When your team works in the field, employee location tracking makes sense. After all, you can’t fix the problems you can’t see.

Employee GPS tracking apps give you visibility into how your team moves from between job sites. In other words, you can track their time and attendance based on their locations without traveling to each site yourself.

It’s almost impossible to keep track of your entire field team manually, but many companies still try. In Hubstaff’s 2020 State of Construction Report, we found that 56% of construction business owners and managers spend an average of 11 hours each week traveling between Job sites to check on crews.

Average hours spent per 40-hour workweek

An employee GPS tracking app makes it easier to dispatch your teams and ensure they’re getting things done. This gives you more time to focus on other tasks while building trust with your team members.

GPS data can also help you track time spent on: 

  • Work
  • Work breaks
  • Travel between job sites
  • Errands

In the next section, we’ll take a look at the best GPS tracking apps and which features will help you simplify time tracking. Click on an app to skip ahead to its respective section.

Summary of the best apps of 2023

AppDescriptionMobile Devices SupportedPriceFree trial
HubstaffPowerful but intuitive, all-in-one team organizer with employee time tracking and real-time GPS location monitoring.iOS, AndroidPro: $12 per user/month; starts at $24 (2 users)

Enterprise: Contact sales for a quote

14-day trial
Timesheet MobileTrack employee work time, mileage, or location from anywhere.iOS, AndroidBasic: $3.49 per user for unlimited punches + $14.99 company subscription

Per Punch: $0.15/punch + $29.99 company subscription

Small Business: $9.95 per user/month for unlimited punches + $29.99 company subscription

Medium Business: $2.49 per user for unlimited punches + $149 company subscription

Large Business: Contact Timesheet Mobile

30-day trial
QuickBooks TimeTime, attendance, and GPS tracking that pairs nicely with QuickBooks and other payment platforms.iOS, AndroidPremium: $20 base monthly fee + $8 per user per month; base fee includes 1 admin

Elite: $40 base monthly fee + $10 per user/month; base fee includes 1 admin
30-day trial
HellotracksEmpower dispatchers to assist mobile workers in the field by tracking their location in real-time.iOS, AndroidHellotrack Business: $12 per user/month

Hellotrack Enterprise: Contact for quote

30-day trial
eBillityGPS features that help you know who is on the clock at all times.iOS, AndroidTime Tracker: $9 per user/month + $15 monthly base fee

Time Tracker + Billing: $15 per user/month + $25 monthly base fee

14-day trial
JibbleA free employee time tracking app for any device.iOS, AndroidFree, with optional upgrades:

Premium: $3.99 per user/month

Ultimate: $7.99 per user/month

14-day trial
OnTheClockBasic time tracking with GPS, payroll integration, and more.iOS, AndroidSee website for pricing calculator.
30-day trial
TimeClock 365Manage your team on desktop or mobile with time tracking, tasks and projects, and biometric clocks and access control.iOS, Android (Standard and above)Basic: $4 per user/month

Standard: $6 per user/month

Pro: $12 per user/month

Premium: $15 per user/month

No free trial
TimeeroStreamline timesheets, mileage reporting, and HR requests with this time and location tracking app.iOS, AndroidBasic: $4 per user/month

Pro: $8 per user/month

Premium: $11 per user/month

14-day trial
ConnecteamIntuitive team organizer with time and location tracking and built-in messaging functionality.iOS, AndroidBasic: $29 per month for the first 30 users + $0.50 per month for each additional user

Advanced: $49 per month for the first 30 users + $1.50 per month for each additional user

Expert: $99 per month for the first 30 users + $3 per month for each additional user

Contact Connecteam for the Enterprise plans.

Free plan available without GPS tracking features.

14-day trial
TimelyApplication time tracker with GPS-location capabilities. High suitability for remote teams working on a computer or mobile device.iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Sat Phones, Personal TrackersStarter: $11 per user/month

Premium: $20 per user/month

Unlimited: $28 per user/month

Enterprise: Custom pricing

14-day trial

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What to expect from employee GPS tracking apps

Your GPS tracker app should do more than just tell you where your employees are at any given time. A good app also has additional features like geofencing, invoicing, and expense tracking, making managing field teams easier.

Live and historical location data

Some GPS location apps identify where employees are in the present. However, more advanced apps can record their travel throughout the day, plan future routes, and show time entries for multiple jobs within the same job site.

Hubstaff GPS features for mobile

Manage your field staff across multiple locations

The best apps allow you to see and manage your crew across various locations from a single dashboard. From there, you can also access data about their travel history, current travel routes and time, and the job they are working on.

This feature is excellent for all managers and dispatchers but especially useful for large teams covering multiple locations.

Automated clock in and out

Geofencing allows you to set up specific areas as job sites so that the software can tell when employees arrive or leave. Good apps can also use this information to trigger an action, like starting or stopping a time tracker.

Not all apps offer automatic clock-ins and clock-outs, even if they have geofencing technology. Some notify the employee to remind them to record their time instead. Ensure you look for automated time tracking when geofencing is on the features list.

Timesheet synchronization

According to Wagepoint, many businesses lose up to 10 hours each month processing timesheets and invoices. That’s why finding a GPS tracker that streamlines payroll is essential.

The best GPS time trackers use time and attendance data to complete timesheets automatically. Automating time and attendance also means you’ll spend less time double-checking entries.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s look at our favorite GPS tracking apps in more detail.

The 11 Best Employee GPS Tracking Systems

There’s no sense in paying for an app that complicates your day-to-day operations. As you review these options, remember that any tool you choose for your team should also be easy for everyone to use.

1. Hubstaff (iOS, Android)

Hubstaff dashboard for desktop and mobile apps

Features

Best for: Construction, real estate, hybrid teams, and more

Give your crew an easy way to track their work hours with Hubstaff’s GPS time tracking app. You’ll get detailed time cards that show how much time your team spends at each job site.

See your crew’s current locations on a live map to better estimate customer arrivals. Instead of driving from site to site to check in, you can access real-time location data for everyone on the clock.

Save even more time with automated GPS-based time tracking. You can create geofenced Job sites so that time tracking starts and stops when crew members arrive or leave a location.

With geofencing, your employee timesheets are automatic — no more paper timesheets or texts with weekly hours. Crews simply show up, and the app takes care of the rest.

With fleet tracking, you can also see routes taken, stops made, and time spent at each location from the Hubstaff dashboard. You’ll also save time processing payroll with Hubstaff’s automation.

Route tracking in Hubstaff

You can work on the go, too. Access your dashboard easily from your iPhone or Android.

Hubstaff is built for efficiency. It includes a suite of features for field teams, so you can:

  • Track expenses and stay within a set budget
  • Automate payroll and spend less time chasing down timesheets
  • Set up work orders and schedule one-time or recurring jobs
  • Set and communicate crew schedules

What users have to say about it

“The GPS tracking functionality has been particularly useful for remote workers, allowing me to stay updated on their location and optimize resource allocation.”

(Capterra)

“Hubstaff is marketed as time-tracking software, but it’s really more about keeping you on the same page with your staff. You can track their hours, schedule meetings, monitor productivity through URL and activity checks, and even track GPS when they’re on the road. It’s an excellent way to ensure everyone gets the work done to the best of their ability.”

(Capterra)

Hubstaff pricing

Hubstaff offers a free plan for a single user. It includes time tracking, timesheets, and limited payment features.

If you need more users and features, you can opt for one of the paid plans — all of which support unlimited users:

  • Starter ($7 per user/month)
  • Grow ($9 per user/month)
  • Team ($12 per user/month)
  • Enterprise (Custom pricing available upon request)

If that’s still not enough for you, check out the additional add-ons.

  • Insights ($2 per user/month)
  • Tasks ($3 per user/month)
  • Data retention ($2 per user/month)
  • More screenshots ($3 per user/month)

There’s also a free 14-day trial you can use to check out the software and see if it’s the right fit for your needs.

2. Timesheet Mobile (iOS, Android)

Timesheet Mobile homepage

Features

Best for: Sales teams

Timesheet Mobile lets you manage your team from anywhere with time tracking, scheduling, and messaging. The punch prompt allows you to clock in and out of a worksite at the tap of a button. You can also automate the process with geofencing.

The app also reminds your employees to take breaks on schedule and helps you handle time off and holidays.

On more premium plans, Timesheet Mobile’s punch clock app can track mileage and time traveled. Mobile tracking is helpful if you want to optimize travel routes to save money on fuel.

Timesheet Mobile can save you money by auto-alerting employees if they try to track unapproved overtime. It will also warn them when they’re not where they should be during work hours.

What users have to say about it

“Easy-to-use software that allows us to geofence customer properties, which makes it easier for employees to log in and out of the system. Integrates with QB, which is a definite plus.”

(GetApp)

While Timesheet Mobile offers similar GPS features to Hubstaff and other tools on this list, customers have experienced occasional glitches and poor coverage. 

“Sometimes GPS tag doesn’t work as intended. May be due to poor coverage or may be due to software code.”

(Capterra)

Timesheet Mobile pricing

  • Basic: $3.49 per user for unlimited punches + $14.99 company subscription
  • Per Punch: $0.15/punch + $29.99 company subscription
  • Small Business: $9.95 per user/month for unlimited punches + $29.99 company subscription
    • Mileage, expense reports, and location warnings 
  • Medium Business: $2.49 per user for unlimited punches + $149 company subscription
    • Geofence auto punch, dial-up IVR punch in/out, and geofence violation alerts
  • Large Business: Contact Timesheet Mobile for a custom quote

3. QuickBooks Time (iOS, Android)

QuickBooks Time homepage

Features

Best for: Teams working in low-signal areas and leaders managing complex projects

QuickBooks Time uses optimized GPS functionality so that it won’t drain your employees’ batteries. Background synchronization backs up your data. You never have to worry about losing information — even if your teams work in locations with poor signal.

You can also use the app to generate a convenient map of daily activities to visualize where a user has been. A visual map improves accountability and creates opportunities to optimize travel time.

QuickBooks Time uses geofencing technology, although it doesn’t auto-clock in and out. Instead, employees receive notifications to clock in and out when they arrive at and leave designated workspaces.

With feeds, managers can communicate with their teams through the app in real time. From there, they can also generate and export progress reports to stay up-to-date.

You can choose whether to track activity against projects or tasks. This makes QuickBooks Time a great tool for project managers.

What users have to say about it

“Overall, I give them 5 stars… Their customer service, GPS Tracking of employees, and mobile time entry plus ease of use by employees and the admin staff are a valuable asset to my business!”

(Capterra)

QuickBooks Time is a five-star tool for some. For others, it leaves much to be desired. Mileage tracking and a desire for better geofencing consistently top users’ wish lists.

“It would be nice if the software could use its integrated GPS to track the number of miles between job sites in one day and translate that to a dollar amount.”

(GetApp)

QuickBooks Time pricing

  • Premium: $20 base monthly fee + $8 per user per month; base fee includes 1 admin
  • Elite: $40 base monthly fee + $10 per user/month; base fee includes 1 admin

After a 30-day trial, QuickBooks Time’s Premium plan is $8 per user per month, plus a $20 monthly base fee.

The Elite plan is $10 per user per month, plus a $40 monthly base fee. It offers real-time alerts for better project planning, collaboration, and time tracking.

4. Hellotracks (iOS, Android)

Hellotracks homepage

Features

Best for: Workforces attending multiple job sites, including plumbers and electricians

Hellotracks does more than track location and hours. It can also collect data on each job.

Using real-time GPS tracking, Hellotracks lets employees view the optimal route to their next job site. This empowers employees to plan ahead and stay on schedule more easily.

You can also set up geofencing to automatically clock employees in and out upon arriving at or leaving a job. For increased transparency, employees can include photos, client signatures, and other data in the app.

All this data is visible to you and any dispatchers. While you can enable employees to use Hellotracks to choose their own routes to a job, you also have the option to suggest routes to them in real time.

Hellotracks includes analysis and reporting functions, as well. This makes it easier to view timesheets, mileage, and job statuses all in one place.

What users have to say about it

“I am satisfied with the overall performance of this product. It’s a great value for the price, and although it has its shortcomings, I can always work around those or adapt. Either way, it’s a great fit for my business, but as my business grows, I feel that I will soon outgrow this product.”

(GetApp)

Hellotracks is a sound product at a great price but lacks route optimization. Users also cite frustrations with dashboard customization and irrelevant information.

“Schedule view is unfortunately missing. Not possible to optimize routes when having different start and end locations. Dashboard not possible to customize and showing information not relevant.”

(Capterra)

Hellotracks pricing

  • Hellotracks Business – Location ($12 per user/month)
  • Hellotracks Business – Dispatch ($15 per user/month)

For larger teams, Hellotracks offers an enterprise plan with custom quotes.

5. Time Tracker by eBillity (iOS, Android)

Time Tracker by eBillity homepage

Features

Best for: Teams with time theft and buddy punching issues

eBillity’s Time Tracker helps teams record more accurate time to simplify payroll. GPS and facial recognition features also make it a great tool for mobile teams. Biometric face scanning helps to prevent buddy punching, so you’ll never have to worry about time theft or employees clocking in or out for one another.

On the client side of things, Time Tracker comes up a bit short. You’ll have to upgrade just to access basic invoicing features. Other tools on this list allow you to create your own custom invoices with a base plan.

What users have to say about it

“eBillity Time Tracker lets us manage our business online, on the phone or on the go through our GPS tracking app, helping to increase revenue, reduce administration costs and improve profitability.”

(Capterra)

eBillity’s Time Tracker is a great standalone tool for teams that work in the office, on the go, or fully remote. Some users feel it lacks the necessary integrations to make it a seamless addition to their tech stack.

“The one thing about Time Tracker that I don’t like is the lack of integration possibilities. While Time Tracker can be connected to accounting programs like QuickBooks and Xero, it does not enable connections to other widely used programs like Google Calendar or Slack. For companies that rely significantly on these tools for project management and communication, this could be a disadvantage.”

(Capterra)

eBillity pricing

  • Time Tracker: $9 per user/month + $15 monthly base fee
  • Time Tracker + Billing: $15 per user/month + $25 monthly base fee
    • Expense tracking, job costing, and other premium features

eBillity’s Time Tracker is priced similarly to QuickBooks Time and other products on this list. For the basic time tracker, you’ll pay $9 per user per month and an additional base fee of $15 per month.

The Time Tracker Premium plan includes expense tracking, job costing, and other premium features for $15 per user per month and a $25 base fee.

6. Jibble (iOS, Android)

Jibble homepage

Features

Best for: Teams with a limited budget

At first glance, Jibble seems pretty similar to other GPS time tracking apps. It has basic time tracking, GPS and geofencing features, and even facial recognition tools. So what makes it stand out from the pack? It’s free.

Teams with limited budgets will love the free GPS time tracker’s versatility. That said, larger teams will have to rely on paid upgrades to onboard users, add geofences, and create more groups.

What users have to say about it

“Well-designed, easy-to-use app for tracking and monitoring a business or organization’s staff, the GPS location feature was especially helpful. The free version meets most of our needs.”

(GetApp)

Users love Jibble’s free version for its helpful GPS features, intuitive reporting features, reminders, and weekly recaps. However, Jibble could use some work regarding manual time entries. Some users have expressed issues with missed punches.

“The only thing that I don’t like is, if someone misses a punch, it messes up all of their time, and it’s not very easy to edit. You have to go back in and delete some punches and re-enter them and the missing punch.”

(Capterra)

Jibble pricing

Jibble prides itself on being a free employee time tracker that works on any device. However, you’ll need to pay for GPS and other premium upgrades.

  • Free
    • Unlimited time tracking for an unlimited number of users
  • Premium: $3.99 per user/month
    • Includes GPS, overtime calculations, and workgroups.
  • Ultimate: $7.99 per user/month
    • Unlimited locations, managers, and groups

For groups of over 500 members, you can contact Jibble for enterprise rates.

7. OnTheClock (iOS, Android)

OnTheClock homepage

Features

Best for: Growing businesses

OnTheClock’s goal is to help you worry less about time tracking, payroll, and workforce management and more about growth.

Like other tools on this list, you can set up geofenced locations for automated time tracking. Helpful integrations with payroll tools like Gusto, Paychex, and Paylocity make it easy to turn tracked time into timesheets.

What users have to say about it

“The incredible amount of flexibility it offers is amazing. You can set or restrict punches from specific devices, regions, IP addresses, and similar on a per-employee basis or account-wide, allowing you to make sure that every employee is punching in when and where it’s appropriate to do so. It allows a per-employee automatic accrue system for PTO. Approving PTO requests is a breeze as well.”

(GetApp)

Users praise OnTheClock for its versatility, easy PTO approvals, and per-employee account settings. Unfortunately, the main drawback of OnTheClock is the GPS technology itself. Users have taken issue with getting accurate location information. 

“Sometimes the GPS signal doesn’t give the most exact location if there isn’t a WiFi signal nearby.”

(GetApp)

OnTheClock pricing

OnTheClock is free for up to two users, but it gets a little confusing as you add more. Fortunately, a helpful calculator on the pricing page calculates those rates for you.

Examples:

  • 5 employees for $17.50 per month
  • 15 employees for $51.75 per month 

If you’re a larger team, the calculator maxes out at 400 employees, so you’ll have to contact OnTheClock for a custom quote.

8. TimeClock 365 (iOS, Android)

TimeClock 365 homepage

Features

Best for: Field teams with multiple properties and job sites to secure

Like other tools on our list, TimeClock 365 aims to prevent buddy punching and time theft. But instead of facial recognition, the app uses fingerprint scanning to verify each employee’s identity.

Another feature that sets it apart is Door Access Control. TimeClock 365 not only tracks your employees’ time and whereabouts but also secures your office space, job sites, and other company property.

What users have to say about it

“I like the ease of use, and it’s very helpful with tracking the attendance of my employees. The customer service is very good as well. Anytime I have a question, I email and have a resolution within 24 hours.”

(Capterra)

Users really appreciate TimeClock365’s customer support, but that might be because they’re used to fielding a slew of issues. Some users have also expressed frustration with a lack of flexibility around monthly reporting. Others have found several glitches in the GPS features.

“The end-of-the-month reports are bad, and I can never approve my report without help. Our workplace has a lot of flexibility with work days and hours, and the system is not flexible.”

(Capterra)

“GPS tracking does not work very well. Most of the time, we have no idea where our employees are.”

(Capterra)

TimeClock 365 pricing

Unlike other tools on our list, TimeClock 365 boasts four different pricing models:

  • Basic: $4 per user/month
  • Standard: $6 per user/month
  • Pro: $12 per user/month
  • Premium: $15 per user/month

The $4 per user per month Basic version lets you track time on a web portal or biometric clock. 

The Standard and Pro plans offer mobile app access and project and task management features for $6 and $12, respectively.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to splurge for the $15 per user per month Premium plan if you want GPS tracking. That’s a bit pricey — especially since there’s no free trial.


Track mobile teams with GPS time tracking

Streamline time tracking, payments, and more across multiple devices with Hubstaff.

Try Hubstaff now

9. Timeero (iOS, Android)

Timeero homepage

Features

Best for: Mobile workforces who want to reduce travel time and costs

Timeero utilizes an intuitive planner that makes creating and assigning jobs to your mobile workforce easy. You don’t have to worry about anyone missing an assignment. Push notifications inform employees when their schedule has been updated.

Of course, the app wouldn’t have cracked this list if not for its GPS features. Set up geofenced sites to automate timesheets so your crew can get to work immediately.

Timeero allows you to track employee travel — even when you’re not actively watching the application. Set up waypoint checkpoints, and Timeero will notify you where your teams are and when. You can also generate mileage reports to stay on top of expenses. 

Timeero also functions as a helpful HR tool. Employees can also request time off from anywhere, and managers can approve or deny it at the touch of a button.

What users have to say about it

“The GPS tracking and geofencing is what really set this app apart from others we’ve tried. With traveling technicians, it is critical that we are able to track our employees’ time away from the office to ensure they are compensated appropriately.”

(Capterra)

Timeero users appreciate reliable GPS tracking and geofencing features, but administrative permissions fall short. Finding weekly hours totals and pulling reports has also been a source of frustration.

“I wish the app had better/easier/more user-friendly functionality for the administrator–can’t run reports to view weekly hour totals. I wish the website reports were easier so that I could set the week start/finish, and it would automatically calculate weekly totals by employee. The extra steps to go in and get my employees’ weekly total is annoying.”

(Capterra)

Timeero pricing

  • Basic: $4 per user/month
  • Pro: $8 per user/month
  • Premium: $11 per user/month

Timeero’s free trial lasts 14 days and offers basic, pro, and premium plans. For teams with over 250 users, Timeero also offers an enterprise pricing plan upon request.

10. Connecteam (iOS, Android)

Connecteam homepage

Features

Best for: Mobile workforces within large organizations, including sales teams

Connecteam is an all-in-one team organizer designed for mobile phones. Like other tools on this list, users can clock in and out of jobs with a button. The hours your team clocks are then uploaded to timesheets. You can review and approve them quickly.

You can also set up a “kiosk station” if you prefer to track work hours from a centralized location. You can assign another employee if someone doesn’t show up for a shift. Just use your map to see who is closest to the job and click to allocate the work to them.

Use GPS-enabled mobile devices to track employees’ locations in real-time. Drag-and-drop employee scheduling and task creation enable you to update job information on the fly. If you need more detail about a specific job, there’s also an in-app chat function that allows you to communicate with your teams.

You can also use Connecteam to distribute more than project information. Send out company flyers to keep employees informed. You can even send messages to acknowledge top performers. Both are proven ways to improve employee well-being and boost productivity.

Connecteam is much more than an employee location tracker. You can also use it to manage fieldwork. Then, generate checklists for teams to tick off as they go. You can set them to repeat and schedule similar jobs across multiple sites. Notifications will remind employees if they forget an item. 

Employees can also record job-relevant information in the app, such as voice recordings and photos.

What users have to say about it

“Every feature we use has streamlined and organized my team for the better. The customer service is excellent, and the ease of using the app & website is so simple!”

(Capterra)

Connecteam users have raved about customer service and overall ease of use. That said, some users are tired of constantly contacting these customer service reps. They cite outages and a growing number of bugs as their primary concerns. 

“The software was also completely down at least a couple of times in the last few weeks. The critical issues are with the scheduling. We notice a new bug pretty much every few days now. We report issues on a weekly, sometimes daily basis.”

(Capterra)

Connecteam pricing

  • Small business: $0 for up to 10 employees
  • Basic: $29 per month for the first 30 users + $0.50 per month for each additional user
    • GPS, payroll software integrations, and unlimited jobs
  • Advanced: $49 per month for the first 30 users + $1.50 per month for each additional user
    • Geofencing, Kiosks, Smart groups, and more
  • Expert: $99 per month for the first 30 users + $3 per month for each additional user
    • Live GPS tracking, multi-branch/location management, and personal profiles

Connecteam offers a free plan, but it doesn’t include the basic GPS features like a lot of other tools on this list. You don’t see geofencing features until you push into the Advanced pricing tier for $49 per month (and an additional $1.50 per user over 30 users). 

You can try before you buy with a 14-day free trial and get a custom enterprise quote if your team has over 200 users.

11. Timely (iOS, Android)

Timely user interface

Features

Best for: Remote (decentralized) companies and teams who want to improve productivity

While most other apps on this list are built for mobile workforces, Timely is suitable for remote employees with desktop computers or laptops.

Timely is primarily a project management and productivity tool, but it also has GPS tracking features you wouldn’t want to sleep on. 

The app breaks work down into time spent on specific tasks and applications. Using Timely’s project schedule function, leaders can identify tasks that take longer than expected. They can then use this information to plan better project timelines, add resources, or generate payroll and performance review reports.

Timely integrates with various third-party applications — most notably your mobile device’s GPS. This allows users who need to record their travel time to track how long they were in transit. Managers may even want to record how long meetings last.

This information can then be used for better planning and policy creation, which could save your business a lot of money.

What users have to say about it

“Timely is extremely easy and intuitive to use. It allows appointments to be quickly scheduled with the user-friendly interface. Timely also allows users to manage packages and inventory.”

(GetApp)

Timely users love the simple setup and ease of use. It’s easy to create projects, time entries are color-coded beautifully, and invoices look professional.

That said, finding reviews about Timely’s GPS features. While extremely versatile as a desktop-based remote work solution, users looking for GPS aren’t turning to Timely yet.

Timely pricing

  • Starter: $11 per user/month
  • Premium: $20 per user/month
  • Unlimited: $28 per user/month
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing

Timely offers a 14-day free trial. From there, paid plans start at $11 per user per month for limited users and projects. With the Premium plan, more features and unlimited users start from $20 per user per month.

The Unlimited plan includes priority support and is available from $28 per user per month. The Enterprise plan is ideal for large and complex businesses, but you must contact Timely for a quote. You can also try any plan with a 14-day free trial.

What is an employee GPS tracking app?

GPS employee tracking apps are GPS-powered tools that help teams see who is working and where they’re clocked in. 

With employee location tracking software, teams can easily clock in and out using geofence technology. For employees, this reduces time spent manually tracking time and ensures accurate payroll. 

For managers, GPS time tracking means they always know what their team is working on and can better predict project estimates and completion time.  

Why you should use an employee GPS tracking app

GPS location tracking is invaluable for certain businesses. But is it right for you? If your team works in multiple locations, GPS time tracking can save you time and improve your project completion rates and estimates.

GPS tracking can give your team some impressive benefits:

  • Improve communication: Without constant check-ins, GPS tracking lets you know what your team is working on and where. 
  • Reduce micromanagement: When you can track employee location, you remove the need to micromanage their work and constantly check in on where they are.
  • Improve project timelines: With advanced GPS technology, managing your team and finishing projects on time is simple.
  • Simple time tracking: Geofences automatically clock crews in and out, ensuring payroll is accurate and time is tracked precisely. 

How to choose the best employee GPS tracking app

There are some impressive GPS tracker app options available, and it can be hard to narrow it down to one tool. Now that you know the top tools, here is our advice on narrowing down your choices:

  • Examine your budget: Budget is perhaps the most crucial part of finding a new tool. Considering pricing plans, cost per seat, and any add-on fees that you will need to pay for. 
  • Consider ease of use: The tool you select needs to be easy to use with a simple interface, so your team can start using it without wasting time learning a complicated new tool. 
  • Consult your team: Getting feedback from your team can be a powerful way to ensure buy-in. If your team feels their opinion is being heard, they’re more likely to quickly adapt to the new GPS tool.
  • Consider integrations: If your team works with multiple tools like social media, SMS marketing, and CRM and email marketing tools, these must integrate seamlessly to reduce manual entry. 

Next steps

Don’t commit to an app just yet. Start a free trial with the one that has the features that best suit you and your team’s needs. This will also allow you to know for sure if the app will serve your business as you hope.

If you’re still not sure which app is right for you, ask yourself the following questions to help you narrow down your options:

  • Why is it important for you to track your employees throughout the day?
  • Do you prefer to automate as much as possible, or are you happy to let your employees clock in and out on their own?
  • Which features are must-haves, nice-to-haves, and unnecessary?
  • How much are you willing to spend?

Once you have answered these questions, look at this list again to find one or two apps that might serve your needs.

While trying the app, ask yourself a few questions:

  • If the app has a reporting dashboard, is it easy to navigate?
  • Do your field workers find the app easy to use?
  • Are there any features you or your teams didn’t end up using?
  • Is any part of your job made harder by using the app?
  • Is the support team easy to contact and helpful?

Remember, an employee tracking app should make your job easier. If a free trial doesn’t convince you, try one of the other options from our list. Finding the ideal GPS tracking app will save you time and energy.

This post was originally published in February 2020. It was updated in January 2022 and again in October 2023.


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Category: Field Workforce Management