ClockOut vs Clockify: when free isn't enough for shift work

Clockify is hugely popular as a free time tracker for freelancers, agencies, and project-based teams. The free plan is famously generous — unlimited users, unlimited projects, unlimited tracking. So why would anyone pay for a time clock? Because Clockify and ClockOut solve different problems. Here’s the honest comparison — when free Clockify is enough, and when you need something built for hourly shift work.

At a glance

Two different products that share a word

Clockify is excellent at what it does: track time across projects so you can bill clients or measure agency profitability. It works great for a 4-person design studio or a 20-person consultancy.

ClockOut is built for a different job: hourly shift workers clocking in and out at a physical location, with GPS verification, schedule adherence, break and overtime compliance, and payroll runs. Different people, different needs, different software shape.

Real-dollar pricing

10-person team (shift workers)

• ClockOut Starter: 10 × $3 = $30 / month
• Clockify Free: $0 — but no GPS, no kiosk, no real scheduling, no payroll exports
• Clockify Standard: 10 × $5.49 annual = $54.90 / month — adds basic reports, manager approvals
• Clockify Pro: 10 × $7.99 annual = $79.90 / month — adds GPS, kiosk, scheduling

For a 10-person hourly shift team, ClockOut Starter at $30/month gives you GPS, kiosk, and scheduling — features that cost $79.90/month on Clockify Pro.

10-person team (project-based)

• Clockify Free: $0 — perfectly adequate for most agencies
• Clockify Standard: 10 × $5.49 = $54.90 / month — if you need invoicing, approvals, reports

For 10 freelancers or agency contractors billing clients by project, Clockify Free is hard to beat. Don’t use ClockOut for this — we aren’t built for it.

Where each product wins

Clockify wins at

• Project / client time tracking with task hierarchies
• Billable rates and invoice generation
• Unlimited free users for basic time tracking
• Cross-team time reporting for agencies and consultancies
• Activity tracking for remote / hybrid teams (Pro tier)

ClockOut wins at

• Physical clock-in / clock-out at a real location
• GPS verification and geofencing on every paid plan
• Kiosk mode with PIN and photo capture
• Real shift scheduling — recurring shifts, open shifts, swaps
• Break / overtime compliance with state-specific rules (Pro)
• Payroll exports directly to ADP / Gusto / QuickBooks
• Per-employee billing sync — deactivate, bill drops

Who each is for

Pick Clockify if

• Your team bills clients hourly per project
• You’re a freelancer, agency, or consultancy
• You want unlimited free users and don’t need physical clock-in
• You need cross-team reporting on time spent per client / project
• You generate invoices from tracked time

Pick ClockOut if

• You run a clinic, restaurant, retail shop, trades crew, or any hourly business
• Employees physically show up to a location at a scheduled time
• You need GPS or kiosk verification of clock-in
• You schedule shifts and manage open shifts / swaps
• You run payroll and need clean exports to ADP / Gusto / QuickBooks

Use both if

You have a mixed team: shift workers (ClockOut) plus project-based contractors (Clockify). They’re not in competition — they live on different employees’ phones.

FAQ