Compare · QuickBooks Time alternative
A QuickBooks Time alternative for crews on the move
If your books already live in Intuit's products and your team clocks in on phones, tablets or a computer, QuickBooks Time fits and connects directly to them. If your crews move between jobsites and you want hours recorded without workers' phones, consider ZeroBadge, a separate time tracker. Each worker wears a company badge with its own cellular connection, and approved hours go to your payroll provider or out as a CSV, Excel or PDF export.
Last updated Competitor facts verified By ZeroBadge
ZeroBadge makes one of the products compared on this page.
What QuickBooks Time does well
QuickBooks Time is a general time tracker that sits close to Intuit's accounting and payroll software. Intuit says it integrates directly with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Online Payroll and QuickBooks Desktop, and with more than 50 other accounting and payroll apps.
- Many ways to clock in. A mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android, timesheets from a laptop or desktop browser, and a Time Kiosk for on-site punching.
- Scheduling on every plan. Intuit states all QuickBooks Time plans include scheduling, built by job or shift.
- Off-the-clock privacy. Intuit says it records location only while a worker is on the clock.
- A trial to test it. New customers on the monthly plan get the first 30 days free.
How QuickBooks Time captures time
QuickBooks Time records a punch from a device the worker or company provides. Devices and data plans are not included. Intuit notes that admins may require Always location access for workers to clock in through the app, and that cell service is required for GPS point accuracy.
Some crew features depend on the plan and the hardware. This is how Intuit's pages place them:
| Feature | What Intuit says |
|---|---|
| Geofence clock-in and clock-out reminders | Available in QuickBooks Time Elite only; requires setup |
| Timesheet signatures, project activity feed, estimates vs actuals | Elite only |
| Time Kiosk | Runs on a tablet, desktop or laptop with an internet connection; not designed to work on mobile devices; device not included |
| Facial recognition at the kiosk | Optional; uses biometric personal information |
| Pricing structure | A monthly base fee that includes one admin, plus a fee per user |
Where ZeroBadge differs from QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks Time is a general-purpose time clock for many kinds of business. ZeroBadge is built for field crews that move between jobsites, the shop and supply houses, and it records time from a badge rather than a phone or kiosk.
- Jobsites without an Elite plan or a tablet. Every ZeroBadge jobsite is a geofence drawn from an address, and every minute of a shift is allocated to a jobsite, transit or other.
- No phone setting to manage. The badge has its own cellular connection, so there is no Always permission to request and no worker data plan involved.
- Exceptions before approval. Missing clock-outs, late starts and time outside approved sites are listed for a manager before the week is approved.
- A different payroll path. ZeroBadge does not list QuickBooks as an integration. Approved hours go to your payroll provider through ZeroBadge's integrations, or out as a CSV, Excel or PDF export.
QuickBooks Time and ZeroBadge side by side
| Question | QuickBooks Time | ZeroBadge |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Teams that clock in on phones, browsers or a kiosk | Construction and other multi-site field crews |
| How a worker clocks in | Mobile app, web browser or Time Kiosk | Powers on the badge |
| Device | The worker's phone or a company tablet or computer; not included | Company-issued badge with its own cellular connection |
| Jobsite geofences | Reminders to clock in or out, Elite plan only | Every minute allocated to a jobsite, transit or other |
| Location when off the clock | Not recorded, per Intuit | Badge is powered off between shifts |
| Scheduling | All plans | Not part of ZeroBadge |
| Pricing | Monthly base fee plus per-user fee; see QuickBooks Time's pricing page | Quote-based |
| Payroll | Direct integration with Intuit's accounting and payroll products, plus 50+ other apps | Integrates with payroll providers; CSV, Excel or PDF export |
What decides it
Most of the choice comes down to the devices you already have and how your crews move.
- Your crews carry company phones and stay at one site most days
- QuickBooks Time covers it, with geofence reminders if you are on Elite.
- Crews punch at a trailer computer or tablet
- The Time Kiosk fits, as long as everyone starts at that trailer.
- Crews split across sites and you do not control their phones
- A worn badge records the shift without a phone or a kiosk at each site.
When QuickBooks Time is the better choice
Frequently asked questions
Does ZeroBadge integrate with QuickBooks?
Can our office staff stay on QuickBooks Time while crews use badges?
We use the Time Kiosk at our shop. Do we still need it?
When should we switch over?
Do workers have to install an app?
Sources
QuickBooks Time is a trademark of its owner. ZeroBadge is not affiliated with QuickBooks Time.
Keep reading
- SolutionPayroll integrationApproved hours sent to your payroll provider automatically. Nobody re-keys a timecard.
- SolutionTime tracking without phonesA company-managed badge instead of an app on a worker's personal phone.
- SolutionExport timesheets to payrollCSV, Excel and PDF exports of approved hours.
- CompareBadge vs time clock appsA worn badge against phone time clock apps in general.
- CompareWorkyard alternativeWorkyard's GPS app and iPad kiosk against a worn badge.
