Looking for the best time-tracking software in Spain in 2026 means comparing price, the clock-in method, impersonation risk, and what the law requires from any provider. Here are the points that actually change the cost and the risk, with sources.
What does the law require from time-tracking software?
Royal Decree-Law 8/2019 requires every company in Spain, of any size, to record each employee’s daily work hours since 12 May 2019. The law does not name one required software or one required vendor: it asks for a record that is reliable, objective, and accessible, kept in full for four years.
How much does time-tracking software cost?
Time-tracking software compared in Spain for 2026 charges, in general, between €1.50 and €8 per employee per month. Factorial, one of the names that comes up most in those comparisons, starts at about €5.50 per employee per month. Source: Rankia comparison thread, “Mejores software control horario España 2026” (checked 6 September 2026).
Per employee or per device: the difference that changes the bill
Most of these tools charge per employee: the more people on the payroll, the more the bill grows each month, with no cap in sight. IDClock does not charge per employee. The QR and NFC device plan costs €49.99 per month per device, with unlimited users and the device included. A 30-person company clocking in at one door pays the same as a 10-person one; a company with two doors pays for two devices, not per person. The location clock-in plan, with no device, costs €19.99 a month per company, with unlimited employees.
Fixed device, an app on a personal phone, or both
The type of clock-in a piece of software offers changes as much as the price. Software that clocks people in only from a personal phone is cheap to roll out, but if the app stores the session with no proper security, someone else with access to the phone could clock in on the employee’s behalf. A fixed device at the door, by contrast, requires being physically present to clock in, something almost no phone-only software can guarantee on its own.
Why the code matters more than it looks
Inside code-based clock-in, there is a difference few comparisons explain well: a static QR code or a PIN can be photographed, memorised, or shared over WhatsApp, with no way for the system to notice. A dynamic QR code, by contrast, changes every few seconds on the device screen, so sharing it ahead of time is useless: it requires standing in front of the device at the exact moment of clocking in. Source: tramitapp.com, “¿Es legal fichar con reconocimiento facial en la empresa?” (checked 6 September 2026).
IDClock combines both: a fixed device at the door that shows the dynamic code, and an app that scans it, with no dependency on memorising a code or on the honesty of whoever might share it, and with no biometric data requested at any point in the process.
What happens if the software you pick does not meet the law
Choosing badly is not only a budget problem, and not only a matter of appearance. If the system keeps no record that is reliable, accessible, and stored for four years, the company is exposed to the fines we cover in fines for not recording work hours, and it reaches an overtime dispute in a weaker position if the Labour Inspectorate asks to see the full history and the chosen software never bothered to keep it.
What to check before you decide
- Per-employee or per-device pricing, and what happens as the team grows.
- What the clock-in method captures: fingerprint, face, or just a QR code or PIN.
- Whether the system keeps the record for as long as the law requires.
- Whether the vendor bills each module (payroll, time off) separately or only charges for clocking in.
- Whether clocking in depends on memorising a fixed code, or on a code that changes every time.
Frequently asked questions
Does time-tracking software need official government certification?
No. The law requires no official certification and no specific brand: it asks for a record that is reliable, objective, and accessible, kept for four years. Any system that meets those conditions is valid.
Is a cheaper per-employee software worth it if the team is growing fast?
It depends on the starting point and on how fast the team is expected to grow over the next year or two. Per-employee software is cheaper with a small headcount, but the bill rises with every new hire. Per-device software, like IDClock, keeps the same price as the team grows, and only rises when a new door opens at another location.
Sources
- Royal Decree-Law 8/2019, of 8 March (BOE)
- Rankia, “Mejores software control horario España 2026: comparativa real y precios” (checked 6 September 2026)
- tramitapp.com, “¿Es legal fichar con reconocimiento facial en la empresa?” (checked 6 September 2026)