# What Is the Best Timesheet System for Small Businesses? > Source: https://dispatchmath.com/blog/what-is-the-best-timesheet-system-for-small-businesses Buyer's guide [Field service software](https://dispatchmath.com/category/field-service-software) Connecteam is free for small crews, Workyard prices per seat with location-checked timesheets, and Swept fits cleaning companies billed per site. [Team Dispatch Math](https://dispatchmath.com/authors/research) Published 4 Nov 2026 Checked 14 Nov 2026 [How we check](https://dispatchmath.com/methodology) 14 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/what-is-the-best-timesheet-system-for-small-businesses/9df2eee93ba1/list-16x9-800.webp) ## The short answer For most small trade crews [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) leads. Teams of up to 10 users get its Small Business Plan free for life, and paid hub plans start at $35 a month for up to 30 users. [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard), at $6 a seat a month, billed annually, is the pick for crews on sites with no signal, because workers clock in offline and the app syncs once back online. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept), from $150 a month, suits cleaning companies with many sites, with unlimited users on every plan. On 4 November 2026 we listed 58 tools: 5 of them under Crew scheduling and time tracking and 7 with a free plan. - Connecteam has a free plan: teams of up to 10 users get its Small Business Plan free for life with Expert-level features. - Workyard charges by the person, at $6 a seat a month, billed annually, with its entry price stated for each user each month. - Workyard lets workers clock in and submit time with no internet and syncs by itself once back online, and it is 1 of the 3 that fully works without signal. - Swept starts at $150 a month with no free plan, priced by the number of cleaning locations with unlimited users on every plan. ## Pick by what you need - [A free timesheet for a crew of up to ten](#connecteam) Connecteam Free, then $35 a month Gives teams of up to 10 users its Small Business Plan free - [Pay per person on the crew rather than a flat monthly fee](#workyard) Workyard $6 a seat a month billed annually - [Timesheets that keep working where there is no signal](#workyard) Workyard $6 a seat a month billed annually Lets workers clock in and submit time with no internet - [Run cleaning crews across several locations](#swept) Swept $150 a month Built for teams across locations, with plan bands up to 50 locations **Skip all of these** if you need quotes and estimates in the same app as the timesheet: Connecteam, Swept and Workyard have no built-in customer quotes or estimates, so quoting stays in separate software. ## 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 starting free | | [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) | $150 a month | Partly | Yes | No | cleaning companies with several sites | | [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) | $6 a seat a month billed annually | Yes | Partly | Partly | contractors working out of signal | dispatchmath.com [How we check](https://dispatchmath.com/methodology) ## What will the crew pay each month, and what is the price based on? Connecteam starts at $35 a month, Swept at $150 a month and Workyard at $6 a seat a month, billed annually, and each one counts something different. Connecteam’s hub plans are a flat monthly price for up to 30 users, then a per-user monthly charge for every user from the 31st. Swept charges by the number of cleaning locations, in bands of up to 15, 25, 30 and 50, with unlimited users on every plan. Workyard states its entry price for each user each month and bills it annually. ## Can you start free or try it before paying? Connecteam lets you start free, as 1 of the 3 with a free plan and the one that fully answers this need: teams of up to 10 users get it for life. Larger Connecteam teams get a 14-day trial without a card, and Workyard offers a 14-day trial without a credit card. Swept has no free trial or free plan, and it says most customers start with a three-month paid pilot at a few locations. ## Does the timesheet show where each tech clocked in? Connecteam and Workyard, 2 of the 3, show live locations for staff on the clock. Connecteam includes clock-in location from the Basic plan, with a live dashboard of where staff are while on the clock. Workyard’s team map shows live locations and statuses for clocked-in workers, included from the Starter plan. Swept checks location at clock-in and clock-out on every plan at no extra cost, and does not track cleaners’ positions during the shift. ## Will it keep logging hours on a job site with no signal? Workyard will, as 1 of the 3 that fully works without signal. Workyard workers clock in and submit time with no internet, and the app syncs by itself once back online. Swept’s inspection tools keep working without a signal and sync after reconnecting. Connecteam’s mobile app, kiosk and desktop all need an internet connection. ## Where do the hours go after the timesheet: payroll, invoices or your books? The hours leave each app before a customer is billed: Swept and Workyard do not issue invoices, and Connecteam’s guide has you pull hours and job data out to bill clients. Connecteam sends employee hours to QuickBooks Online and Xero for payroll, with a timesheet export template for QuickBooks Desktop, and connects through Zapier, with direct connections from the Operations Expert plan. Swept’s work orders produce billable totals and reports to invoice elsewhere, and Workyard feeds billable hours into a separate system such as QuickBooks invoicing. Connecteam, Swept and Workyard each have an API. ## Can you sign up yourself, or does a plan need a sales call? You can sign up yourself at Connecteam, Swept and Workyard, and the larger plans carry no printed price. Connecteam and Swept each keep one top plan without a printed price: Connecteam’s Enterprise is a business-specific plan, and Swept’s Accelerate, for operators past the 50-location bands, is sold after a sales consultation. Workyard prints a price only for Starter, sells Enterprise only through sales and says Pro pricing needs a sales conversation. ## The tools that stand out ### [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) **Best for small crews starting free:** Crews of up to 10 users get the Small Business Plan free for life with Expert-level features, so the owner pays nothing for the time clock and schedule until the team grows. Price Free, then $35 a month Connecteam puts the time clock, the job schedule, field forms and team chat in one app for crews out on jobs. Techs clock in with their location from the Basic plan, and a live dashboard shows where each one is while on the clock. Field forms capture photos and signatures as proof of the service call. Teams of up to 10 users get the Small Business Plan free for life. Bigger crews get a 14-day trial without a card, and paid plans start at $35 a month, priced in US dollars only. Connecteam does not build quotes or estimates, so bids need separate software. Its own invoicing guide has you pull hours and job data out to bill clients elsewhere. Workyard keeps taking time entries without signal and Connecteam does not. **What it does well** - Free for life for teams of up to 10 users, with Expert-level features. - Location at clock-in from the Basic plan, plus a live dashboard of where staff are on the clock. - Digital forms, photos and signatures capture proof of service on the job. - Live chat support runs 24 hours, with email beside it. **Where it falls short** - No quotes or estimates, so bids need separate software. - No phone line on the support contact page; help comes by chat and email. - Clock-ins need signal, since Connecteam does not work offline. - **Free plan:** yes - **Who it’s for:** A crew of up to 10 users that needs a time clock, a job schedule and proof of service in one app, and wants to pay nothing to start. - **Skip it if:** Your techs clock in where phones lose signal, since Connecteam does not work offline. ### [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) **Best for cleaning companies with several sites:** Swept prices by cleaning location with unlimited users on its published plans, so a company running cleaners across many buildings pays for sites rather than heads, from $150 a month. Price From $150 a month Swept is janitorial software built around proof of work at each cleaning location. Cleaners complete location checklists and photo inspections on their phones, with one optional photo per task and result reports. Cleaners and supervisors get schedule details, addresses, parking and security notes and change alerts in the mobile app. Plans start at $150 a month and are priced by location bands, with no per-user charge for adding employees. The Optimize and Scale plans can be bought online without a demo, and operators past the 50-location bands move to the Accelerate plan on custom pricing. Most customers start with a three-month paid pilot at a few locations. The app checks location at clock-in and clock-out on every plan but does not track cleaners during the shift. Swept does not issue invoices: work orders produce billable totals and reports for you to invoice elsewhere. **What it does well** - Unlimited users on every published plan, with the price set by the number of locations. - Location checklists and photo inspections with a result report for each site. - Chat, email and toll-free phone support on every plan, weekdays 9am to 5pm Eastern. - Clock-in and clock-out location checks through geofences on every plan. **Where it falls short** - No free plan or trial; most customers start with a three-month paid pilot. - Swept does not issue invoices, so billable totals go out as reports to bill elsewhere. - No live map during the shift, since location is checked at clock-in and clock-out. - **Free plan:** no - **Who it’s for:** A commercial cleaning company with crews at several sites that needs checklists and photo proof at each location. - **Skip it if:** You want to try before paying, since there is no free trial or free plan and most customers start with a three-month paid pilot. ### [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) **Best for contractors working out of signal:** Workyard lets workers clock in and submit time with no internet and syncs by itself once back online, so contractors on remote sites still get every hour logged. Price From $6 a seat a month billed annually Workyard tracks crew time with location checks, schedules crews and costs labor by job for US contractors. A team map shows live locations and statuses for clocked-in workers from the Starter plan. Workers keep clocking in and submitting time without signal, and the app syncs once back online. 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 the invite is sent. A 14-day trial needs no credit card. Workyard does no estimating or bidding, so there are no customer quotes. It feeds billable hours into a separate system such as QuickBooks invoicing. US-based staff answer by phone and online in English and Spanish. **What it does well** - Clock-ins and time entries keep working offline and sync by themselves. - A live crew map comes with the Starter plan, included in the price. - Phone and online support from US-based staff in English and Spanish. - Billable hours feed into QuickBooks invoicing. **Where it falls short** - Every invited worker adds a paid user, counted from the moment the invite goes out. - The $6 a seat a month rate is billed annually, and the monthly-billing price is not printed. - No estimating or bidding, so quotes need another tool. > “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 construction contractor whose crews work where phones lose signal and who wants their hours tied to labor costs by job. - **Skip it if:** You want a standing free plan, since Workyard offers a 14-day trial rather than a documented free plan. ## 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 ### Is there a free timesheet app for a small crew? Yes. [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) has a free plan, free for life for teams of up to 10 users, and larger teams get a 14-day trial without a card. [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) offers a 14-day trial without a credit card. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) has no free trial or free plan, and it says most customers start with a three-month paid pilot at a few locations. ### Can I see where my techs clocked in? Yes. [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) and [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard), 2 of the 3, also show where staff are while on the clock. Connecteam includes clock-in location from the Basic plan and a live dashboard of staff on the clock. Workyard’s team map shows live locations for clocked-in workers from the Starter plan. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) checks location at clock-in and clock-out on every plan at no extra cost, but does not track cleaners during the shift. ### Do these timesheet apps work where there is no cell signal? [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) does, 1 of the 3: workers clock in and submit time with no internet, and the app syncs by itself once back online. [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept)’s inspection tools keep working without a signal and sync after reconnecting. [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam)’s mobile app, kiosk and desktop all need an internet connection. ### Can I sign up without talking to sales? Yes, for the entry plans: [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) offers a free-account path with no card needed for the trial, [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) sells Optimize and Scale through online checkout without a demo, and [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) links straight to a free-trial signup. Connecteam and Swept each keep one top plan without a printed price. Workyard prints a price only for Starter, and its own comparison page says Pro pricing needs a sales conversation. ### Do these apps connect to QuickBooks? [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam) does, in part: QuickBooks Online and Xero connect for payroll by exporting employee hours, and QuickBooks Desktop gets a timesheet export template. Customers, invoices and payments are not what syncs. Connecteam also connects through Zapier, with direct connections included from the Operations Expert plan. Connecteam, [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) and [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) each have an API. ### Can I bill customers from the same app that tracks hours? Not inside any of them: [Swept](https://dispatchmath.com/swept) and [Workyard](https://dispatchmath.com/workyard) do not issue invoices, and [Connecteam](https://dispatchmath.com/connecteam)’s invoicing guide has you track hours and job data, then pull that data out to bill clients. Swept’s work orders produce billable totals and reports for you to invoice elsewhere. Workyard feeds billable hours into a separate invoicing system such as QuickBooks invoicing. ## 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 ### [Best Free Timesheet Software for Small Businesses](https://dispatchmath.com/blog/best-free-timesheet-software-for-small-businesses) 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. 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.