Comparison

ESS Mobile vs SM 41

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ESS Mobile

This app offers flexible time tracking for employees, allowing them to punch in/out, review hours worked, check schedules, and manage benefit balances. It facilitates communication with supervisors for attendance-related matters and supports various time entry methods.

Highlights
  • Flexible time tracking
  • Review hours worked
  • Check schedules and benefit balances
  • Request time off
  • Enter tips and mileage
  • Communicate with supervisor
Features
Read full description

ESS Mobile is a smart, adaptive app that, when used with your employer's Attendance on Demand system, provides employees with flexible time tracking options. You have access to the information needed to track your hours worked and review schedules or benefit balances. Notifications can be sent when your time card needs action, such as the addition of a missing punch. Messages can be exchanged with your supervisor to record attendance-related activities like an absence or if you will be late for your shift. Using ESS Mobile hourly employees may be able to punch in and out, request time off, or enter tips. For employees that simply report total hours worked multiple time sheet views are available. Additional operations such as entering mileage, expenses, or tips are also available. Contact your payroll administrator or Attendance on Demand service provider for additional details. Note: ESS Mobile uses location services to obtain your location during app usage. Continued use of the app or background GPS tracking can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

SM 41

This platform empowers retail associates to work more efficiently with a mobile-first design. Managers can update schedules, assign tasks, and resolve store issues in real-time from any device, keeping them on the sales floor. Conduct audits and provide proactive problem resolution.

Highlights
  • Mobile-first intuitive design
  • Real-time task assignment
  • Labor schedule management
  • Store inspection audits
  • Proactive problem resolution
  • Customer engagement tools
Features
Read full description

The mobile-first design of the Reflexis ONE platform ensures that all solutions are intuitive and easy to use on any device. Store associates are empowered to work more efficiently, whether they are digital natives or not. Modernize your store solutions and keep associates engaged with customers in real time. Retailers want to keep their store managers on the sales floor, helping customers and coaching associates. Thanks to its mobile-first design, the Reflexis ONE platform offers full functionality from wherever the manager is in the store; they can update labor schedules, assign tasks, and address real-time store execution challenges from a smart phone or tablet, instead of leaving the sales floor to check a computer. From a tablet or phone, users can: - Conduct store inspections and other retail audits. - Generate schedule and edit it as per real time requirements. - Provide proactive, best practice-based resolution to problems.

Screenshots

ESS Mobile3 screens
SM 414 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: ESS Mobile at 343 against SM 41's 25. SM 41's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.7 for ESS Mobile against 1.7 for SM 41. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESS Mobile has 343 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 3% of ESS Mobile's written reviews are positive against 9% of SM 41's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ESS Mobile ships an update every 3 months, SM 41 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ESS Mobile versus SM 41: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterESS MobileSM 41
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (343 ratings)1.7 (25 ratings) — better
Positive reviews2.9% of reviews9.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings343 — better25
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAttendance on Demand, Inc.Reflexis Systems Inc

Customer experience

ESS Mobile

All ratings324 ratings
Positive14.2%
Neutral3.7%
Negative82.1%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive2.9%
Neutral1.0%
Negative96.2%

SM 41

All ratings25 ratings
Positive12.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative80.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive9.1%
Neutral9.1%
Negative81.8%

Bugs and requests

ESS Mobile

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Connect button treats input as editable text field
  • App fails to load or shows blank white screen
  • Location services report incorrect location
  • Login credentials rejected despite correct information
  • Clock-in button disappears or becomes non-functional
Show 12 more
  • App freezes when entering information
  • Cannot proceed past login screen
  • App crashes on latest iOS versions
  • Automatic logout without user action
  • Cannot clock in to new job within one minute of clock out
  • Punch functionality only works on second attempt
  • Controls render off-screen on certain devices
  • App incompatible with iOS 15
  • Timesheet data fails to load
  • Notifications sent to wrong phone numbers
  • Pay stubs missing tip percentage and hourly information
  • Redundant navigation buttons on same page

Requested features

12 requests
  • Face ID or biometric authentication
  • Remember me/stay logged in functionality
  • Current time display on home screen
  • Manager approval system for early out/late in requests
  • Ability to view all punch times and historical data
Show 7 more
  • Support for multiple employers without app reinstallation
  • Landscape mode support
  • Easy password reset functionality
  • Loading indicators for better UX
  • Visible phone number management (primary/secondary)
  • Better accessibility and menu navigation
  • Improved pay stub formatting and clarity

SM 41

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ESS Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

SM 41

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ESS Mobile free?
ESS Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SM 41 free?
SM 41 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ESS Mobile or SM 41?
SM 41 is rated higher. ESS Mobile averages 1.7 out of 5 from 343 ratings, while SM 41 averages 1.7 from 25 ratings.
Do ESS Mobile or SM 41 have ads?
Neither ESS Mobile nor SM 41 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ESS Mobile or SM 41?
ESS Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and SM 41 every 2 months. Most recently, ESS Mobile was updated on September 23, 2026 and SM 41 on September 21, 2026.

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