An honest comparison — including where Buddy Punch wins.

Buddy Punch is a GPS time-clock-first product that picked up scheduling and basic HR over time. PeopleBridge is a workforce platform that includes a GPS time clock. Here's where each one actually fits.

Feature	PeopleBridge	Buddy Punch	Notes
Free tier	✅ First month free, 1 loc / 10 employees	❌ No free tier (14-day trial)	Buddy Punch was always paid
Pricing per employee	✅ $1/active employee/mo + $10/location	✅ $3.99–$5.99/user/mo	Buddy Punch is 4–6× our per-employee rate
Pricing for 30 employees	$1/employee/mo + $10/location	$120–180/mo (Pro tier required for scheduling)	Big gap at scale
GPS-verified time clock	✅ Configurable geofence + photo capture	✅ Strong (their core product)	Comparable depth; Buddy Punch has slight edge on geofence customization breadth
Drag-and-drop scheduling	✅	✅ (Pro tier only)	Buddy Punch gates this
Tip pool calculator	✅ Toast-integrated	❌ Not built-in	Major gap for restaurants
POS integrations	✅ Toast, Square, Clover, Stripe	❌ None native	Their focus is time, not sales
Onboarding (W-4, I-9, DD)	✅ Included	❌ Not built-in	Use Gusto/Rippling for HR
Shift trades + open shifts	✅	✅
Operational AI features	✅ All AI included	❌ None advertised
Native iOS / Android app	❌ PWA only	✅ Native apps
Multi-location scheduling	✅ $1/employee + $10/location	✅ Per-employee pricing	Math favors us at 15+ employees
Payroll exports	✅ QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, Paychex	✅ QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, Paychex	Comparable
Nonprofit discount	✅ 10% off	⚠️ Available (case by case)
Best fit	SMB needing scheduling + time + HR + tip pool	SMB that mostly needs GPS time clock	Different scopes

The honest takeaway

Pick PeopleBridge if…

You need scheduling, time clock, AND onboarding in one tool
You're on Toast / Square / Clover and want POS-integrated reports
You run a restaurant with tipped employees
You have 15+ employees and Buddy Punch's per-user billing hurts
You want every AI feature included

Pick Buddy Punch if…

You only need a GPS time clock and your HR/scheduling lives elsewhere
Native iOS / Android app distribution is non-negotiable
Your team is <10 and you don't want a "platform" — just punch in/out
You're already on Buddy Punch and the UX works for you

Common questions

Is Buddy Punch cheaper?

Rarely. Buddy Punch's entry plan is $3.99/user/mo + $19 base — $39–59/mo for 5–10 users. PeopleBridge is $1 per active employee/mo + $10 per location/mo, everything included, and your first month is free. For a single-location 30-employee operator that's $40/mo here vs Buddy Punch's $120–180/mo on the Pro plan (scheduling requires Pro).

What does Buddy Punch do better?

Two things, honestly: (1) Native iOS and Android apps. (2) Some geofence customization options (irregular polygon shapes for warehouses, etc.) that we don't expose yet. If those matter more than the broader platform, Buddy Punch is the right call.

Can I use Buddy Punch + a separate scheduler?

Yes — many operators run Buddy Punch for the time clock and a different tool for scheduling (When I Work, 7shifts, etc.). The trade-off: two logins for your staff, two payroll exports to reconcile, and scheduling can't pre-warn about overtime because it can't see clock data. PeopleBridge keeps everything in one app to avoid those seams.

Does Buddy Punch integrate with Toast?

Not natively. They have a generic webhook + QuickBooks Time bridge but nothing Toast-specific. PeopleBridge has a native Toast OAuth integration with real-time sales/tips/tax pulls and the tip pool calculator built on top. If you're on Toast, the depth difference is the whole product.

How hard is migration?

Export your roster from Buddy Punch as CSV (Settings → Employees → Export). Upload to PeopleBridge via Settings → People → Import. Names, emails, pay rates come over. Historical time-clock data stays in Buddy Punch as your archive; you start fresh going forward.

Trial both. See for yourself.

Free for your first month, no credit card. If Buddy Punch is the right fit for your team, we'll be the first to say so.

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