Buddy Punch vs. UKG Ready

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Buddy Punch
Score 9.1 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
Buddy Punch is an online time tracking, scheduling, and payroll application. Track time, time off, locations, and jobs. The solution aims to help make punching in and out intuitive for employees and easy for users to view and export time. Employees can clock in using a browser or the Buddy Punch Google, iOS, and Android apps. Users can view who's working, their GPS position, or even limit where they can punch. The solution integrates with QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, and SurePayroll, to name a…
$24.49
per month ($19 base fee + 5.49 per user)
UKG Ready
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
The UKG Ready® software suite is a centralized HCM solution designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It automates and streamlines HR, payroll, benefits, time, talent, and scheduling processes. UKG Ready's suite of tools offer actionable insights while helping to ensure compliance. Using AI, it draws on work, people, and culture data to boost efficiency and productivity. For example, UKG Ready streamlines core HR…N/A
Pricing
Buddy PunchUKG Ready
Editions & Modules
Starter
$5.49
per month per user
Pro
$6.99
per month per user
Enterprise
$11.99
per month per user
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Buddy PunchUKG Ready
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsThree plans are available via a monthly or annual payment option. Each plan has a per user price and a base fee of $19. There are no startup, cancellation, support, or additional fees of any kind. A discount is available for the annual payment option.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Buddy PunchUKG Ready
Features
Buddy PunchUKG Ready
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.3
196 Ratings
17% above category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings9.7172 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings9.4167 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings9.5168 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings9.4157 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings8.1127 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings9.4149 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings9.6125 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.5
194 Ratings
17% above category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings9.6182 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings9.2112 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings9.282 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings9.6141 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings9.8145 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings9.6133 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.5
175 Ratings
17% above category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings9.5159 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings9.3167 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings9.6142 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.7
183 Ratings
7% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings9.6163 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings9.6170 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings6.0143 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings9.6146 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.8
67 Ratings
19% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings9.867 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.7
191 Ratings
15% above category average
Report builder00 Ratings8.2184 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings9.1185 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.8
129 Ratings
1% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.2127 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings8.3102 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.3
74 Ratings
5% above category average
Individual goal setting00 Ratings8.466 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings8.373 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.3
93 Ratings
7% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings6.383 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings6.376 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings8.284 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings8.787 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings6.873 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.0
27 Ratings
11% below category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings5.826 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings7.56 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings7.47 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings7.45 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Buddy Punch
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.2
100 Ratings
7% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings7.186 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.283 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings6.162 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.265 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings5.764 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.088 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings6.893 Ratings
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User Ratings
Buddy PunchUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(22 ratings)
8.8
(221 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
7.1
(18 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(1 ratings)
8.9
(103 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.8
(74 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.8
(2 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(10 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.2
(75 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
Buddy PunchUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
Buddy Punch
I think that is very convenient as far as tracking your employees when they are punching in or out to ensure they are physically at the location they are supposed to be for that shift. I also think that the option to download this app to your personal phone is amazing, it makes it more convenient to punch in or out when you aren't near a laptop or a residence to use one. The feature of being able to attach a note with your punches explaining possible late punchers or absences is very beneficial to the employee allows show proof if needed.
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UKG
There’s not much for me to share here other than multiple mobile apps for employees to download for different functions. We have the learning function activated and employees had to download a second mobile app (HCMToGo Learning) to be able to access the Learning portal on the go. Concerned that if we continue to add more functionality, there will be more apps to download.
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Pros
Buddy Punch
  • Their customer service is second to none. We have requested several changes over the years for the web interface and app; I think all the requests we've made were implemented by this point. I only wish this was the case with other companies we utilize.
  • They allow you to set different pay rates based on department which allows us to pay employees more for the skilled jobs they perform versus the more basic work they perform. This is a huge benefit to a small company as it encourages employees to strive for more skilled work and they keep moving up the ladder to become even better assets to the company.
  • The reports you can run are very thorough and work very well for us when it comes time to enter payroll.
  • Having the ability to set alerts has allowed us to cut back on unnecessary overtime as employees can get reminders prior to going over. We can also set reminders for employees to punch in/out for the ones that have a tendency to forget.
Read full review
UKG
  • Support—UKG support, from the Account Managers to CSMs to Ready Support, is amazing. They are always willing to help!
  • Documentation—UKG has built-in online documentation, which is a live, easy-to-use version of a very lengthy manual.
  • Ease of use- the system is intuitive, easy to train others to use.
Read full review
Cons
Buddy Punch
  • Sometimes I need to check back to be sure I'm still punched in.
  • The indicator between punched in and out is not very indicative of if I am or not.
  • I want to total hours not just by the week but by pay periods 1-15 days, 16-end of [the] month.
Read full review
UKG
  • We have had ongoing issues with our accruals.
  • Auto generate timesheets in the "Team Timesheets" view.
  • Granting manager access is cumbersome - access needs to be given in multiple places.
  • The sync between Pro and Ready in my opinion is terrible and needs much improvement.
  • Auto assign Employee Time Zones based on work location.
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Likelihood to Renew
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
We plan to renew our support and use of UKG Ready each year unless it becomes unavailable or the district seeks another vendor. As of now, there are no plans to changes vendors. The district staff is now familiar with using UKG. Another vendor will need to meet the same expectations we have come to enjoy with using UKG
Read full review
Usability
Buddy Punch
Buddy Punch is really easy to use. It's easy to punch in and out when needed as it's on the home page. It's also easy to track your colleagues who are on leave so you know how to plan for coverage. This makes it easy for us to adjust accordingly.
Read full review
UKG
The few challenges we have encountered have been with creating reports for the organization, managing performance goals and creating service tickets for urgent matters. Overall we have found UKG Ready to be super helpful and it has streamlined many of our HR processes for us but there could be some improvements on the items listed
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Reliability and Availability
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
The system seems very stable. Being hosted in the cloud, we are vulnerable to internet speeds and busy times. The system has been down a couple times over the 3 months we have been live, but Kronos resolved the issues very quickly. To have access from a desktop, tablet, time clock, or phone app is one of the best features....users have almost NO REASON they can't clock in.
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Performance
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
We were always told that Kronos was the best, but there are reports that we got out of ADP and other payroll providers that we cannot get out of Kronos. One example is a report of Productive/Non-productive hours by department. We also need the dollar amount associated with the hours. This is information that is required on our cost report and we were told that that report is unavailable. It is very frustrating when I can't get what I need.
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Support Rating
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
If I was only rating support itself that would be a 10. Every support case I have entered has been addressed efficiently and with the desired result. On the implementation and transition to support there were multiple issues that those doing the implementation or transition could not answer or workflows and various settings left undone only to be discovered later. We implemented 3 different modules and the expertise we got for each one varied widely.
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In-Person Training
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
Our in-person training was a hybrid. Live online training with an instructor. They were very knowledgeable of the product & the area they were training on. I asked several specific questions and if they didn't know the answer immediately they followed up after class.
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Online Training
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
Pretty good online training, you have many how to options and can watch them several times. It can be hard at times to dig through the amount of data online but can usually find what you are looking for. Also you can download documentation for setting up the profiles and policies.
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Implementation Rating
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
Make sure the people who are doing the build have extensive knowledge on employment law and asking the right questions. I would bet that the people who helped with our builds did not read any of our employment contracts or ordinances; and when I asked questions about how other companies handled certain basic dictates from federal employment laws, they didn't have any idea what FMLA, FLSA, etc were.
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Alternatives Considered
Buddy Punch
We originally scheduled and ran payroll through Homebase, but in the last few months the software became very buggy, customer service was slow and when they did respond, was not helpful. When we cancelled our account they didn't even try to make things right. We are so happy that Buddy Punch is like us--taking care of their clients and really invested in their success!
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UKG
We currently use Paycom and are extremely dissatisfied with the lack of functionality and poor customer service. Rippling and ADP were other vendors we evaluated who performed well and offer a lot of functionality but we decided UKG was the best fit for our needs now and to scale with our strategic growth plans.
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Scalability
Buddy Punch
No answers on this topic
UKG
Thus far we are able to add as many users as necessary, implement 3 different bargaining units, 5 different types of user groups. Very flexible.
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Return on Investment
Buddy Punch
  • Efficiency has definitely gone up switching to Buddy Punch. Ive never quantified specific hours or time lapse it has given to my personal managerial efficiency. But it has without doubt.
  • I can see a better overview of the employees I need to be concerned with and not have to filter out others not concerning me.
  • Ease of use has decreased mental stress and angst in maneuvering employee time cards.
Read full review
UKG
  • This is basic, but we finally know how many employees we have! It sounds ridiculous, but prior to UKG Ready we were on a payroll system that's reports were only as accurate as the last payroll cycle, so they were always 2 weeks behind and static. UKG Ready allows for realtime, daily reporting of information.
  • We are able to get salary data for our various locations to be able to compare them to each other, as well as across our "competitors" and external competition.
  • The data provided allows us to be able to understand the trends at individual locations including attrition, advancement, raise information, and other data points that we haven't historically done comparisons on
  • We can see the demographic and geographical information for our employees and the benefits that they elect
Read full review
ScreenShots

Buddy Punch Screenshots

Screenshot of the Administrator's DashboardScreenshot of Time Off CalendarScreenshot of Schedule View

UKG Ready Screenshots

Screenshot of the employee mobile interface.Screenshot of trust index survey results.Screenshot of the manager dashboard.Screenshot of payroll analytics.