Start with the real employee count
Write down how many people will record time, how many will review it and whether administrators count as billable seats. An owner account can be treated differently from an employee seat, so ask rather than assume. Use a realistic hiring scenario for the next year, not only the smallest possible trial.
The proposed Gates launch prices are flat employee bands: $15 a month for up to 10 employees and $35 for up to 30. These are planned paid rates; the current pilot is free. Include that distinction when comparing a mature subscription with an early-access product.
Put the full price on one line
For a per-user quote, calculate monthly base fee plus employee count multiplied by the employee rate. Add a location charge only when your quote actually includes one. Then account separately for one-time setup, required hardware, implementation and data conversion. A first-year total and a recurring annual total tell different stories.
Check the features that protect your time
Ask whether the quoted plan includes the time clock, employee accounts, supervisor review, corrections, exports and access to historical records. A low price on a plan without the review or export you need may create more work instead of less.
Compare the actual workflow: record a sample shift, intentionally miss a clock-out, resolve it, approve the corrected record and open the exported file. A screenshot or a long checklist does not establish that those steps work together.
Count implementation effort without pretending it is cash savings
Someone still configures the company, helps employees sign in, explains break recording and checks the first pay-period handoff. Estimate that work honestly. Time no longer spent typing a sheet may be useful, but it is not automatically a reduction in cash expenses. Do not combine theoretical time value with a lower software bill and call the total guaranteed savings.
Check how you leave
Before paying, ask how to export time records, stop renewal, remove access and obtain support. Keep required payroll records independently during an evaluation. Good budget purchasing includes the cost of a mistake and the ease of changing course.
Use the same assumptions for every quote
Put all options at the same employee count and billing cadence. A monthly amount shown only with a full annual prepayment is not the same cash commitment as cancel-anytime monthly billing. Our cost calculator helps with the arithmetic; it cannot decide whether two products have equivalent features.
Product guidance for the current early-access pilot. Keep your existing payroll records while evaluating the workflow. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.