Is there a free alternative to Homebase?

Jibble and Connecteam both have real free tiers. Jibble is free forever for unlimited users with facial recognition; Connecteam is free for up to 10 users with GPS and geofencing included. Homebase's own free tier only covers a single location's basic scheduling and time clock — GPS verification needs the paid Essentials plan.

What's the actual difference between these and Homebase?

Verification method and scale, mostly. Homebase and Deputy rely on GPS and geofencing; Buddy Punch adds a photo (and optional Face ID) on every punch; Jibble goes fully biometric with facial recognition. It's a straight tradeoff between how hard you want it to be to fake a punch and how much scheduling depth you need bundled in.

Best-of guide

Best Homebase Alternatives

Homebase is our pick for time theft and buddy punching if you need scheduling anyway: cheap, GPS-verified, and good enough for most single-location hourly teams. It isn't biometric and its GPS features need a paid plan, so here's how the real alternatives differ.

01
Deputy
Multi-location scheduling and time tracking with compliance guardrails built in
Best for multi-location or franchise operations that need demand-aware scheduling on top of GPS clock-in
Tiered per-user monthly pricing, typically in the range of $4.50-$6+ per user/month depending on tier (scheduling only vs. scheduling + time tracking + tasking), with a free trial available. Exact current tiers are best confirmed on Deputy's pricing page since they shift periodically.7.9/10
02
Buddy Punch
Named after the exact problem it solves, and it puts a photo on every punch to back it up
A photo on every punch, plus an optional iOS Face ID gate, is a sharper deterrent than Homebase's GPS-only check
Per-user monthly pricing plus a flat $19 base fee. Starter runs about $4.49/user/mo billed annually but is GPS-only; the anti-buddy-punching features, photo-on-punch and the Apple Face ID gate, start on the Pro plan at about $5.99/user/mo annually ($6.99 month-to-month). 14-day free trial, no credit card. Confirm current rates on their site, they adjust periodically.8.0/10
03
Jibble
The one buddy-punching tool that gives you real facial recognition free, for unlimited users
Free for unlimited users with real facial recognition, the strongest software-only proof if buddy punching is a real cost and not just scheduling you need
Free forever for unlimited users, and the free plan is the point: it includes facial recognition, GPS, geofencing, kiosk mode, and NFC, the anti-buddy-punching features other tools charge for. Paid Premium and Ultimate tiers (per user, monthly) add automation like advanced timesheets, approvals, and scheduling; confirm current per-seat rates on their site.8.2/10

Questions buyers actually ask

Is there a free alternative to Homebase?: Jibble and Connecteam both have real free tiers. Jibble is free forever for unlimited users with facial recognition; Connecteam is free for up to 10 users with GPS and geofencing included. Homebase's own free tier only covers a single location's basic scheduling and time clock — GPS verification needs the paid Essentials plan.
What's the actual difference between these and Homebase?: Verification method and scale, mostly. Homebase and Deputy rely on GPS and geofencing; Buddy Punch adds a photo (and optional Face ID) on every punch; Jibble goes fully biometric with facial recognition. It's a straight tradeoff between how hard you want it to be to fake a punch and how much scheduling depth you need bundled in.