FieldTimesheet vs TSheets: Why Electrical Contractors Are Making the Switch

TSheets became QuickBooks Time in 2021. Prices went up, the interface got more complex, and the simple tool contractors loved disappeared. Here is a better option built specifically for electricians.

If you are searching for TSheets, here is the short version: TSheets does not exist anymore as a standalone product. Intuit acquired TSheets in 2018 for $340 million and rebranded it as QuickBooks Time in 2021. The app still works, the core features are still there, but a lot has changed — and not all of it for the better if you are an electrical contractor.

When TSheets was independent, it was a lean, straightforward time tracking tool that contractors loved. You clocked in, clocked out, and the data went where it needed to go. After the Intuit acquisition, the product expanded to serve a wider audience. New features were added for office workers, remote teams, and enterprise customers. Pricing increased. The interface got busier. And electrical contractors — the kind of customers who made TSheets successful in the first place — started feeling like an afterthought.

We hear from electricians every week who say the same thing: they loved the old TSheets, but the new QuickBooks Time feels overbuilt for what they need. They are paying more for features they do not use, the setup takes longer, and their crew finds the interface confusing on a phone screen while standing on a ladder.

FieldTimesheet was built to fill that gap. It is the simple, contractor-focused time tracker that TSheets used to be — but with native QuickBooks sync, real-time job costing, and pricing that makes sense for a 10 to 30 person electrical crew. Here is how they compare.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

QuickBooks Online Sync

FieldTimesheet

Native sync via TimeActivity API. One-click connection. Automatic sync.

TSheets

Native Intuit integration (same company). Multiple sync paths including payroll.

Interface Simplicity

FieldTimesheet

One-tap clock in. Minimal screens. Built for workers on job sites, not office desks.

TSheets

Feature-rich interface with scheduling, PTO, projects, and more. Can feel overwhelming for field workers.

Offline Mode

FieldTimesheet

Full offline support. Designed for basements, concrete buildings, and rural job sites.

TSheets

Offline mode available in mobile app. Sync reliability varies by device and OS version.

Job Costing

FieldTimesheet

Real-time labor vs. budget tracking. See profitability before the job ends.

TSheets

Job tracking available but real-time costing requires QuickBooks Online Advanced.

1099 Contractor Tracking

FieldTimesheet

Built-in. Track sub hours and payments for 1099 reporting year-round.

TSheets

Not a native feature. Must use QuickBooks or manual tracking for 1099 prep.

Scheduling & PTO

FieldTimesheet

Not included. Focused on time capture and job costing.

TSheets

Full shift scheduling, PTO management, and team calendar on Elite plan.

GPS & Geofencing

FieldTimesheet

Optional GPS capture on clock in/out. No geofencing.

TSheets

Real-time GPS tracking plus geofencing with automatic clock in/out reminders.

Crew Onboarding

FieldTimesheet

Send email invite, worker clicks link, sets password, clocks in. Under 2 minutes.

TSheets

Admin creates user, assigns role and group, worker downloads app, creates Intuit login.

Pricing Transparency

FieldTimesheet

One plan. $99/mo base + $8/worker. All features included.

TSheets

Two tiers (Premium and Elite) with different feature sets. Per-user pricing from $8-10/mo.

Setup Complexity

FieldTimesheet

5-minute setup. Connect QB, invite crew, start tracking.

TSheets

30-60 minutes. Multiple config screens, permission hierarchies, integration settings.

Pricing Comparison

FieldTimesheet

$99/mo + $8/worker

  • $99/month base includes up to 10 workers
  • $8/month per additional worker beyond 10
  • Single plan — every feature included
  • 15-person crew: $139/month
  • 20-person crew: $179/month
  • 14-day free trial, no credit card required
  • Founding member pricing locked for life
T

TSheets

$20/mo + $8-10/user

  • Premium: $20/month base + $8/user — time tracking and basic reporting
  • Elite: $40/month base + $10/user — adds geofencing, scheduling, mileage
  • 15-person crew on Premium: $140/month
  • 15-person crew on Elite: $190/month
  • TSheets was $5/user when it launched in 2006 — prices have doubled since the Intuit acquisition
  • Requires separate QuickBooks Online subscription ($30-200/mo)
  • 30-day free trial available

Which One Is Right for You?

Choose FieldTimesheet if...

  • You are an electrical contractor who misses how simple TSheets used to be
  • Your crew needs a one-tap clock in that works offline on every job site
  • You want real-time job costing without paying for QuickBooks Online Advanced
  • 1099 subcontractor tracking matters to your business
  • You want straightforward pricing with no tiers, upsells, or hidden fees
  • You have 10-30 workers and want a tool that scales affordably
  • You value personal support from someone who understands the electrical trade

Choose TSheets if...

  • You are already locked into a QuickBooks Time contract or bundle
  • You need shift scheduling, PTO tracking, and team calendars
  • Geofencing and real-time GPS tracking are requirements for your crew
  • You manage businesses in multiple industries, not just electrical
  • You want a large company with phone support and a dedicated account manager
  • You prefer a native mobile app over a browser-based PWA

Our Verdict

TSheets was a great product for contractors. Simple, affordable, and reliable. When Intuit acquired it and rebranded it as QuickBooks Time, the product evolved to serve a broader market. That is not inherently bad — but it means the tool is no longer optimized for the contractor who just needs to clock their crew in and out, track job costs, and sync to QuickBooks.

If you are one of those contractors who has been searching for "TSheets" because you miss what the product used to be, FieldTimesheet is worth a look. It captures the simplicity that made TSheets popular in the first place, adds real-time job costing and 1099 tracking that TSheets never had, and costs less for a typical electrical crew.

The switching cost is low. Your historical data stays in QuickBooks. Your jobs import automatically. Your crew learns the new tool in under two minutes because there is almost nothing to learn — tap a button, pick a job, go to work.

Try the 14-day free trial and see if it feels like the TSheets you remember, but built for the way your electrical business actually works today.

Frequently Asked Questions

TSheets is not available as a standalone product anymore. Intuit acquired TSheets in 2018 and fully rebranded it as QuickBooks Time in 2021. If you visit tsheets.com, it redirects to the QuickBooks Time page. The underlying technology still exists within QuickBooks Time, but the branding, pricing, and feature set have changed significantly since the acquisition.

When TSheets was independent, it focused on being an affordable per-user time tracker. After the Intuit acquisition, the product expanded to include scheduling, PTO management, geofencing, and deeper payroll integration. These additions justified price increases from the original $5/user to the current $8-10/user plus a base fee. For electrical contractors who only need clock in/out and QuickBooks sync, you are essentially paying for features built for a different customer.

If you had a TSheets account, it was migrated to QuickBooks Time automatically. Your data, settings, and configuration should still be intact. However, the interface, branding, and login process have changed. You now sign in through Intuit and the product is managed as part of the QuickBooks ecosystem.

FieldTimesheet shares the simplicity that made TSheets popular — easy clock in/out, straightforward job tracking, and QuickBooks sync. But it goes further for electrical contractors specifically: real-time job costing so you know if you are over budget before the job ends, built-in 1099 subcontractor tracking, and an offline mode designed for construction environments. TSheets was a general time tracker; FieldTimesheet is purpose-built for the trades.

No. Your QuickBooks Online data is completely independent of which time tracking tool you use. All historical time entries, invoices, and reports remain in QuickBooks. When you connect FieldTimesheet, it imports your existing Customers and Projects so your crew can start tracking time against the same jobs immediately. You can even run both tools side by side during a transition period.

Yes. FieldTimesheet uses the official QuickBooks Online API to create TimeActivity records — the same standard data format. The sync is direct and automatic. Because FieldTimesheet focuses exclusively on time tracking (unlike QuickBooks Time, which also handles scheduling, PTO, and payroll), there are fewer moving parts and fewer things that can go wrong with the sync process.

The main features you give up are: shift scheduling and team calendars, PTO and time-off management, real-time GPS tracking with geofencing, mileage tracking, and phone-based customer support. If your electrical business depends on any of those features, QuickBooks Time may still be the right choice. If you primarily need clock in/out, job costing, QuickBooks sync, and 1099 tracking, FieldTimesheet gives you those at a lower cost with a simpler experience.

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