For 40 hourly employees across 3 locations, ClockOut Pro ($249 a month) is the best time clock app if you want every site to have its own geofence and its own manager without paying per location, and Homebase Essentials ($90 a month for 3 locations) is the best pick if the sites are retail or restaurant and per-location pricing works in your favor. Deputy and Connecteam are the strongest options behind those two, Buddy Punch and When I Work fit narrower cases, and QuickBooks Time only makes sense when payroll already runs in QuickBooks. ClockOut publishes this post, so check the other six first if you want to keep us honest.
How we judged multi-location
A time clock app for multiple locations is not the same product as a time clock with a location field. We scored each app on the five things that go wrong when a team spreads across three addresses.
- Per-site geofence. Each location gets its own address and radius, so a punch at the wrong site is caught, not just logged.
- Who is working, per site. A manager standing in store two should see store two, not a company-wide list of 40 names.
- Manager scoping. Site managers should approve, edit, and schedule only their own people. Owners see everything.
- Pricing model. Per user, per location, or flat plus per person. At 40 people across 3 sites the model changes the bill more than any list price.
- Payroll export. One file or one sync for all sites, in the format your provider (ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage) actually imports.
Competitor prices and tier facts below were checked on each vendor’s pricing page on September 5, 2026. They change often, so confirm before you sign.
1. ClockOut
Who it suits: hourly teams of 5 to a few hundred people that want the time clock, schedule, and payroll export in one app and do not want a per-location charge.
Multi-location is a Pro feature. You add up to 20 locations, each with its own address and geofence radius, and assign scoped managers who only see and approve their own site. Employees clock in from the native iOS or Android app, or from a shared tablet kiosk with a PIN or QR badge. Starter already includes geofence enforcement (one fence), kiosk mode, punch limiting that blocks early clock-ins or requires a scheduled shift, schedules with confirmations, PTO, approvals, an exception inbox, groups, and job codes. Pro adds payroll runs with ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage exports, a compliance pack, device and IP locks, and photo proof on punches.
Price at 40 people: Free forever up to 2 people. Starter is $19 a month for 5 active accounts, then $3 each, so $124 for 40. Pro is $39 for 5, then $6 each, so $249 for 40. 14-day free trial, annual saves 20%.
Limitation: multi-location needs Pro, there is no built-in payroll processing, and there are no Slack or Zapier integrations.
2. Homebase
Who it suits: retail and restaurant operators with a few busy locations, especially if hiring and team messaging should live in the same app.
Homebase is priced per location, not per employee, which is the whole story for a 3-site team. Basic is free for one location with up to 10 employees. Essentials, Plus, and All-in-One all allow unlimited employees and unlimited locations. The time clock works on tablets, computers, and POS devices, and the GPS time clock can stop employees clocking in before they reach the site. Assigning managers and general managers, and setting custom manager permissions, sits on Plus and above, so location-scoped managers cost more than the entry tier. Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 a month plus $6 per employee paid, and Homebase also integrates with QuickBooks, ADP, and Gusto.
Price at 40 people across 3 locations: Essentials is $30 per location per month ($24 billed annually), so $90 a month or $72 annual. Plus, where manager permissions live, is $70 per location ($56 annual), so $210 or $168. Checked September 5, 2026.
Limitation: the pricing page does not say which tier includes GPS and geofencing, and location-level manager permissions require Plus.
3. Connecteam
Who it suits: deskless teams that want chat, forms, training, and HR next to the time clock, and are happy to buy those as separate hubs.
Connecteam sells three hubs (Operations, Communications, HR) and the time clock lives in Operations. Pricing is a flat fee for the first 30 users plus a per-user charge after that, which lands well for a 40-person team. The catch for multi-location is the tier: Basic allows a single schedule and does not include geofencing. Advanced adds up to 10 geofence sites and up to 6 schedules, so a 3-location team that wants a fence per site needs Advanced. The free Small Business plan covers up to 10 users with all hubs.
Price at 40 people: Operations Advanced is $49 a month billed annually for the first 30 users, then $2.50 per extra user, so $74 a month for 40. Monthly billing is $59 plus $3 per extra user, so $89. Basic (no geofencing, one schedule) is $29 plus $0.80 per extra user, so $37 annual. Checked September 5, 2026.
Limitation: the pricing page does not list per-location manager permissions for the Operations hub, and every extra hub is a second subscription.
4. Buddy Punch
Who it suits: teams that want a plain paid time clock with broad payroll integrations and are fine with a base fee.
Buddy Punch tracks hours by job, department, or site on every tier, and its Groups feature is the multi-location handle: Starter allows 1 group, Pro allows 3, Advanced is unlimited. Manager permissions (assign managers to employee groups with view or approve access) and the PIN kiosk are Pro and above, and geofences that control where punches occur are listed from Pro on the plan cards. So a 3-location team with a manager per site fits Pro exactly, and a fourth site pushes you to Advanced. Payroll integrations are on every tier. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial with no card.
Price at 40 people: every plan carries a $19 base fee. Pro is $6.99 per user per month billed annually ($7.99 monthly), so $298.60 a month annual or $338.60 monthly for 40. Starter is $4.99 ($5.99 monthly), so $218.60 annual, without kiosk or manager permissions. Checked September 5, 2026.
Limitation: per-user pricing plus a base fee makes it the second most expensive option here at 40 people, and the 3-group cap on Pro means a fourth location is a tier change.
5. When I Work
Who it suits: teams whose main pain is the schedule (open shifts, swaps, multiple locations) and who treat the time clock as a secondary purchase.
Multi-location scheduling is on every When I Work plan, including Essentials, and you can generate separate schedules per location. Role permissions, which is how you scope a manager to a site, are Pro and above. Time tracking and attendance is a toggle added on top of any plan; the pricing page does not print the add-on price, so you have to run the configurator or ask sales. GPS capture and geofencing come with the attendance module. Payroll exports cover ADP, Gusto, and QuickBooks. 14-day trial, no permanent free plan.
Price at 40 people: Essentials is $2.50 per user per month, so $100 for scheduling alone; Pro (role permissions) is $5, so $200. The time clock add-on is priced on top and not listed, so see vendor pricing for the real total. Checked September 5, 2026.
Limitation: the number you are shopping for (time clock plus scheduling) is not printed on the pricing page, and the scheduling-only price is misleading for a time clock buyer.
6. QuickBooks Time
Who it suits: businesses that already run payroll in QuickBooks and want hours to land there with no export step.
QuickBooks Time (the old TSheets) is a capable GPS time clock with job codes and project tracking, and the sync into QuickBooks Payroll is as tight as you would expect. For multiple locations the tier matters: geofencing is available in Time Elite only, and it works as a reminder to clock in or out when someone enters or leaves a job site rather than a hard block on the punch. Shift scheduling is not on the Time Premium or Time Elite plans; it appears on the pricier Workforce bundles. Every plan has a monthly base fee on top of the per-user price, with one free admin. 30-day trial, no free plan.
Price at 40 people: Time Premium is a $20 base fee plus $10 per user, so $420 a month. Time Elite (geofencing) is a $40 base fee plus $12 per user, so $520. Intuit runs a 50% base-fee promotion for the first 3 months. Checked September 5, 2026.
Limitation: the most expensive option on this list at 40 people, geofences remind rather than block, and scheduling lives on a different product.
7. Deputy
Who it suits: multi-site retail, hospitality, and care teams with complex rotating rosters who want scheduling depth and are fine with per-user pricing.
Deputy bundles scheduling and time and attendance in every plan. Lite is basic scheduling and a basic time clock. Core adds geofencing, the biometric kiosk, auto-scheduling, and demand forecasting. Pro adds location hierarchies and custom access levels, which is how you give each site its own manager with limited reach, so a 3-location team that wants scoped managers ends up on Pro. Payroll integrations include ADP and QuickBooks; check your specific export format during the trial. There is a minimum monthly spend of $30 and no permanent free plan.
Price at 40 people: Lite is $5 per user per month, so $200. Core (geofencing, kiosk) is $6.50, so $260. Pro (location hierarchies, custom access levels) is $9, so $360. Checked September 5, 2026.
Limitation: location-scoped manager access is a Pro feature, which nearly doubles the Lite price, and there is no offline clock-in for sites with poor signal.
The 7 apps side by side
| Per-location geofence | Location-scoped managers | Pricing model | 40-person price | Payroll export | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClockOut | Yes, up to 20 sites (Pro) | Yes (Pro) | Flat fee for 5, then per person | $249 Pro / $124 Starter | ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage (Pro) |
| Homebase | GPS and geofencing, tier not stated | Plus and up | Per location | $90 Essentials, 3 locations ($210 Plus) | QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto; own payroll add-on |
| Connecteam | Advanced, up to 10 sites | Not listed on pricing page | Flat for 30 users, then per user, per hub | $74 Advanced annual ($89 monthly) | Payroll integrations, check tier |
| Buddy Punch | Pro and up | Pro (3 groups) | $19 base fee plus per user | $298.60 Pro annual | All tiers |
| When I Work | With attendance add-on | Pro and up (role permissions) | Per user plus time clock add-on | $100 Essentials, add-on not listed | ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks |
| QuickBooks Time | Elite only, reminder not block | Not listed on pricing page | Base fee plus per user | $420 Premium / $520 Elite | Direct to QuickBooks Payroll |
| Deputy | Core and up | Pro (custom access levels) | Per user, $30 minimum | $260 Core / $360 Pro | ADP, QuickBooks (check format) |
40-person prices are monthly totals from list prices checked September 5, 2026, using the cheapest tier that actually covers a 3-location setup where the vendor states it. Where a vendor hides a number (When I Work’s time clock add-on) we say so rather than guess.
Our pick by situation
- 3 locations, retail or restaurant, 40 people: ClockOut Pro at $249 if you want a fence and a scoped manager per site plus payroll export in one bill. Homebase Essentials at $90 if per-location pricing beats per-person for you and you can live without manager permissions until Plus.
- Field crews moving between job sites: ClockOut Pro for up to 20 geofenced sites and photo proof on punches, or Deputy Core at $260 if roster depth matters more. See the field crew roundup for offline clock-in details.
- Already on QuickBooks Payroll: QuickBooks Time Elite at $520 if the no-export sync is worth the premium and reminder-style geofences are enough. Otherwise ClockOut Pro exports a QuickBooks-ready file for $249.
- Tightest budget: Connecteam Operations Advanced at $74 a month billed annually is the cheapest verified total with per-site geofences at 40 people. ClockOut Starter at $124 is next if one geofence and one manager view is enough for now, with Pro a toggle away when it is not.
Related reading: 7 best clock in clock out apps, Connecteam vs When I Work, and ClockOut vs Homebase.
FAQ
What is the best time clock app for 40 employees across 3 locations?
ClockOut Pro ($249 a month for 40 people) if you want a geofence and a scoped manager per site plus payroll export in one bill. Homebase Essentials ($90 a month for 3 locations) if per-location pricing suits you and retail or restaurant tools matter. Deputy Core ($260) and Connecteam Operations Advanced ($74 annual) are the strongest alternatives. Prices checked September 5, 2026.
Can employees clock in at different locations with one app?
Yes. All seven apps here let one employee punch at any site the company has set up. The difference is whether each site has its own geofence (ClockOut Pro, Connecteam Advanced, Buddy Punch Pro, Deputy Core, QuickBooks Time Elite) and whether the punch is tagged to the right location for reports and payroll, which is why job codes or location tracking on the punch matters.
Do multi location time clocks charge per location or per employee?
Both models exist. Homebase charges per location with unlimited employees. Deputy, Buddy Punch, When I Work, and QuickBooks Time charge per user (some with a base fee). ClockOut and Connecteam charge a flat fee that covers a block of people, then a per-person rate, with no per-location charge.
Can a manager see only their own location?
On ClockOut Pro, yes: scoped managers see and approve only their assigned location. Homebase needs Plus for manager permissions, Buddy Punch Pro assigns managers to groups, When I Work needs Pro for role permissions, and Deputy needs Pro for custom access levels. Connecteam and QuickBooks Time do not list this on their pricing pages, so ask before you buy.
Is there a free time clock app for multiple locations?
Not for 40 people. ClockOut is free for up to 2 people, Connecteam is free for up to 10 users, and Homebase Basic is free for one location with up to 10 employees. Once you have three sites and 40 staff, the cheapest verified totals are Connecteam Operations Advanced at $74 a month billed annually and Homebase Essentials at $90.