# Best Free Timesheet Software for Small Businesses

> Source: https://dispatchmath.com/blog/best-free-timesheet-software-for-small-businesses

Buyer's guide [Field service software](https://dispatchmath.com/category/field-service-software)

Connecteam is the free pick, with its Small Business Plan free for life for small teams; Workyard offers a trial and Swept has no free plan.

[Team Dispatch Math](https://dispatchmath.com/authors/research) Published 4 Nov 2026 Checked 14 Nov 2026 [How we check](https://dispatchmath.com/methodology) 13 min read [Editorial policy](https://dispatchmath.com/editorial-policy)

![Logos of Connecteam, Swept, Workyard. 3 tools compared, from $35 a month.](https://dispatchmath.com/img/1024/heroes/best-free-timesheet-software-for-small-businesses/6538605d29ad/list-16x9-800.webp)

## The short answer

For a crew of up to 10 users, [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam)’s Small Business Plan costs nothing for life and still shows where techs are while they are on the clock. [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) suits jobs that run out of signal: it clocks time with no internet and costs $6 a seat a month, billed annually, after a 14-day trial with no card.

[Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) is built for cleaning crews spread over several locations, with plan bands up to 50, and starts at $150 a month.

On 4 November 2026 we listed 58 tools: 5 of them under Crew scheduling and time tracking and 7 with a free plan.

- Connecteam is the free pick, 1 of the 3 with a free plan, and it covers teams of up to 10 users for life with Expert-level features.
- Workyard charges by the tech at $6 a seat a month, billed annually, so the bill grows with every hire.
- Swept starts at $150 a month with no free trial or free plan, and the vendor says most customers begin with a three-month paid pilot.
- Workyard is the one that clocks hours with no signal, 1 of the 3, and it syncs by itself once the phone is back online.
- Connecteam and Workyard show where techs are during the shift, 2 of the 3, while Swept checks location at clock-in and clock-out but does not follow cleaners during the shift.

## Pick by what you need

- [Timesheets for a small crew and want to pay nothing](#connecteam) Connecteam Free, then $35 a month Small Business Plan is free for life
- [Your crews work on sites where phones lose signal](#workyard) Workyard $6 a seat a month billed annually Workyard, 1 of the 3, lets techs clock in
- [Pay by the seat as the crew grows](#workyard) Workyard $6 a seat a month billed annually Costs $6 a seat a month, billed annually
- [You run cleaning crews across several locations](#swept) Swept $150 a month Designed for teams across locations, with plan bands up to 50

**Skip all of these** if you need to send quotes and estimates from the same app: Connecteam, Swept and Workyard all leave quotes and estimates to separate software, so a crew that bids jobs needs a second tool.

## All 3 options in one table

Table 1 Price and the questions that separate them, checked 3 November 2026

| Product | From | Where the trucks are | Quote only | Free trial or free plan | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) | Free, then $35 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | small crews wanting free timesheets |
| [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) | $150 a month | Partly | Yes | No | cleaning companies running many sites |
| [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) | $6 a seat a month billed annually | Yes | Partly | Partly | contractors clocking in without signal |

dispatchmath.com [How we check](https://dispatchmath.com/methodology)

## Is it really free, and for how big a crew?

Connecteam is free for life for teams of up to 10 users, and it is 1 of the 3 with a free plan.

Workyard gives a 14-day trial without a credit card, as Connecteam does for teams past its free limit. Swept offers neither, and the vendor says most customers start with a three-month paid pilot.

## What does the crew pay once the free plan or trial runs out?

Connecteam’s paid plans start at $35 a month, Workyard’s at $6 a seat a month, billed annually, and Swept’s at $150 a month.

Workyard’s headline seat rate is the annual-billing rate; monthly billing exists, but its regular monthly price is not printed. Connecteam shows a promotion beside its regular price, so check which rate the crew pays after the first term.

## Can you see where the techs are when they clock in?

Connecteam and Workyard show live locations of clocked-in techs, 2 of the 3, while Swept checks location at clock-in and clock-out only.

Connecteam includes location clock-in from the Basic plan with a live dashboard, and caps site boundaries at 10 sites on Advanced. Workyard’s team map with live crew locations comes from the Starter plan, not sold as an extra, and Swept’s check runs on every plan but deliberately does not follow cleaners during the shift.

## Will it clock hours on a job site with no signal?

Workyard does, 1 of the 3: techs clock in and submit time with no internet, and the app syncs by itself once back online.

Connecteam’s mobile app, kiosk and desktop all need an internet connection, and offline clocking is only a feature request. Swept documents offline support for its inspection tools, which sync results after reconnecting.

## Do the hours turn into invoices or reach your books?

Not inside the app: Swept and Workyard do not issue invoices, and Connecteam’s guide has you pull hours and job data out to bill clients.

Workyard feeds billable hours into a separate system such as QuickBooks invoicing, and Swept turns work orders into billable totals and reports to invoice elsewhere. Connecteam connects to QuickBooks Online and Xero for payroll hours, but customers, invoices and payments are not what syncs.

## Can you sign up yourself, or does a plan need a sales call?

You can sign up for each entry plan or trial yourself, but every one of them keeps one plan without a printed price.

Connecteam offers a free-account path with no card for the trial, Swept sells Optimize and Scale through online checkout, and Workyard links straight to a free-trial signup. Connecteam’s Enterprise and Swept’s Accelerate plan, for operators past the 50-location bands, are quote only, 2 of the 3; at Workyard only Starter carries a printed price, with Pro and Enterprise through sales.

## The tools that stand out

### [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam)

**Best for small crews wanting free timesheets:** Teams of up to 10 users get Connecteam’s Small Business Plan free for life with Expert-level features, so a small shop can run timesheets and schedules without paying.

Price Free, then $35 a month

Connecteam is an employee app for crews in the field, with a time clock, job scheduling, forms and chat. Location clock-in comes with the Basic plan, and a live dashboard shows where staff are while on the clock. Techs can capture proof of service with forms, photos and signatures on the job.

Connecteam starts at $35 a month. Each hub plan is a flat monthly price for up to 30 users, then a charge for each user from the 31st.

Connecteam does not make quotes or estimates. Its own invoicing guide has you pull hours and job data out to bill clients elsewhere. Support runs as 24-hour live chat plus email, with no phone line listed.

**What it does well**

- Free for life for teams of up to 10 users, with Expert-level features.
- Location clock-in from the Basic plan and a live dashboard of staff on the clock.
- Forms, photos and signatures capture proof of service on each job.
- Connects to other software through Zapier, and directly from the Operations Expert plan.

**Where it falls short**

- No quotes or estimates, and invoices are made elsewhere from exported hours.
- Geofences are capped at 10 sites on the Advanced plan.
- Does not work without signal.

- **Free plan:** yes
- **Who it’s for:** A shop of up to 10 users that wants free timesheets, job schedules and job photos in one app.
- **Skip it if:** Your crews clock in where there is no signal, since Connecteam does not work offline, or if you want quotes in the same app.

### [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept)

**Best for cleaning companies running many sites:** Swept prices by cleaning location and adds no per-user charge for new employees, so a cleaning company with many sites pays for its locations, not its headcount.

Price From $150 a month

Swept is janitorial software priced per cleaning location and built around proof of work at each site. Cleaners complete location checklists and photo inspections on their phones, with one optional photo per task. The mobile app gives cleaners and supervisors schedule details, addresses, parking, security notes and change alerts.

Paid plans start at $150 a month. There is no free plan or free trial. Optimize and Scale can be bought online without a demo, while Accelerate, for operators past the 50-location bands, goes through a sales consultation.

Location is checked at clock-in and clock-out through geofences on every plan, but cleaners are not tracked during the shift. Swept has no online quote approval and does not issue invoices. Work orders produce billable totals and reports for you to invoice elsewhere.

**What it does well**

- Price follows the number of locations, so a growing crew keeps the same bill.
- Every plan includes chat, email and toll-free phone support weekdays from 9am to 5pm Eastern.
- Location checklists and photo inspections on the cleaner’s phone, with result reports.
- Cleaners see schedules, addresses, parking and security notes for each site in the app.

**Where it falls short**

- No free plan or trial, and most customers start with a three-month paid pilot.
- Does not issue invoices, so billing happens in other software.
- Paid plans start at $150 a month.

- **Free plan:** no
- **Who it’s for:** A commercial cleaning company with many sites and a large crew, since location bands set the price, not users.
- **Skip it if:** You want a free plan or a trial, since Swept says most customers start with a three-month paid pilot.

### [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard)

**Best for contractors clocking in without signal:** Workyard lets workers clock in and submit time with no internet and syncs by itself once back online, so job sites without signal still get verified hours.

Price From $6 a seat a month billed annually

Workyard tracks crew time with location checks, scheduling and labor job costing, built for US contractors. Workers can clock in and submit time with no internet, because location comes from satellites. A team map shows live locations and statuses for clocked-in workers, included from the Starter plan.

Plans start at $6 a seat a month, billed annually. Monthly billing exists, but its regular price is not printed on the pricing page. Each added worker is one more paid user, charged pro-rated, and users count from the moment an invite is sent. A 14-day trial needs no credit card, and Pro pricing needs a sales conversation.

Workyard does not do estimating or bidding. It does not issue invoices either, and feeds billable hours into a separate system such as QuickBooks invoicing.

**What it does well**

- The app keeps clocking crews in and taking time entries offline, then syncs by itself once back online.
- Live crew locations on a team map from the Starter plan.
- US-based staff answer online and by phone in English and Spanish.
- A 14-day trial with no credit card.

**Where it falls short**

- Every added worker is another paid seat, counted from the moment an invite is sent.
- The $6 seat price is the annual-billing rate, and the monthly price is not printed.
- No quotes or invoices, so estimates and billing need other software.

> “Plans start at $6 per user / month — billed annually. Monthly billing also available.”

From [Workyard’s own page](https://www.workyard.com/pricing), read on 3 November 2026

- **Who it’s for:** A US contractor whose crews clock in on job sites with no signal and who wants labor hours tied to job costing.
- **Skip it if:** You want to pay nothing, since it offers a 14-day trial and then charges $6 a seat a month, billed annually.

## How we compared

We compared 3 tools on price, free plan and 30 questions about what they do, reading each vendor’s pricing page and product pages between 29 October 2026 and 3 November 2026. We did not sign up for or run any of them.

Numbers taken on 3 November 2026 from 3 tools. The working is in [how we price a crew](https://dispatchmath.com/methodology) and each price change we’ve seen.

## Questions buyers ask

### What is the best free timesheet software for small businesses?

[Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) is the free pick, 1 of the 3 with a free plan: its Small Business Plan is free for life for teams of up to 10 users. Larger teams get a 14-day trial without a card. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) has no free plan, and [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) offers a trial instead.

### Does Workyard have a free plan?

[Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) documents a 14-day trial without a credit card rather than a standing free plan. [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) is 1 of the 3 with a free plan, so a crew that wants to pay nothing looks there.

### Does Swept offer a free trial?

No, [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) has no free plan and no free trial. Asked about a trial, the vendor says most customers start with a three-month paid pilot at a few locations.

### Which timesheet apps show where my techs clock in?

[Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) and [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard), 2 of the 3, show live locations of techs while they are clocked in. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) checks location at clock-in and clock-out through site boundaries (geofences) on every plan at no extra cost, but deliberately does not track cleaners during the shift.

### Can my techs clock in without cell signal?

[Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) is the one that does, 1 of the 3: techs clock in and submit time with no internet, and the app syncs once back online. [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam)’s mobile app, kiosk and desktop all need an internet connection. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) keeps its inspection tools working without signal.

### Can I invoice customers from these time tracking apps?

Not inside the app. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) turns work orders into billable totals and reports for you to invoice elsewhere, and [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) feeds billable hours into a separate system such as QuickBooks invoicing. [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam)’s invoicing guide has you track hours and job data, then pull it out to bill clients.

### Does Connecteam work with QuickBooks Online?

Partly: [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) connects to QuickBooks Online for payroll by exporting employee hours. Customers, invoices and payments do not sync. Xero connects for payroll too, and QuickBooks Desktop gets a timesheet export template.

## Sources

- [Connecteam pricing page](https://connecteam.com/pricing/), read on 2 November 2026 connecteam.com
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/ai-capabilities](https://connecteam.com/ai-capabilities/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/connecteam-experts](https://connecteam.com/connecteam-experts/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/connecteam-vs-jobber](https://connecteam.com/connecteam-vs-jobber/), read on 29 October 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/contact/support](https://connecteam.com/contact/support/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/industries/field-services](https://connecteam.com/industries/field-services/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/industries/hvac-app](https://connecteam.com/industries/hvac-app/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/integrations](https://connecteam.com/integrations/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/integrations/zapier-integration](https://connecteam.com/integrations/zapier-integration/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, connecteam.com/small-business-plan](https://connecteam.com/small-business-plan/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, help.connecteam.com](https://help.connecteam.com/en/articles/8999016-invoicing-with-connecteam), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, help.connecteam.com](https://help.connecteam.com/en/articles/9178893-what-payroll-integrations-does-connecteam-offer), read on 2 November 2026
- [Connecteam, help.connecteam.com](https://help.connecteam.com/en/articles/9414361-can-the-connecteam-app-be-used-offline), read on 2 November 2026
- [Swept pricing page](https://sweptworks.com/compare-plans), read on 2 November 2026 sweptworks.com
- [Swept, sweptworks.com](https://sweptworks.com/), read on 2 November 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com/cleaning-company-time-tracking-app](https://sweptworks.com/cleaning-company-time-tracking-app), read on 2 November 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com/features/integrations/api](https://sweptworks.com/features/integrations/api), read on 29 October 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com/features/janitorial-checklist-software](https://sweptworks.com/features/janitorial-checklist-software), read on 2 November 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com](https://sweptworks.com/features/janitorial-work-order-software), read on 2 November 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com/janitorial-inspection-software](https://sweptworks.com/janitorial-inspection-software), read on 29 October 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com/scheduling-software-for-janitors](https://sweptworks.com/scheduling-software-for-janitors), read on 2 November 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com/swept-vs-jobber](https://sweptworks.com/swept-vs-jobber), read on 2 November 2026
- [Swept, sweptworks.com/terms](https://sweptworks.com/terms), read on 29 October 2026
- [Workyard pricing page](https://www.workyard.com/pricing), read on 3 November 2026 workyard.com
- [Workyard, help.workyard.com](https://help.workyard.com/en/articles/15591623-how-seats-and-billing-work-on-workyard), read on 3 November 2026
- [Workyard, help.workyard.com](https://help.workyard.com/en/articles/4792892-does-workyard-still-work-if-my-employees-lose-cell-phone-service), read on 3 November 2026
- [Workyard, help.workyard.com](https://help.workyard.com/en/articles/7892553-how-do-i-cancel-or-pause-my-subscription), read on 3 November 2026
- [Workyard, workyard.com](https://www.workyard.com/), read on 3 November 2026
- [Workyard, workyard.com/ai-instructions](https://www.workyard.com/ai-instructions), read on 3 November 2026
- [Workyard, workyard.com/compare/crew-scheduling-software](https://www.workyard.com/compare/crew-scheduling-software), read on 3 November 2026
- [Workyard, workyard.com/construction-cost-tracking-software](https://www.workyard.com/construction-cost-tracking-software), read on 3 November 2026
- [Workyard, workyard.com/industries/hvac-software](https://www.workyard.com/industries/hvac-software), read on 31 October 2026
- [Workyard, workyard.com/time-clock-app-with-gps](https://www.workyard.com/time-clock-app-with-gps), read on 3 November 2026

About the author

[Team Dispatch Math](https://dispatchmath.com/authors/research)

Research desk

The Dispatch Math research desk publishes source-linked product research and original market analysis.

## Top of field service software

[The category page](https://dispatchmath.com/category/field-service-software)

- [Arborgold](https://dispatchmath.com/arborgold) · Green-industry job software with plant and tree records, chemical logs and crew time in one account. · Price on request · [Visit](https://dispatchmath.com/go/arborgold)
- [Briostack](https://dispatchmath.com/briostack) · Recurring pest and turf treatment software sold by concurrent login, so you pay for staff signed in simultaneously. · Not priced yet · [Visit](https://dispatchmath.com/go/briostack)
- [BuildOps](https://dispatchmath.com/buildops) · Field service and project software for commercial mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors. · Not priced yet · [Visit](https://dispatchmath.com/go/buildops)
- [CleanGuru](https://dispatchmath.com/cleanguru) · Janitorial software built around bidding: workloaded cleaning times, price recommendations and ready-made proposals. · Does not apply · No plan schedules jobs on a calendar, dispatches them to technicians in a mobile app, sends quotes and invoices, takes card payments and syncs its invoices to QuickBooks Online. · [Visit](https://dispatchmath.com/go/cleanguru)
- [CLIP](https://dispatchmath.com/clip) · Lawn care, landscaping and snow removal software for scheduling, routing, billing and crew tracking. · Not priced yet · [Visit](https://dispatchmath.com/go/clip)
- [Commusoft](https://dispatchmath.com/commusoft) · Software for HVAC and generator firms whose maintenance contracts create recurring visits and track response times. · Not priced yet · [Visit](https://dispatchmath.com/go/commusoft)
- [Crew Control](https://dispatchmath.com/crew-control) · Aspire's lightweight per-crew job management for growing landscaping and lawn care contractors. · $295 · a month at 5 users, on Crew Control PLUS · [Visit](https://dispatchmath.com/go/crew-control)
- All 42 field service software tools · First paid plans from $39 to $528 a month. · [See all 42](https://dispatchmath.com/category/field-service-software)
  - 25 publish a monthly price
  - Checked 27 October–14 November 2026

[Show the whole category](https://dispatchmath.com/category/field-service-software)

## More of our research

Buyer's guide 14 November 2026

### [Landscape design and build software: 13 tools ranked by cost](https://dispatchmath.com/blog/design-landscaping-software)

What 13 landscaping business tools cost a month for a five-person crew, from Lawn Buddy at $39 to Service Autopilot at $528, with a verdict on each.

Buyer's guide 10 November 2026

### [Jobber vs Housecall Pro: what a 5- and 10-person crew pays](https://dispatchmath.com/blog/jobber-vs-housecall-pro)

Jobber costs $199 a month for 5 users and $299 for 10. Housecall Pro is $299 and $799 on Essentials. Crew prices and the features that differ, Nov 2026.

Buyer's guide 4 November 2026

### [What Is the Best Timesheet System for Small Businesses?](https://dispatchmath.com/blog/what-is-the-best-timesheet-system-for-small-businesses)

Connecteam is free for small crews, Workyard prices per seat with location-checked timesheets, and Swept fits cleaning companies billed per site.

Buyer's guide 30 October 2026

### [What field service software costs and where it jumps](https://dispatchmath.com/blog/what-field-service-software-costs-and-where-it-jumps)

Lawn Buddy and ServiceM8 have free plans, several paid plans are cheap to start, and the price jumps with fieldd.