Buddy Punch vs Insperity TimeStar

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared Buddy Punch vs Insperity TimeStar based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Time and Attendance Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Insperity TimeStar Software Tool

Product Basics

Buddy Punch is an online solution that monitors employee time and attendance efficiently. It offers capabilities like GPS tracking, overtime calculating, PTO accrual, job costing and time card approval. Employees can clock-in from different locations using respective job codes. Organizations can enable webcam functions to obtain visual information of employee punch-in/out locations.

Edit and view employee information and approve leave requests and time cards. It rounds up employee logins and calculates overtime. Employees can clock-in and out using web browsers or mobile apps. Track employee location using GPS and limit sites where they can punch. Its data can be exported to Excel while it integrates with third-party modules like ADP, SurePayroll and QuickBooks.
read more...

Insperity TimeStar is a sophisticated software solution designed to streamline time and attendance management. It excels in automating time tracking, simplifying payroll processing, and ensuring compliance with labor laws. This software is particularly well-suited for mid-sized to large organizations that require robust and scalable time management tools to handle complex workforce needs efficiently.

One of the standout benefits of Insperity TimeStar is its ability to reduce administrative overhead by automating routine tasks, thereby freeing up HR personnel to focus on strategic initiatives. Popular features include real-time attendance tracking, customizable reporting, and seamless integration with payroll systems. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and the accuracy it brings to timekeeping, which minimizes errors and enhances productivity.

Compared to similar products, Insperity TimeStar is often praised for its reliability and comprehensive feature set. Pricing typically varies based on the number of users and specific needs of the organization, with options for monthly or annual payment plans. This flexibility makes it a cost-effective choice for businesses looking to optimize their time and attendance processes.

read more...
$3.99/User, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$99 Monthly
Free Trial is unavailable →
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Ease-of-Use: Let employees punch-in and out using mobiles or any web browser. Assign employees usernames, passwords or QR codes to scan using webcams or smartphones. 
  • Mobile App: Employees can clock-in and out from anywhere using mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Use mobile app GPS tracking capabilities to monitor employee log-in and out locations. Activate GPS tracking for remote teams. 
  • Manage PTOs: Manage leaves, PTOs and track accruals. Let employees request time off using the built-in calendar and get approvals. 
  • Integrations: Integrate with multiple third-party modules like QuickBooks, Gusto, Zapier, ADP, Paychex, WorkDay, SurePayroll, Paylocity, PayPlus and more to simplify payroll. 
  • Employee Portal: Grant employees access to the employee portal to correct time card errors and leaves pending approvals. Employees can submit time cards from an easy-to-navigate interface. 
read more...
  • Better Organize Employees: Supervisors can use several methods to build employee schedules and monitor their hours and punches. A time off schedule helps give managers an overhead view of when employees are available. 
  • Transparent Communication: Both supervisors and employees get access to schedules. Workers can request time off in the platform and utilize its messaging capabilities. Both parties can get alerts about timesheet discrepancies. 
  • Reduce Costs: Businesses save money on labor by tracking and managing overtime, ensuring labor regulation compliance and reducing time spent on time tracking efforts. 
  • Prevent Time Fraud: Time theft is reduced by preventing “buddy punching” on time clocks and flagging timesheet discrepancies. 
read more...
  • Time Tracking: Get real-time insights into employee working hours. Monitor overtime while adjusting weekly and monthly schedules accordingly. Enable webcam and device lock features to ensure employees clock-in and out for themselves. Use a GPS tracker to monitor employee locations and limit punch sites. 
  • Employee Scheduling: Create employee schedules within minutes using drag-and-drop functionality. Copy previous schedules, add or remove shifts and notify teams of modifications. Send notifications to the entire staff or specific teams while ensuring everyone receives updates schedules. 
  • Payroll: Verify, review and enter timesheets within minutes. Forget manual entry and automate timesheet calculations. Compute payroll by entering hourly rates or unpaid time accruals, including sick leaves, vacation and PTOs. Simplify payroll by integrating with popular third-party modules. 
  • Reporting: Generate reports within seconds to get the big picture of individual employees, teams or departments. Get detailed insights, print or export reports, when required. Monitor employee work hours, locations, departments and overtime. Get a summary of employees present on a day, hours worked and accrued paid or unpaid time off. 
  • Accountability: Use image and GPS tracking to track employee work locations. Send push notifications for updated work schedules and forgotten punch-ins or outs. Monitor remote employee work locations while ensuring they work when required by specific IP addresses to each one. 
read more...
  • Employee Scheduling: Supervisors can design employee schedules through three methods: by assigning employee groups, individual employees or by manual input week-by-week. 
  • Timesheets: Employees can easily log their hours and account for breaks and lunches. 
  • Time Off Management: Workers can request time off through the platform, and can check a time off schedule to determine what days work best. Supervisors can approve or deny requests, and both parties can message each other through the interface. 
  • Time Tracking: It automatically flags when worker punches don’t align with their schedule or company break rules. The system tracks tardiness and absences. 
  • Alerts: Managers can be notified when a worker punches in late or is a no-show. Employees can be prompted to correct mistakes. These alerts can be delivered in-platform or over email.  
  • Time Clock Options: Punches can be recorded from a web portal or through time clocks. Insperity’s line of time clocks supports fingerprint and badge scanners. 
  • Integrations: Data can be exported to a third-party for payroll or business intelligence. 
  • Compliance Management: It ensures that workers take enough breaks to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act and that they are accordingly compensated for overtime. 
  • Overtime Monitoring: Employee hours are tallied, allowing supervisors to see which workers are approaching overtime. 
read more...

Product Ranking

#67

among all
Time and Attendance Software

#23

among all
Time and Attendance Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

77
we're gathering data
50
we're gathering data
87
we're gathering data
75
we're gathering data
Show More Show More

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Buddy Punch
Insperity TimeStar
+ Add Product + Add Product
Compliance Dashboards & Reporting Employee Scheduling Leave & Absence Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Project Tracking Time Clocks Time Tracking 50 87 75 90 72 55 81 68 100 0 25 50 75 100
33%
0%
67%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
89%
0%
11%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
78%
0%
22%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
90%
0%
10%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
71%
0%
29%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
57%
0%
43%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
83%
0%
17%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
60%
0%
40%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
100%
0%
0%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

50%
0%
50%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1339 reviews
Good User Sentiment 16 reviews
95%
of users recommend this product

Buddy Punch has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 95% when considering 1339 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

75%
of users recommend this product

Insperity TimeStar has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% when considering 16 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.8 (278)
3.5 (11)
4.8 (1017)
n/a
4.0 (44)
4.3 (5)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Buddy Punch and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Leave & Absence Management and Time Tracking. Buddy Punch stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Leave & Absence Management Award
Time Tracking Award

we're gathering data

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Facial Recognition: Buddy Punch offers facial recognition as a method for employees to clock in and out, which can help to prevent time theft and buddy punching.
Geofencing: Buddy Punch's geofencing feature ensures employees can only clock in or out when they are within a designated area, promoting accountability and preventing inaccurate timekeeping.
Integrations: Buddy Punch integrates with various payroll and HR software, streamlining processes and reducing manual data entry.
PTO Management: The platform simplifies paid time off (PTO) management, allowing employees to request time off and managers to approve or deny requests efficiently.
Overtime Calculations: Buddy Punch automatically calculates overtime based on company policies, ensuring accurate pay for employees and compliance with labor regulations.
Show more
Easy to Use: Users consistently praise TimeStar's intuitive interface, making it simple for employees to clock in and out, request time off, and view their time records.
Mobile-Friendly: The mobile app allows employees to manage their time and attendance from anywhere, eliminating the need for them to be physically present at the office.
Accurate Time Tracking: TimeStar's robust features ensure accurate time tracking, reducing errors and disputes related to payroll.
Streamlined Approvals: The system simplifies the approval process for time off requests, reducing administrative burden and improving efficiency.
Integration with Other Systems: TimeStar integrates seamlessly with other HR and payroll systems, simplifying data exchange and reducing manual data entry.
Show more
Limited Customization: Buddy Punch may not be suitable for businesses with complex scheduling or payroll needs due to its limitations in customization options.
Mobile App Issues: Some users report experiencing occasional glitches or syncing problems with the Buddy Punch mobile app, which could impact the accuracy of time tracking data.
Customer Support: While Buddy Punch offers customer support, response times can vary, and some users have expressed a desire for more prompt and comprehensive assistance.
Show more
Limited Customization: Some users have reported difficulty customizing the system to fit their specific needs, such as tracking different types of leave or adding custom fields for employee information. For example, some users have found it difficult to track different types of leave, such as sick leave, vacation leave, and unpaid leave, or to add custom fields for employee information, such as their job title or department.
Mobile App Issues: The mobile app has been criticized for being clunky and difficult to use, with some users reporting issues with logging in, submitting time off requests, and viewing their time sheets. For example, some users have reported that the app is slow to load, that it crashes frequently, or that it is difficult to navigate.
Customer Support: Some users have expressed frustration with the customer support team, reporting long wait times and difficulty getting their issues resolved. For example, some users have reported that they have had to wait for hours to speak to a customer service representative, or that they have been unable to get their issues resolved after multiple calls.
Show more

Buddy Punch appears to be a popular choice among businesses seeking a reliable time and attendance solution. Users frequently highlight its user-friendly interface, making it simple for employees to clock in and out, and for managers to track hours and generate reports. The software's geofencing capabilities have also received praise, allowing businesses to monitor remote employees and ensure they are working from designated locations. This feature is particularly valuable for businesses with a distributed workforce or those concerned about time theft. While Buddy Punch receives generally positive feedback, some users note that the mobile app can occasionally be glitchy. Additionally, a few users mention that the reporting features could be more robust, particularly for larger organizations with complex reporting needs. Despite these minor drawbacks, Buddy Punch seems to be a good fit for small to medium-sized businesses across various industries, including construction, healthcare, education, and professional services. Its ease of use, affordability, and comprehensive features make it a valuable tool for managing employee time and attendance, ensuring compliance with labor laws, and streamlining payroll processes.

Show more

Is Insperity TimeStar a shining star or a time-wasting dud? User reviews paint a mixed picture, with some praising its features while others find it lacking. Users who appreciate Insperity TimeStar highlight its seamless integration with other HR systems, making it a breeze to manage payroll and employee data. They also rave about its ability to track time off and ensure compliance with federal regulations, which is crucial for businesses of all sizes. However, some users find the software clunky and difficult to navigate, especially when it comes to managing complex schedules and resolving timekeeping discrepancies. They also complain about the lack of customization options, which can make it challenging to tailor the software to their specific needs. Insperity TimeStar is best suited for businesses that need a reliable and straightforward time and attendance system that integrates well with their existing HR infrastructure. It's a good choice for companies with a relatively simple workforce and straightforward scheduling needs. However, businesses with complex scheduling requirements or a need for extensive customization may find other time and attendance solutions more suitable.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Time and Attendance Software


Clockify

Harvest Time Tracking

Hubstaff

isolved Time

Jibble

OnTheClock

QuickBooks Time

Time Doctor

Time Tracker

TimeClock Plus

Tmetric

Toggl

uAttend

When I Work

Related Categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
Table settings