Clockify vs Float vs QuickBooks Time

Clockify, Float, and QuickBooks Time all help teams manage time and scheduling, but they are not interchangeable: Clockify is a general-purpose timer-based…

Clockify

Freemium · From Free (paid plans from $3.99/user/month billed annually)

Best for: Teams that want a free-to-start timer-based time tracker with broad third-party integrations and optional invoicing.

Float

Subscription · From $7/person/month

Best for: Agencies and studios that need visual capacity planning, workload allocation, and project margin tracking more than raw timesheet entry.

QuickBooks Time

Monthly subscription with a flat base fee plus a per-active-user monthly fee, offered in two tiers (Premium and Elite); a QuickBooks Online subscription is required to use it. · From From 20 US dollars per month base fee plus 10 US dollars per user per month (Premium plan, current 2026 pricing)

Best for: Field service businesses and mobile hourly workforces already on QuickBooks Online or Payroll that need GPS-enabled time tracking.

At a Glance

 ClockifyFloatQuickBooks Time
Primary categorySchedulingSchedulingScheduling
RatingNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFreemiumSubscriptionMonthly subscription with a flat base fee plus a per-active-user monthly fee, offered in two tiers (Premium and Elite); a QuickBooks Online subscription is required to use it.
Starting priceFree (paid plans from $3.99/user/month billed annually)$7/person/monthFrom 20 US dollars per month base fee plus 10 US dollars per user per month (Premium plan, current 2026 pricing)
Free planYesNot documentedNot documented
Free trialNot documentedYesYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Mac, WindowsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Public APIYesYesYes

Standout Differences

Only Clockify has a permanent free plan

Clockify offers a free plan for up to 5 users, while Float offers only a free trial and QuickBooks Time requires an active QuickBooks Online subscription with no free tier.

Clockify, Float, QuickBooks Time

Float is scheduling-first, not a timer-based tracker

Float centers on visual drag-and-drop scheduling, capacity management, and estimates-versus-actuals reporting rather than clock-in/clock-out time tracking, making it a different tool than Clockify or QuickBooks Time despite the category overlap.

Float

QuickBooks Time is built for GPS-tracked field workforces

QuickBooks Time offers GPS-enabled mobile time tracking and geofencing reminders, plus native QuickBooks Online and Payroll integration, features neither Clockify nor Float document.

QuickBooks Time

Clockify has the widest integration library

Clockify lists 90-plus integrations, more than Float or QuickBooks Time document, making it easier to embed into an existing tool stack.

Clockify

Feature-by-Feature

Free Tier and Pricing

FeatureClockifyFloatQuickBooks Time
Permanent free planAvailableUnavailableUnavailable

Time Tracking and Scheduling

FeatureClockifyFloatQuickBooks Time
Timer-based time trackingAvailableNot documentedAvailable
Visual resource and capacity schedulingNot documentedAvailableAvailable
GPS tracking and geofencingAvailableNot documentedAvailable

Reporting, Billing and Integrations

FeatureClockifyFloatQuickBooks Time
InvoicingAvailableUnavailableNot documented
Project margin or profitability reportingNot documentedAvailableNot documented
Native mobile apps (iOS and Android)AvailableAvailableAvailable
Payroll or accounting integrationNot documentedNot documentedAvailable

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Clockify

Free — $0 N/A
Basic — $3.99/user/month annual ($4.99 monthly)
Standard — $5.49/user/month annual ($6.99 monthly)
Pro — $7.99/user/month annual ($9.99 monthly)
Enterprise — $11.99/user/month annual ($14.99 monthly)

Float

Starter — $7/person/month Monthly or annual
Pro — $12/person/month Monthly or annual
Enterprise — Custom pricing Annual contract

QuickBooks Time

Premium — 20 US dollars per month base plus 10 US dollars per active user per month Monthly
Elite — 40 US dollars per month base plus 12 US dollars per active user per month Monthly

Pros & Cons

Clockify

Pros

  • Free plan available for small teams (up to 5 users) with core tracking functionality.
  • Wide integration library (90+ apps) for embedding time tracking into existing tools.
  • Granular paid tiers let teams pay only for the billing, approval, or security features they need.
  • Bundled pricing with Pumble and Plaky offers savings for teams wanting a full productivity suite.

Cons

  • Free plan was reduced from unlimited users to a 5-user cap as of April 2026.
  • Invoicing, GPS tracking, and advanced reporting are locked behind mid-to-upper paid tiers.
  • Enterprise security features (SSO, SCIM, audit logs) require the top-priced plan.

Float

Pros

  • Purpose-built, fast interface focused specifically on resource scheduling rather than a bolted-on module of a broader project management suite
  • Strong reporting on project margins and estimates-versus-actuals helps agencies keep delivery profitable, not just on schedule
  • Native iOS and Android apps and broad integrations (Slack, Jira, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar) fit into existing workflows
  • Long track record as a top-rated resource management tool on review platforms like G2, with over a decade of continuous, independent development

Cons

  • No permanent free plan, only a free trial, which can be a barrier for very small teams or freelancers
  • Focused scope means it is not a full project or task management tool, so many teams pair it with Asana, Trello, or Jira
  • Provisional resource limits (1 on Starter, 5 on Pro) may require an upgrade sooner than expected as a team's planning needs grow
  • SSO and multi-currency project support are gated behind the Pro tier, adding cost for teams that need them early

QuickBooks Time

Pros

  • Native, tight integration with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll
  • GPS and geofencing features well suited to field service and mobile workforces
  • Scheduling and time tracking combined in a single product
  • Overtime alerts help control unplanned labor costs
  • Free admin license included on both pricing tiers
  • Backed by Intuit's scale and long-term product investment since the 2018 acquisition

Cons

  • Requires an active QuickBooks Online subscription to use, adding to total cost
  • Per-user pricing increased in July 2026, raising ongoing costs for existing customers
  • Elite tier's advanced project collaboration features come at a notable price premium
  • Less useful as a standalone product outside the QuickBooks ecosystem
  • Base fee plus per-user pricing can add up quickly for larger hourly workforces
  • Feature parity with dedicated standalone scheduling tools varies by tier

Use Cases

Choose Clockify: Teams that want a free-to-start timer-based time tracker with broad third-party integrations and optional invoicing.
Choose Float: Agencies and studios that need visual capacity planning, workload allocation, and project margin tracking more than raw timesheet entry.
Choose QuickBooks Time: Field service businesses and mobile hourly workforces already on QuickBooks Online or Payroll that need GPS-enabled time tracking.

Clockify

  • Freelance and small-team time tracking — Freelancers and small teams (up to 5 users) use the free plan for basic timers, timesheets, and reporting.
  • Agency billing and invoicing — Agencies use Standard-tier invoicing and approvals to bill clients directly from tracked time.
  • Enterprise workforce time management — Larger organizations use Pro/Enterprise tiers for budgeting, forecasting, GPS tracking, and SSO/audit compliance.

Float

  • Agency resource and capacity planning — Creative, marketing, and digital agencies use Float to schedule staff against client projects, track utilization, and keep delivery profitable through margin tracking.
  • Professional services delivery tracking — Consultancies and architecture or engineering firms use Float to plan billable capacity across concurrent client engagements and compare estimates to actual hours delivered.
  • In-house team capacity visibility — In-house creative, product, or operations teams use Float to see who is available for new work and avoid overbooking staff across simultaneous internal projects.

QuickBooks Time

  • Field service and mobile workforce time tracking — Field service companies use GPS-enabled clock-in and geofencing to accurately track hours for employees working across multiple job sites.
  • Payroll-integrated hourly workforce management — Businesses already using QuickBooks Online and Payroll use QuickBooks Time to eliminate manual timesheet entry and streamline payroll runs.
  • Project-based time and labor cost tracking — Project-driven businesses use the Elite tier's project time tracking to monitor labor costs and collaboration in real time against specific jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Float a direct alternative to Clockify?

Not exactly. Float is built around visual resource and capacity scheduling rather than timer-based time tracking, so it solves a related but different problem than Clockify's clock-in/clock-out tracking.

Do I need a QuickBooks Online subscription to use QuickBooks Time?

Yes, QuickBooks Time requires an active QuickBooks Online subscription to use, which adds to its total cost compared to standalone tools like Clockify or Float.

Which of these has a permanent free plan?

Only Clockify, and as of April 2026 that free plan is capped at 5 users. Float offers a free trial rather than a permanent free tier, and QuickBooks Time has no free plan.

Which tool is best for field service teams with mobile workers?

QuickBooks Time, thanks to its GPS-enabled mobile time tracking and geofencing reminders built specifically for field and mobile workforces.

Which tool includes invoicing?

Clockify includes invoicing on its paid tiers. Float does not document a native invoicing feature, and QuickBooks Time relies on the connected QuickBooks Online subscription for billing.

Which is best for agencies tracking project profitability, not just hours?

Float, whose Pro tier adds project margin tracking, rate cards, and estimates-versus-actuals reporting aimed specifically at agency delivery profitability.

Read the full Clockify review · Read the full Float review · Read the full QuickBooks Time review