For most small teams, attendance tracking starts with a sign-in sheet or a single biometric device by the door — manageable until someone's working remotely, a device goes offline, or payroll needs to know exactly who was late and when. That's usually the point a small business starts looking at software, and the first real question is whether a genuinely free option exists, or whether "free" just means a two-week trial.
Here's what's actually available, and what to check before choosing.
What to Check Before Comparing Vendors
- Is it free-forever, or a time-limited trial? A genuine free tier lets you test real usage before committing budget.
- Which check-in methods are included? Some platforms charge extra for geofencing or selfie attendance even on their base paid tier — exactly the methods small teams with any remote or field staff actually need.
- Is payroll integration included? For a small business, attendance and payroll are often run by the same one or two people — a tool that doesn't connect the two just recreates the manual reconciliation problem.
- Is there a real mobile app? Small teams disproportionately include field staff or founders who aren't at a desk all day.
Comparing Attendance Tracking Options for Small Business
OfficePortal
OfficePortal offers a free plan for up to 5 users, forever — not a trial. Web check-in, shift configuration, attendance dashboards, mobile app access, and manual attendance regularization are included at that free tier. Geofencing, selfie attendance with liveness detection, and overtime management are available as add-ons once needed. The paid plan starts at roughly ₹60/user/month (about $4) once a team grows past 5 users.
Zoho People
Zoho People also offers a 5-user free plan, but with limited features — biometric check-in and the employee attendance dashboard are sold as add-ons rather than included in the base plan. Its paid tier starts at $75/month, priced flat rather than per-user.
greytHR
greytHR doesn't offer a free plan. Core attendance features — shift configuration, dashboards, and reporting — are included, but biometric check-in is available on a limited basis compared to fuller implementations elsewhere. Paid pricing starts at $42/month.
Keka
Keka also has no free plan, and biometric check-in is offered on a limited basis as well. Starting price is the highest in this comparison, at $84/month.
What to Prioritize at Different Team Sizes
Under 10 employees: Start with a genuinely free tier and run a real attendance cycle through it — check-in, shift matching, at least one manual regularization request — before paying for anything.
10–50 employees: This is usually where multiple check-in methods (especially for any remote or field staff) and direct payroll integration stop being optional. Check specifically whether these are included in the base price or billed as add-ons at this headcount.
50+ employees: Multi-location shift management, geofencing per team, and overtime automation become more important, particularly for companies with warehouses, multiple offices, or a mixed office/field workforce.
Conclusion
The real difference between these platforms rarely shows up in the free-tier headline — it shows up in what's still free once your team actually has remote or field employees who need geofencing or selfie attendance, which is exactly the situation most small businesses are trying to plan for when they start comparing options.
OfficePortal keeps core attendance tracking, shift configuration, and payroll sync included from the free tier up, with flexible check-in methods available as your workforce grows more distributed. If attendance is still being tracked with a sign-in sheet or a single device, the fastest way to know if it's worth switching is to run one real cycle through the free plan. Start free for up to 5 users, or see full pricing as your team grows.
