ClockOut

ClockOut combines GPS timekeeping, shift planning, and attendance review for hourly and shift-based teams. It is best suited to small businesses that need mobile punches or a shared kiosk and can pass payroll to another system by file. The trade-off is clear: payroll remains a manual handoff, and connected service is still required for breaks.

Overview

ClockOut brings clock-in records, schedules, and attendance exceptions into one workflow for restaurants, healthcare providers, construction crews, cleaning companies, home-care teams, and similar operators. Employees can use a phone app, web browser, or shared tablet, while managers get tools for scheduling and reviewing problematic punches. Its fit is strongest where GPS verification and shift coordination matter more than an automatic payroll connection.

Key features

Phone, browser, and kiosk punches record both time and GPS location. Shared-tablet kiosk mode, included on Starter and Pro, accepts a PIN or QR badge, which suits workplaces where not every employee has a suitable phone. Optional boundary checks can enforce location rules while an employee is clocked in. ClockOut says those checks are discarded and that it does not track location off the clock, a useful privacy boundary for employers that still need location verification.

Scheduling handles recurring schedules, open shifts, shift swaps, and confirmations. That covers regular rosters as well as last-minute coverage changes. The exception inbox collects missed clock-outs, late arrivals, skipped breaks, and overtime alerts, giving supervisors a queue for follow-up rather than forcing them to find each issue in a timesheet. Attendance reports and timesheet approvals support the review process, but managers remain responsible for resolving exceptions.

Clock-in and clock-out punches can be saved without a connection and later sync with their original tap time. This helps workers in locations with intermittent coverage. Breaks are an important limitation: they require a connection, so ClockOut is not fully offline for all timekeeping events.

Starter adds PTO balances and accruals, plus PTO requests and approvals. Pro adds payroll runs, compliance rules, multiple locations, API access, and payroll-formatted CSV exports for ADP, Gusto, and QuickBooks. Those exports must be downloaded and imported manually; they do not create an automatic payroll sync.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing, billed at $0 forever, and supports up to two people including the account holder. It includes GPS punches, basic scheduling, pay estimates, and CSV export. That cap makes it a useful fit for a very small operation or an evaluation, but it is not a practical free tier for a growing staff.

Starter costs $19 a month, billed $19 per month. The plan includes five people, with each additional person costing $3 per month, and provides unlimited employees overall. It adds geofence enforcement, recurring schedules, PTO, kiosk mode, and the exception inbox. Choose it when scheduling depth, PTO administration, and shared-tablet clock-ins matter; the extra-person charge becomes a material consideration as headcount rises.

Pro costs $39 a month, billed $39 per month. It includes five people, then charges $6 per extra person per month, while providing unlimited employees, multiple locations, payroll runs, ADP/Gusto/QuickBooks export, compliance rules, and API access. It is the appropriate tier for multi-site teams or organizations that need payroll preparation and integrations. In every paid tier, a 14-day trial provides a short evaluation period before the recurring charge.

Platforms

ClockOut runs on Android, iOS, and the web, with API access on Pro. Clock-in methods include phone app, tablet kiosk with PIN, tablet kiosk with QR badge, and web browser. The combination covers personal devices, shared equipment, and browser-based office use.

Who it's for

ClockOut is a strong match for small and midsize hourly teams that schedule shifts, need location-backed punches, and want a focused exception-review process. Starter is the natural choice for a single operation needing PTO and kiosk support; Pro fits organizations with multiple locations, payroll workflows, or integration requirements. It is less suitable for teams that require automatic payroll transfer or offline break recording.

Pros and cons

Pros

GPS punches with privacy boundaries: location is recorded at clock-in and clock-out, while off-the-clock tracking is not used.

Useful scheduling coverage: recurring shifts, open shifts, swaps, and confirmations address both routine and changing rosters.

Actionable attendance review: one inbox surfaces missed punches, lateness, skipped breaks, and overtime alerts.

Shared-device support: PIN and QR-badge kiosk modes avoid requiring every worker to use a personal phone.

Limited offline resilience: clock-in and clock-out taps retain their original time through reconnection.

Cons

Payroll is not automatic: even Pro exports require downloading and importing CSV files.

Breaks need connectivity: offline operation does not cover the complete punch-and-break workflow.

Free plan is tightly capped: only two people can use it.

Per-person charges grow on paid plans: Starter adds $3 per extra person and Pro adds $6.

Alternatives

Time Clock Software is the broader category guide for comparing time-clock products. Choose Fareclock if you need desktop operating-system coverage and a paid plan structured around users. ClockIt is worth considering for a freemium service with broad desktop, kiosk, collaboration, and biometric-platform coverage. Jibble suits readers seeking an unlimited-user free tier with geofence and schedule allowances. EmploTime is an alternative for a low-cost annual plan and office-document report formats. TimeClock Wizard offers unlimited users on its free tier and paid annual packages. TimeTrex is an option for organizations considering self-hosted or wider platform deployment. PunchFlow fits teams wanting a small free tier priced in AUD and no trial. OnTheClock is another paid choice combining employee time tracking, scheduling, and PTO management.

Verdict

Choose ClockOut if your hourly team needs GPS-backed punches, practical shift scheduling, kiosk access, and a structured attendance-exception workflow in one service. Its main reason to look elsewhere is payroll: Pro prepares compatible CSV files, but your staff must still download and import them, and breaks cannot be captured offline.