Paper, Excel or an app: which timesheet suits a small business

Petruț NicolaeOptometrist · Store manager in medical optics2 October 2026 · 5 min read

Every small business reaches the same question: keep the paper log, move to Excel, or get an app? There is no universal answer, but there are clear criteria.

The paper log

Good for: 1–3 people, fixed hours, no shifts.

• Free, and everyone understands it.
• Gets lost, gets wet, gets filled in "later".
• Totals are added up by hand at the end of the month.
• To send it to your accountant, you scan or photograph it.

The Excel sheet

Good for: people comfortable with formulas who have a computer at work.

• Totals are automatic, as long as nobody breaks the formulas.
• Every month is a new file; versions multiply ("timesheet_final_2.xlsx").
• Signatures are added after printing.
• Awkward to fill in on a phone at the door, at closing time.

Cloud timesheet platforms

Good for: companies with many locations, large teams, payroll integration.

• Lots of features: geolocation, approvals, leave requests.
• Almost always a monthly fee per employee that grows with the team.
• Accounts, passwords and internet required. Employee data lives on the provider's servers.
• For a team of five, you often pay for features you never use.

An offline app with a one-off price

Good for: small teams that want clean reports without a subscription.

• Mark the day on a phone in seconds.
• Hours and totals are calculated for you.
• Export a signed timesheet as PDF or Excel.
• Data stays on the phone; no account, no server, no monthly bill.
• The limit: no complex HR features (online leave requests, several synced locations).

Choose with 3 questions

1. How many people? Under 15 and one location: you do not need an HR platform.
2. Who does the timesheet? If one person does it at closing time, a phone is the handiest tool.
3. What does your accountant need? If it is a monthly sheet with totals and signatures, pick something that produces it ready-made.

Whatever you choose, the rule stays the same: record hours daily, with start and end times. More in Recording employee working hours in a small team.