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Time and Attendance System Costs UK 2026: Full Pricing Breakdown

Olivia Grant

Written By:

Olivia Grant

Head of Research & Insights

Clara Wenslow

Reviewed By:

Clara Wenslow

Finance & Business Services Editor

5 providers compared
5 fact checks verified
Prices verified May 2026
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Time and attendance software in the UK costs £3.25 to £6.50 per user per month for dedicated T&A specialists, with HR-software platforms that include T&A modules ranging from £5.00 to £21.20 per employee per month. Most SMEs land between £4 and £10 per user/month for clock-in, scheduling, and payroll-export features.

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This guide breaks down what each UK provider actually charges as of May 2026, what is included at each price point, and the hidden costs that can push your total bill higher than the headline rate. Every pricing figure here is verified against the provider’s UK website on the rewrite date; figures the providers no longer publish are flagged as quote-based.

Cheapest dedicated T&A
£3.25/mo
Deputy Lite (per user, £20/mo min spend)
Mid-range SMB
£10-15/mo
RotaCloud Standard/Pro (1-5 employees flat)
HR+T&A bundle entry
£5.00/mo
Sage HR Core + £2.50 Timesheets module
Key Takeaways
  • Dedicated T&A pricing starts at £3.25/user/month - Deputy’s Lite plan is the cheapest verified entry point, but a £20/month minimum spend applies (effectively 6+ users to get value)
  • Pricing model varies by provider - Deputy charges per user, RotaCloud charges a flat fee per band (1-5 employees), Bodet sells physical hardware quote-only, UKG quotes enterprise contracts only
  • HR software with T&A modules costs more - Sage HR Core is £5.00/employee/month plus £2.50/month for the Timesheets module; BrightHR sits at £16.67/employee/month at 5-employee scale (drops to ~£3/person at high volumes)
  • Several providers withdrew published pricing in 2025 - Planday now quotes Starter and Plus tiers individually; Bodet and UKG never publish UK rates
  • Hardware and setup are extra everywhere - biometric terminals run £150-£500 per unit; bespoke implementation can add £200 to £2,000+ in year one

How Much Does Time and Attendance Software Cost in the UK?

UK time and attendance software splits into two clean categories: dedicated T&A specialists (Deputy, RotaCloud, Planday, Bodet, UKG) and HR software platforms that include T&A as a module or add-on (Sage HR, BrightHR). Dedicated specialists typically charge per user per month with feature-tiered plans; HR platforms charge a base HR subscription plus an additional T&A module fee.

Try our Time & Attendance ROI Calculator to model the cost across providers for your exact team size. Open calculator →

Most dedicated T&A providers use a per-user-per-month (PUPM) billing model. Some, like RotaCloud, use banded tiers (flat rate within an employee count range). Planday requires a minimum of five users on the Starter plan; Deputy enforces a £20/month minimum invoice. Here is what the five primary dedicated T&A providers charge in the UK, verified May 2026:

ProviderEntry pricing (verified)Minimum spendHardware
Deputy£3.25/user/mo (Lite); £4.25 Core; £6.50 Pro£20/month per invoiceMobile app + facial recognition included
RotaCloud£10/mo Standard or £15/mo Pro (1-5 employees, flat)None – flat band pricingClocking-in add-on £4.50/mo (mobile/tablet)
PlandayQuote-based since 2025 (was per-user)5 users on Starter planMobile-first; no proprietary hardware
BodetQuote-based (hardware-led model)Hardware purchase requiredPhysical clocking terminals £250-£530 per unit
UKG (Ready / Pro)Custom enterprise quote onlyTypically 100+ employeesOptional kiosks; quoted with contract

Within HR software platforms, T&A is delivered as a module or paid add-on. The base HR subscription is required, with the time-tracking feature billed on top:

HR platformHR base (verified)T&A moduleTotal per employee
Sage HR£5.00/employee/mo (Core HR + Leave)Timesheets £2.50; Shift Scheduling £2.50£7.50 to £10.00/employee/mo
BrightHR£16.67/employee/mo at 5 employees (scales down to ~£3 at high volume)Blip clocking-in app included£16.67/employee/mo at 5; less at scale

Full provider write-ups: Deputy review, RotaCloud review, Sage HR review, BrightHR review.

Cost by Team Size

Per-user pricing scales linearly; flat-band pricing has step changes at the band boundaries. A 25-employee retail business clocking in and out daily looks roughly like this in May 2026:

Team sizeDeputy LiteDeputy CoreRotaCloud Pro (with T&A add-on)Sage HR Core + Timesheets
10 employees£32.50/mo£42.50/mo~£35/mo (next-band est.)£75/mo
25 employees£81.25/mo£106.25/moCustom quote (above 5-emp band)£187.50/mo
50 employees£162.50/mo£212.50/moCustom quote£375/mo
100 employees£325/mo£425/moCustom quote£750/mo

RotaCloud’s published pricing only covers 1-5 employees flat (£10-15/month plus the £4.50 T&A add-on). For larger teams, RotaCloud quotes per band; expect roughly £3 to £5 per user/month above 25 employees but confirm with sales. Bodet, Planday Pro, and UKG are quote-only at all sizes.

What Is Included in the Price?

Base prices typically cover scheduling and basic clock-in or out. Premium tiers add features such as advanced reporting, geofencing, biometric clock-in, payroll integrations, and SSO. Add-on modules can double the per-user cost on some platforms.

Deputy (£3.25 to £6.50/user/mo)

Deputy’s Lite plan covers basic rotas, timesheets, time clocking, labour-law compliance, shift swaps, and basic reporting. Core (£4.25) adds advanced scheduling, biometric time clocking, demand forecasting, and labour optimisation. Pro (£6.50) adds custom access levels, SSO, location hierarchies, and a sandbox environment. Add-ons are billed separately: HR module £2/user/mo, Messaging+ £1.40/user/mo, Analytics+ £1/user/mo. Deputy is built for shift-based, multi-location operations such as retail, hospitality, and healthcare.

RotaCloud (£10/mo Standard or £15/mo Pro flat for 1-5 employees)

RotaCloud Standard is unlimited sites and departments, drag-and-drop scheduling, mobile apps, holiday management, absence tracking, shift swapping, and reporting. Pro adds bulk actions, labour forecasting, budget caps, document storage, custom leave rules, and enforced two-factor authentication. The Time & Attendance add-on (£4.50/mo) covers clocking-in, timesheets, GPS restrictions, and payroll reports. Setup is “none whatsoever” per RotaCloud. UK-built, SMB-focused; particularly common in hospitality.

Planday (quote-based; 30-day free trial)

Planday withdrew its public per-user pricing during 2025; current Starter and Plus pricing is shown as “per user per month” without a figure on the live UK pricing page. Starter requires a minimum of five users. Pro is custom-priced. Features by tier are still public: Starter covers intuitive scheduling, simple time tracking, working-time rules, basic payroll reporting, and team communication; Plus adds leave and absence management, accurate payroll reporting, integrations, revenue integration, and document management; Pro adds custom planning metrics, auto-scheduling, and dedicated phone support. Common in shift-based operations.

Bodet (quote-based; hardware-led)

Bodet sells physical clocking-in terminals priced individually (badge readers, biometric kiosks, facial-recognition units). UK pricing is quote-only and depends on terminal model, site count, and integration scope. Bodet suits businesses that need physical attendance tracking in environments where smartphones are impractical: factories, food production, healthcare wards, and warehouses. Software-only T&A buyers should compare against RotaCloud or Deputy first.

UKG (Pro and Ready, custom enterprise pricing)

UKG provides workforce-management software (UKG Ready for SMB, UKG Pro for enterprise) sold by quote against headcount, modules, and contract length. Typical buyer sizes start at 100+ employees, often 500+. Quoted contracts include implementation, ongoing support, and module selection (time, scheduling, leave, performance). UKG suits multi-site enterprise rollouts with complex labour-rule scheduling.

Sage HR (£5.00 base + £2.50 Timesheets module)

Sage HR Core covers HR records, leave management, and onboarding at £5.00/employee/mo (£6.00 inc VAT in Sage’s own example). The Timesheets module adds detailed hour logging at £2.50/employee/mo; Shift Scheduling adds rota management at £2.50/employee/mo. A full T&A configuration on Sage HR runs £10.00/employee/mo. The advantage is direct integration with Sage Payroll for businesses already on the Sage stack; the trade-off is that you pay HR-software pricing even if you only need T&A. Sage Payroll itself is a separate product line.

BrightHR (£16.67/employee/mo at 5 employees; less at scale)

BrightHR bundles the Blip clocking-in app at no additional charge with any BrightHR HR plan. Core HR is £16.67/employee/mo for a 5-employee business (£83.35/month total) and scales down to roughly £3/person at higher employee volumes. Contracts are typically 24, 36, or 60 months. The Blip app supports GPS geofencing, QR-code scanning, real-time staff visibility, and timesheets. The limitation: BrightHR HR plans do not submit PAYE/RTI to HMRC; payroll requires Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, or the separate BrightHR Payroll product.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

Watch out for these add-on costs

Implementation fees (£200 to £2,000+), biometric hardware (£150 to £500 per terminal), data migration charges (£100 to £500), premium support tiers, mid-contract price increases, and module creep on platforms like Sage HR where the base price doubles when you add the modules you actually need.

Implementation and Onboarding

Most cloud-based providers include basic self-serve onboarding in the subscription. Bespoke setup, custom attendance policies, multi-site configuration, or complex payroll integration can incur one-off fees from £200 to £2,000+ depending on complexity. RotaCloud explicitly charges no setup fees; Deputy includes self-serve onboarding on all plans and a dedicated customer success manager on Core and Pro.

Hardware Costs

If you want physical clock-in terminals (biometric readers, facial-recognition kiosks, or badge scanners), these are almost always extra. Expect to pay £150 to £500 per terminal, plus installation. Bodet’s terminals run £250 to £530 per unit and are central to its model. Mobile app-only solutions like Deputy and RotaCloud’s clocking-in app avoid this cost entirely.

Data Migration

Transferring existing employee records, historical attendance data, and holiday balances from your current system can cost £100 to £500 depending on data volume and format compatibility. Some providers include basic migration; others charge hourly.

Add-On Module Creep

Sage HR’s modular approach is transparent but can surprise budget-conscious buyers. Starting at £5.00 base, adding Timesheets (+£2.50) and Shift Scheduling (+£2.50) doubles your per-employee cost to £10.00. Deputy’s HR, Messaging+, and Analytics+ add-ons similarly stack: a Core user with all three add-ons costs £8.65/user/mo rather than the headline £4.25.

Which T&A Solution Suits Your Business

The cheapest dedicated T&A is not always the right choice. Match the provider’s design to your operational profile:

If your business is…Best-fit T&A choiceWhy
Shift-based retail, hospitality, healthcare (10-100 staff)Deputy or PlandayBuilt for complex rota patterns, scheduling-first UI, mobile clock-in standard
UK SMB with simple rotas (under 25 staff)RotaCloud Standard or ProUK-built, transparent pricing, no setup fees, mobile-first
Factory, food production, or warehouse with hardware clock-inBodetPhysical terminals are the core product; smartphone-only solutions struggle in these environments
Enterprise with 100+ staff and complex labour rulesUKG Pro or UKG ReadyBuilt for multi-site, multi-jurisdiction enterprise workforce management
Already on Sage Payroll, want HR + T&A in one stackSage HR + Timesheets moduleNative Sage Payroll integration eliminates duplicate data entry
SME wanting bundled HR advice line + clock-inBrightHR (Core HR plan)Includes Peninsula’s HR/employment-law advice line plus the Blip clocking-in app at no extra charge

How to Save on Time and Attendance Software

  • Annual billing: RotaCloud saves £20-£30 per year on annual billing versus monthly. Most providers offer 10 to 20 percent discounts for annual prepayment.
  • Start lean: Begin with the base plan and add modules only when you genuinely need them. Sage HR’s modular approach works well here; Deputy’s add-ons can wait until headcount justifies them.
  • Volume discounts: Ask for volume pricing if you have 50+ employees. Most providers have unlisted enterprise tiers below the published rate.
  • Free trials: Deputy, Planday, RotaCloud, and Sage HR all offer 30-day free trials. Use them to confirm the workflow matches your operations before committing.
  • Bundle with existing software: If you already use Sage Payroll, Sage HR avoids duplicate data entry costs. If you use Xero or QuickBooks payroll, BrightHR’s Blip app exports cleanly to both.
  • Avoid the wrong category: Buying full HR software when you only need T&A doubles the per-employee cost. Dedicated T&A specialists like Deputy or RotaCloud start at £3.25 to £10/month rather than £5+ for HR-platform bundles.

Compare Time and Attendance Quotes

Published pricing is a starting point. Get tailored quotes based on your team size, locations, integration needs, and hardware requirements for the most accurate comparison. Specialist quotes from Bodet, Planday Pro, and UKG are essential since none of those providers publish UK rates.

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For detailed reviews of each provider, including feature breakdowns and pros/cons, see our best time and attendance systems guide.

Last verified: May 2026. All pricing figures verified against provider UK websites on the rewrite date. ExpertSure is reader-supported – we may earn a commission through partner links at no extra cost to you.

Olivia Grant

Olivia Grant

Head of Research & Insights

Olivia covers workforce management and people technology for UK businesses, including HR software, time and attendance systems, business mobile contracts, and digital marketing services. With over 8 years in market analysis and digital communications, she translates complex HR tech and procurement decisions into clear, actionable advice.

LinkedIn Profile →
Clara Wenslow

Reviewed by

Clara Wenslow

Finance & Business Services Editor

FAQs

How much does time and attendance software cost for a 20-person business in the UK?

For a 20-person team, time and attendance software typically costs £40–120 per month (£2–6 per employee/month) for cloud-based SaaS platforms. Entry-level systems like Clockify (free for unlimited users) or Jibble (£2/user/month) suit small businesses with basic needs. Mid-range platforms with scheduling, absence management, and payroll integration (e.g., Factorial, BrightHR) cost £4–8/user/month. Biometric hardware terminals add £200–600 per device as a one-off cost on top of software fees.

Are there any free time and attendance systems suitable for UK businesses?

Yes — Clockify and Jibble offer genuinely functional free plans. Clockify’s free tier supports unlimited users and projects with basic time tracking and reporting. Jibble’s free plan includes GPS clocking and facial recognition for up to 5 users. Employment Hero also offers a free HR and time tracking tier for very small teams. Free plans typically lack payroll integration, advanced reporting, and phone support — evaluate whether these limitations matter for your workflow before committing to a free tool.

What hidden costs should I watch for when buying time and attendance software?

Common hidden costs include: hardware (clock terminals, tablets for fixed clocking points), setup and onboarding fees (£200–1,000 for larger deployments), integration costs to connect with your payroll or HR software, annual price increases (typically 5–10% per year on SaaS subscriptions), and per-feature add-on charges for scheduling, absence management, or reporting modules. Always request a fully itemised quote for your exact employee count and required features before signing, and confirm whether pricing scales automatically as headcount grows.

Do time and attendance systems charge per active user or per licence?

Most modern SaaS T&A platforms charge per active user per month, meaning you only pay for employees currently using the system. This is beneficial for seasonal businesses or those with fluctuating headcount. Some older or on-premise systems charge per named user licence regardless of activity. A handful of platforms (including Clockify and Factorial) offer flat-rate pricing for unlimited users, which becomes more economical above 30–50 employees compared to per-user pricing at £3–5/user/month.

Is time and attendance software worth it for a business with fewer than 10 employees?

For 10 or fewer employees, the ROI depends on your current process. If you’re tracking hours manually on spreadsheets and reconciling against payroll, even a £20/month tool pays for itself in 1–2 hours of saved admin per month. For businesses with shift workers, multiple locations, or significant overtime, the savings from accurate tracking often exceed software costs within the first month. For pure office-based teams with standard 9–5 hours and no overtime, a timesheet template may be sufficient and the software ROI is marginal.

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