ClockOut vs Homebase comes down to the pricing model: ClockOut is $19 per month for up to 5 people, then $3 per extra person, with geofencing, kiosk, and an exception inbox included; Homebase bills flat per location, $24-$30 per location per month for Essentials. Up to about 7 people (you included), ClockOut is cheaper; past that, a single Homebase location is the cheaper flat fee. Here’s the full comparison in real dollars for a 5-50 person team.
At a glance
| ClockOut | Homebase | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 2 people, including you, core features | 1 location, ≤10 employees, capped features |
| Paid pricing model | $19 / mo for up to 5, then $3 per person | Flat per-location, per-month |
| Multi-location on entry paid plan | Pro plan | ✗ |
| GPS + geofencing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kiosk mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open shifts & swaps | ✓ | Partial |
| Exception inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Compliance rules engine | ✓ | ✓ |
| Payroll export (ADP / Gusto / QB) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-employee billing sync | ✓ | ✗ |
How much does Homebase cost vs ClockOut?
As of August 2026, ClockOut is free for up to 2 people, including you, and $19 per month for up to 5 people on Starter, then $3 per extra person; Homebase is free for one location up to 10 employees, then $24/location/month (annual) for Essentials, with payroll as a separate add-on.
ClockOut
- Free: $0/mo, up to 2 people, including you.
- Starter: $19 / month for up to 5 people, then $3 per extra person. Unlimited employees, kiosk, geofencing, exception inbox, PTO.
- Pro: $39 / month for up to 5 people, then $6 per extra person. Adds payroll runs, ADP/Gusto/QB exports, compliance engine, multi-location, scoped roles, API.
Homebase
- Basic: Free for 1 location, up to 10 employees.
- Essentials: $24/location/month (annual) or $30/location/month (monthly).
- Plus: $56/location/month (annual) or $70/location/month (monthly).
- All-in-One: $96/location/month (annual) or $120/location/month (monthly).
- Payroll: separate add-on, $39/month base + $6/month per employee paid.
Time clock and GPS
Both apps capture GPS on every punch and let you draw geofences around each location. Differences worth knowing:
- Out-of-bounds policy. ClockOut lets you block or flag per location. Homebase tends to flag for review.
- Offline punches. ClockOut captures punches offline and syncs when connectivity returns. Homebase requires connectivity at the moment of punch.
- Kiosk. Both support tablet kiosks with PIN entry. ClockOut’s kiosk runs in the browser on any tablet an admin sets up once, and employees get native iOS and Android apps for their own phones.
The exception inbox
Homebase surfaces alerts and a labor dashboard. ClockOut consolidates late arrivals, missed breaks, no-shows, and unapproved overtime into one inbox a manager can clear in five minutes. If your weekly bottleneck is reviewing time edits, the inbox model wins; if you live in the labor-cost dashboard, both get you there.
Payroll workflow
Homebase has its own payroll product, which is great if you want everything bundled and don’t already have a payroll provider. ClockOut Pro stays platform-agnostic: preview hours, lock the period, export to ADP, Gusto, or QuickBooks (or generic CSV for anything else). PDF reports are generated for records.
Who each tool fits best
Pick ClockOut if…
- You operate one to many locations and want a single bill that scales with active employees.
- You want geofencing, kiosk, and an exception inbox without paying for the top tier.
- You already use ADP, Gusto, or QuickBooks for payroll and want clean exports.
Pick Homebase if…
- You run a single location with a large team and prefer flat per-location pricing.
- You want bundled HR + payroll + scheduling under one roof.
- You’re already trained on Homebase and the team likes it.