Honest Review:
QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time is an undeniably solid product for time tracking for payroll and mobile teams, but it is expensive and dated.

Written by Asim Qureshi
By Asim Qureshi, CEO Jibble

November 23rd 2023

As a CEO of a time tracking software company, I need to know what my competitors are up to. That means I’m often researching about and/or playing around with their products… you know, it’s part of the job. Here, I share my findings from that research, giving credit to those competitors where credit is due and being honest about which products I believe you really need to avoid. And so, there you have it, this review. And in it, I try to be honest, fair, and insightful.

This review covers:

Overview

QuickBooks Time is an employee time tracking, shift scheduling, and project management software that allows users to manage office-based teams as well as mobile workers. The software offers a really decent web dashboard, mobile app, and time kiosk that enables real-time monitoring of employees and their actions on the go. PTO tracking, team scheduling, time kiosk, project tracker, and API interaction with third-party applications are just a few other features in QuickBooks. But what I truly like are its GPS tracking and geofencing features, which allow admins to see where employees are in real time and remind them to clock in or out when entering or leaving job sites. This gives businesses valuable insight into the whereabouts of staff at any given time and promotes a culture of accountability among the ranks. 

QuickBooks Time’s (formerly Tsheets) meteoric growth is anchored on the back of its strong integration with QuickBooks, which explains why QuickBooks’ owner, Intuit, bought them in 2017 for $340M, gradually aligning it even closer with the family. They eventually changed its name to Quickbooks Time, and finally rebranded its mobile app into QuickBooks Workforce in June 2023. Given this, it should be no surprise that it’s the natural choice for users of QuickBooks’ accounting products.

QuickBooks Time is an absolutely solid product, particularly if the goal is to track time for payroll. But it does have the kind of issues you’d expect from it being a cog in the massive Intuit machine. Many users are practically begging for features and functionalities that are usually present in other similar time tracking software. The UI can be confusing, customer support isn’t great, and for the pretty darn expensive pricing starting at US$8/user/month plus a US$20/month base fee, you’d expect it to be polished and bug-free but unfortunately, it isn’t. 

Quickbooks Time's Web and mobile interface

What Do Users Like About QuickBooks Time?

  • Real-time GPS tracking and geofencing 
  • Mobile app for time tracking and scheduling 
  • Web dashboard, mobile app, and time kiosk
  • Actionable reports and insights
  • Streamlined payroll management
  • Great QuickBooks integration

Find more on what users love about QuickBooks Time.

What Don't Users Like About QuickBooks Time?

  • Not great for desk workers’ time tracking
  • Expensive pricing
  • Poor customer support
  • Limited integrations with third party software
  • Buggy UX

Find more on what users hate about QuickBooks Time.

What Pricing Plans Does QuickBooks Time Offer?

QuickBooks Time has two pricing plans, Premium and Elite, both of which come with a generous 30-day free trial, as well as a 50% discount for the first three months of usage and a free guided setup.

The Premium Plan is designed for easy attendance and time tracking of teams. With a base fee of $20 per month which includes one admin and an additional $8 per user per month, this plan includes the Workforce mobile app and features such as streamlined payroll and invoicing, job and shift scheduling, customized reports, time off management, alerts and notifications, photo attachment, time kiosk, the ability to see who’s working, and unlimited customer support.

The Elite Plan is designed for bigger and more complex operations. Aside from time tracking, it also helps businesses meet deadlines with real-time collaboration. With a base fee of $40 per month for one admin and an additional $10 per user per month, the Elite Plan has all the features of the Premium Plan, plus mileage tracking, project estimates vs actuals, project activity feed, timesheet signatures, and geofencing, as well as the ability to track project progress to plan.

What are the Standout Features of QuickBooks Time?

1. PTO Tracking

Employee time off is well-deserved (and mandated by law), but the stress of scheduling, tracking, and managing it is most definitely not. QuickBooks Time’s PTO tracker allows users to streamline “time off” tracking with ease, and it’s pretty cool. It allows for bulk time off entry for days when most employees would expect to kick back such as on public holidays. The tracker also lets users choose if employees can submit time-off requests by the day or the hour, or enter the time off directly themselves without requiring approval.

With teams and workers constantly on the move, flexibility is an important aspect of PTO tracking. With QuickBooks Time, requests can be submitted through the app or the web dashboard. Once approved, the time off is displayed in the calendar. Managers can create custom notifications to keep team members informed throughout the request approval process.

Best of all, by using QuickBooks Time’s PTO tracker, businesses can finally get rid of the messy and chaotic system of PTO requests sent in through text messages, voicemails, verbal exchange, and *gasp* even post-it notes! Everyone can see their current and future PTO balances as well, so businesses can take a break from their previous tiresome manual PTO tracking systems by letting QuickBooks Time do all the heavy lifting.

Display for tracking time off

2. GPS Tracking

GPS tracking is important in managing remote and mobile workforces. QuickBooks Time’s GPS tracking feature instills a culture of accountability among teams, and ensures that management always knows where their people are while on the clock so that businesses are prepared and protected against any type of on-site exigencies. It also shows which employee is the closest to a vacancy on site, helping boost efficiency.

This feature also helps streamline work records and documentation. QuickBooks Time’s automatic mileage tracking simplifies the tax filing and expenses reimbursement processes as well by allowing you to see how far employees travel while clocked in.

And for boots-on-the-ground operations such as those in fieldwork, service, retail, and construction, the geofencing feature of QuickBooks Time ensures that employees are reminded to be where they are supposed to be while on company time through reminders to clock in or out when they enter or leave a geofenced site. The ability to tie job codes to a geofenced site also helps managers expedite payroll by reducing errors and time spent on editing timesheets.

Mobile app showing timecard displaying location

3. Team Scheduling

Quickbooks Time’s team scheduling feature offers a convenient way to assign shifts and create schedules for entire teams. With this feature, businesses can easily create, manage, and assign multiple schedules and jobs within minutes. 

Team scheduling with QuickBooks Time is as easy as dragging and dropping jobs from previous schedules, allowing admins to repeat a schedule that works, ad infinitum — no more long and agonizing hours hunched over paper or squinting at spreadsheets. And the best thing about it is that all of these can be done even without an office setting, as it can be done even on a mobile phone!

A separate “Who’s Working” window lets users track which employees are working and determine which ones are available for a quick task. All changes to the schedule can be shared with teams through customized email, SMS, and push notifications, ensuring that no one misses out on shifts and jobs. And if businesses have to comply with state fair workweek laws requirements, QuickBooks Time stores records in the cloud for up to three years.

Mobile Interface showing team member names and schedules

4. Time Kiosk

QuickBooks Time elevates the punch-in experience of on-site workers with its time kiosk feature. It has all the functionality of a traditional wall-mounted punch clock while giving users the same features present in QuickBooks Time’s web and mobile apps. By punching in using a PIN code, employees can track their time accurately and appear on the Who’s Working window.

The QuickBooks Time time kiosk is an excellent solution for businesses with centralized time tracking needs and attendance management needs, and those who need to have employees punch in and track time on a shared device. Construction, events, retail, restaurants, and hospitality businesses are some of the sectors that might benefit the most from the time kiosk.

Although optimized for use on tablets, the QuickBooks Time time kiosk can also be used on mobile devices and web browsers. All it needs is a compatible internet-connected device and a stable connection to begin time tracking, help in generating reports, and connecting a particular site’s staff with the rest of the workforce. 

An additional QuickBooks Time time kiosk feature that I find really helpful is its photo capture functionality, which allows users to capture photos of themselves while clocking in to help eliminate time theft and buddy punching shenanigans. And speaking of helpful features, the GPS tracker that can be activated in every time kiosk device is a time saver for managers by automatically categorizing time sheets according to location. Reports can be further customized to reflect job code, employee, and project compartmentalizations for simplified job costing and resource allocation. 

Finally, QuickBooks Time’s time kiosk syncs data from the kiosk to businesses’ preferred payroll software, and allows users to review and submit timesheets through a short series of clicks on the device. Traditional wall-bound time clocks could never beat that!

Time kiosk that requires employee login

5. Project Tracker 

The QuickBooks Time project tracker is designed to help businesses ensure that projects are profitable by allowing admins to easily see where projects are going and  streamlining team management based on the data. 

With the QuickBooks Time Projects, businesses can see where employee hours go, monitor where time is spent for entire projects or even down to the smallest tasks, compare estimated hours versus actual hours, and ensure that projects are delivered on time.

Aside from that, real-time reports can also be generated by QuickBooks Time Projects not just for the big picture, but even for specific jobs, tasks, and employees. This gives companies unparalleled valuable insight that they can use to inform and influence future projects. A layer of accountability is added in the timesheets by allowing employees add their digital signatures and proof of work completed on the mobile app. And to ensure that everyone is on the same page, the in-app project activity feed keeps everyone informed of project developments and allows users to add notes and share input for smoother operations.

And the best part: all of these functions can be done in the office or on the go, because QuickBooks Time Projects is accessible on both iPhone and Android.

  Project tracker showing project details like costs

Selected Positive User Feedback: 

  • “Reporting is good, integration with QuickBooks and Gusto (our payroll service) works. GPS geotagging helps prevent techs from stealing time.” Elizabeth H. (Source: g2)
  • “It is simple to accurately manage our employees’ time, both in the field and in the office. It lets us know the employee’s location at the time they clock in, so no more attempts to get paid for the time they were not actually on the job site.” Gennyfer C. (Source: g2)
  • “I appreciate the fact that the data-sheet is in QuickBooks Payroll.” Niko T. (Source: g2)
  • “It now has the ability to monitor your location as well.” Devendra B. (Source: g2)
  • “I liked the estimates and invoicing part. I could work a 2-hour job and have the client sign the invoice on my phone.” Jonathan (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “The synchronization with QuickBooks was important and works well.” (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “Payroll reports and manual time entries are easy – Allows you to cost your jobs easily and helps you understand how your margins on your jobs are.”  Noura (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “The product makes time tracking easy and gives me the ability to accurately account for all of our time spent on various projects.” Jerry (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “One program for everything is a relief and takes away the stress of operating multiple different programs for each thing.” Savannah (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “This is hands down the best way to have to punch a time clock. It’s super easy to use and set up, keeps a fair and accurate track of your hours…” Joseph Stengal (Source: Play Store)
  • “(…) company that’s on the move a lot. Quick and easy way to record hours.” Anthony Gardner (Source: Play Store)
  • “(…) QuickBooks time is precise, there’s nothing that I need to fix or try to make it… better.” Hugo O. (Source: Capterra)
  • “I liked that the time clock worked even when there was minimal cell service/ no wifi.” Allison K.  (Source: Capterra)
  • “I can use it with my QuickBooks payroll and my employees can track their time and manage their missed clock in & outs themselves.” Shelly T. (Source: Capterra)

Selected Negative User Feedback: 

  • “Worked when it was tsheets, now, it’s horrible. Switch jobs, and it tells you “currently unable to switch.” David M. (Source: Play Store)
  • “This app has become a nightmare of frustration. Like everyone else, it started forcing me to log back in and verify my identity every time I opened it.” Karl Davenport (Source: Play Store)
  • “Intuit took a great program and completely ruined it. The newest update now requires login EVERY TIME I try to access the app. It’s a huge time waster.” Lisa A. (Source: Play Store)
  • “First off it randomly crashes, I can’t put holiday or sick time in on the app. Also when I try to put my time in on the app it automatically puts brakes and lunches in and screws up my time.” (Source: App Store)
  • “Time off does not import to Quickbooks.” Sam (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “The pricing structure for small businesses is a bit overpriced.” Jonathan (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t pause the tracking if I had to break away.” John (Source: SoftwareAdvice)
  • “Many aspects of TSheets can be clunky. What drives me nuts all the time is when you log a time, AM and PM don’t get adjusted automatically.” Tomo S. (Source: G2)
  • “I don’t like how it doesn’t let you choose the specific way you want it to sync with QBO.” Katrina S. (Source: G2)
  • “I wish that you could scan something to change the job you are working on instead of having to punch in all the information.” Karla H. (Source: G2)
  • “Only downside is you can not be actively working on/tracking time for 2 projects at once.” Taylor F. (Source: G2)
  • “Cannot clock into two jobs at once, must switch or input job duration.” Melanie Marie B. (Source: G2)
  • “No integration – meaning after you sign up, you are left to figure out how to set up the software and then work with the customer service team on any questions.” Kara F. (Source: Capterra)
  • “Intuit’s customer support is useless. They’re not empowered to do much of anything except tell you they can’t help.” Tom H. (Source: Capterra)
  • “The price is a bit on the higher side and it gives you a burn if you’ve 500+ users using this application, which is what happened in our case.” Aninda S. (Source: Capterra)

    What are QuickBooks Time's Review Ratings from Review Sites?

    (As of 09/08/2023)

    • G2: 4.5/5
    • SoftwareAdvice: 4.5/5
    • TrustRadius: 6.9/10
    • Capterra: 4.7/5
    • Play Store: 4.1/5 
    • App Store: 4.5/5 

    What's my Final Verdict on QuickBooks Time?

    QuickBooks Time makes sense if you’re ok with the price and you’re tracking the physical location of employees, and if you’re using QuickBooks and the Intuit family of work and productivity software. Scheduling is solid, time tracking is great, PTO tracking is a breeze, and payroll integrations are usually smooth. And its project tracker and time kiosk feature work on both mobile and PC, which gives it an edge compared to the rest.

    However, following Intuit’s acquisition, QuickBooks Time isn’t quite the Tsheets that it used to be, or rather the others have just caught up fast. The complicated UI, problematic UX, not-so-great customer support, multitude of reported bugs and glitches, limited integrations with non-Intuit software, as well as the relatively high pricing are some things to seriously consider when deciding if QuickBooks Time is right for you.

     

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