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Most buyers should pick Buddy Punch.
Choose Buddy Punch if you need published per-user pricing and time-clock tools for hourly or multi-location teams: annual plans start at $4.99 per user monthly, plus a $19 monthly base fee, and there is a 14-day trial. Choose UKG Ready if you want to evaluate an HR, payroll and workforce-management option and can get a custom quote. UKG Ready-specific features, seat limits, trial terms and support terms are not published on the vendor's site, so compare a written proposal before deciding.
01Side by side
| Buddy Punch | UKG Ready | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $4.99/user monthly annually; $5.99 monthly, plus $19 base | Custom quote; starting price not published |
| Free plan | No free plan; 14-day trial | No free plan; trial not published |
| Best for | Hourly teams managing time, attendance, schedules and PTO | Organizations seeking HR, payroll and workforce management |
| Core strength | Time clocks, GPS, scheduling and PTO | Payroll, HR, scheduling, attendance, compliance and analytics |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Payroll integrations and payroll-formatted reports | UKG Ready-specific integrations and data details not published |
| Team/seat costs | Per-user plans, $19 monthly base fee; add-ons extra | Pricing and seat limits not published |
| Support | Review support score: 5/10 | Review support score: 3.5/10 |
Buddy Punch Choose Buddy Punch if
- Choose Buddy Punch if you need GPS punches and time-off tracking.
- Choose Buddy Punch if you want schedules and payroll reports.
- Choose Buddy Punch if published per-user pricing matters.
UKG Ready Choose UKG Ready if
- Choose UKG Ready if custom pricing is acceptable.
- Choose UKG Ready if you want to assess HR and payroll options.
- Choose UKG Ready if you can verify terms in a written quote.
02Pricing compared
Buddy Punch publishes per-user rates, but the monthly base fee changes the real cost. Starter is $5.99 per user monthly, or $4.99 with annual billing; Pro is $7.99 or $6.99, and Advanced is $13.99 or $12.99. Each plan also has a $19 monthly base fee. The pricing page lists a 14-day trial and no free plan.
Check add-ons before comparing totals: scheduling is $1 per user monthly unless included with Pro or Advanced; Real-Time GPS is $2 per user monthly unless included with Advanced. Payroll is listed at $8 per user monthly plus a $49 monthly base fee. UKG Ready pricing is custom; per-user prices, billing terms, seat limits, trial terms and usage limits are not published. Get a written quote before treating it as comparable.
03Features and depth
Buddy Punch’s published feature set is specific to time and attendance workflows: employees can clock in on a computer, phone or kiosk, and the product turns punches into timesheets. It also lists GPS, geofencing, scheduling, PTO tracking, overtime alerts, break settings and payroll-formatted reports, plus payroll integrations and a built-in payroll service. Plan limits matter: Starter has one group, Pro has three, and Advanced has unlimited groups; some features, including scheduling and advanced reporting, depend on the plan or an add-on.
UKG describes UKG Ready within a broader HR, payroll and workforce-management lineup. UKG’s materials mention payroll, HR, scheduling, time and attendance, compliance and analytics, but the published sources do not spell out UKG Ready-specific features, integrations or plan limits. That makes a feature-by-feature comparison hard to verify. Ask UKG to map the functions you need—and any limits or extra charges—to its written proposal.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published materials do not document setup time, training needs or UKG Ready’s interface, so we can’t make a firm learning-curve comparison. Buddy Punch’s clock-in options, schedules, PTO and timesheets are described clearly, but that does not establish how much configuration your team will need. Its review gives ease of use a 7 out of 10; UKG Ready’s review gives it 4.5, without a methodology in the published material. Treat those scores as directional, not proof. Ask both vendors to show the workflows your managers and employees will use, and confirm what onboarding and support include before signing.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Buddy Punch or UKG Ready?
Buddy Punch is the one with published rates: $4.99 to $12.99 per user monthly with annual billing, plus a $19 monthly base fee. UKG Ready uses custom pricing, and its price is not published. Compare written quotes that include required add-ons and fees.
Does Buddy Punch offer a free trial?
Yes. The published Buddy Punch pricing information lists a 14-day trial and no free plan. UKG Ready’s trial terms are not published on the vendor's site, so ask UKG whether a trial or guided evaluation is available.
Which product is better for hourly or multi-location teams?
Buddy Punch is explicitly positioned for businesses with hourly employees across locations and lists mobile, computer and kiosk clock-ins, GPS and geofencing. UKG describes broader workforce-management capabilities, but the published sources do not detail UKG Ready’s location-specific tools. Confirm those requirements with UKG.
Does UKG Ready include payroll, scheduling and time tracking?
UKG’s broader materials list payroll, scheduling, and time and attendance among its workforce solutions. They do not provide UKG Ready-specific feature or plan details in the published sources. Ask UKG to confirm which capabilities are included in your proposed package and what they cost.