Compare/Alternatives

Tickin alternatives

3 tools our write-ups put next to Tickin, with starting price, free tier, MCP and API side by side.

Tickin from $1.60/employee/moFree tier

Closest alternatives

See the Tickin listing

The short answer

  • Connecteam : Connecteam is a broader mobile app for deskless teams with time clock, scheduling and chat, where Tickin lives inside Slack and Teams. From $29/mo
  • When I Work : When I Work is built around shift scheduling for hourly teams, while Tickin starts from attendance and leave for office and remote staff. From $2.50/user/mo
  • Hubstaff : Hubstaff centres on time tracking with screenshots and activity monitoring, which Tickin keeps off by default. From $5/user/mo

Why people look past Tickin

Microsoft Teams support is only on the $4.80 Scale plan, and paid prices are quoted billed annually. Payroll starts on Growth.

What we noted

  • Microsoft Teams only on the Scale plan
  • Paid prices are billed annually
  • No published API

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that do not use Slack or Teams
  • Microsoft Teams shops that want a cheap plan
  • Large enterprises that need an HRIS with deep integrations

Worth keeping in mind: Everything runs from one /tickin command in Slack or Teams, so staff clock in and request leave where they already chat, and it is free for teams of up to 10.

Tickin alternatives compared

ToolFree tierFromMCPAPIHead to head
Tickin (the one you are on) ✓Yes$1.60/employee/mo–No–No
Connecteam Connecteam is a broader mobile app for deskless teams with time clock, scheduling and chat, where Tickin lives inside Slack and Teams. ✓Yes$29/mo–No✓YesHead to head
When I Work When I Work is built around shift scheduling for hourly teams, while Tickin starts from attendance and leave for office and remote staff. –No$2.50/user/mo–No✓YesHead to head
Hubstaff Hubstaff centres on time tracking with screenshots and activity monitoring, which Tickin keeps off by default. –No$5/user/mo✓Yes✓YesHead to head

What each one does differently

Connecteam

$29/mo Free tier 14 day free trial API

Why it comes up: Connecteam is a broader mobile app for deskless teams with time clock, scheduling and chat, where Tickin lives inside Slack and Teams.

Stands out: A true free plan for teams of 10 or fewer, then hub-priced paid plans so you can buy operations without paying for HR or comms you will not use.

Watch out: The $29 Operations hub covers the first 30 users; extra users are per head, and Communications and HR are separate hubs. 14-day trial, no card.

Best for

  • Deskless and field teams
  • Small businesses under 10 people (free)
  • Companies that want time clock plus chat in one app

4.6 on Capterra from 5,311 reviews

Read the Connecteam write-up Tickin vs Connecteam

When I Work

$2.50/user/mo Free trial API

Why it comes up: When I Work is built around shift scheduling for hourly teams, while Tickin starts from attendance and leave for office and remote staff.

Stands out: A public $2.50/user/month seat for single-location scheduling, with payroll and POS connectors on paid plans.

Watch out: Multi-location work jumps to Pro at $5/user/month. Premium at $8 is the scaled tier. This is not an ATS.

Best for

  • Single-location hourly employers
  • Small retail, food, and healthcare teams
  • Managers who want clocks next to the roster

4.5 on Capterra from 1,300 reviews

Read the When I Work write-up Tickin vs When I Work

Hubstaff

$5/user/mo 14 day free trial MCP API

Why it comes up: Hubstaff centres on time tracking with screenshots and activity monitoring, which Tickin keeps off by default.

Stands out: First-party MCP server and a public REST API at developer.hubstaff.com, with a 14-day trial and no credit card.

Watch out: Starter caps screenshots and app/URL tracking at 500 per seat per month and allows only 5 clients. Grow allows one integration.

Best for

  • Remote agencies that need screenshots and client invoices
  • Field teams that add GPS Locations on Team or Enterprise
  • Desks that want MCP or API access to time data

4.5 on Capterra from 1,613 reviews

Read the Hubstaff write-up Tickin vs Hubstaff

Common questions

What is the best Tickin alternative?
It depends on what sent you looking. We compare 3 alternatives to Tickin: Connecteam, When I Work and Hubstaff. Each one's "Why it comes up" line says what it does differently, and the table above shows all 3 on price, free tier, MCP and API.
Is there a free alternative to Tickin?
Yes. Connecteam carries a free tier on our listing, so you can try the product without a card. Free tiers are capped, so check the limits against your volume before you move a team across.
What is the cheapest Tickin alternative?
Of the published starting prices here, When I Work is lowest at $2.50/user/mo. Starting price is the entry plan, not the seat count you will end up on, so read the plan table on each listing.
Which Tickin alternatives have an MCP server?
Hubstaff ships a first party MCP server, so you can drive it from Claude or ChatGPT without building against the API yourself.

Keep looking

Back to the Tickin write-up Every Time & attendance tool we list Search the whole directory

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 30 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?