ClockShark vs Connecteam vs Built Simple: Construction Time Tracking Compared

Which GPS Time Tracking App Is Right for Your Building Business?

Key Industry Data: Construction businesses lose an average of 5-7% of labour costs to inaccurate time tracking (Master Builders, 2025), making reliable time tracking software essential for protecting profit margins. Construction software adoption among Australian builders increased 34% year-on-year (Built Simple Industry Report, 2026), with integrated platforms increasingly replacing standalone time tracking tools.

Last Updated: January 2026 | Reading Time: 12 minutes | 3,200+ words

Why Time Tracking Matters for Builders

Manual timesheets cost Australian builders an average of $50,000+ per year in:
– Time theft (early clock-ins, extended breaks)
– Buddy punching (signing in for absent workers)
– Administrative hours processing paper
– Payroll errors and corrections
– Overtime miscalculations

GPS time tracking solves these problems. But which app should you choose?

This guide compares three leading options: ClockShark (US-based specialist), Connecteam (all-in-one team app), and Built Simple (Australian construction platform with time tracking built-in).

ClockShark: The Time Tracking Specialist

Overview

ClockShark is a dedicated time tracking app for field service and construction businesses. It’s US-based but widely used in Australia.

Pricing (January 2026)

| Plan | Base Cost | Per User | Best For |
|——|———–|———-|———-|
| Standard | $40/mo | $8/user | Basic tracking |
| Pro | $60/mo | $10/user | Scheduling + PTO |

Example: 10-person team
– Standard: $40 + ($8 × 10) = $120/month
– Pro: $60 + ($10 × 10) = $160/month

Hidden costs:
– US currency (exchange rate risk)
– No AU accounting integration (need Zapier ~$50/mo)

Key Features

GPS & Geofencing:
– Real-time location tracking
– Geofence clock-in/out (auto-clock when entering site)
– Breadcrumb trail showing worker movement
– Mileage tracking

Time Tracking:
– Mobile app clock-in/out
– Kiosk mode for shared devices
– Facial recognition option
– Break tracking

Job Costing:
– Track time against jobs
– Labour cost by project
– Budget vs actual

Reporting:
– Timesheet exports
– Overtime reports
– Attendance summaries
– GPS location reports

Pros

– Dedicated time tracking focus
– Strong GPS and geofencing
– Clean, simple interface
– Good kiosk mode

Cons

– US-based (support hours, currency)
– No Xero/MYOB integration
– Separate from project management
– Per-user pricing adds up

Best For

Builders who want a dedicated time tracking tool and don’t mind it being separate from their PM software.

Built Simple: Construction Platform with Time Tracking

Overview

Built Simple is an Australian construction management platform where time tracking is one component of a broader system including estimating, scheduling, job costing, and invoicing.

Pricing (January 2026)

| Plan | Monthly Cost | Users | Notes |
|——|————-|——-|——-|
| Standard | $150/mo | Unlimited | All features included |

Example: 10-person team: $150/month
Example: 50-person team: $150/month

No per-user fees. No hidden costs.

Key Features

Time Tracking:
– GPS clock-in/out
– Geofencing by project site
– Photo verification
– Australian overtime rules (time-and-a-half, double time)
– Break tracking with compliance
– Automatic separation of ordinary/overtime hours

Job Costing (Integrated):
– Time automatically costed to projects
– Budget vs actual in real-time
– Labour cost reporting
– Integration with estimates

Australian Compliance:
– Award interpretation assistance
– Overtime calculated per AU rules
– Public holiday handling
– Export to Xero/MYOB payroll

Part of Broader Platform:
– Project management
– Scheduling (with labour allocation)
– Estimating
– Invoicing and progress claims
– Document management
– Defect tracking

Pros

– Australian-made for Australian conditions
– Unlimited users at flat rate
– Xero and MYOB integration
– Time tracking integrated with project management
– Australian support hours

Cons

– Requires adopting full platform (if you only want time tracking)
– Less focused than dedicated time tracking apps

Best For

Australian builders who want time tracking as part of their complete construction management system, not a separate tool.

Overtime Handling

| Capability | ClockShark | Connecteam | Built Simple |
|————|————|————|————–|
| Custom OT rules | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Daily OT threshold | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weekly OT threshold | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time-and-a-half | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Double time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public holidays | Manual | Manual | Automatic (AU) |
| Award interpretation | No | No | Assisted |

Winner: Built Simple for Australian builders—it understands AU overtime rules and public holidays automatically.

Job Costing

| Capability | ClockShark | Connecteam | Built Simple |
|————|————|————|————–|
| Time to jobs | Yes | Basic | Yes |
| Labour cost tracking | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Budget vs actual | Yes | No | Yes |
| Estimate integration | No | No | Yes |
| Project profitability | Basic | No | Yes |

Winner: Built Simple—time tracking feeds directly into project budgets and job costing.

What About Dedicated Australian Apps?

Other Options Worth Considering

| App | Price | Notes |
|—–|——-|——-|
| Tanda | $5-10/user | AU-based, award interpretation |
| Deputy | $4.50-6/user | AU-based, scheduling focus |
| BusyBusy | Free-$15/user | Construction-specific |
| ExakTime | $9/user + base | Rugged/biometric options |

Tanda and Deputy are Australian-made with excellent award interpretation but aren’t construction-specific and don’t include project management.

BusyBusy has a free tier with basic GPS tracking—good for testing but limited features.

Migration Considerations

Switching from Paper Timesheets

Any of these apps will save you 5-10 hours per week in admin. Start with:
1. Pilot with one crew for 2 weeks
2. Train on mobile clock-in/out
3. Review GPS data for accuracy
4. Roll out to all crews
5. Phase out paper over 1 month

Switching from Another App

Most apps allow data export. Key steps:
1. Export employee list
2. Export job/project list
3. Set up new system
4. Run parallel for one pay period
5. Verify data matches

Action Steps

1. This week: Calculate your current time tracking costs (admin hours + error corrections)

2. Next week: Try free trials:
– ClockShark – 14-day trial
– Connecteam – Free plan available
– Built Simple – Free trial

3. Decision criteria:
– Do you need just time tracking, or full PM?
– What accounting software do you use?
– How many users?
– Is Australian support important?

Built Simple includes GPS time tracking, overtime calculation, and Xero/MYOB integration as part of the $150/month platform.

Start Your Free Trial

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Related Articles

• Time Tracking for Contractors
• Construction Scheduling Complete Guide
• Australian Construction Software Guide 2026

“ClockShark and Connecteam are solid time tracking tools, but builders should consider whether standalone time tracking actually solves their problem. If you are still manually transferring timesheet data into your scheduling and payroll systems, you are only solving half the equation.”

— Tom Nguyen, Construction Scheduling Expert, Built Simple