“Free” in time-clock SaaS rarely means what you think. Some apps cap employees, some cap features, some hide a 14-day trial behind the word. Here’s the honest landscape in 2026: who’s actually free, where the catch is, and the five apps small-business owners shortlist most often. Spoiler — ClockOut is on this list, and yes, the bias is built in. We also tell you when one of the others is the right call.
The shortlist
| Free cap | GPS | Kiosk | Payroll export | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClockOut | 2 employees | ✓ | ✓ | Free CSV |
| Clockify | Unlimited (timer only) | — | — | Free CSV |
| Homebase Basic | 1 location, ≤10 employees | ✓ | ✓ | Capped |
| Connecteam | 10 users | ✓ | ✓ | Limited |
| Hubstaff Free | 1 user | ✓ | — | — |
1. ClockOut Free
Best for: small shops with 1–2 employees who want a real time clock — not a stopwatch.
ClockOut Free covers up to 2 employees, forever, with no credit card required. You get one-tap clock in/out, GPS capture, basic scheduling, and CSV export. The free plan is the full app, just capped at 2 employees — there’s no watermark, no locked download, no “starter” nag bar.
Catch: 2 employees is genuinely the cap. Past that, you upgrade to Starter at $3/employee/month — which is cheap, but it is paid.
2. Clockify Free
Best for: agencies and freelancers tracking billable time on projects.
Clockify is unlimited-user free, which sounds amazing — and is, if you’re tracking project time. It’s a timer, not an employee time clock: no GPS, no geofence, no kiosk, no PTO. If your team is hourly shift workers, this isn’t the right tool, however generous the cap.
3. Homebase Basic
Best for: single-location restaurants and retail with up to 10 employees.
Homebase Basic is genuinely free, but capped at 1 location and 10 employees, and key features (advanced scheduling, hiring, performance) are gated behind paid tiers. For a single-location shop that already runs on Homebase, free works. The moment you hit 11 employees or open a second location, you jump to Essentials at $24/location/month annual or $30 monthly.
4. Connecteam Small Business
Best for: field crews up to 10 people with light scheduling needs.
Connecteam offers a free plan for up to 10 users with GPS clock in, basic scheduling, and chat. Past 10, plans start at the per-user-per-month range and scale fast. Reporting and exports are limited on the free plan.
5. Hubstaff Free
Best for: a solo owner-operator wanting GPS and screenshots for self-tracking.
Hubstaff’s free plan is for a single user and is more of a productivity-monitoring tool than a team time clock. Useful if you’re a solo contractor billing clients hourly; not the tool for a team.
How to pick
- Hourly shift team, 1–2 employees: ClockOut Free.
- Agency/freelancers tracking projects: Clockify.
- Single-location restaurant, up to 10 staff, already on Homebase: Homebase Basic.
- Field crew under 10 with no payroll integration needs: Connecteam.
- Solo owner-operator: Hubstaff.