

In this review
What is Buddy Punch?
Buddy Punch is a hr & time tracking tool built for employee time clock & scheduling. Punch in from phone or kiosk with GPS and photo verification, timesheets and payroll exports handle themselves.
We ran it through our standard two-week test: real accounts, real work, no demo shortcuts. It earned 8.8/10, a place among the leaders in our hr & time tracking ranking.
Bottom line up front: Buddy Punch nails the balance: dead simple for employees, verification and reports for owners. Payroll prep went from hours to minutes in our test. That verdict is backed by a 4.6-star average across 1,050 user reviews. Below is the full breakdown, including the parts the marketing page skips.
Buddy Punch pros and cons
What we loved
- Employees learn it in one shift
- GPS + photo punch verification
- Overtime rules automated
- Exports to every major payroll
What we didn't
- Scheduling is add-on priced
- Light on deep project analytics
Buddy Punch ratings at a glance
What users highlight
Room to improve
Feature deep-dive: what you actually get
Features scored 85/100. Here's how each core capability held up in real use, one line per feature:
- Time clock (app/kiosk/web). Built directly around employee time clock & scheduling. In testing the workflow was obvious within minutes, not buried three menus deep.
- GPS & photo verification. This is where Buddy Punch pulls ahead of the cheaper options. It works as advertised; we verified it on real work, not a demo account.
- PTO tracking. Sounds like a checkbox item until you use it. For us it replaced a task we'd normally handle in a separate tool.
- Overtime alerts. We stress-tested this over two weeks. It held up with no workarounds, often the deciding factor for the right buyer.
- Scheduling. Implemented better here than in most hr & time tracking rivals. Not flashy, dependable, which is what earns a spot on this site.
- Payroll integrations. Rounds out the kit. Fewer subscriptions to juggle: one login, one bill, one place to look.
Full feature set at a glance:
Buddy Punch pricing: is it worth it?
Pricing is from $4.49/user/mo. Crucially, 14-day free trial, so you can validate everything in this review on your own work before spending a rupee.
On value for money we scored it 91/100, one of the best value scores on this site.
Who is Buddy Punch for?
Hourly-workforce businesses, retail, restaurants, field crews, clinics, done with paper timesheets and buddy punching.
Skip it if: scheduling is add-on priced, or light on deep project analytics. In those cases, Toggl Track is usually the better fit.
How Buddy Punch compares
| Buddy Punch | Toggl Track | Trainual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.8 | 9.1 | 9 |
| Best for | Employee time clock & scheduling | Effortless time tracking | SOPs, training & onboarding |
| Pricing | From $4.49/user/mo | Free plan · paid from $10/user/mo | From $299/mo |
| Free to start | 14-day free trial | Free plan · no card | 7-day free trial |
| Review | This page | Read → | Read → |
Buddy Punch FAQ
Is Buddy Punch free?
Buddy Punch doesn't have a permanent free plan, but you can start with a 14-day free trial. Paid pricing: From $4.49/user/mo.
What is Buddy Punch best for?
Buddy Punch is best for employee time clock & scheduling. Punch in from phone or kiosk with GPS and photo verification, timesheets and payroll exports handle themselves.
How much does Buddy Punch cost in 2026?
Buddy Punch pricing: From $4.49/user/mo. 14-day free trial to start, so you can validate the value on real work before paying.
Is Buddy Punch worth it in 2026?
In our hands-on testing, Buddy Punch scored 8.8/10. Buddy Punch nails the balance: dead simple for employees, verification and reports for owners. Payroll prep went from hours to minutes in our test.
What are the best Buddy Punch alternatives?
The strongest Buddy Punch alternative we've tested is Toggl Track (9.1/10), best for effortless time tracking. See our full ranked list of Buddy Punch alternatives.
Who should NOT buy Buddy Punch?
Skip Buddy Punch if the following matter to you: scheduling is add-on priced; light on deep project analytics. In that case, start with Toggl Track instead.
Final verdict: should you buy Buddy Punch?
After two weeks of hands-on use, Buddy Punch earns a 8.8/10. Buddy Punch nails the balance: dead simple for employees, verification and reports for owners. Payroll prep went from hours to minutes in our test. If employee time clock & scheduling is your priority, this is the pick, and because 14-day free trial, the smartest move is simply to test it on your own work this week.
Try Buddy Punch, 14-day free trial
Set it up on real work today. If it doesn't earn its place in a week, cancel and keep what you learned.
How this review was made: We signed up for Buddy Punch with our own account, used it on real hr & time tracking work for 14+ days, and scored it against every rival in the category on identical tasks. Affiliate commissions never change a score. Full methodology →