A free time clock app in Spain (app para fichar gratis) can be everything a small business needs, as long as it meets the legal requirements for working time records. Price is not the problem: the problem is that many free plans cut exactly what the Spanish Labour Inspectorate (Inspección de Trabajo) looks at, such as whether nobody can change a clock-in or whether the record is kept for four years.
In this guide we explain what any time-tracking tool must comply with, what free plans usually leave out, how the no-cost options compare, and how to check an app before adding anyone. Reviewed on October 14, 2026.
What it must comply with to be valid
The law does not require a specific app or a paid one. Article 34.9 of the Spanish Workers’ Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores) and the Spanish Ministry of Labour’s guide set out what any system must provide, free or not:
- The start and end time of each day for each person. With split shifts, each segment.
- A reliable record that nobody can change afterward. The guide refers to information that is “immutable and not manipulable afterward,” neither by the company nor by the employee. Errors can be corrected, but leaving a trace.
- Breaks, if they are deducted. The same guide warns: if they are not recorded, all the time between clock-in and clock-out is presumed to be work.
- Kept for four years. The company must keep the records for that long, including those of people who no longer work there.
- Available to whoever has the right to see them: each person, their representatives, and the Labour Inspectorate.
- The monthly summary for part-time workers. Anyone working part time must receive, each month with their payslip, a summary of their hours (Article 12.4.c of the Statute). We cover this in our article on part-time working time record in Spain.
- Respect for data protection. Only the necessary data and without forcing the use of a personal phone. We explain this in our article Is it legal to clock in with your personal phone in Spain?
If a free app meets all that, it works. If it fails on one point, the record exists but will not stand up to an inspection. The details of each obligation are in our guide to working time recording in Spain.
What free plans usually cut
Many paid apps have a free plan so people can try them. That is legitimate, but it is worth knowing where the limit is before relying on it:
- The number of people. The free plan is usually for very few users, and the day one more joins, you pay for everyone.
- Clock-ins cannot be edited. In some well-known apps, locking records so they cannot be edited or viewing the change history is only available on paid plans. Without that, the free plan records hours, but not a reliable record.
- The history. If only the last few months are visible, the four years required by law are missing.
- Reports. Exporting the month to PDF or Excel for the inspectorate or payroll is sometimes paid.
- Clocking in without a phone. Kiosk mode, with a tablet at the entrance, is usually on paid plans. It is what makes it possible not to depend on each person’s phone.
- What happens when you leave. If you stop paying or close the account, can you still view and download the records until the four years are complete?
Another common trap: project time-tracking apps. They are designed to know how many hours are spent on each client or task, not to record the working day, and they do not always capture clock-in and clock-out or prevent changes to what was entered.
The free options, compared
| Option | Pros | What to watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Signed paper sheet | Costs nothing and is allowed by law | Filled in at the end of the week, can be lost, and must be totaled by hand. Four years of paper |
| Spreadsheet | Totals automatically and can be printed | Can be changed without leaving a trace. Needs a method: sign each month and keep a locked copy |
| Free plan of a paid app | Convenient and on mobile or computer | User limits and reduced features: clock-in locking, history, reports, kiosk |
| Project time tracking | Useful for billing hours | Not designed for working time: clock-in and clock-out may be missing, or entries may be editable |
| Free working time record app for a few people | Built for Spanish law, with a locked record | Check how many people are free and what it costs to go beyond that |
If you prefer to start with paper or a spreadsheet, we have a free timesheet template for Spain in Excel that covers what the law requires.
How to check it before choosing
Before adding the team, run these tests with one sample person:
- Clock in and clock out and check that the times are the real ones, not the ones typed by the person clocking in.
- Try to change a clock-in. If it can be done without leaving a trace of what was there, who changed it, and why, it is not a reliable record.
- Look up how long the records are kept on the free plan and what happens if you close the account.
- Export the month to PDF or Excel, as the inspectorate or your payroll provider would request.
- Try clocking in without a personal phone: from the computer or from a shared tablet.
- Read what data it collects. If it asks for location all the time, fingerprints, or face recognition, ask yourself whether that is necessary.
- See where the data is stored and whether they give you the data processing agreement.
- Calculate what it will cost the day you hire one more person.
When it is worth paying
Free is worth it as long as it meets the legal minimums and fits your team size. Once it no longer fits, the math is simple: what the app costs per person per month versus the time spent adding sheets, chasing signatures, and preparing the month for payroll.
And versus the risk. Failing to keep the record, or keeping it in a way that is not valid, is a serious offense, with fines from €751 to €7,500 for the company. We cover this in our article on time tracking fines in Spain.
And the digital record royal decree
The Spanish Government is preparing a royal decree (Real Decreto) that, according to the known draft, would require clocking in only with digital means, leaving a trace of every correction, and giving the inspectorate immediate access, including remotely. With that, paper and spreadsheets would no longer be valid.
As of October 14, 2026 it has not been approved or published in the BOE, Spain’s official gazette. We track it in our article digital time tracking in Spain: when it takes effect. If you choose an app now, it is better if it already meets that.
Fichómetro: free forever if 1 person clocks in
Fichómetro (our own product) is a working time record app designed for small businesses and Spanish law. The Free plan, for 1 person clocking in and with no time limit, includes what the law requires: clocking in from mobile or computer with server time, a record that nobody can change (corrections are added with their reason), the monthly summary with the person’s approval, Inspection mode, and legal documents. With more people, Pro costs €2 per active person per month, VAT not included, and adds kiosk with PIN or QR card, shifts, holidays and multiple sites. It can be tried for 30 days without a card, and if you cancel, the record remains available to you in read-only mode until the four years are complete. The app is available in Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque and English.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free app valid for working time records?
Yes, if it records the start and end time of each day, prevents clock-ins from being changed without leaving a trace, keeps the records for four years, and makes them available to the team, their representatives, and the inspectorate.
Is it mandatory to use an app to clock in?
Not today. The law allows paper or a spreadsheet if the record is reliable. The royal decree being prepared by the Spanish Government would make it digital, but as of October 14, 2026 it has not been approved.
What happens if the app allows clock-ins to be deleted or changed?
The record loses value: the Ministry guide requires information that cannot be manipulated afterward. Corrections must be recorded with what was there before.
Does a project time-tracking app work for clocking in?
Only if it records the start and end of each day and does not allow entries to be changed without a trace. Many are designed for billing hours, not for working time.
Do I have to clock in with my phone if the app is free?
Not necessarily. The company can use the workstation computer or a shared tablet, and in remote work it cannot require you to install anything on your phone.
What do I do with the records if I change apps?
Download them before leaving and keep them until the four years are complete. Check before choosing that the app lets you export them.
How much is the fine for not keeping the record properly?
It is a serious offense, from €751 to €7,500 for the company.
Conclusion
A free time clock app works if it meets the same requirements as a paid one: real clock-in and clock-out times, clock-ins that cannot be altered without a trace, four years of storage, and access for whoever has the right to see it. Before choosing, try changing a clock-in, export a month to PDF, and see what happens the day you hire someone else. If it passes those tests, there is no need to pay.
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your labour adviser (asesoría laboral). Also check your collective bargaining agreement, which may specify how working time is recorded.
Useful links
- Fichómetro: working time record for small businesses, free for 1 person.
- Working time recording in Spain: what the law requires and how to comply.
- Timesheet template for Spain in Excel, free.
- Guide on working time records from the Spanish Ministry of Labour (PDF, in Spanish).
