ScriptYour three options
| Option | How you pay | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop software that came with the machine | Free | Runs on one office PC; hard to use across branches or from home |
| Monthly cloud service (SaaS) | Every month, usually per employee | The bill grows with your team and never stops |
| Self-hosted web app, one-time license | Once, plus ordinary hosting | Someone installs it once (a guided installer helps) |
What "one-time" really costs
Be honest with the numbers. A self-hosted app is not free to run — it needs hosting. But the hosting cost does not grow with your team:
- The license — paid once.
- Hosting — a few dollars a month on ordinary shared hosting, often hosting you already pay for your website.
- Your time — about an hour to install, once.
Compare that with a per-employee subscription over three years — our worked cost example shows how fast the difference grows for a team of 20.
Seven things to check before you buy
- Does it work with your machine? For cloud use, the machine needs a Cloud Server Setting / ADMS (push) menu.
- Is there a live demo? Click through the real screens before paying.
- Can it run on your hosting? Check the PHP version and database it needs.
- Are updates included — and for how long? "Lifetime updates" beats one year.
- Is there support for installation? And for how long?
- Do you get the source code? It lets a developer adapt the app later, and protects you if the seller disappears.
- Can it talk to your payroll? Look for an API or webhooks, or at least CSV export.
Does "no monthly fee" mean "no limits"?
Not always — some one-time licenses limit the number of devices or employees, or charge again for each new version. Read the license page before buying. A fair one-time license should let you add machines and staff as you grow, on the one installation you paid for.
Topics:One-time paymentNo monthly feeAttendance softwareSmall businessBiometric
PunchSync — $24 once. No monthly fee and no limit on machines or employees. Full source code, free updates for life, 12 months of support, REST API and webhooks. Runs on ordinary PHP hosting. Try the live preview · See the details.