Payroll mobile apps can simplify several processes through features like employee portals, geo-location, and time clocks. Which payroll application will suit your operations the best depends on several factors, including how intuitive it is and what capabilities it offers.

As easy as it sounds, choosing the right one is tricky because you don’t just have to evaluate the mobile app, but also the software that it comes with.

In this guide, however, we’ll just be focusing on the five best payroll mobile apps for Android that are free to use. We’ve assessed them based on what features they offer for employers and employees, their limitations, and pros and cons.

Best Free Payroll Apps for Android: At A Glance

SoftwareKey App FeaturesRatingsLimitations
HR.my GPS + Selfie Time Clock, Attendance Lookup, and Field Check-In 4.4Contains ads in the free app
Time Clock WizardTime sheet editing, On-the-Clock GPS tracking, and Automatic data syncing -Users can only use the mobile app for free during their 14-day trial
Easy Time ClockEmployee coordinate tracking, Map for Out-of-Range Punch, Geofence exceptions 5.0Adding notes in the system is not that intuitive
Homebase Timesheets, Hour tracking, Shift scheduling4.4Notifications are not consistent
Roll By ADPChat-Based Payroll, AI-Powered payroll insights, Same-Day or Next-Day Direct Deposit -The mobile app is fully functional only during the 3-month free trial

1) HR.my

HR.my is a free, cloud-based HR & payroll platform offering unlimited employee management, expense claims, leave and attendance tracking, and more. 

Its mobile app, HR.my Mobile, lets managers decide whether selfie and geolocation should be necessary for the Time Clock. This gives them control over how employees check in, which enables more accurate payroll calculations. 

Employees can use the app to check their attendance, Time Clock, and Field Check-In records without having to contact Human Resources (HR), eliminating a lot of back and forth. Moreover, attendance records can be searched based on tardiness, overtime, and undertime. 

Limitations With Free App: The app is free, but it contains ads, which can be distracting for some users. 

Key Features

  • Multi-Lingual Support: Supports 67 languages, including English, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean
  • e-Leave: Helps employees and managers easily manage and track leaves, ensuring payroll reflects accurate paid and unpaid time off
  • e-Claim: Allows employees to submit and track expense claims while giving managers a simple way to review and approve them
  • Incident Management: Helps companies report, track, and investigate employee-related incidents for better workplace accountability and safety

Pros And Cons 

Pros

Cons

Centralized leave management, attendance tracking, and payroll records

Lacks features for onboarding and recruiting

Enables employees to keep track of their daily attendance and work volume

Doesn’t offer payroll tax filing services

Paperless e-claims and e-leave management enable efficient payroll calculations

 

2) Time Clock Wizard

Time Clock Wizard is a solution that helps with scheduling, time tracking, and payroll reporting. Its mobile app lets employees easily clock in and out, view their work schedule, and add time sheet changes.

Managers can generate payroll reports directly from the mobile app and send notifications to entire teams or individuals, ensuring timely communication. Additionally, employers can also upload receipt images for company reimbursement tracking, which helps keep expense records organized, making payroll calculations more accurate.

Limitations With Free App: Businesses can use the mobile app for free during a 14-day free trial. After that, they’ll have to switch to a paid plan. 

Key Features

  • Time Sheet Editing: Lets employees clock in/out, update timesheets, and view schedules
  • On-The-Clock GPS Tracking: Allows employers to verify punch locations and ensure team members are clocking in from approved worksites
  • Automatic Data Syncing: Helps keep mobile and web accounts synced, so managers always see real-time information
  • Receipt Upload For Reimbursements: Helps employees submit expense proofs and ensures accurate reimbursement tracking for payroll

Pros And Cons

Pros

Cons

Automatically adds working hours and tracks time offs requests

Lets employees easily sign in and sign out

Allows employees to put notes to explain what they did that day

 

 

Employees have to email admins to get errors fixed

Notifications are not consistent for overtime

 

3) Easy Time Clock 

Easy Time Clock is primarily for time tracking and letting employees check in and out, but it also offers features for payroll reporting. The mobile app has fingerprint login capabilities that eliminate the chances of buddy punching and ensure punch-ins are correct. 

The software also equips managers with Geofence location restrictions to create a virtual boundary around worksites, forcing employees to reach the office on time and check in from the right place. 

Limitations With Free App: Adding notes in the app for payroll processing and employee time is not that easy. 

Key Features

  • Employee Coordinate Tracking: Tracks employee’s coordinate at the time of clock-in
  • Map For Out-Of-Range Punch: Shows employees a map when they are not in the range for checking in
  • Geofence Exceptions: Exempt some employees from punch-in location restrictions
  • Fingerprint Login: Managers can enable fingerprint login in addition to geo-locking, increasing transparency in calculating payroll

Pros And Cons

Pros

Cons

Employees can quickly clock-in and clock-out

Can help managers accurately track paid-time-off

All the functionalities are synced in real-time, eliminating the need for manual entries

 

It can be difficult sometimes to find certain administrator options

Entering time for lunch breaks is a bit complicated

 

4) Homebase

Homebase is a payroll software for small businesses that also offers solutions for time-tracking, onboarding, and scheduling. Its mobile app for Android lets users save time with automated calculations, minimizing the chances of any mistakes. Managers are also able to generate timesheets easily with a single click.

Additionally, the timesheet and paycheck processing are synced with clock-ins and clock-outs, which ensures that worked hours are calculated accurately and that employees are paid fairly.

Limitations With Free App: Its notifications can be inconsistent sometimes

Key Features

  • Timesheets And Hour Tracking: Lets managers and employees track work hours automatically, simplifying payroll calculations and overtime management
  • Labor Cost Management: Allows managers to monitor labor costs and labor as a percentage of sales, helping align payroll with budget forecasts
  • Shift Scheduling And Updates: Enables managers to schedule shifts, update them, and notify employees, ensuring payroll reflects correct hours and pay

Pros And Cons

Pros

Cons

Geo-fencing helps ensure employees clock in only when they are in the office premises 

Lets managers see when and where employees clock in and clock out 

Enables employers to track employees’ break time 

The clock-in and clock-out times don’t always register right away, creating confusion among employees 

It sometimes sends too many notifications, causing notification fatigue 

5) Roll by ADP 

Roll by ADP is a mobile-first payroll solution for small businesses, solopreneurs, and multi-state teams. Its mobile app lets managers run payroll easily, with same-day and next-day digital deposits. With its AI-powered assistant, businesses can also get insights and automated suggestions for payroll management. 

Moreover, the platform handles tax filing and deposits automatically, while the alerts keep you ahead of deadlines. Payroll is also synced with hours worked, employee details, and deductions, ensuring accuracy every run. 

Limitations With Free App: Roll by ADP’s mobile app is fully functional only during a 3-month free trial; after that, paid plans are required. 

Key Features

  • Chat-Based Payroll: Run payroll via simple chat commands in the mobile app, streamlining the process without navigating multiple screens
  • AI-Powered Payroll Insights: Offers recommendations and alerts for payroll optimization, helping reduce errors and manage costs
  • Same-Day or Next-Day Direct Deposit: Lets employees and contractors receive funds quickly, improving cash flow management
  • Proactive Compliance Alerts: Sends reminders for upcoming tax deadlines and filings to help businesses stay compliant

Pros And Cons

Pros 

Cons 

It integrates well with the desktop app 

Processing payroll doesn’t take a lot of time 

The chat feature helps communicate effectively 

Users cannot see payment history for individual employees 

The icons in the app are a bit difficult to understand 

 

Which Free Payroll Android App Should You Choose For Your Business?

Choosing the right payroll Android App for your business depends on multiple factors, such as the size of your business, the level of automation you need, how much control you want over what’s being tracked, and what you want to track in the first place.

All of the above-discussed apps have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, HR.my is best for teams needing a fully free HR and payroll app, while Time Clock Wizard suits businesses wanting flexible scheduling and reimbursements on mobile, along with payroll capabilities.

In the end, we highly recommend you research these solutions thoroughly, and by that, we mean to evaluate both the software and the mobile app together. This will give you a thorough understanding of what the complete software offers and you’ll be able to select the right one for your business.