Best Time Tracking Software for Cleaning Teams (2026)
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When your cleaners are spread across sites, accurate hours are the difference between fair pay, correct invoices and healthy margins. Time tracking software lets crews clock in and out from their phones — ideally with location proof — so timesheets are right without anyone doing maths on Sunday night.
We compared the leading options for cleaning teams on what matters day to day: how easy it is for crews to clock in, how well it ties to scheduling, and how cleanly hours flow into payroll.
Here are our current picks, ranked, with pricing to confirm on each vendor's site.
| # | Tool | Best for | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecteam | Cleaning teams needing clock-in, scheduling and comms | 4.5 |
| 2 | When I Work | Small cleaning teams wanting straightforward timesheets | 4.3 |
| 3 | Deputy | Cleaning firms that also need strong rostering | 4.3 |
| 4 | QuickBooks Time | Cleaning firms already on QuickBooks | 4.1 |
Connecteam
Best all-round time tracking for deskless crews
- Best for
- Cleaning teams needing clock-in, scheduling and comms
- Price from
- Free tier; paid from ~$29/mo (verify)
What we liked
- Easy mobile clock-in with GPS verification
- Scheduling, tasks and messaging in the same app
- Generous free tier for small teams
Worth knowing
- Broad feature set takes a little learning
- Client invoicing is not its focus
When I Work
Best simple time clock plus scheduling
- Best for
- Small cleaning teams wanting straightforward timesheets
- Price from
- From ~$2.50/user/mo (verify)
What we liked
- Very easy clock-in and scheduling combo
- Clean mobile app crews adopt quickly
- Good value for simple needs
Worth knowing
- Fewer advanced features than Connecteam
- Basic reporting
Deputy
Best when scheduling and compliance matter
- Best for
- Cleaning firms that also need strong rostering
- Price from
- From ~$4.50/user/mo (verify)
What we liked
- Accurate time tracking feeding payroll
- Strong scheduling and shift management
- Good compliance and reporting tools
Worth knowing
- Per-user cost adds up
- More than a tiny team needs
QuickBooks Time
Best if you use QuickBooks for payroll
- Best for
- Cleaning firms already on QuickBooks
- Price from
- From ~$20/mo + per user (verify)
What we liked
- Tight integration with QuickBooks payroll
- GPS time tracking for mobile crews
- Reliable timesheets for accounting
Worth knowing
- Best value only if you already use QuickBooks
- Less focused on scheduling
Which one fits your team size?
Time tracking is priced per user, per plan or as a base fee plus users — and that single difference decides the cheapest option for you:
Free for up to 10 users, with a GPS time clock and scheduling included. For most small cleaning crews this is the whole answer at zero cost.
The lowest per-user price here from $2.50/user/mo. Once you're past a free tier's limit, per-user pricing this low usually beats per-plan tools.
Stronger on rostering rules, breaks and compliance reporting than the cheaper options. Worth the higher per-user price if your hours are audited.
Hours flow straight into QuickBooks payroll with no export step. That integration is the only strong reason to pick it over cheaper trackers.
What you’ll actually pay
The three pricing models here (free tier, per user, base fee plus per user) mean the cheapest tool flips at around 10 cleaners. Published pricing checked July 2026.
| Tool | Published entry price | How it’s charged | Fees & add-ons | Trial & contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecteam | Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/mo | Per plan (entry paid tier covers up to 30 users) | GPS time clock included on the free tier | Genuinely usable free plan |
| When I Work | From $2.50/user/mo (Essentials) | Per user | Cheapest per-user option on this list | 14-day free trial |
| Deputy | From ~$5/user/mo | Per user | Higher tiers add compliance and HR features | Free trial; monthly billing |
| QuickBooks Time | Premium: $20/mo base + $8/user/mo | Base fee + per user | Elite $40/mo base + $10/user; a $2/employee increase applies from 1 July 2026 | Free trial available |
- Under 10 cleaners, Connecteam's free plan is almost impossible to beat — you get a GPS time clock without paying anything.
- Past 10 users the maths flips to per-user pricing: 15 cleaners on When I Work is about $38/mo, versus a paid per-plan tier.
- QuickBooks Time's base fee plus per-user model makes it the most expensive here for a small crew — justified only if the payroll integration saves you real admin time.
- Check GPS and geofencing are on the tier you're pricing. For cleaning crews moving between sites, clock-in location is usually the whole point of the tool.
Pricing checked July 2026against each vendor’s public pricing; custom-quote figures are third-party estimates. Confirm current pricing before you buy. Sources: Connecteam pricing, When I Work pricing, Deputy pricing, QuickBooks Time pricing.
Our verdict
For most cleaning teams, Connecteam is the best all-round pick — mobile clock-in with GPS, scheduling and team messaging in one affordable app, with a free tier to start. If you want the simplest possible time clock plus scheduling, When I Work is easier and cheaper.
Firms that need serious rostering alongside time tracking should look at Deputy, and anyone already running payroll in QuickBooks will get the smoothest fit from QuickBooks Time. Trial a real week of shifts before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see where my cleaners clocked in?+
Yes. Connecteam, Deputy and QuickBooks Time offer GPS-verified clock-in, so you can confirm crews were on site. This reduces time-sheet disputes and helps with accurate client billing.
Does time tracking connect to payroll?+
Most tools here export approved hours to payroll, and several integrate directly with payroll providers. QuickBooks Time is the tightest fit if you already run QuickBooks payroll.
Sašo Radović is the founder of HotelChrono, a hotel-data service, and a small-business consultant. He researches the software that independent hotels, rentals and service firms actually rely on, and ranks it independently — with no vendor influence. Where a score rests on research rather than a full hands-on setup, ToolPickr says so.
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