Lathem Review 2026: Pricing, Pros and Cons
Reviewed November 1, 2026 by Loïc Joachim
A traditional US time clock maker that now sells cloud connected hardware.
| Best for | Businesses that want a familiar wall mounted clock. |
|---|---|
| How staff clock in | Hardware |
| Free plan | No |
| 20 staff | $50 / month |
| 50 staff | $75 / month |
| 100 staff | $160 / month |
| Made in | USA |
| Website | lathem.com |
Prices are in US dollars for the cheapest plan that includes a time clock, as of our last review. Check the vendor's site for current pricing.
Our Lathem review
Lathem is a long established US time clock brand that now sells cloud connected badge, PIN, face and fingerprint clocks with a subscription. You pay for hardware and a subscription, and the hardware locks you in.
Pros
- Established brand
- Range of hardware options
Cons
- Proprietary hardware
- Subscription on top of hardware
Lathem features
- Tablet kiosk app
- Clock in from a phone
- Desktop app
- Proprietary hardware clock
- Paper card punching
- PIN entry
- NFC cards or tags
- Face recognition
- Fingerprint reader
- GPS location checks
- Cloud based
- Ongoing subscription
- Locks you into their hardware
Looking for something simpler?
Timeclock.Kiwi was built by people who were fed up with time clocks that take three screens and a training session to use. Staff tap their name and a PIN on any tablet, a photo is taken in the background, and hours export straight to your payroll. You pay per kiosk, not per employee, from $5 a month.
Free for 3 months, no credit card required.
Lathem alternatives
- Shiftbase A Dutch workforce management platform with scheduling, time clock and absence management.
- NGTeco An inexpensive card and cloud time clock sold on Amazon.
- PunchClock AI A UK biometric time clock with face recognition, fingerprint and card options.
- SmartBarrel A rugged construction site time clock with face recognition built for outdoor job sites.