Buddy Punch vs Zoho Projects: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Buddy Punch and Zoho Projects to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Buddy Punch
6.5/10
Cloud time clock and employee scheduling software that lets small and mid-sized businesses track hours, jobs, PTO and locations and send timesheets to payroll.
Zoho Projects
7.3/10
Cloud project management software with tasks, Gantt charts, timesheets, issue tracking and automation, built for small and mid-sized teams using the Zoho suite.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | Z Zoho Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.5/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $19/mo Advanced | $4/user/mo Premium |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $159/mo Advanced | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| Dashboards | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Kanban boards | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Timeline view | Not listed | |
| Whiteboards | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
Buddy Punch vs Zoho Projects cost by team size
Zoho Projects costs less up to 5 users.
| Team size | Buddy Punch | Zoho Projects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $33/moAdvanced | FreeFree |
| 5 users | $89/moAdvanced | FreeFree |
| 10 users | $159/moAdvanced | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | $369/moAdvanced | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | $719/moAdvanced | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Buddy Punch
- Higher Ease of Use score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for construction (7/10 vs 5/10)
ZWhy choose Zoho Projects
- Has a free plan (Buddy Punch does not)
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (6/10 vs 2/10)
- Better fit for agencies (7/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
Buddy Punch
Pros
- Employees can clock in many ways, including mobile app, kiosk, QR code, webcam and selfie punches.
- Direct payroll syncs cover around 20 systems, including QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto, Paychex and Rippling.
- Admins are free and only active employees count toward billing.
- Reviewers describe support as fast and handled by real people.
- GPS punches and geofencing help verify that field staff are where they should be.
Cons
- It is not a project management tool: there are no task boards, Gantt charts or docs.
- Costs rise with each user and each add-on, and there is a 19 USD monthly base fee.
- Reviewers say correcting missed punches is manual and the admin settings take time to learn.
- Some users report the mobile app lags, especially on weak connections.
- An independent review rates the built-in reporting as basic, and advanced reports cost extra on lower plans.
ZZoho Projects
Pros
- Paid plans start at $4 per user per month on annual billing, which reviewers rank among the cheapest in the category.
- The free plan supports 5 users and 3 projects, enough for very small teams to run real work.
- Built-in timers, timesheets with approvals, and budgeting serve teams that bill for their time.
- Blueprints, automation rules and custom functions allow detailed workflow control.
- Integrates closely with other Zoho apps such as Desk, Analytics and Sprints.
Cons
- Reviewers say the learning curve is steep, especially for blueprints and custom functions.
- Client and guest access cost extra on top of the plan price.
- Users report weaker portfolio and multi-project management than enterprise-focused rivals.
- Some reviewers find the configuration screens crowded and say support can be slow to respond.
- The free plan has no project templates, and its automation limit is low at 50 actions per month.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Zoho Projects scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 7.3/10 against 6.5/10 for Buddy Punch. The largest gap is in Analytics: 4/10 for Buddy Punch and 7/10 for Zoho Projects.
Zoho Projects has a free plan; Buddy Punch does not list one.
Zoho Projects is the better fit for freelancers: we rate it 6/10 for them, against 2/10 for Buddy Punch.
