Buddy Punch
Buddy Punch is a cloud-based time tracking software that simplifies how you manage employee hours, monitor attendance, and streamline payroll processing through an intuitive digital punch clock interface.
MakeShift
MakeShift is a cloud-based employee scheduling software that helps you create rotas faster, track time accurately, and communicate with your team through a simple mobile-first interface.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Buddy Punch | MakeShift |
|---|---|---|
| Website | buddypunch.com | makeshift.ca |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $3.99/month | $2.75/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 14 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Plymouth, USA | Calgary, Canada |
Overview
Buddy Punch
Buddy Punch is a user-friendly time tracking platform designed to replace paper timesheets and manual data entry. You can manage your team's attendance from any device, whether they are in the office or working remotely. The software focuses on accountability, offering features like GPS tracking, geofencing, and facial recognition to ensure your employees are exactly where they need to be when they clock in.
You can easily integrate the platform with your existing payroll providers like QuickBooks, Gusto, and ADP to eliminate manual errors. It scales effectively for small businesses and mid-sized companies across various industries, including construction, healthcare, and retail. By automating time calculations and overtime tracking, you save hours of administrative work every pay period while maintaining complete visibility over your labor costs.
MakeShift
MakeShift is a people-first scheduling platform designed to eliminate the headaches of manual shift management. You can build complex schedules in minutes using a drag-and-drop interface that accounts for employee availability, qualifications, and labor costs. By moving your rotas to the cloud, you ensure your team always has the most up-to-date information right on their phones.
The platform bridges the gap between management and staff by allowing you to approve time-off requests, manage shift swaps, and track attendance in real-time. It specifically targets industries with fluctuating shifts like healthcare, retail, and hospitality. You can reduce HERO (unnecessary overtime) and ensure your business stays compliant with labor laws while keeping your employees engaged and informed.
Overview
Buddy Punch Features
- Geofencing Set specific geographic boundaries so your employees can only clock in when they are physically at the designated worksite.
- Facial Recognition Ensure the right person is punching in by requiring a quick webcam photo during the clock-in process to prevent buddy punching.
- GPS Tracking View the exact location of your remote or mobile workers at the moment they punch in or out on their mobile devices.
- Payroll Integrations Sync your tracked time directly with popular providers like QuickBooks, Gusto, and Paychex to process payroll in minutes.
- Time Off Tracking Manage vacation requests and sick leave within the app, allowing you to approve or deny time off with instant notifications.
- Shift Scheduling Create and publish employee schedules visually, ensuring your shifts are covered and your team knows exactly when to work.
MakeShift Features
- Drag-and-Drop Scheduling. Create and adjust weekly schedules in seconds by dragging shifts across your screen to the right team members.
- Mobile App for Staff. Give your team the power to view schedules, request time off, and swap shifts directly from their smartphones.
- Photo Radar Time Clock. Prevent buddy punching by having your employees clock in via a tablet that captures a photo for verification.
- Availability Management. Let your employees set their own preferred working hours so you only schedule people who are actually available.
- Shift Exchange. Enable your staff to trade shifts with qualified colleagues, which you can then approve or deny with one click.
- Real-Time Notifications. Send instant alerts to your team's phones whenever a schedule is published or a shift change occurs.
- Labor Cost Tracking. Monitor your labor spend as you build schedules to ensure you stay within budget and avoid costly overtime.
- Automated Reminders. Reduce no-shows by automatically sending your employees reminders before their scheduled shifts begin.
Pricing Comparison
Buddy Punch Pricing
- Time Tracking
- GPS Tracking
- Image Upper/Webcam
- Payroll Integrations
- Time Off Tracking
- Reporting Tools
- Everything in Standard, plus:
- Employee Scheduling
- Schedule Templates
- Shift Trades & Covers
- Schedule Notifications
- Early/Late Reporting
MakeShift Pricing
- Drag-and-drop scheduling
- Employee mobile app
- Availability management
- Shift exchange & swaps
- Time off requests
- In-app messaging
- Everything in Essentials, plus:
- Photo Radar time clock
- GPS-enabled clock-in
- Payroll exports
- Advanced labor reporting
- Department-level permissions
Pros & Cons
Buddy Punch
Pros
- Extremely intuitive interface for both managers and employees
- Exceptional customer support with very fast response times
- Seamless integration with major payroll software providers
- Reliable mobile app for tracking remote field workers
Cons
- Base monthly fee makes it pricier for very small teams
- Mobile app requires a strong internet connection to sync
- Reporting customization can be limited for complex needs
MakeShift
Pros
- Extremely intuitive interface for both managers and employees
- Significantly reduces the time spent on weekly schedule creation
- Mobile app is highly reliable for remote shift management
- Excellent customer support team that responds quickly to issues
Cons
- Limited customization options for very complex labor rules
- Reporting tools could be more robust for enterprise needs
- Occasional sync delays between the web and mobile apps