If you are replacing a wall punch clock, a spreadsheet, or a system the team quietly stopped using, you need one thing: accurate hours that reach payroll without a week of cleanup. ClockOut is a cloud-based time and attendance system for 10 to 100 hourly staff, or in plainer words a time clock system that runs on phones, a shared tablet, and the web, run by an office or operations manager rather than an IT department.
What a time and attendance system needs to do
- Capture the punch accurately. A punch should record who, when and where, from a device the person actually had in hand, and it should still go through when the Wi-Fi drops.
- Stop early and buddy punches. One person clocking in 20 minutes early every day, or clocking in for a friend, adds up to real money across 40 people.
- Schedule, then compare to actual. The plan and the punches belong in one place, so late arrivals and no-shows show up without a manual side-by-side.
- Approve and fix exceptions. Missed clock-outs and forgotten breaks need a queue a manager can clear in minutes, not a stack of paper to chase down.
- Export to payroll. Whatever runs your payroll, the hours need to arrive in a file it accepts, with overtime already applied.
- Manage several locations. Each site needs its own address and boundary, and a site manager should only see their own people.
How ClockOut covers each piece
Capturing the punch (every plan)
Employees clock in from the ClockOut Time Clock app on iPhone or Android, or from the web app in any phone browser. Each clock in and clock out is stamped with GPS and a readable address, and no location trail is kept between them. If the phone is offline, the punch is saved on the device with its original tap time and syncs when the connection returns, flagged so an admin can see it was recorded away from the network. See the GPS time clock page for the exact behavior.
Kiosk mode on a shared tablet (Starter)
Mount a tablet at the entrance, set it up as a kiosk once, and let people clock in with a 4 to 6 digit PIN or by scanning a personal QR badge. An optional photo at clock-in gives a manager something to check by eye. It is a plain snapshot, not face recognition. The kiosk and QR badges page covers how badges are issued and printed.
Stopping early and buddy punches (Starter and Pro)
Geofence enforcement (Starter) refuses a clock-in from outside the work area. Punch limiting (Starter) opens clock-in a set number of minutes before the scheduled shift (15 by default) and can block clock-in for anyone with no shift that day. Device locks and IP locks (Pro) only accept punches from admin-approved devices, or from the workplace network for web and kiosk punches. Clock-out is never blocked by any of these controls.
Schedules against actuals (Starter)
Basic scheduling is on every plan. Starter adds recurring schedules, open shifts and swaps, shift confirmation with reminders, availability, and PTO policies with accrual. Because the schedule and the time clock share one system, the exception inbox flags no-shows, late arrivals and missed punches for review. Weekly overtime is calculated on every plan, and anyone can be paid hourly or by salary and marked exempt from overtime. The Pro compliance pack adds daily overtime, double-time rules and break premiums, and Pro work rules let different groups, such as office staff and a field crew, follow their own overtime and break rules.
Approvals and fixes (Starter)
Timesheet approval lets a manager review each pay period, correct a missed clock-out, and sign off before anything exports. Employees, groups and job codes keep the review organized by crew and by the work being done.
Payroll export (every plan, formatted files on Pro)
Every plan exports hours and pay totals as a plain CSV. Pro adds payroll runs (draft, approve, lock, export) and files formatted for ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero and Sage, plus a read-only API. Approved PTO that drew on a balance shows as PTO hours in pay runs and fills the PTO Hours column in the CSV, Gusto, ADP and QuickBooks exports. ClockOut does not run payroll or withhold taxes; you download the file and import it into the system that does.
Several locations (Pro)
Pro supports up to 20 work locations, each with its own address and geofence. Scoped roles let a manager see only their own location or department, so a site lead approves their team without seeing everyone else's hours.
Employee clock-in system: how staff punch in
A clock in clock out system is only as good as the moment someone taps it. ClockOut gives a team three ways to punch, and you can run all three at once: the phone app, a shared tablet kiosk, and the web clock in a browser. Every punch lands in the same timesheet whichever route it took, so a manager reviews one list.
The phone app (every plan)
ClockOut Time Clock by Ophy Labs is on the App Store and Google Play, both linked from the app page. An employee opens it, taps clock in, and the punch records the time, the GPS coordinates, and a resolved street address. If the phone has no signal, the punch is saved on the device with the original tap time and syncs when the connection returns, flagged so an admin can see it was recorded away from the network. A queued punch older than 48 hours is rejected at sync, and starting or ending a break needs a connection.
The tablet kiosk with a PIN or QR badge (Starter and up)
Put a spare tablet by the door in kiosk mode and employees clock in with a 4 to 6 digit PIN or by scanning a personal QR badge. The badge is an opaque random code with no personal data in the code itself, admins print badge sheets with the QR code and the person's name, and issuing a new badge stops every printed copy of the old one from working. An optional webcam snapshot at clock-in gives a manager something to check by eye, and if the camera is unavailable the punch still goes through without it. It is a plain photo for a human to look at, not face recognition: identity at the kiosk is the PIN or the badge. The tablet needs a connection at the moment of the punch. Full detail is on the kiosk and QR badges page.
The web clock in any browser (every plan)
Anyone can sign in from a phone, tablet, or desktop browser and clock in without installing anything. The web app can be added to the home screen, after which it runs from a cached app shell, so a punch taken with no signal queues on the device and syncs the same way it does in the phone app. This is the route for office and desk staff, and for anyone who would rather not install an app.
Online, virtual, web-based: the same thing
An online time clock system is one where the clock is a web page or an app instead of a box on the wall, and the records live on the vendor's servers. "Virtual time clock", "web based time clock", and "employee time clock online" all describe that same arrangement. What it changes day to day: someone at a second site, a job site, or a client address punches on the same system as the front desk, a manager can see who is on the clock right now without walking anywhere, corrections happen in the timesheet rather than on a paper card, and there is nothing to install or maintain at the workplace. A ClockOut account works this way from the first punch, including on the free plan.
Time clock systems compared: app, kiosk, web, and wall clock
Four ways to capture a punch, side by side. The first three are ClockOut and can run together on one account. The fourth is the wall unit most teams are replacing.
| Phone app | Tablet kiosk | Web clock | Wall punch clock | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Install from the App Store or Google Play, then sign in | Set up a spare tablet as a kiosk once, then set PINs or print QR badges | Open the site and sign in, nothing to install | Buy and mount a unit, then enroll cards or badges |
| Hardware | The phones staff already carry | One shared tablet per entrance | Any phone, tablet, or computer browser | One unit per door, plus cards or badges |
| Cost at 15 people | $49 / mo on Starter | $49 / mo on Starter, plus the tablet | $49 / mo on Starter (Free covers up to 2 people, including you) | Hardware for each site, then admin hours every pay period |
| GPS on the punch | Coordinates and a readable address at clock in and clock out | With geofencing on, the tablet's location; a punch without one is flagged for review | Browser location when the employee allows it | None; it proves where the clock is, not the person |
| Works offline | Yes, the punch queues and syncs within 48 hours | No, the tablet needs a connection | Yes, once the app has been opened on that device | Yes, but totals are read off the unit by hand |
| Best for | Field, mobile, and multi-site staff | Shift teams who share a device or leave phones in a locker | Office and desk staff, and anyone who skips the install | One site that never changes and has no network |
Cloud-based vs on-premise vs wall punch clock
Those three routes are all ways of capturing a punch. The separate question is where the system that stores it lives, and that is what changes the bill and who has to maintain it.
Time and attendance systems come in three shapes. A wall punch clock is a unit at the door with cards, badges, or a keypad. On-premise software runs on a server you own and someone maintains. A cloud-based system is a subscription you open in a browser or app, with nothing to install at the workplace beyond an optional shared tablet.
| Cloud-based (ClockOut) | On-premise software | Wall punch clock | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | None beyond the subscription | License plus a server and IT time to install | Buy and mount a unit at each site, plus cards or badges |
| Hardware | Staff phones or any browser; a shared tablet is optional | A server on site, plus terminals or badge readers | One unit per door |
| Remote or multi-site staff | Clock in from any site or job location; Pro supports up to 20 locations with their own geofences | Each site needs its own terminal or a VPN back to the server | Only where a unit is mounted; totals merged by hand across sites |
| GPS on each punch | ✓ | Rare; usually tied to a fixed terminal | Proves where the clock is, not the person |
| Payroll export | CSV on every plan; ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks formats on Pro | Depends on the vendor and version | Depends on the model; often retyped by hand |
| Updates | Automatic, included in the subscription | Installed by you or a contractor, sometimes as a paid upgrade | None; replace the unit |
| Monthly cost for 15 people | $49 on Starter, $99 on Pro | Quoted per license; usually no published price | $0 after the hardware, plus admin hours every pay period |
For a sense of the wider cloud market, published prices as of September 2026: Homebase is $30 per location and 7shifts is $44.99 per location, Connecteam is a flat $35 for up to 30 users, Deputy has a $30 monthly minimum, QuickBooks Time is a $20 base plus $10 per user ($170 for 15 people), Buddy Punch is a $19 base plus $5.99 per user (about $109 for 15 people), and OnTheClock is a $5 base plus $4 per employee ($65 for 15 people). Check what each tier includes before comparing, since features like geofencing and kiosk mode often sit on a higher tier. ClockOut's Starter plan is $49 for 15 people with geofence enforcement, kiosk mode, and timesheet approval included.
Punch clock vs spreadsheet vs ClockOut
| ClockOut | Punch clock | Spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | An afternoon, no hardware to buy | Buy and mount a unit at each site | Instant, then upkeep every week |
| GPS or location proof | ✓ | Proves where the clock is, not the person | ✗ |
| Early punch control | Punch limiting and geofence (Starter) | Depends on the model | ✗ |
| Payroll export | CSV on every plan; ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage on Pro | Depends on the model | Rebuilt by hand each period |
| Cost for 30 people | $94 / mo on Starter | Hardware per site plus cards or badges | $0 plus admin hours every week |
| Works for multiple sites | Up to 20 locations (Pro) | One unit per site, totals merged by hand | One tab per site, merged by hand |
What it costs at 15 and 25 people
ClockOut is built for teams of 10 to 50 that have outgrown a wall clock. At 15 people, Starter is $49 a month and Pro is $99. At 25 people, Starter is $79 and Pro is $159. Free covers up to 2 people, including you, with no time limit, annual billing takes 20% off, and every new account starts with a 14-day Starter trial.
Both paid plans have a base fee that covers the first 5 active accounts (the owner counts as one), then a flat rate for each extra person. Deactivate someone and the next bill drops.
| Starter | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | $19 / mo for up to 5 | $39 / mo for up to 5 |
| Each extra person | $3 / mo | $6 / mo |
| 15 people | $49 / mo | $99 / mo |
| 25 people | $79 / mo | $159 / mo |
| 30 people | $94 / mo | $189 / mo |
| 50 people | $154 / mo | $309 / mo |
| 100 people | $304 / mo | $609 / mo |
| Built for | One site: kiosk, geofence, approvals, PTO | Several sites: payroll formats, device locks, compliance pack |
Annual billing takes 20% off. Every new account starts with a 14-day Starter trial with no card, Pro is billed when you subscribe, and the free plan covers up to 2 people, including you, with no time limit. Full detail is on the pricing page.
Cloud-based time clock and attendance system FAQ
What is a cloud-based time and attendance system?
A cloud-based time and attendance system is software that records when employees start and stop work, hosted on the vendor's servers and opened through a browser or a phone app instead of installed on a computer or a wall unit at your site. Employees clock in from a phone, a browser, or a shared tablet, the system calculates hours and overtime, a manager approves the timesheet, and the totals export to payroll. Because it runs in the cloud, staff at any site can use the same system, updates arrive automatically, and you pay a monthly subscription rather than buying hardware.
What is a time clock system?
A time clock system is two things together: a way for employees to record when they start and stop work, and the software that turns those punches into hours, overtime, and a payroll file. The clock itself can be a wall unit, a shared tablet, a phone app, or a web page. The system part is everything after the punch: overtime rules, a schedule to compare the punches against, a queue that surfaces missed punches and late arrivals, manager approval, and an export. A wall unit does the first half only, which is why teams that outgrow one move to a cloud time clock system rather than a newer box.
What is the best employee clock in system for a small business?
Pick the clock-in system that matches how your people arrive at work. If staff carry phones and move between sites, a phone app with a GPS stamp on each punch fits. If they share a device or leave phones in a locker, a tablet kiosk with a 4 to 6 digit PIN or a QR badge fits. Most teams of 10 to 50 end up running both. Past the punch itself, four things decide whether the system saves you time: a control that stops early clock-ins, a queue that surfaces missed punches before payroll, timesheet approval, and an export your payroll provider accepts. ClockOut includes all four on Starter, which is $19 a month for up to 5 people and then $3 per extra person, so $49 a month for 15.
Is there a virtual time clock?
Yes. A virtual time clock is a time clock with no physical unit: the clock is an app or a web page, and the records live on the vendor's servers. ClockOut works this way. Employees punch from the iPhone or Android app, from any browser, or from a shared tablet in kiosk mode, and a manager can see who is on the clock from anywhere. There is nothing installed at the workplace and no unit to replace when it fails.
Do I need a physical time clock?
No, and for most teams of 10 to 50 a physical unit costs more than it saves. A wall clock records a punch at one door: it cannot tell you whether the person was on site or in the parking lot, it does not cover a second location or a job site, and the totals still have to be read off it and typed in. If you want a fixed clock at the entrance because that is how the team is used to arriving, kiosk mode on a spare tablet does the same job and feeds the same timesheet. The one real case for a wall unit is a single site with no network at all, since a kiosk tablet needs a connection at the moment of the punch.
Do I need any hardware?
No. ClockOut runs in any modern phone or desktop browser and as native iPhone and Android apps, so most teams use the phones they already have. If you want a fixed clock at the door, kiosk mode turns any shared tablet into one after a one-time setup, with a 4 to 6 digit PIN or a printed QR badge for each employee. There are no proprietary terminals, badge readers, or servers to buy.
Does it work offline?
Clock in and clock out work offline. If the phone has no connection at the moment of the punch, the punch is saved on the device with the original tap time and syncs automatically when the connection returns, flagged so an admin can see it was recorded away from the network. The app must have been opened at least once before going offline, a queued punch older than 48 hours is rejected at sync, and breaks are online only. The exact behavior is on the product facts page.
How does it get hours into payroll?
ClockOut totals hours, overtime, and pay estimates, then produces a CSV file you download and import into your payroll system. Every plan, including Free, exports a plain CSV. Pro adds files formatted for RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, and QuickBooks Time, plus a payroll run workflow (draft, approve, lock, export). ClockOut does not push data through an API and does not run payroll or withhold taxes.
Is it secure?
Passwords are hashed with PBKDF2-SHA256 at 100,000 iterations with a random salt per user, and are never stored in plain text. Sign-in uses a random 48-byte session token that expires after 30 days, changing a password signs out every other session, and repeated failed logins are rate limited over a 15-minute window. Every record belongs to one company, and every query is scoped to that company, so one customer cannot read another's data. ClockOut does not hold a third-party security certification, so if your policy requires one, ask before you commit.
What is the best time and attendance system for 40 employees across 3 locations?
Look for phone and kiosk clock-in, a separate geofence for each site, a way for each site manager to see only their own people, and a payroll export your provider accepts. ClockOut covers that on the Pro plan: up to 20 locations, each with its own geofence, scoped roles per location, and formatted exports for ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero and Sage. For 40 people Pro is $249 a month ($39 for the first 5, then $6 each). Starter would be $124, but it covers a single location, so three sites need Pro.
Does ClockOut replace a physical punch clock?
Yes. Kiosk mode on Starter and Pro turns a shared tablet into the clock: employees enter a 4 to 6 digit PIN or scan a personal QR badge, with an optional photo at clock-in. People with a phone can also clock in from the ClockOut Time Clock app or the web app, so you can run both at once. There is no hardware to buy.
Can employees clock in without a smartphone?
Yes. A shared tablet in kiosk mode takes a PIN or a printed QR badge, and no personal device is needed. Anyone with a basic phone browser can also use the web app without installing anything. Kiosk mode is on Starter and Pro.
Does it export to ADP, Gusto or QuickBooks?
Yes, on the Pro plan. ClockOut generates CSV files formatted for ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero and Sage, with hours, overtime and pay totals already calculated. You download the file and import it into your payroll system. Every plan, including Free, exports a plain CSV. ClockOut does not run payroll or withhold taxes.
How much does it cost for 50 employees?
50 people is $154 a month on Starter ($19 for the first 5 accounts, then $3 each) or $309 a month on Pro ($39 for the first 5, then $6 each). The owner counts as an account. Annual billing takes 20% off, and every new account starts with a 14-day Starter trial.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every new account starts with a 14-day Starter trial, no card needed. Pro has no trial and is billed when you subscribe. There is also a free plan for up to 2 people that never expires, which is enough to test clock-in, GPS stamps and the CSV export with yourself and one employee before inviting the rest of the team.
Related pages
- GPS time clock explains exactly what is recorded at each punch and how geofencing behaves.
- Kiosk mode and QR badges covers the tablet clock: PIN entry, badge scanning and printable badge sheets.
- Punch clock software is the same product framed for anyone replacing a mechanical punch clock, with the price at 5, 15 and 25 people.
- PTO tracker covers time-off policies, accrual and approvals.
- Employee scheduling shows how shifts, swaps and confirmations tie into the time clock.
- Time clock for small business is the shorter read if you have fewer than 10 people.
- Pricing has the plan comparison and a calculator for your exact head count.
- Product facts is the dated, maintained list of what the product does, checked against the code.
- Built for healthcare and cleaning services, among other hourly industries.
- Rolling it out? Start with the clocking in and out policy template.