A geofenced time clock lets staff clock in on their own phone only when they're at the workplace. Most scheduling apps now offer one, but they differ in what they check, which plan includes it, and how much location data they collect. Here's how five compare.
We make TDS Workforce Management. Details of the other apps come from their own websites and pricing pages as checked in October 2026; plans change often, so confirm which tier includes geofencing before you buy.
At a glance
| App | Location check at clock-in | Identity check | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecteam | GPS on every paid tier; geofenced sites from Advanced (10) and Expert (unlimited) | Not listed in the sources we checked | Up to 10 users |
| Homebase | Location-based clock-in on its mobile time clock | Photos on tablet and point-of-sale clocks | One location, up to 10 employees |
| Jibble | GPS stamp and geofences that restrict clock-ins to approved places | Facial recognition | Unlimited users; check which features the free plan includes |
| When I Work | Geofences that block clock-ins away from the workplace, and early clock-ins | Not listed in the sources we checked | Free trial |
| TDS Workforce Management | A radius per site; a clock-in outside it is refused with the distance shown | Optional photo at clock-in and clock-out, an on-site signature, and a personal PIN on a site kiosk | No; a 30-day free trial, then from A$5 per active user a month |
Connecteam
Connecteam includes a GPS clock-in on every paid tier of its Operations hub, then geofenced sites: up to 10 on Advanced and unlimited on Expert. It's free for up to 10 users, which makes it an easy place for a small team to start. Count your sites before choosing a tier.
Homebase
Homebase is built for single-site and multi-site small businesses, priced per location. Its free Basic plan covers one location and up to 10 employees. It lists location-based clock-in on its mobile time clock and photo capture on tablets and point-of-sale devices, with payroll as an add-on. Check the comparison table for which plan includes each.
Jibble
Jibble is free for unlimited users and lists GPS location stamps, geofences that restrict clock-ins to approved locations, and facial recognition to verify identity. Independent reviews place geofencing and facial recognition in its paid tier, so confirm what the free plan covers for you.
When I Work
When I Work pairs a drag-and-drop scheduler with a mobile and web time clock. Its geofencing can block clock-ins outside the workplace and stop early clock-ins, depending on the edition. Staff can request time off and swap shifts in the app.
TDS Workforce Management
In TDS Workforce Management, every site has its own radius. The phone reads its position once when someone clocks in, and outside the radius the clock-in is refused with a message saying how far away they are. Clock-in opens 30 minutes before the shift, clock-out is recorded but not fenced, and the record keeps the distance and the GPS accuracy. An optional photo, the shift's duty checklist and a signature from someone on site add proof of service, and sites can require licences before anyone clocks in.
Where staff don't carry phones, a site can have a kiosk instead: a tablet where each person taps their name and enters their own PIN, with an optional photo. Five wrong PINs lock that person's PIN for fifteen minutes. Breaks are started and ended in the app and become the unpaid break on the timesheet.
Location is read at clock-in and clock-out and at no other time, which keeps it simple to explain to staff and to justify under privacy law. Our guide to geofenced clock-ins covers choosing a radius, and the GDPR guide covers what to tell staff in the UK and EU.
Questions to ask any vendor
- Which plan includes geofencing, and how many sites does it allow?
- What happens when someone clocks in outside the fence: refused, flagged, or just recorded?
- Is the location read only at clock-in, or tracked during the shift?
- What does the record keep: distance, accuracy, a photo?
- How do approved hours reach payroll?
If the answers that matter to you are “refused”, “at clock-in, plus an alert if someone leaves the site” and “the distance, the accuracy and a photo”, TDS Workforce Management's clock-in was built for you.
Connecteam, Homebase, Jibble and When I Work are trademarks of their owners. This comparison isn't endorsed by any of them.