Best Free Time Tracking Software for Malaysian SMEs
The 6 best free time tracking apps for Malaysian SMEs in 2026, honestly compared. Real free tiers, what each covers, and when free stops being enough.
Most “free” time tracking tools are not actually free. They either gate features hard enough to push you onto a paid tier within weeks, or cap user counts so low that anything bigger than a coffee shop runs out of room. Only a handful are free in the way Malaysian SMEs need. Unlimited users. Real GPS or facial recognition. A CSV your payroll system will actually accept. Six tools that clear that bar, with the gotchas stated up front so you do not run into them on month two.
1. Jibble
Jibble is the obvious answer for free time tracking in Malaysia. Headquartered in Petaling Jaya. Free forever for unlimited users. Facial recognition, GPS, kiosk mode, automated timesheets, NFC/RFID, two geofences, one work schedule, unlimited Slack/Teams/QuickBooks integrations, all on the free tier. The same parent company owns PayrollPanda (also free), so Jibble Free plus PayrollPanda Free is the lowest-cost legitimate stack for a Malaysian SME running EPF, SOCSO, EIS, and PCB through to LHDN e-filing.
Free tier limits: Two geofences (matters for cleaning crews or multi-site operations), one work schedule, two months of data history (longer history needs Premium).
When the free tier stops working: Adding a third site, needing detailed reporting beyond two months, or wanting advanced scheduling for shift-based teams. Premium starts around RM 18 per user per month.
2. PayrollPanda
Not strictly a time tracker, but the companion you want if you are running the free MY stack. PayrollPanda is listed on MIA’s privileges directory, Malaysian-built, and free for unlimited employees. EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB calculations and LHDN e-filing are all automated. Same parent company as Jibble, so the integration is real-time and the data model lines up.
Free tier limits: Payroll-first design. Leave management is basic. No claims, no recruitment, no performance reviews. Pure HR features sit outside the free plan.
When the free tier stops working: You need a leave workflow, claims, or performance reviews. Paid HR upgrades exist. Pricing is not openly published.
3. altHR
CelcomDigi owns altHR (formed by the 2022 Celcom + Digi merger). It is a telco-backed HR super-app covering Leaves, Expenses, Check-ins, Documents, Onboarding, Calendar, Time Tracking, Rostering, Highlights, and Checklists. Strong mobile UX. Multi-language. Telco-grade reliability. Heads up: altHR no longer offers a permanent free tier. The current entry is a 30-day free trial of the paid plans.
Plan limits: Lite at RM 8 per user per month (10-user package; larger M/L/XL packages have lower per-user cost) covers core HR features. Pro at RM 20 per user per month adds deeper modules. Add-on modules start at RM 1 per module per employee per month.
When the trial stops working: Day 31. You commit to Lite, Pro, or you leave. There is no permanent free fallback.
4. Clockify
Clockify’s free tier covers unlimited users, unlimited projects and clients, manual or timer-based entries, idle detection, and exportable reports. Built for project work and billable hours, not shift attendance. So this is the wrong tool for retail, F&B, or field teams. And the right tool for creative agencies and consulting shops.
Free tier limits: No GPS on free (GPS unlocks at Clockify Standard, $6.99 / user / mo monthly). No advanced scheduling. No kiosk mode. Weak mobile attendance UX. No native Malaysian payroll integration.
When the free tier stops working: You add field staff who need GPS, or you outgrow project-time tracking and need shift-based attendance.
5. Connecteam
Connecteam’s Small Business plan covers up to 10 users with full feature access. Time clock, GPS, geofencing, scheduling, chat, tasks, basic HR. It is the most feature-complete free tier on this list. But only up to 10 users.
Free tier limits: Hard 10-user cap. Above 10, the Basic tier is $29 per month (≈RM 131) flat for the first 30 users. USD billing means FX exposure. No EPF, SOCSO, EIS, or PCB native filing. No Bahasa Malaysia UI.
When the free tier stops working: Your 11th hire. Plan for the jump before you cross the threshold.
6. HReasily
SEA-wide HR platform (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong) with a free tier covering up to 10 users. Facial recognition clock-in, shift scheduling, leave, claims, and EPF/SOCSO/EIS/PCB output all sit in the free tier.
Free tier limits: 10-user cap. Multi-country focus means MY-specific support depth is uneven. Advanced features get expensive once you start stacking paid modules.
When the free tier stops working: Your 11th hire, or you want native MY-only support with faster resolution. Paid plans start at RM 8 per employee per month.
How the free tiers compare at a glance
| Tool | Free user cap | GPS on free | MY statutory on free | What breaks first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jibble | Unlimited | Yes | Via PayrollPanda | 3rd geofence |
| PayrollPanda | Unlimited | N/A (payroll) | EPF/SOCSO/EIS/PCB native | Wanting HR features |
| altHR | 30-day trial only | Yes | PCB-ready, not full | Trial expiry / Lite tier kicks in |
| Clockify | Unlimited | No | No | Field-team scope |
| Connecteam | 10 users | Yes | No | 11th user |
| HReasily | 10 users | Yes | Full statutory | 11th user |
When free is not enough
Three signs your team has outgrown the free tier:
- Third or fourth site. Jibble Free caps at two geofences. Cleaning, security, and multi-outlet F&B operators hit this fast.
- Eleventh hire. Connecteam and HReasily hard-cap at 10 users on free. Above that, per-seat math kicks in.
- EA 1955 OT rules that need enforcement, not flagging. Free tiers usually let you flag late punches. Enforcing the 45-hour weekly cap and 104-hour monthly OT ceiling at the timesheet level often requires a paid tier.
Download ShiftFlow for iPhone or Android
If any of those apply, the natural upgrade paths:
- ShiftFlow at RM 14.9 per seat for a flat-priced single plan with EA 1955 OT rules, scheduling, GPS, kiosk, and CSV export. 14-day free trial (no permanent free plan).
- Jibble Premium at RM 18 per user for multi-geofence and advanced scheduling on the same platform you already trust.
- A Malaysian HR suite (Kakitangan, BrioHR, Swingvy) if you want attendance plus statutory plus broader HR in one product. How to choose an attendance system for Malaysian SMEs walks through the decision.
What free actually costs in operational time
Real free tools cost zero ringgit and a few hours of setup. The hidden cost is configuration time when free-tier limits push you into workarounds. Managing three geofences when you only have two slots. Splitting a 12-person team across two free Connecteam accounts to stay under the cap. Building EA 1955 OT logic by hand because the free tier ships generic rules. Those workarounds eat a few hours every pay period. At a typical HR coordinator’s pay, that often outweighs the RM 200 to RM 500 monthly savings of staying on free. Honestly: for most Malaysian SMEs growing past 10 staff, free is the right starting point for validation, and paid is the right answer inside 12 months. Attendance management for SMEs in Malaysia covers the operational rhythm either way, and Time tracking software that works alongside Malaysian payroll covers how the free stack pairs with the most common payroll products. The full pillar comparison sits at Best time tracking software in Malaysia for SMEs.
Sources
- Jibble pricing for free tier feature scope and Premium upgrade pricing
- PayrollPanda for free MY payroll, EPF/SOCSO/EIS/PCB coverage
- altHR pricing for Lite/Pro plan pricing and the 30-day trial
- Clockify pricing for free unlimited users and Standard-tier GPS gating
- Connecteam pricing for the 10-user Small Business cap and Basic tier pricing
- HReasily pricing for SEA-wide free tier and paid plan scope
- Employment Act 1955 (Akta Kerja, PDF from MoHR) for the 45-hour weekly cap and 104-hour OT ceiling
