Article contentsClick to expand
- Why “free” doesn’t exist for business
- Option 1: Excel or Google Sheets
- Option 2: International software freemium
- Option 3: Paper time book (Modelo 70)
- Option 4: Discontinued or “cracked” software
- Option 5: Paid software free trial (15 days)
- The real cost of “going free”
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources
- Conclusion
“Clock in online free” is a common Google search, but the honest answer starts by dismantling the expectation: for a business with workers, 100% free time clocking software essentially doesn’t exist. What exists are limited freemiums, free spreadsheets that fail Article 202 of the Portuguese Labour Code, and paid demos. This guide explains the reality of each alternative.
This guide is for Portuguese business owners looking for “free” attendance recording, with an honest analysis of the 5 alternatives on the market and the hidden costs of each.
Why “free” doesn’t exist for business
Article 202 of the Portuguese Labour Code (Lei 7/2009) requires daily recording of entries, exits, breaks, and resumptions, with 5-year retention and immediate availability for ACT inspection. Any “free” solution for real business must:
- Store data of 5+ workers safely, accessibly, and durably (5 years)
- Comply with GDPR (personal data processing, retention, right of access)
- Produce reports in a format acceptable to ACT
- Allow integration/export to payroll
These requirements have costs — someone always pays. When the end user doesn’t pay, the data pays (“you’re the product” model) — which for sensitive labour data is a serious GDPR risk.
Option 1: Excel or Google Sheets
Direct cost: €0. Real cost:
- Article 202 risk: the sheet is easy to edit after the fact, and ACT may reject it as evidence in inspection or dispute
- GDPR risk: Google/Microsoft can claim data access per ToS; retention is fragile
- Manual CCT premium errors: typically 5-15% in overtime and night calculations
- HR time: 15-25 hours/month consolidating, verifying, correcting — at €15-25/hour = €225-625/month hidden
Verdict: viable for 1-3 workers where the owner sees everything. Unsustainable from 5 workers up.
Option 2: International software freemium
Some international vendors (Clockify, Toggl, Hubstaff) offer free plans up to 3-5 users. Reality:
- No Portuguese IRCT presets (25% night premium Article 266, overtime Article 268, compensatory rest Article 229, Sunday/holiday work) — manual calculations outside the app
- No integration with Primavera, PHC, Sage 200, or Eticadata — manual transcription to payroll
- English UI; English support in a different timezone
- Data outside the EU in some cases (GDPR attention)
- Freemium limited to features that rarely fully cover Article 202
Verdict: useful for freelancers with international clients. Doesn’t comply with Portuguese Labour Code in practice.
Option 3: Paper time book (Modelo 70)
Cost: ~€5-15 for the paper. Real cost:
- Daily manual filling by each worker — time
- Monthly manual consolidation for payroll — more time
- Loss, fire, damage risk (no backup) — and ACT can require 5 years of records
- Manual premium calculation — errors
- Parallel paper vacation/absence requests — double management
- Right to disconnect (Article 199-A) hard to evidence
Verdict: legally acceptable, operationally unsustainable. Common in traditional micro-businesses but generates constant friction.
Option 4: Discontinued or “cracked” software
Fine until someone finds out. Risks:
- License violation (civil and criminal proceedings)
- No legal updates (labour code changes — Lei 13/2023 Agenda do Trabalho Digno amended several provisions)
- Malware or backdoor risk in worker data
- GDPR: processing without clear legal basis → CNPD fines
Verdict: never worth it.
Option 5: Paid software free trial (15 days)
Most Portuguese cloud SMB vendors (PicaPonto, PontoSimples, CucoCloud) offer 15-day trials without credit card. During the trial:
- Full access to paid plan features
- Real data import
- Sectoral IRCT configuration
- Real clock-ins by workers
- Portuguese support included
After trial, decide to pay or not — no commitment. PicaPonto Basic from €0.75/worker/month comes close to “almost free” for small operations (20 workers = €15-25/month, less than a meal per month).
Verdict: the best realistic option. “Free” for 15 days, “almost free” after.
The real cost of “going free”
For a 20-worker operation choosing Excel + paper instead of paying €15-25/month software:
| Hidden cost | Annual value |
|---|---|
| HR consolidation time (15-25h/month × €15/h) | €2,700-4,500 |
| Supervisor time on timesheets (3-6h/wk × €20/h × 48 wks × 2) | €5,760-11,520 |
| Payroll errors (5-15% of premiums) | €2,000-8,000 |
| ACT fine risk (serious contraordenação) | Variable, €2,040+ per infraction |
| Labour dispute risk without defence | €500-2,000 per case |
| Typical total | €10,000-25,000/year |
Compare with €180-300/year for cheapest paid software. “Free” ends up 50-100× more expensive.
Official sources
- Portuguese Labour Code (Lei 7/2009), Article 202 — Diário da República
- Lei 13/2023 (Agenda do Trabalho Digno) — dre.pt
- Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho — act.gov.pt
- CNPD (GDPR and labour data) — cnpd.pt
Conclusion
Clocking in 100% online and free for business doesn’t exist in a legally sustainable way. Apparently-free alternatives (Excel, freemium, paper, pirated software) have hidden costs that easily exceed €10,000/year for a 20-worker SME. The closest option to “free” with real quality is 15-day trials from Portuguese cloud vendors (PicaPonto, PontoSimples, CucoCloud) followed by paid plans from €0.75/worker/month. Free ends up expensive; SMB paid software is cheap.
This article does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, consult a Portuguese employment lawyer.
Related reading
- Article 202 of the Portuguese Labour Code
- Best App for Time Clocking
- PicaPonto vs Factorial vs Sesame
- ACT Labour Inspections
