01—TempClock vs spreadsheets

TempClock vs spreadsheets: from typed-in to proven

A spreadsheet records what someone typed. It cannot prove who turned up, when, or that a figure has not changed since. TempClock turns every hour into a verified, auditable record — without the manual chase.

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02—At a glance

The short version

Spreadsheets are free, familiar and flexible, which is why most agencies start there. The trouble shows up later: hours are self-reported, formulas break, versions multiply, and when a client or an auditor disputes a figure you have nothing that proves it. TempClock keeps the simplicity and adds the proof.

TempClock Best for proof & margins

Choose TempClock the moment hours are billed, disputed or audited — when you need verified clock-ins, an append-only trail and margins resolved automatically, rather than a file someone keys in by hand.

spreadsheets Fine to start with

A spreadsheet is fine for the very smallest, lowest-stakes situation — a handful of trusted people on one site, hours that are never billed externally and never likely to be questioned.

03—Feature comparison

TempClock and spreadsheets, feature by feature

12 capabilities that matter to multi-site and agency teams. An honest read of where each one lands.

TempClock compared with spreadsheets, feature by feature
Feature TempClock One plan, every feature spreadsheets Manual, self-reported
Proof of who turned up FullFace match with a logged score on every clock-in NoneA name typed into a cell — unverified
Accurate clock times FullCaptured at the moment, to the second NoneRounded, recalled or estimated after the fact
Live geofencing FullPer-site radius enforced; distance recorded in metres NoneNo location evidence at all
Tamper-evident records FullAppend-only trail; agreements sealed with SHA-256 NoneAny cell can be edited, with no record
Real-time visibility FullSee who is on site, late or absent as it happens NoneOnly as current as the last manual update
Rotas & scheduling FullDrag-and-drop rotas with shift templates BasicA shared grid rebuilt by hand each week
Pay & charge calculation FullResolved from your rule hierarchy, with overrides LimitedManual formulas that break and get copied wrong
Live margin reporting FullMargin per placement, client and site, automatically LimitedA separate sheet, reconciled by hand
Client timesheet approval FullClients approve or dispute each entry online BasicSign-off chased over email
Payroll & finance export FullOne-click Sage 50 and Xero export with cost codes BasicCopy, paste and re-key into payroll
Audit & tribunal evidence FullMatch score, location, IP and timestamps per hour NoneNothing that proves the figures
Set-up cost Yes10-day free trial, no card, live in under ten minutes FullFree, and already on every desk

Based on each product's public documentation and standard plans at the time of writing. spreadsheets may have changed since — if anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

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04—Coverage

Coverage on the rows above

The share of the 12 features above that each tool covers fully or strongly. Counted from the matrix, not a paid benchmark.

TempClock 0%
Full or strong coverage on nearly every row above.
spreadsheets 0%
Free and flexible to start — but unverified, un-auditable and manual almost everywhere it counts.
05—Why teams switch

Why teams move from spreadsheets to TempClock

The switch usually follows the first hour someone could not prove.

Every hour is evidenced

A face match, a match score, a GPS distance and a timestamp sit behind each clock-in. When a client disputes an hour, you reply with proof — not a cell someone could have typed anything into.

It survives an audit

Signed agreements are sealed with a SHA-256 digest and every sensitive action is written to an append-only log. Re-hash a document to prove it has not changed. A spreadsheet can be edited without a trace.

The manual chase disappears

No collecting timesheets, no re-keying, no chasing approvals by email. Hours flow from a verified clock-in to a payroll export with margins resolved — the work happens as the day happens.

Mistakes stop costing you

A broken formula or a copy-paste error can quietly erode a margin for weeks. TempClock calculates pay and charge from a single rule hierarchy, so the numbers are right the first time and every time.

06—A fair word

Where spreadsheets is a strong choice

We are not going to pretend spreadsheets are useless — most of us started there, and they have real virtues worth naming.

  • They are free, already installed, and need no setup, so they are the fastest possible way to start tracking something today.

  • They are endlessly flexible: a column or a formula can be added in seconds to model almost anything, without waiting on a vendor.

  • For a tiny, trusted team on a single site, with hours that are never billed externally or questioned, a sheet may genuinely be enough.

  • They remain a useful scratchpad alongside a proper system — for a quick what-if, a one-off calculation or a draft before it becomes a record.

The problem is never the spreadsheet on day one; it is the dispute, the audit or the copy-paste error on day ninety. Once hours are billed or examined, you need a record that proves itself — which is exactly what a spreadsheet cannot do.

07—More comparisons

Weighing up another tool?

Read the other focused breakdowns, or see the full feature matrix on the comparison page.

TempClock vs Deputy Read the comparison
TempClock vs RotaCloud Read the comparison
TempClock vs When I Work Read the comparison
TempClock vs Connecteam Read the comparison
TempClock vs fingerprint clocks Read the comparison

See them all side by side on the full comparison page.

08—FAQ

Questions teams ask before switching

Could a spreadsheet survive a payroll audit?
A spreadsheet records what someone typed; it cannot prove who turned up or that a figure has not changed. TempClock seals signed agreements with a SHA-256 digest, writes every sensitive action to an append-only log, and keeps the match score and location against each hour — so when a client, auditor or tribunal asks, you can prove it byte for byte.
We have used spreadsheets for years — why change now?
Usually because the cost has become visible: a client disputes hours you cannot prove, a margin slips through a broken formula, or someone clocks in for a colleague and nothing flags it. TempClock removes the self-reporting and the manual chase, while keeping the parts of a spreadsheet you liked — speed and simplicity.
Is moving off spreadsheets disruptive?
No. Setup is a guided wizard and most teams are live in under ten minutes on a 10-day free trial with no card. Pay and charge rates resolve from your own rules, and approved timesheets export to Sage 50 and Xero in one click, so payroll keeps working the way it does today.
How much does it cost compared with a free spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet has no licence cost but a real hidden one — the hours spent chasing and re-keying, and the disputes you cannot win. TempClock is £150 per site per month, dropping to £112.50 per site at ten or more sites, with every feature included and free setup. For most agencies a single prevented dispute covers it.
Can we keep using spreadsheets alongside TempClock?
Of course. Many teams still use a sheet for a quick calculation or a what-if. The difference is that the system of record — the hours you bill and stand behind — lives in TempClock, where it is verified and auditable, while the spreadsheet goes back to being a scratchpad.

More questions? Read the full FAQ or see transparent pricing.

Know who turned up — and pay every hour right.

Face-verified clock-ins, live geofencing and payroll-ready timesheets in one system. Tell us how your shifts run and we will show you how it fits.

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