A Clockodo alternative for teams whose job is project time, not attendance
Clockodo is a German tool for working time and project time: break deduction, overtime, and absences on every paid plan, with customers, projects, and rates from Pro. Sandtime.io covers the project side only, free for unlimited users, with approvals, locking, and rates included and data hosted in the European Union.
Clockodo is a time tracking product from Clockodo GmbH in Germany. Its Basic plan records working time, breaks, overtime, and absences, Pro adds customers, projects, hourly rates, budgets, and invoicing integrations, and its data is hosted on servers in Germany. Visit Clockodo website
Sandtime.io vs Clockodo: the short answer
Clockodo is the better choice when recording working time is the job; Sandtime.io is the better choice when project time is the job and nobody wants a per-user bill for it. Clockodo records working time, breaks, overtime, and absences on every paid plan, hosts in Germany, and adds customers, projects, and rates on Pro at €8 per user per month for the first year and €10 after. Sandtime.io has no attendance features, but it includes project timesheets, approvals, locking, historical and multi-currency rates, and Excel or CSV exports free for unlimited users, hosted in the EU.
Choose Sandtime.io when the record you need is project time
Everyone logs hours against projects, a manager approves the timesheet, the week locks, and reports use the rate that applied on the day, in the currency the client is billed in. None of that needs a paid plan, for any team size. Sandtime.io also publishes its EU hosting on OVHcloud, its subprocessors, a REST API, and an MCP server.
Choose Clockodo when you must record working time
Clockodo is built around the German duty to record working time: working time rules with violation warnings, break deduction, target hours, time accounts, overtime, vacation quotas, public holidays, and absence approvals, with a payroll connection and hosting in Germany. It adds project time on Pro, so one tool can hold both records.
Sandtime.io vs Clockodo at a glance
Where each capability sits on Clockodo's plans, as of September 29, 2026.
| Decision factor | Sandtime.io | Clockodo |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Project and client timesheets that are approved, locked, and reported with rates | Working time and absences on every paid plan, with project time from Pro |
| Price and free plan | Free for unlimited users and projects | Free for one user. Basic €4, Pro €8 for 12 months then €10, Pro Plus €10 then €12, per user per month, net of VAT, as listed on its German pricing page |
| Working time rules | Records the hours people report. Core hours set daily and weekly goals, without break deduction or rule checks | Working time regulations with violation warnings, break deduction, target hours, time accounts, and overtime from Basic |
| Absences | No leave management. Teams that want leave in reports log it to a non-billable project | Vacation quotas, public holidays, an approval process, and a vacation calendar from Basic |
| Customers, projects, and rates | Projects, billable and non-billable time, dated cost and revenue rates, and a currency per rate, included free | Customers, projects, services, hourly rates, flat rates, and project budgets from Pro. Time zones and local currency on every plan |
| Approvals | Submit, approve, and reject timesheets, included free | Absence approvals from Basic, plus optional manager approval for retroactive changes to working time |
| Locking | Approved timesheets lock, and unlock requests go to an administrator, included free | Edit lock for time entries on Basic, Pro, and Pro Plus. Left out of the one-user free plan |
| Reports and exports | Custom reports, print layout, and Excel and CSV export, included free | Reports as PDF and CSV on every plan, with the Clockodo logo on the free plan. Payroll tool integration from Basic |
| Invoicing | Reports and exports for invoice preparation, without built-in invoices | Invoicing tool integrations, including Lexware Office, sevdesk, and easybill, from Pro |
| Apps | Web, iPhone, Android, Chrome extension, and macOS and Windows desktop apps | Browser, Windows and macOS desktop apps, offline-capable iOS and Android apps, a Chrome extension, and terminal integration |
| Integrations, API, and MCP | Slack, the Chrome extension, a public REST API with an OpenAPI schema, and an MCP server, included free | An open API and an MCP server on every plan. One webhook with three event types, unlimited with the Plus add-on or Pro Plus |
| Sign-in and SSO | Passwordless email links, or continue with Google, Microsoft, Apple, or Yahoo, on every account | Single sign-on with the Plus add-on at €2 per user per month, or on Pro Plus |
| Hosting | OVHcloud in the European Union, built in Poland; self-hosting arranged case by case for Enterprise | Redundant servers in two data centers in Germany, on ISO 27001 certified cloud servers |
| Languages | English, Polish, and French interface, with no German interface | Website and Help Center in German and English |
| Moving data in | No importer. Recreate active projects and rates | CSV import of time entries and co-workers, plus an Export and Backup section |
| Best fit | Teams that need approved, locked project timesheets with rates for everyone at no cost | German employers that must record working time and absences, with project time in the same tool |
Why teams choose Sandtime.io instead of Clockodo
Project time without Pro
Customers, projects, and hourly rates start on Clockodo Pro. In Sandtime.io, projects, billable time, and rates are free for every member.
A free plan for the whole team
Clockodo's free plan covers one person and leaves out team features. Sandtime.io is free for unlimited users, with roles for administrators, project administrators, and users.
Approvals on the timesheet itself
People submit their project timesheet, a manager approves or rejects it, and the approved period locks. No plan upgrade is involved.
Rates that stay right as they change
Each rate has a start date and its own currency, so a raise or a client billed in another currency never rewrites last quarter.
Data hosted in the European Union
Sandtime.io runs on OVHcloud in the EU and publishes its subprocessors. Clockodo hosts in Germany, so if your policy names Germany, Clockodo meets it.
A narrower product, on purpose
Sandtime.io has no attendance clock, break rules, time accounts, or absence management. If you need those, Clockodo covers more ground.
Which product should your team choose?
Start with the record you are required to keep, then check which plan it sits on.
Choose Sandtime.io
Pick Sandtime.io when the record that matters is time spent on projects and clients, when every member has to submit hours that a manager approves and locks, and when reports need historical or multi-currency rates without a per-user bill.
Choose Clockodo
Pick Clockodo when you must record working time, breaks, and overtime, manage vacation and absences, feed payroll, or keep data on servers in Germany. Its Pro plan adds project time, so the same tool can cover both records.
Consider using both
Some teams keep a working time tool such as Clockodo, timr, or Jibble for attendance and use Sandtime.io for client project time. People then log hours in two places, so run one month that way before deciding the split is worth it.
What Clockodo costs once project time matters
Customers, projects, and hourly rates start on Clockodo Pro. For a team of 10 that is €80 a month in the first year and €100 after, net of VAT. Sandtime.io includes project time, approvals, and rates at €0 for any team size.
Sandtime.io
The project timesheet workflow, for everyone
Freefor unlimited users, no credit card required
- 5 users€0 a month
- 10 users€0 a month
- 25 users€0 a month
- 50 users€0 a month
- Projects, billable time, and dated rates
- Submit, approve, and reject timesheets
- Approved periods lock, with unlock requests
- A currency per rate for international clients
- Custom reports with Excel and CSV export
Clockodo Pro
The plan where customers, projects, and rates start
€8per user per month net of VAT for the first 12 months, then €10
- 5 users€40 a month€50 from month 13
- 10 users€80 a month€100 from month 13
- 25 users€200 a month€250 from month 13
- 50 users€400 a month€500 from month 13
- Customers, projects, services, hourly and flat rates
- Project budgets
- Working time rules, break deduction, and time accounts
- Vacation quotas, public holidays, and absence approvals
- Invoicing integrations such as Lexware Office, sevdesk, and easybill
Monthly cost at list price, net of VAT. Clockodo takes 5% off for annual payment and offers individual quotes from 20 users, so the 25 and 50 user figures are a starting point for that conversation. Nonprofit offers and negotiated terms are excluded.
Watch the 75-second Sandtime.io product tour
See the timer, timesheets, reporting flow, integrations, and mobile apps before creating an account. The video is served directly by Sandtime.io, so it does not contact a third-party player.
Prices and plans checked on September 29, 2026. If Clockodo's pricing page disagrees, trust Clockodo, and see Sandtime.io pricing for ours.
Clockodo vs Sandtime.io: frequently asked questions
Direct answers about plans, prices, working time records, hosting, monitoring, and moving your data.
What is the best Clockodo alternative?
It depends on the job. If you need to record working time, breaks, overtime, and absences to meet an employer's time recording duty, Clockodo is built for that and Sandtime.io is not a replacement. If the job is project and client time, Sandtime.io is a free alternative for unlimited users, with approvals, locking, historical and multi-currency rates, and Excel or CSV exports included, where Clockodo puts customers, projects, and hourly rates on Pro.
How much does Clockodo cost?
Checked September 29, 2026, Clockodo listed Basic at €4 per user per month, Pro at €8 for the first 12 months and €10 after that, and Pro Plus at €10 and then €12. Prices are net, plus VAT where applicable. Annual payment saves 5%, a Plus add-on costs €2 more per user per month, and Clockodo offers individual quotes from 20 users. Every plan has a 14-day trial, and a free plan covers a single user.
Does Clockodo have a free plan?
Yes, for one user. Clockodo says its free plan includes almost all Pro features and is valid for a maximum of one user. Locking of time entries, absences, team features, and telephone support are left out, and PDF and CSV reports carry the Clockodo logo. A team of two or more starts on Basic.
Is Sandtime.io free for unlimited users?
Yes. Sandtime.io is free for unlimited users and projects, with no per-user fee and no credit card required. Reminders, approvals, locking, roles, reports, Excel and CSV exports, historical rates, multi-currency support, the REST API, and MCP access are all included.
Can Sandtime.io replace Clockodo for recording working time in Germany?
Not as a working time system. Sandtime.io records the hours people report against projects, but it does not deduct breaks, check working time rules, keep overtime accounts, or manage absences, and it has no German interface. Clockodo covers those on every paid plan. Whether a given record meets the German time recording duty is a question for your employment lawyer or works council; this is context, not legal advice.
Where do Clockodo and Sandtime.io host data?
Clockodo says it stores data on redundant servers in two data centers in Germany, that no personal data leaves Germany, and that its cloud servers are ISO 27001 certified. Sandtime.io runs on OVHcloud infrastructure in the European Union and is built in Poland, so both keep data in the EU, but only Clockodo meets a policy that names Germany. Self-hosting Sandtime.io can be arranged case by case under an Enterprise agreement.
Can I move from Clockodo to Sandtime.io?
For project time, yes, but not automatically. Clockodo's Export and Backup section lets you back up your account, and its reports export as CSV, which makes a good archive. Sandtime.io has no Clockodo importer, so recreate active projects, members, and current rates, then run one reporting cycle in both products. If Clockodo is also your working time record, keep it for that job.
Does either product monitor employees?
Clockodo's desktop app detects when you are away from the computer and asks on your return whether the break should count as working time. Sandtime.io has no automatic activity capture at all: no screenshots, no activity scoring, and no application monitoring, so hours are entered or timed by the person doing the work. For a German works council, fewer monitoring features usually means less to negotiate.
Comparing something else?
Teams weighing this one usually weigh these too.
Run one real project reporting cycle in Sandtime.io
Invite the whole team at no seat cost, submit and approve one week or month of project time, and compare the export with what Clockodo produces for the same period.