex
  • Gusto
  • Rippling 
  • Viventium
  • Zapier

For businesses with more advanced integration needs, Timeero also offers Public API.

Customer Support:

Timeero offers customer support via phone, email, and live chat. There is also a very useful Help Center on Timeero’s website with answers to the most common queries.

timeero user ratings
Timeero User Ratings on G2

Timeero’s customer support is highly praised by its users, giving it the highest grade and far above the average ratings.

Pricing:

Timeero comes with straightforward pricing. There are no monthly fees or additional expenses, just the monthly price for each user. There are three pricing plans:

Basic: $4/mo per user

Pro:  $8/mo per user

Premium:  $11/mo per user

To see the features offered in each plan, check out Timeero’s pricing page.

When I Work - Great Scheduling with a GPS Twist

When I Work is primarily an employee scheduling software. But its additional features transform the app into a powerful time-tracking tool that can be used for monitoring employee attendance, streamlining timesheets and payroll, and more efficient human resource management.

With so many options, When I Work is excellent for businesses looking for powerful scheduling options. 

when I work scheduling
When I Work offers powerful scheduling options.

Open Shifts is a great functionality When I Work offers. You can create Open Shifts for all your employees or match them to eligible ones so they can pick them up easily. 

When I Work scheduling feature also allows employees to confirm their scheduled shifts, trade them, or specify their availability.

when I work scheduling
When I Work lets employees set their availability.

Admins can set up Time and Attendance options quite easily using the software. They can choose whether they’ll allow their staff to clock their hours using their mobile devices or desktop computers and use geofencing to restrict where employees can clock in and out using location-based restrictions.

When I Work Time and Attendance Settings
When I Work: Time and Attendance Settings

When an employee clocks in, the app will automatically check their locations. They won’t be allowed to log their hours if they are not within the predefined perimeter.


Besides geofencing, other great functionalities, such as the Early Clock in Prevention or Overtime visibility,  can help you gain more control over your employees’ working hours.

In addition, you can always use team messaging for more efficient communication with your staff.


The app lets you view and edit your employees' timesheets and get different reports. For example, you can generate an Attendance Notices report for insight into time clock alerts, such as wrong location or late/early clock-ins. You can also see labor breakdown, shift and time off requests, or export schedules.

when I work time clock
When I Work GPS Time Clock on an Android phone

While employees are on the clock, they can take a predefined break during their shifts or clock out.

Employees can also use the software to request time off and receive notifications once their request has been approved or denied. When the request is approved, it will show up in the scheduler, allowing you to better understand your staff’s availability.

Key Features:

  • Employee Scheduling  with advanced features such as Auto Scheduling, Scheduling Rules, Shift Swapping and Releasing, and more
  • Time Off and Availability Management
  • Availability Management
  • Workplace Dashboard
  • Overtime Alerts, Visibility, and Management
  • Mobile, Web, and Terminal Time Clock
  • Timesheets
  • Break Management
  • Attendance Notifications and Reminders
  • Mobile Clock In/Out with GPS Enforcement
  • Early Clock In Prevention
  • Photo Clock In Confirmation
  • Team Messaging

Integrations:

To streamline your workplace operations and HR workflow, When I Work integrates with various point of sale, accounting, and payroll software. Some of the software it integrates with include:

  • Gusto
  • Run Powered by ADP
  • Gigwage
  • QuickBooks Online
  • Square
  • Crew
  • Clair

For a full list of integrations, check out their website.

Customer Support:

When I Work offers customer support through tickets and live chat during certain hours. They also have a help center where you can find useful information on using their products.

 

When I Work G2 User Ratings
When I Work G2 User Ratings

When I Work users are mostly satisfied with the quality of support the reps provide, with the G2 rating equal to the average in the category. 

However, some users may prefer phone assistance over online support, which the When I Work support team does not provide.

Pricing:

When I Work has two pricing plans you can choose according to your business needs. Both packages can be used by an unlimited number of employees and up to 3 administrators.

Standard

Standard Scheduling: $2.50 per user per month

With Time and Attendance: $4 per user per month

Advanced

Advanced Scheduling: $6 per user per month.

With Time and Attendance: $8 per user per month.

Adding Time and Attendance to your subscription also gives you the On Demand Pay feature.

When I Work can be billed monthly or annually, and there is a 14-day free trial to test the software and its features.

TimeSheet Mobile - GPS Time Clock with Dial-up IVR Punch-In/Out

Next on our list of the best ClockShark alternatives is TimeSheet Mobile, a solid time-tracking solution with GPS and geofencing technology. It comes as a web app and as a mobile app for both iOS and Android mobile devices. 

And if your employees need more clock-in options, TimeSheet Mobile has got you covered - it also offers the option of Dial-up IVR Punch In/Out for those without smartphones.


The employee mobile app is easy to use. They can clock in and out easily and switch sites and jobs. They can also use the time clock to add audio or written notes to their entries.

TimeSheet Mobile time clock
TimeSheet Mobile - Mobile App: Time Clock & Timesheets

Employees can also view and submit their timesheets and receive notifications of new shifts, break reminders, etc. 

Admins have some powerful options at their disposal to improve the productivity and accountability of their employees. For example, they can set up notifications for missed punches, use geofencing on their job sites, and restrict employees from clocking in offsite. 

Besides tracking time and attendance, Timesheet Mobile has a robust scheduling feature for more efficient workforce management. 

TimeSheet Mobile Scheduler
TimeSheet Mobile: Scheduler

TimeSheet Mobile Auto Travel and Distance is a nice addition to their features offerings. The app recognizes when your worker travels during the shift and compares the time needed to reach their destination with Google Maps estimation.

 If your employees travel to their destination too long, you will know - it will flag their travel as double the expected travel time.

TimeSheet Mobile AutoTravel‍
TimeSheet Mobile AutoTravel

Although the feature can be useful for accountability purposes, it’s about all you can do with this data. We’ve tested the Auto Travel and Distance feature ourselves - the software doesn’t show the real route we took while trying it, nor does it claim it does. 

The mileage the app shows is Google Maps’s shortest distance estimate, so you can’t use this data to accurately and fairly reimburse your employees’ business mileage.

Key Features:

  • Free Smartphone App
  • Dial-up IVR Punch In/Out
  • Employee Location with Geofencing
  • Geofence Autopunch
  • Geofence Violation Alerts
  • Auto Break Prompts
  • PTO and Vacation
  • Employee Scheduling
  • Employee Reminders
  • COVID-19 Employee Screening
  • Auto Travel Time and Distance
  • Overtime Warnings
  • Project+ Team Messaging

Integrations:

To help you streamline your workflow, TimeSheet Mobile integrates with other software, such as

  • Run Powered by ADP
  • ADP Workforce Now
  • Accounting Suite
  • Sage

For a complete list of integrations, visit their website.

Customer Support

Timesheet Mobile offers customer service through phone and email. They also have a support center where you can find information on using their software. 

Browsing the user reviews, we’ve found that users are highly satisfied with the quality of service they receive from the support team, with the G2 reviews scoring above average.

TimeSheet Mobile User Ratings
G2: TimeSheet Mobile User Ratings

Pricing:

TimeSheet Mobile’s pricing is a bit more complex, as it includes a monthly company subscription, a monthly price for employees, and in some plans - a price for punches.  

You can choose from five pricing plans:

Basic Plan: $3.49 per employee for unlimited punches + $14.99 company subscription.

Per Punch Plan: 15 cents per punch + $29.99 company subscription.

Small Businesses Plan $9.95 per employee for unlimited punches + $29.99 company subscription.

Medium Businesses: $2.49 per employee for unlimited punches + $149 company subscription.

Large Businesses: Contact for details.

However, some significant features -  such as integrations, geofencing violations, overtime warnings or projects, and team messaging, are available only at more expensive plans.

QuickBooks Workforce (FKA QuickBooks Time) - Good Choice for QuickBooks Users

Our list of best ClockShark alternatives wouldn’t be complete without QuickBooks Workforce mobile app FKA QuickBooks Time, a popular choice among QuickBooks accounting software users.

QuickBooks Time is GPS time tracking software that helps you monitor and manage your employees' time & attendance and get a better understanding of your resources. 

Its QuickBooks Workforce mobile app can be used on iOS and Android devices, allowing employees to clock in and out of work easily, switch the jobs they’re working on, or log their breaks. QuickBooks Time also offers a Kiosk app with facial recognition to monitor your employees' attendance. 

Timesheets will be automatically created with employees’ punches, letting you forget about manual timekeeping and streamline your payroll process.

When recording your employees’ locations during their shifts, QuickBooks Workforce captures their whereabouts during their punches and continuously during their shifts. The software shows all the data it gathers on available employees in a single Who’s Working dashboard, allowing an instant insight into how the work progresses, more efficient task management, and better use of resources.

However, as we’ve tested the app and compared it to the other best GPS tracking apps, we dare say there is room for improvement. Nevertheless, the app performs employee monitoring well and will provide a general overview of your employees’ locations. But this list has better choices if you want more detailed and precise GPS data. Check out our article on the 5 best employee GPS trackers to see the testing results, or read our QuickBooks Time review to learn more about its features and drawbacks.

QuickBooks Workforce FKA QuickBooks Time comes with standard geofencing capabilities - it will remind your employees to clock in and out or switch jobs and notify you of any violations. But the software offers an excellent addition - the app uses geofenced locations to notify your employees when they have jobs nearby they can log into.

QuickBooks TIme geofencing
QuickBooks Time Geofencing Settings on web and mobile app

Besides time and location monitoring, QuickBooks Workforce FKA QuickBooks Time comes with a solid mileage tracking feature - while testing the app, the route the app recorded mostly corresponded to the route we took. You can check out our ClockShark vs. QuickBooks Time article to see more details on our testing and a brief comparison of features.

Like the other top ClockShark alternatives, the software has robust scheduling features and many reporting options helping you manage your mobile workforce more efficiently.

However, after checking out the software ourselves, we’ve concluded that regarding its ease of use, QuickBooks Time has a steeper learning curve than some competitors - ClockShark or Timeero. Especially the web-based admin app, which will require serious onboarding to get you started.

Key Features:

  • Mobile time clock with GPS
  • See Who’s working
  • Geofencing
  • Mileage tracking
  • Streamlined payroll and invoicing
  • Employee scheduling
  • Reporting
  • Time off management
  • Alerts and notifications
  • Photo attachments
  • Project management features
  • Kiosk with Facial Recognition

Integrations:

QuickBooks Time offers a wide selection of integrations with other software and providers, such as

  • QuickBooks Online
  • ADP
  • Gusto
  • Paychex
  • PaymentEvolution
  • Aero
  • Square
  • Justworks
  • Breezeworks
  • Karbon 
  • Makeshift
  • OnPay and more.

For a full list of integrations, check out their website.

Customer Support

QuickBooks Time provides customer support through phone, email, help center, and community forum. 

QuickBooks Time User Ratings on G2
QuickBooks Time User Ratings on G2

QuickBooks Time users are satisfied with the responsiveness of their customer support team, rating the quality of their support above average.

Pricing:

QuickBooks Time forms its prices the same way ClockShark does. In addition to the monthly charges per user, you pay a monthly base fee covering one administrator.

 QuickBooks Time has two pricing plans:

Premium:  $20 monthly base fee + $8 per month per user.

Elite: $40 monthly base fee + $10 per month per user,

However, you need to subscribe to the pricier plan to access some essential features, such as geofencing,  mileage tracking, or timesheet signatures. With a $40 monthly base fee for small businesses or smaller teams, this may not be the most viable option.

There is a 30-day free trial to check out QuickBooks Time and see whether it fits your business needs. 

What Is the Best Alternative to Clockshark?

Our list of top ClockShark alternatives for employee monitoring is not exhaustive. 

But if you’re looking for a time-tracking tool with strong GPS capabilities and geofencing that you can also use to streamline scheduling, human resource management, and reporting, the list of ClockShark alternatives we presented may serve as a great starting point.

 

You may have noticed that all the apps we introduced offer a free trial, so signing up and testing them against your business needs is a good idea.

There are numerous reasons you should start with Timeero today - besides being the most accurate  ClockShark alternative, it’s also the most affordable. Plus, it does reliable mileage and route tracking, helping you manage your resources and reduce expenses! You can read our comprehensive Timeero review to learn how it may benefit your business, or just sign up for a free trial and get a first-hand feel of the app.

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AUTHOR
Andjelka Prvulovic

Andjelka is a sociologist turned digital marketer. She specializes in creating content for SaaS and software companies. When she’s not researching the most effective employee management techniques, Andjelka loves cooking, reading, and fighting for human rights.

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