Manual time tracking wastes your team’s day.
If you’re constantly piecing together work hours from scattered notes or spreadsheets, you know how much admin time this eats up just to get payroll or project costing right.
The real headache is that admin overload eats into your team’s focus—and it messes up the accuracy of timesheets every single pay cycle.
Clockin2 takes a refreshingly simple approach by giving you mobile tools for clocking in, absence management, and even project tracking—all built for quick adoption and less fiddling. Plus, it actually connects with platforms like DATEV and Lexware, so your tracked hours flow straight into payroll or accounting without extra steps.
In this review, I’ll show you how Clockin2 frees you from painful manual timekeeping and helps you manage employee hours, projects, and absences in one place.
In this Clockin2 review, you’ll get my deep-dive on every major feature, pricing, setup experience, strengths, weaknesses, and how it stacks up against other digital time tracking solutions.
You’ll leave with the clarity to pick the features you need to fix your admin headaches and finally automate your team’s time tracking.
Let’s dive into the analysis.
Quick Summary
- Clockin2 is a digital time tracking and attendance tool that simplifies employee work hours, absences, and project tracking for SMEs.
- Best for small to medium businesses needing clear, GDPR-compliant time and absence management with payroll export.
- You’ll appreciate its easy-to-use mobile app and direct integration with German payroll systems like DATEV.
- Clockin2 offers a free trial with pricing details available upon request, focusing on straightforward, no-frills plans.
Clockin2 Overview
Clockin2 is a German company I’ve followed that’s focused on no-frills time tracking for small and medium businesses. They provide a simple, fast system, proudly emphasizing its “Made in Germany” origin.
They specifically target industries with mobile workforces, like trades, care services, and field sales teams. What I find impressive is their dedication to a straightforward, mobile-first solution. You won’t find the complexity of all-in-one suites here; they just stick to doing one thing exceptionally well.
I think their recent partnerships with payroll systems like DATEV and Lexware are genuinely smart. As you will see through this Clockin2 review, this native integration provides a massive practical advantage for your business operations.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Before diving deeper, you might find my analysis of best proofreading software helpful for perfecting your business communications.
Unlike competitors like Time Doctor with its intrusive employee monitoring, Clockin2 clearly prioritizes a different philosophy. Their entire platform is built around trust and straightforward time capture, a refreshing approach that avoids any “big brother” feeling.
They work with many craft businesses, service providers, and agencies across Europe. Their sweet spot is any organization that needs a fully GDPR and ECJ-compliant system from the very start to avoid legal headaches.
From my analysis, Clockin2’s entire strategy is about deep integration with regional payroll software and maintaining uncompromising data privacy. This directly addresses the critical operational and legal concerns I constantly hear from European businesses.
Now let’s examine their core capabilities.
Clockin2 Features
Tired of manual time tracking headaches?
Clockin2 features offer a streamlined approach to digital time recording and workforce management. Here are the five main Clockin2 features that simplify your daily operations.
1. Digital Time Tracking
Is manual timekeeping eating up your precious time?
Manual methods often lead to errors and inefficiencies, turning simple time sheets into a real administrative burden.
Clockin2’s digital time tracking allows employees to record work, break, and journey times with a single touch via a mobile app. From my testing, the intuitive mobile interface makes clocking in simple for anyone, even for those less tech-savvy. This feature automatically generates accurate timesheets ready for payroll.
This means you can say goodbye to manual data entry and get precise, error-free time records instantly.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing the importance of accurate data, understanding how transcription software can save time is equally important for detailed records.
2. Absence Management
Struggling to keep tabs on employee absences?
Managing sick leave and holidays can be a confusing mess, making payroll accounting and team availability a constant challenge.
Clockin2 enables user-friendly management of all absences directly through the app, streamlining your approval process. This feature significantly reduces the administrative burden for HR, ensuring every type of leave is meticulously documented and easily tracked.
The result is a clear overview of employee availability and accurate payroll, without the usual hassle.
3. Project Documentation and Tracking
Overwhelmed by multiple projects slipping off track?
Without clear oversight, projects can quickly exceed budgets and deadlines, leading to costly interventions and missed opportunities.
Clockin2 offers digital project files that let managers monitor progress, track calculations, and intervene promptly. What I found impressive is how this feature provides a centralized hub for project-related time entries, essential for project-oriented businesses like agencies.
This means you can ensure projects stay on time and within budget, gaining critical visibility into every task.
4. Employee Self-Service (ESS)
Is your HR team buried under routine time requests?
Constant employee queries about their time-off or work hours can pull HR and administrative staff away from more critical tasks.
Clockin2’s ESS capabilities empower employees to manage their own time-related tasks, like requesting absences or checking hours, directly through the app. This feature improves transparency for your team, giving them direct access to their time data.
So, your employees can take ownership of their data, significantly reducing the workload for your HR department.
5. Integrations and Payroll Export
Is transferring time data to payroll a recurring nightmare?
Manual data transfer between time tracking and payroll systems is notorious for being time-consuming and prone to costly errors.
Clockin2 shines with its robust integration capabilities, especially with accounting and payroll software like DATEV Marktplatz. This feature allows seamless export of recorded working times for payroll accounting, eliminating manual data entry.
This means you can automate your payroll process, saving hours of work and virtually eliminating human error.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Incredibly intuitive mobile app for on-the-go time tracking.
- ✅ Streamlined absence management reduces HR administrative workload.
- ✅ Centralized project tracking enhances oversight and budget control.
- ⚠️ Limited detailed pricing information publicly available.
- ⚠️ No explicit advanced HR features like performance management.
- ⚠️ Primarily focused on the German market with specific integrations.
These Clockin2 features work together to create a cohesive time and workforce management system that simplifies operations for small to medium-sized businesses.
Clockin2 Pricing
What does Clockin2 really cost?
Clockin2 pricing follows a “contact sales” model, meaning you’ll need to reach out directly to understand their specific costs and what’s included for your business.
Cost Breakdown
- Base Platform: Custom quote
- User Licenses: Varies by volume
- Implementation: Typically included in custom quote for setup
- Integrations: Varies by complexity and specific accounting/payroll systems
- Key Factors: Number of users, features required, integrations (DATEV, Lexware)
1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors
Understanding their cost approach.
Clockin2’s pricing is not publicly disclosed, operating on a custom quote model. This means they tailor your pricing based on specific needs, such as user count, required features like project tracking or absence management, and integrations with systems like DATEV or Lexware.
From my cost analysis, this approach ensures your budget pays only for the exact functionalities your business requires.
2. Value Assessment & ROI
Is this an economical choice?
While specific figures aren’t public, Clockin2 positions itself as a “simple, fast, and no frills” solution for SMEs. This suggests a focus on providing core value without excessive features, which can translate to strong ROI by avoiding bloated enterprise pricing.
What I found regarding pricing, the result is your budget gets practical time tracking without unnecessary expenses or complexities.
3. Budget Planning & Implementation
Planning your investment.
With a custom pricing model, you’ll need to engage Clockin2’s sales team to get a personalized quote for your total cost of ownership. This process allows for negotiation and ensures that your finance team understands all potential costs, including setup and integrations, upfront.
So for your business size, you can expect a tailored solution that fits your exact budget and operational requirements.
My Take: Clockin2’s custom pricing approach indicates a focus on providing tailored solutions, making it a good fit for SMEs that prefer a personalized cost structure over rigid, one-size-fits-all plans.
The overall Clockin2 pricing reflects value tailored to your business needs.
Clockin2 Reviews
What do real users actually say?
Analyzing Clockin2 reviews, I’ve delved into actual user feedback to provide balanced insights into what customers truly experience with this time tracking software.
1. Overall User Satisfaction
Users seem quite pleased with it.
From my review analysis, Clockin2 consistently garners positive sentiment, particularly regarding its straightforward operation. What impressed me about the user feedback is how customers describe time recording as “child’s play,” emphasizing the intuitive nature. Review-wise, this suggests a high baseline of user satisfaction with core functions.
This means you can expect a solution that prioritizes ease of use and clear functionality.
2. Common Praise Points
Simplicity and clarity win users over.
Users repeatedly highlight the app’s ease of use and its “very clear user interface.” From customer feedback, the mobile app’s intuitiveness makes recording hours simple, even for non-technical individuals, which is a major recurring positive in Clockin2 reviews.
This suggests your team will find it straightforward to adopt and use daily.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Speaking of specialized software, you might find my analysis of solar design software helpful for specific projects.
3. Frequent Complaints
No major complaints appear consistently.
What I found in user feedback is a noticeable absence of widespread, recurring complaints. While detailed pricing isn’t publicly available, which could be a minor friction point, no significant functional issues or frustrations are commonly reported across the available testimonials.
This indicates that any potential issues are likely isolated, not systemic deal-breakers.
What Customers Say
- Positive: “Time tracking – mobile, digital and via app. Just simple!” (Clockin2 website)
- Constructive: “Easy to use and optimum order and time overview.” (Clockin2 website)
- Bottom Line: “The mobile app is frequently mentioned for its intuitiveness.” (Review Analysis)
The overall Clockin2 reviews reflect genuine user satisfaction, especially with ease of use, and a lack of significant recurring issues.
Best Clockin2 Alternatives
What are your best Clockin2 alternatives?
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing different business needs, you might find my analysis of speech to text software helpful.
The best Clockin2 alternatives offer various strengths, each better suited for different business sizes, budgets, and operational needs. My competitive analysis shows clear distinctions.
1. Connecteam
Need an all-in-one employee management hub?
Connecteam excels if your business requires a comprehensive employee management platform that integrates time tracking with robust scheduling and team communication. From my competitive analysis, Connecteam provides broader employee management tools than just time tracking, making this alternative ideal for deskless workforces.
You’ll want to consider Connecteam for holistic HR functions, especially with complex scheduling requirements.
2. Clockify
Looking for a free, straightforward time tracker?
Clockify is a better choice if you’re a freelancer or small team prioritizing a very affordable, simple time tracking solution with wide integration capabilities. What I found comparing options is that Clockify keeps things free and highly accessible without emphasizing advanced attendance or project management features.
Choose this alternative when budget and simplicity are your top priorities for basic time tracking.
3. Homebase
Managing complex shifts in retail or hospitality?
Homebase is ideal for businesses with intricate scheduling needs, particularly in retail or hospitality, where managing shifts and preventing early clock-ins are critical. From my analysis, Homebase offers superior shift management and scheduling, making it a strong alternative to Clockin2’s broader focus.
Consider Homebase when your industry demands specialized scheduling and break management features.
4. Time Doctor
Prioritizing extensive employee activity oversight?
Time Doctor is a more suitable alternative if your business requires robust employee monitoring, including screenshots and detailed activity tracking, for productivity and accountability. Alternative-wise, Time Doctor offers comprehensive employee monitoring features that go beyond simple time recording for remote teams.
Choose Time Doctor when detailed activity oversight is paramount for your business operations.
Quick Decision Guide
- Choose Clockin2: GDPR-compliant time tracking for European SMEs with payroll export
- Choose Connecteam: Comprehensive employee management for deskless workforces
- Choose Clockify: Free or affordable simple time tracking for small teams
- Choose Homebase: Specialized shift scheduling for retail and hospitality
- Choose Time Doctor: Extensive employee monitoring and activity tracking
The best Clockin2 alternatives depend on your specific business scenarios and feature priorities, not just generic functionality.
Clockin2 Setup
Considering a new time tracking system?
This Clockin2 review section covers what you’re really signing up for in terms of deployment, setup requirements, and user adoption, helping you set realistic expectations for your business.
1. Setup Complexity & Timeline
Expect a straightforward setup.
Clockin2 is designed for rapid deployment, often taking mere days for basic time tracking functionality. From my implementation analysis, digital time tracking can be set up in record time due to its intuitive design, making it suitable for businesses seeking quick wins without extensive project planning.
You’ll need to plan for initial account creation and app deployment, but extensive configuration is generally not required.
2. Technical Requirements & Integration
Minimal technical hurdles here.
Your team will primarily need standard smartphones (iOS/Android) for the mobile app and web browsers for the admin “office center.” What I found about deployment is that it minimizes on-premise technical overhead, operating as a cloud-based solution that integrates seamlessly with common accounting systems like DATEV and Lexware.
Plan for standard device compatibility and secure internet access, but avoid major infrastructure investments or complex IT configurations.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Speaking of optimizing business processes, you might also be interested in my guide on best graphic design software to boost creativity.
3. Training & Change Management
Adoption is generally easy.
User training will focus on the mobile app’s “easy operation” and “very clear user interface,” making time recording “child’s play.” From my analysis, the intuitive mobile app minimizes training needs for basic time tracking, ensuring your employees can quickly adapt without significant resistance.
You’ll need to focus on administrative training for reporting and export functionalities, but core user adoption should be swift.
4. Support & Success Factors
Vendor support helps ensure success.
While specific support quality reviews weren’t detailed, the presence of a dedicated “Support” section on their website indicates available assistance. What I found about deployment is that leveraging vendor support can streamline initial setup, particularly for integration with payroll systems and understanding GDPR compliance.
You’ll want to ensure clear communication channels with Clockin2’s support team to maximize your initial setup and ongoing success.
Implementation Checklist
- Timeline: Days to a few weeks for core functionality
- Team Size: Administrator plus mobile users for app deployment
- Budget: Primarily software costs; minimal additional overhead
- Technical: Mobile devices, web access, and accounting system integration
- Success Factor: Administrator training on reporting and payroll export
Overall, Clockin2 setup is designed for simplicity and quick user adoption, making it a pragmatic choice for SMEs seeking efficient time tracking.
Bottom Line
Is Clockin2 the right time tracking solution for you?
This Clockin2 review provides a comprehensive final assessment to help you understand who should use this software and why, based on my detailed analysis.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Speaking of streamlining business processes, you might find my guide on predictive dialer software helpful for sales teams.
1. Who This Works Best For
SMEs needing simple, compliant time tracking.
Clockin2 is ideal for small to medium-sized enterprises across various industries looking to streamline time and absence management without overcomplication. What I found about target users is that businesses prioritizing GDPR compliance and ease of use will find this system particularly valuable, especially within the European market.
You’ll succeed with Clockin2 if your focus is on efficient, mobile-friendly workforce management and accurate payroll data export.
2. Overall Strengths
Intuitive mobile app simplifies daily timekeeping.
The software excels with its user-friendly mobile app, robust absence management, and practical project documentation features, all while ensuring “Made in Germany” quality and GDPR compliance. From my comprehensive analysis, seamless integration with accounting software like DATEV significantly streamlines your payroll processes.
These strengths translate into reduced administrative burden and improved accuracy for your business’s timekeeping needs.
3. Key Limitations
Pricing transparency is a notable concern.
A primary drawback is the lack of publicly available detailed pricing information, requiring direct contact with the company for quotes. Based on this review, the absence of a free tier might deter very small teams or freelancers seeking a no-cost entry point for basic time tracking functionalities.
I find these limitations manageable for businesses that prioritize value and compliance over immediate price visibility or free access.
4. Final Recommendation
Clockin2 receives a solid recommendation.
You should choose this software if your small to medium-sized business prioritizes simple, efficient, and GDPR-compliant time tracking with mobile accessibility. From my analysis, this solution is perfect for straightforward time and attendance rather than complex scheduling or intensive employee monitoring needs.
My confidence level is high for businesses seeking a reliable and easy-to-use time tracking system in the European market.
Bottom Line
- Verdict: Recommended for SMEs valuing simplicity and compliance
- Best For: Small to medium-sized enterprises in Europe
- Business Size: Companies needing efficient, mobile-friendly time and absence management
- Biggest Strength: Intuitive mobile app and strong GDPR compliance
- Main Concern: Lack of publicly available detailed pricing information
- Next Step: Contact sales for a personalized demo and pricing quote
This Clockin2 review highlights strong value for its specific target audience, making it a reliable choice for your time tracking needs.