QuickBooks Time Review: Features, Benefits, Drawbacks & More
Samson Kiarie
Last update on:
Apr 18, 2024
Published on:
Lately, remote and mobile workforces have become standard for many businesses. However, allowing employees to work outside the office comes with particular challenges when tracking their hours and location. You can’t always be there to supervise their punching or restrict them from wandering outside their designated site during work hours.
That’s why companies with mobile workforces use a reliable GPS time clock - an excellent time-tracking software that tracks locations and has an easy-to-use mobile app. If you’re a current Quickbooks user or are just looking for a good time tracking software for mobile employees, you’ve probably come across QuickBooks Time.
If you are seriously considering QuickBooks Time, take a few minutes and read our comprehensive review. We took the software for a whirl, and in this guide, we’ll reveal how various features work to help you make an informed decision.
Wondering why users rank Timeero as the best QuickBooks Time alternative?
QuickBooks Time, formerly known as TSheets, is a cloud-based GPS time-tracking app for teams of all sizes. The cloud-based software is primarily designed to help business owners automate time tracking for field teams.
The timesheet tab provides three options to view employee time reports with time data, including every flagged time card.
To that end, it offers geofencing and GPS tracking tools to ensure remote workers are clocking in and out from their assigned locations at the right time. The SaaS tool has a web app and QuickBooks Workforce mobile app.
Over the years, QuickBooks Time has undergone numerous revamps, from adding new features to changing the name of its mobile app. All these changes are geared towards making the app better and more effective at solving its customer’s problems. Let’s look at the recent rebrand in detail:
What is QuickBooks Workforce? From QuickBooks Time to QuickBooks Workforce mobile app
In late June 2023, Intuit — QuickBooks parent company — relaunched QuickBooks mobile app to QuickBooks Workforce. The name change came about after Intuit merged QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Workforce portal functionalities.
Consequently, QuickBooks Workforce mobile app is a hybrid of two QuickBooks mobile apps. As a result, the new app has more functionalities geared towards helping companies that use both QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Online Payroll monitor and manage their employees and their W-2 forms and paychecks on a single app.
QuickBooks Workforce also simplifies things for employees by letting them track their time and view their pay details in one place.
But what exactly does the app do, and how well?
In this article, we will review its key features and drawbacks to help you decide if it is the right fit for you.
Is QuickBooks Time Tracking Good?
QuickBooks Time might not be the best time tracker, but it’s consistent and reliable. It doesn’t present a steep running curve for most employees, mainly regarding tracking time and mileage.
The new QuickBooks Workforce has added tools to streamline team management.
However, admins might experience some challenges when getting some of the featured add-ons on board.
The only dealbreakers are the glitches with the time kiosk and the difficulties in installing QuickBooks Time add-ons. That aside, QuickBooks Time does offer some pretty attractive features many users find valuable.
QuickBooks Time Review: Key Features
QuickBooks Time web and QuickBooks Workforce mobile apps make timekeeping easier than manually using a pen and paper or spreadsheets. It includes several features that allow you to track and manage your employees.
For instance, it has many options for:
Clocking in and out,
Tracking mileage
Geofencing
See who’s working
Time Kiosk,
Scheduling employees,
Managing PTO (paid time off),
Monitoring employee locations,
Tracking jobs and projects.
Below are some of the critical features of this software you might find valuable.
Time Tracking
While QuickBooks Time has added numerous features over the years, time tracking has remained its core function. The feature has undergone multiple revamp, marked with the addition of new tools to streamline time tracking.
The time clock on the new QuickBooks Workforce app looks clean and uncluttered, with only a single clock-in button.
Employees can track time on a desktop or using QuickBooks Workforce mobile app, which works on iOS and Android. This app lets you easily track time and GPS locations, view billable vs. non-billable employee hours, assign schedules, attach photos, and manage your workforce.
QuickBooks Time tracking also lets you use facial recognition to prevent buddy punching. Facial recognition is available on the Time Kiosk. One quibble is that the time kiosk isn’t activated by default. Instead, it’s available as a featured add-on, and you have to install it from the featured add-ons tab.
During our testing, we had a hard time installing the Time Kiosk. We had to turn to QuickBooks Time help guides to find a way to get the time kiosk up and running. Once we installed the app, it was relatively easy to use, save for the frequent glitches that prevented access to the time kiosk.
Mileage Tracking
Another vital feature of the QuickBooks Time suite is mileage tracking. The last time we tested the mileage tracking tool, the mileage tracking didn’t give the most accurate results, and we appeared to miss some parts of our trip.
The new version has improved, and it now tracks mileage more accurately. The app tracked our actual route during our testing without missing any part. The only lingering concern is that the app still uses straight lines to depict the user’s route, as you can see in the image below:
QuickBooks Time uses automatic drive detection to track mileage.
GPS Location Tracking
The “Who’s Working” window gives you the details to control your workforce completely. One of the most essential details is employee location. When you open the window, you see the real-time location of clocked-in employees.
You can also tell whether the employee is currently working or on break. QuickBooks Time uses green dots to depict employees on the clock and orange dots for those on break. You can also see employees who have completed their shifts and those that didn’t clock in that day.
Employee Scheduling
QuickBooks Time also enables you to build employee schedules to enhance team collaboration and deliver projects on time. Creating schedules is child’s play. You only need to open the schedule and click on a specific day to create the schedule.
You can adjust the shift hours and use color codes to mark an employee or team schedule.
Color-coded schedules give you a glance at who’s working which shift and when. Moreover, you don’t have to build each schedule from scratch.
If an employee is set to work a similar schedule over the month, you can select it to repeat weekly for four weeks. Alternatively, you can choose the schedule to repeat daily, every weekday, or monthly, depending on what suits your workforce.
Jobs and Project Tracking
With QuickBooks Time, you can accurately track time for jobs and projects. This isn’t a standalone project management tool, but it allows you to track set budgets for various projects.
It also notifies you if you’re about to exceed the budget on any project.
This can be useful, especially for companies that must wait days or weeks to see whether their employees exceed allocated hours on budgeted jobs.
QuickBooks Time lets you track your project to boost profitability.
PTO Management
You can use QuickBooks Time to set custom PTO policies that suit your employees’ needs and manage your human resources more efficiently. They can use the QuickBooks Workforce mobile app or web dashboard to request time off, check PTO balances, and enter time off without approval, that is, if it’s allowed in your company.
And as a plus, you can create customizable notifications to streamline time-off management. This way, your workforce can see whether their time off requests have been approved via text or email alerts.
Integration with QuickBooks
People choose QuickBooks Time mainly because of its integration with QuickBooks. QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting software, and this integration only adds to it.
The Disadvantages of QuickBooks Time
Although QuickBooks Time is helpful software, it has some drawbacks that may deter some people from using it.
Not So Easy to Use
Is QuickBooks Time easy to learn to use? Not really. In a bid to create a superior product, QuickBooks keeps adding new functionality to the app. This has resulted in a cramped user interface (UI), with some critical features tucked away in the menus.
As a result, many people have difficulty learning to use this system because QuickBooks Time isn’t a user-friendly program. Nor is it intuitive - your greenest employee might have trouble navigating the app.
For example, we couldn’t find a way to use the tool when testing the facial recognition tool for our best facial recognition apps article. We had to research deep into the help center to dig up guides on using the facial recognition feature.
Moreover, QuickBooks Time add-ons are not added to the main menu even when you install them. This makes it challenging to find the featured add-ons, which can further complicate usability.
Expensive
QuickBooks Time has two standalone pricing plans: Premium and Elite. The plans would make pretty much affordable were it not for the base fee. Recently, it is also included in two more bundle packages - Payroll Premium and Payroll Premium + Simple Start.
Let’s dive in:
QuickBooks Time has two standalone and two bundle pricing plans.
The Premium plan is QuickBook’s most affordable, and it costs a $20 per month base fee plus an additional $8 per employee per month. This plan ticks the box if you want features such as:
GPS location tracking
See who’s working
Workforce mobile app
Employee time tracking
Time kiosk
PTO management
Scheduling
However, you must upgrade to the Elite plan if you need to track mileage, create geofences, or track project progress. This plan has a $40 monthly base fee plus an additional $10 per user per month. It offers Premium plan features, plus:
Mileage tracking
Project estimates
Project tracking
Geofencing
Timesheets signatures
That said, QuickBooks Time offers a 30-day free trial, and you can cancel anytime. No contract, credit card, or signature is required. During the trial, you get help setting up an account and training your employees on using it.
QuickBooks Time is now also available as part of two bundle packages: Payroll Premium and Payroll Premium + Simple Start.
The Payroll Premium bundle costs $75 per month plus an additional $8 per employee per month. This bundle allows you to manage time tracking, pay employees, and access HR and benefits.
The Payroll Premium + Simple Start bundle costs $105 per month, plus an additional $8 per employee per month. It lets you manage time tracking, payroll, and accounting.
It’s important to note that both bundles include the QuickBooks Time Premium package, which does not have features such as mileage tracking, geofencing, or project tracking.
The App Can Be Too Slow
The QuickBooks Workforce app (formerly QuickBooks Time app) is known to be slow to load from time to time. There are many complaints from users regarding its slowness.
Beyond that, we found complaints online about the glitchy facial recognition feature. The time kiosk, which offers facial recognition, is frequently down with the message “It looks like you’re new to the time kiosk.”
No Offline Mode For Some Features
When managing field employees, it’s vital that you use a tool with a solid offline mode. Sometimes the employee might drift or travel through remote areas without good network coverage. If the software doesn’t come with an offline mode, tracking will be lost as soon as the connection is lost.
If you’re using QuickBooks Workforce mobile app for time tracking, fret not. The time tracker is backed by a solid offline mode, which tracks time without an internet connection.
Sadly, if you require employees to clock in/out with facial recognition, you must ensure the kiosk app is always connected to the internet. The Time Kiosk, precisely the facial recognition, doesn’t work without the internet.
Some Features Are Only Available as Add-ons
Not all QuickBooks Time features are baked into the app by default. While the time clock, scheduling, mileage tracking, location tracking, and time-offs are available on the main menu, other tools are only available as featured add-ons.
QuickBooks Time offers numerous add-ons, which you can install to enhance workforce management.
Breaks, time kiosks (with facial recognition), time-off codes, and other preferences are only available as featured add-ons. If you need any of these features, install them from the featured add-on section.
When you install the featured add-on, it doesn’t appear on the main menu -- it remains tucked away in the featured add-on tab. As mentioned, the extra step to access the featured add-ons complicates usability for new QuickBooks Time users.
Will Time Tracking App QuickBooks Suit You?
QuickBooks Workforce mobile app, formerly QuickBooks Time, can benefit some businesses due to its many features. For example, small businesses with time-tracking needs beyond simple clocking-in, and clocking-out can benefit from it.
That said, QuickBooks Time may be suitable for:
Companies using QuickBooks or QuickBooks Payroll: QuickBooks Time easily integrates with QuickBooks Accounting and Payroll, streamlining budgeting, payroll, and invoicing.
Businesses with client accounts: QuickBooks makes assigning hours to projects, clients, and sub-projects easier for job costing and invoicing.
Companies with employees in multiple locations: QuickBooks Workforce FKA QuickBooks Time allows workers to clock in from anywhere, making it a good choice for businesses with employees who don’t work from the office.
However, QuickBooks Time likely won’t benefit:
Businesses on a budget: Because QuickBooks Time is one of the more expensive time-tracking platforms, it won’t suit you if you’re on a limited budget. Luckily, there is other impressive time-tracking software at an affordable price, such as Timeero.
Freelancers: QuickBooks Time has too many features freelancers don’t need, which can lead to an overwhelming user experience.
Are There Any Alternatives to QuickBooks Time?
QuickBooks Time is certainly not the only time-tracking software out there, nor is it the best. There are many alternatives to QuickBooks Time with the same features for a more affordable price, such as Timeero. Let’s get into the details.
Timeero: An Excellent QuickBooks Time Alternative
Timeero is one of the best alternatives to QuickBooks Time because it tracks time, mileage, and GPS location better. We’ve compared both apps, and you can get the in-depth comparison in our Timeero vs QuickBooks Time guide.
If you’re short on time, let’s take you through Timeero’s highlights:
User-Friendly
Ease of use is the epitome of Timeero mileage, location, and time tracking solution.
Timeero is an intuitive, user-friendly platform on mobile and desktop devices. This is also one of the main reasons many people choose Timeero over QuickBooks Time.
The iOS and Android apps offer a sleek, clutter-free user interface with logically organized menus. This makes them easy to use for all team members, including the non-tech-savvy cohort.
It’s also easy for admins and managers to set up app preferences on the web portal to suit the company’s needs.
Overall, Timeero is so easy to use that employees won’t need help starting. However, if your team needs a hand from our team, we provide priority support and training to ensure the app is up and running without any hitch.
Geofenced Time Tracking
One of the most challenging pain points with time tracking is that employees often need to remember to clock in and out, and you have to fix the missing timesheets.
That’s why Timeero features clock-in and clock-out reminders once the employees arrive at or leave the geofenced area. This way, you have peace of mind that your employees are clocking in and out when needed.
If your company is grappling with off-site punching, fret not. You can use geofencing to restrict employees from clocking in or out when they are off the job site or get alerts when they clock in/out off-site.
Facial Recognition
If your company has difficulty eradicating buddy punching, the Timeero Kiosk app should be your first port of call. The facial recognition capability is baked into the kiosk app, which works seamlessly with iOS tablets.
The facial recognition tool takes photos of employees as they clock in or out. It then compares the image with the one in the employee profile. In case of a mismatch, it lets the employee clock in but alerts you immediately and flags the time entry making it easy to catch potential buddy punchers.
Mileage Tracking with Unique Tools
Segmented mileage tracking is a handy tool for streamlining sales team management.
Timeero is the best mileage-tracking app by merit. The app uses motion-detection technology to track mileage automatically. All you need to do is set the base speed, and that’s it. Timeero tracks time only when the employee exceeds the speed threshold.
In addition, Timeero supports segmented mileage tracking. This feature is beneficial for sales reps or other teams that need to move from location to location for business. The tool tracks mileage based on the driver’s stops to provide vital details such as:
Mileage between customers
Time spent driving
Duration of each customer meeting
What’s more, Timeero has other unique tracking tools, including:
Commuter mileage — Helps you automatically deduct employee commuter mileage from their total mileage.
Suggested mileage — recommends the shortest distance to a predefined destination.
Real-Time GPS Location Tracking
Timeero tracks employee locations and updates their detail in real-time. At any given moment, you can see the locations and routes of your available employees in real-time using the Who’s Working feature.
Alternatively, you can use the route replay to recreate the employee trail throughout the day.
The route replay provides timestamps and detailed breadcrumbs. Besides seeing where the employees were at a particular time in the day, you can zoom out on each breadcrumb to know the time and vehicle speed.
The route replay feature is an excellent tool to monitor where your team has been when on the clock.
Employee Scheduling
Scheduling software can significantly improve productivity, and Timeero offers a robust scheduling feature similar to QuickBooks Time. However, unlike QuickBooks Time, Timeero allows employees to accept or decline assigned shifts, a significant difference many users appreciate.
Employees get notified through mobile or email notifications when assigned a shift, and the schedule creator gets notified if workers accept or decline a shift.
Affordability
Timeero is more affordable than QuickBooks Time. The Basic Plan starts at $4 per user per month, while the most popular Pro Plan is available at $8 per user per month. You can enjoy all Timeero Premium features at $11 per user per month.
So with Timeero, you get more than with QuickBooks Time for a much lower price. Check QuickBooks Time pricing here to get a better idea of how much it costs.
Easy Integration with QuickBooks
Timeero easily integrates with QuickBooks and works for both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online.
Now, you have a good idea about how QuickBooks Time tracker works, its benefits, and its drawbacks. All in all, QuickBooks Time is an excellent time-tracking platform, and it gets the job done as far as mileage tracking goes.
However, you can get much more for that price. There are cheaper products that can deliver a better performance than QuickBooks Time.
Take Timeero, for example. The app is a cinch to use for both the employees and admins. It also comes with unique tools such as route replay, segmented mileage, and suggested mileage, yet it’s much more affordable.
Start a free trial today to get a first-hand feel for all Timeero’s features risk-free for 14 days.
FAQs
Who Owns QuickBooks Time?
Intuit is the current owner of QuickBooks Time. It acquired TSheets back in 2017 and renamed it QuickBooks Time.
What Can You Do with QuickBooks Time?
Since Intuit acquired TSheets and rebranded it to QuickBooks Time, it has added more capabilities. You can track employee time, location, and mileage using the app. In addition, you can track projects and manage employee schedules (including time-offs).
What Are the Features of QuickBooks Time?
QuickBooks Features include time tracking, mileage tracking, location tracking, project tracking, scheduling, and time-off management.
Does QuickBooks Time Track Location?
When given permissions, QuickBooks Time can track your location when you’re clocked in.
Does QuickBooks Time Work Offline?
QuickBooks Workforce mobile app (formerly QuickBooks Time mobile app) can work offline. You can track time on your smartphone and sync it with the server once connected.
Use all Timeero features, including segmented mileage, free of charge.
Samson is a mathematician turned content marketer specializing in SaaS and Tech content. He focuses on the practical aspects of software systems while keeping abreast of the industry’s cutting-edge principles to create informative and engaging content. When he’s not writing, Samson spends time playing or watching soccer.
