Considering Atto for time tracking, scheduling, or payroll? You've come to the right place!

I’ve taken an in-depth look at everything Atto has to offer and crafted this review to help you determine if it’s a good fit for your business. 

While I’d love for you to first consider OnTheClock, as a time tracking expert, I believe in helping businesses find the right fit — even if that means partnering with or recommending a competitor. In this article, I’ll break down Atto’s features, showcase where it excels, pinpoint where it falls short, and demonstrate how it compares to OnTheClock’s various solutions. 

Verdict: Is Atto Worth it?

Score: 7.5 / 10

Atto, developed by Spectra Labs Inc., positions itself as a no-fuss time tracking app built for teams on the move — and in that lane, it performs well. The software touts time management, location monitoring, shift scheduling, communication, in-house payroll functionalities, and more. 

The platform is “designed for various industries” and lists several examples (mostly service industries), including construction, painting and decorating, plumbing and heating, electrical, roofing, cleaning and maintenance, and others. 

The mobile app is clean, GPS features are accurate, and setup is quick. But if your team works primarily from a desktop or laptop computer, Atto starts to show its limits. The following comprehensive review will score Atto from every angle and explain exactly how we landed at this rating. 

Pricing

Atto offers users a free, 14-day trial period. Once those two weeks have expired, there are four monthly pricing options, ranging from $6.95 to $19.95 per user (Note: discounts are available if you opt for annual billing). Here is a breakdown of each pricing model and what it includes. 

Getting Started on a Web Browser 

Score: 9/10

Atto offers a clean, straightforward interface that works seamlessly on mobile devices (and less intuitively on desktop browsers). Its user-friendly layout makes it easy for employees to clock in, check schedules, and stay connected, while managers can quickly oversee team activity from the dashboard. 

Getting up and running with Atto on a web browser is refreshingly simple. Just head to the company’s website and hit the “Get Started” button to begin. 

Upon clicking “Get Started,” I was notified that Atto has completely redesigned its web experience. This served as a nice reminder that the Atto team is committed to constantly sharpening its sword. 

From there, I was asked to enter my email address, verify it, and create an account by adding my name, company details, industry, and a secure password.

Upon sign-up, I was met with a quick guided walkthrough that showcased the software’s flagship features, including time tracking, shift scheduling, location monitoring, and payroll processing. 

On this screen, I was also greeted by Valma, a chatbot designed to “help me get the most out of my new account.”

I asked Valma if she was a real person and I received an automated response via the chatbot and email as well. 

The user dashboard includes a list of shortcuts along the left side of the screen, allowing users to access multiple portals, including activity, time clock, chat, time off requests, schedule, payroll, and reports. An add more button allows users to create timecards, time off requests, a new drive, or a team member. 

It’s worth mentioning that while there are links to Atto’s chat, time off requests, and schedule features, those functions are not currently available via the desktop interface. 

Getting Started on a Mobile App

Getting started on Atto’s mobile app is very similar to the desktop experience. 

Once I input all of the same vital information on my iPhone, I was prompted with a dashboard that offered many of the same options (team activity, schedule, shift requests, and time off), just in a different layout. 

The green “Clock in now” button, which sits in the middle of the screen, could be a bit bigger and bolder, in my opinion. It's flanked by an active/not active status, which conveniently allows employees to see if they’re currently punched in or not. 

Scrolling down a bit, the Atto app encourages users to configure their accounts through threads, such as workweek start day, payroll schedule, overtime preferences, location tracking, and more.

Further down, the team activity board shows who’s clocked in, clocked out, on break, and not active; the reports screen shows estimated pay, total paid hours, miles, and time off; and a requests screen shows trade, cover, and time off requests. 

The bottom of the screen includes static shortcut buttons for the dashboard, chats, time clock, reports, and settings. 

Overall, the app offers a clean, straightforward interface that makes it easy for employees to clock in, check schedules, and stay connected. 

Adding Employees

Score: 8/10

Inviting your team is quick and flexible from both a web browser and mobile app. You can:

• Send invites directly via email;
• Share a custom signup link with your crew;
• Assign roles like Admin, Manager, or Employee right from the start; and
• Adjust location tracking, overtime rules, and other preferences to match how your team works.

When the invite arrives, employees are prompted to enter their full name and create (and confirm) a password. Once the password is confirmed via a web browser, the user is taken directly to the company’s Atto dashboard. 

Additionally, the administrator receives an email message that the employee has joined. 

I have to note: The first set of email invites I sent to my employees’ inboxes from the web interface did not arrive promptly (the invites never arrived, in fact?! And, yes, I checked my spam folder.) Perhaps this was a one-time bug, as the invites showed up instantaneously on a second try a few days later. 

Clocking In

Score: 9/10

Clocking in is simple. As previously mentioned, the clock-in button is prominently placed in the middle of the first screen on the mobile app. Once the clock-in button is tapped, another screen opens, with a larger, green clock-in circle. Next, the app prompts users to enable location settings to ensure the GPS tracking is precise. There is a list of four steps showing users exactly how to do this on their phones. 

Once clocked in, an employee can add a note, take a break, or add a job directly from the clock-in screen, thanks to prominently placed buttons.  

Time Sheets 

Score: 8.5/10

Employees can monitor their time sheets in real time using the reports tab at the bottom of the app. Data displayed in rows, dpeicting regular hours, overtime, double overtime paid breaks, unpaid breaks, paid time off, and unpaid time off. All reports can be customized by date and downloaded at any time. 

Additional “Pay” reports showcase total paid work hours, paid breaks, PTO, estimated pay, pay rates, and more. 

Mileage reports offer insight into total miles, total drives, parking fees, tolls, and more by individual employee or comprehensively across the entire team.

Job code reports highlight jobs, hours spent on each job, rates, and estimated pay. and job codes can also be accessed using the Reports tab.

Chat

Score: 6/10

Admins are able to communicate directly with employees through the mobile app using the software’s chat feature. Individuals can be seelcted by name or chosen in bulk to create user groups.

Unfortunately, the chat feature is not available on the software’s web interface. However, according to a note on their website, that functionality is “coming soon. " The website also has a QR code that redirects users to the chat feature on a mobile device. 

Time Off

Score: 6/10

When scrolling to the Time Off feature, users are met with upcoming and past days off, allowing them to easily keep track of those valuable moments in time. The view allows a user to see his or her individual time off as well as the team’s. 

To add a request, simply tap the + key, then select the member, date, time off code (if applicable), and set the hours per day. A note can be added as well on this pace.

However, much like the chat feature, the time off function is only available on the mobile app. A QR code help redirect users to the mobile app time off interface, just like the chat feature. 

Scheduling

Score: 6/10

On the mobile app, employees can view their schedules. 

The opening screen showcases the current week and allows users to toggle between all shifts, open shifts, and his or her individual shift. 

To add a new shift, press the + option. From there, managers can select a date, shift hours, job site, and who’s working. Make sure the schedule is published. Otherwise, it will not be disseminated and will only exist in draft form. 

Other shift options, which are accessible via a (…) option, include the ability to download team or individual schedules, filter shifts, clear a schedule, clear a draft shift, or to mark all shifts as open. 

However, web users will be saddened to discover that, much like chatting and time off, the schedule is not accessible via a desktop browser. For busy administrators looking to complete everything in one place, this could cause quite a hassle. 

Payroll

Score: 7/10

Atto offers an in-house payroll option that allows companies to consolidate their time, scheduling, and payroll into one platform. 

The service touts “perfectly synced time sheets,” ensuring time data is accurately transformed into payroll in one click. Additionally, the service offers comprehensive local, state, and federal tax services and easy access to paystubs and W-2s. 

One perk that users may find attractive is the ability to set multiple pay rates for different jobs or roles – a feature many payroll services do not currently offer. 

The pricing is competitive, with a $39.95 base fee and a $5.95 monthly charge per payroll user. 

A user may set up the payroll service directly via the payroll tab or schedule a demo to learn more about the offering. One thing to note: Atto Payroll is currently limited to U.S.-based businesses only. 

However, the software only integrates with Xero and QuickBooks, limiting its usefulness to companies that would prefer to stick with payroll providers, such as Gusto, ADP, Paychex, etc. 

Atto: Pros and Cons

Atto’s workforce management tools offer numerous pros and cons. First, let’s look at the pros. 

Pros

1. Clean, Mobile-First Design: Atto shines with a sleek, intuitive mobile interface, making it ideal for remote teams and field crews. The app is easy to navigate, with a one-tap clock-in/out system that doesn’t require training or tech-savviness.
2. Real-Time GPS Tracking: Managers can view where team members are in real time, helping improve accountability and safety on the job. GPS tracking is available from both iOS and Android devices with breadcrumb trails and geolocation data.
3. Quick, Frictionless Onboarding: Getting started is simple. Users can set up an account, invite their team members, and begin tracking time in minutes — no complex configuration required. 
4. Two-Week Trial: The two-week free trial gives full access to users to explore all of Atto’s features, allowing them to acclimate themselves to the platform before investing. 
5. Flexible Role-Based Permissions: You can assign custom roles, like Admin, Manager, or Employee, to control access and responsibilities across your organization.
6. Detailed Time Sheets and Job Insights: Atto provides a breakdown of hours worked per project or job, helping managers better understand where time is going and improving billing accuracy or job costing.
7. Simple Time Off Requests: While not as advanced as some platforms, Atto does allow employees to submit time-off requests through the app, keeping everything in one place.
8. Lightweight and Fast: The app is designed to be responsive and runs smoothly on most devices, even in areas with limited connectivity — a big plus for field service teams.

Cons

1. Limited Desktop Functionality: Atto is best used via the mobile app, as users can’t access the chat, time off, or scheduling features via a web browser. 
2. Limited Direct Payroll Integrations: While Atto does offer in-house payroll processing, the service only offers integrations with QuickBooks and Xero, and those options are seemingly hidden, as there is little mention of them on the company’s website. With no Gusto, ADP, Paychex, etc. businesses that use those services will have to manually export data for payroll, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.
3. Tiered Pricing: Atto’s tiered approach limits access to specific options. For example, users seeking kiosk access, automatic breaks, or job costing have to purchase the Advanced option, which costs $12.95 per month (when billed monthly). For a team with 12 employees, the cost is $155.40 per month. 
4. Poor Glassdoor Reviews: Atto’s parent company, Spectra Laboratories, holds a 3.0-star review on Glassdoor. The company’s CEO, Rice Powell, only has a 42% approval rating. Poor internal reviews may reflect deeper issues within the company that could affect the quality, reliability, and long-term support of the product.
5. Pricing Can Add Up: Although Atto is affordable at smaller scales, costs rise quickly as you add more employees. For example, if a team has 12 employees, opting for the Expert level will cost $239.88 per month. Add Atto Payroll to that and the cost escalates to $351.23. The cost for OnTheClock’s time tracking and Payroll solutions pales in comparison at $165 for a team of that size. 

This price tag is steep, especially when compared to platforms that bundle time tracking, PTO, and payroll into one system.

User Feedback and Testimonials

Users consistently praise Atto’s mobile interface, though some report technical issues and difficulty managing account upgrades.

For example, the most relevant review on Google Play comes from Ryan Robichaud on Oct. 15, 2024.

“It works pretty good for what I need but it's often buggy and it's super inefficient to try to upgrade your plan. I still haven't figured out how to give them more of my money lol. When you're in the app and you go to settings there's nothing in there about account management you have to go to the help center search it and then it asks you if you use the link to go to account management to sign in again and that sign and screen it has a bug it just freezes everything…”

On Apple, ThisFooJames wrote, on Oct. 6, 2022, “Once I found atto was hoping it was going to be what I needed, all other apps do far have fell short but with Atto it’s definitely what I needed and looking for makes keeping track of my guys time very easy !!!! And for the people saying it’s harder after the update it actually only got better can do automatic breaks so for the people say you have to clock in and out for breaks that’s just not true that feature is my favorite!!!!! Especially for us contactors out there !!!!”

On Capterra, user Kamil T, on Oct. 16, 2024, wrote: “I hate that I get charged as a user/employee even tho I only use the app to see my employees hours and locations and never track my own hours but yet they charge me an extra user fee.“

Ratings and Reviews 

Atto holds a 4.0-star rating on G2, but that is only across three reviews. On Capterra, the solution holds a 3.8-star rating. 

Additionally, the solution has a 4.5-star rating across 2,178 reviews on Apple, and a 4.2-star average review across 1,339 reviews on Google Play. 

Atto Vs. OnTheClock

Pricing Comparison

Final Thoughts

Atto is a solid pick for small teams working on the go. It’s easy to use and offers just enough functionality to cover basic time tracking. But once you need more advanced tools — like desktop functionality or seamless payroll connections — it starts to feel more like a stepping stone than a full solution.

OnTheClock is built for teams who want more than just basic time tracking. It combines time tracking, scheduling, and payroll into one streamlined system — with automation that saves time, real-time PTO visibility for employees, and full-service human support when it matters most. Unlike tiered platforms that charge for every role and feature, OnTheClock keeps pricing transparent and affordable — making it a smarter long-term solution for growing teams.

Where Atto limits key functions, like chat, time off, and scheduling to mobile only, OnTheClock gives you full functionality from any device. Whether you’re at a desk, in the field, or switching between both, OnTheClock’s intuitive interface lets managers and employees track time, approve PTO, and run payroll without restrictions. You’re not forced into a mobile-only workflow or bounced between pricing tiers just to unlock essentials.

Automation is another area where OnTheClock shines. From calculating overtime and processing payroll to sending alerts for missed punches or overlapping shifts, OnTheClock reduces manual work and helps prevent costly errors. Employees always see their current PTO balances and schedules in real time, which improves trust and cuts down on back-and-forth communication.

Customer support is a key differentiator as well. While Atto relies heavily on email and AI chat, OnTheClock offers live, U.S.-based support via phone, chat, and email. When something goes wrong (or you just need a fast answer), you're not left waiting. And if you're switching from another provider, their onboarding team can help you make a smooth transition.

Finally, pricing is refreshingly simple. OnTheClock charges one flat monthly base fee and a low per-employee cost — no surprise fees for admins or view-only users, no “Expert” tier required just to access essential features. With full desktop and mobile functionality, deep integrations (including QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, and more), and a pay-as-you-grow model, OnTheClock is built to scale with your business—not box it in.

Want to see how OnTheClock stacks up for your specific needs?

Try it free and explore for yourself — no credit card required.