Comparison

ESS Mobile vs Zebra Workcloud Comm

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

Zebra Workcloud Comm

This app consolidates communication tools for frontline teams, offering real-time chat and note-taking functionalities. It allows for quick, targeted messaging and collaboration within an organization, accessible on various devices.

Highlights
  • Real-time peer-to-peer chat
  • Quick note-taking functionality
  • Multimedia messaging (images, emojis)
  • Document attachment for notes
  • Consolidated module experience
  • Mobile-first design
Features
Read full description

Formerly chat, now updated to include multiple modules in a consolidated Comm experience! To better streamline and simplify deployment and management, the latest version of Comm contains the following Zebra Workcloud Task Management modules: Note Chat Depending on your existing enterprise licensing agreement you may access to either or both modules. As such, only licensed modules will be visible. Users can navigate through hamburger menu to either of the 2 modules. The mobile-first design of Zebra Workcloud ensures that all solutions and modules are intuitive and easy to use on any device and enables frontline teams to work more efficiently and effectively. Please read below for more information on the functionality and capabilities of each module. ##### Zebra Workcloud Chat: A peer-to-peer (P2P) real-time chat system embedded in Workcloud Comm that allows personnel to send real-time messages within your organization. Chat allows for quick, targeted and messaging within a controlled, safe environment. Create group and personal conversations and leverage multimedia messaging to include images and emojis without any difficulties. Zebra Workcloud Note: A peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging system embedded in Workcloud Comm that allows field managers, store managers, and corporate personnel to send quick notes within the organization. Note facilitates quick, targeted messaging without the complications and privacy issues of many communication platforms. Attach pictures and documents to help your team communicate and collaborate more efficiently. Zebra Workcloud Comm is intended for users of Zebra Workcloud Task Management. For help getting started with Comm, please contact your Zebra administrator. For more information about Zebra Workcloud, visit us online at: https://www.zebra.com/us/en/software.html

Screenshots

ESS Mobile3 screens
Zebra Workcloud Comm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: ESS Mobile at 343 against Zebra Workcloud Comm's 11. Zebra Workcloud Comm's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.5.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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 1.8 for Zebra Workcloud Comm. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESS Mobile has 343 ratings behind it against 11, 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 0% of Zebra Workcloud Comm's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ESS Mobile ships an update every 3 months, Zebra Workcloud Comm monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ESS Mobile versus Zebra Workcloud Comm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterESS MobileZebra Workcloud Comm
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (343 ratings)1.8 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews2.9% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings343 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.5.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB86 MB
Age rating4+17+
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%

Zebra Workcloud Comm

All ratings11 ratings
Positive18.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative81.8%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

Zebra Workcloud Comm

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ESS Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Zebra Workcloud Comm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ESS Mobile free?
ESS Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zebra Workcloud Comm free?
Zebra Workcloud Comm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ESS Mobile or Zebra Workcloud Comm?
Zebra Workcloud Comm is rated higher. ESS Mobile averages 1.7 out of 5 from 343 ratings, while Zebra Workcloud Comm averages 1.8 from 11 ratings.
Do ESS Mobile or Zebra Workcloud Comm have ads?
Neither ESS Mobile nor Zebra Workcloud Comm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ESS Mobile or Zebra Workcloud Comm?
ESS Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and Zebra Workcloud Comm monthly. Most recently, ESS Mobile was updated on October 13, 2026 and Zebra Workcloud Comm on October 10, 2026.

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