NOVAmobile vs Benefitfirst
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NOVAmobile
Manage time and attendance, schedules, and leave requests on the go. This app empowers employees to clock in/out, submit timesheets, and view their work schedules. Supervisors can review and approve timesheets, manage team schedules, and handle time-off requests.
- Clock in/out
- Submit timesheets
- View work schedules
- Request time off
- Approve timesheets
- Manage team punches
- Offline punching
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Designed with today’s workplace demands in mind, NOVAtime’s Mobility Suite offers true Workforce Management / Time and Attendance functionality on the go. Whether you are a remote employee or a manager supervising a team of employees in the field, NOVAmobile offers flexibility that allows you to accomplish critical workforce management tasks when and where needed. Powered by NOVAtime’s industry-leading SaaS solution, the NOVAmobile application incorporates many of the latest NOVAtime 5000 features to transcend typical Time and Attendance. From an HR, Payroll, and Accounting perspective, NOVAtime is a strategic part of the daily management of your company. Additionally, the intuitive interface minimizes the learning curve and puts the power of data in your hands immediately. NOVAmobile offers easy configuration and installation, while also providing secure access to authorized users only. For large organizations and those supporting BYOD policies, general validation procedures further streamline app deployment. Key employee features: - Clock in/out - Perform job/project transfers - Review/submit timesheets - View current and upcoming work schedules - View accrual balances - Request sick leave, vacation, etc. - View time-off requests - Submit expense reports - View and edit employee profile Key supervisor features: - Review/manage timesheets (add/edit/delete time) - Approve timesheets - Submit team punches/transfers - Build teams on the go - Review/approve time-off requests - Enable geo-fencing auto-transfer and lockout capability Additional features: - Offline punching to support transactions in remote areas (data synchronizes once network is connected) - Duel supervisor/employee functionality to allow users to toggle seamlessly between roles - GPS capture upon punch transactions to accurately track work locations Important Notes: 1. Server configuration is required for app usage. 2. To access app features, your employer/organization must be an existing client using the NOVAtime 5000 Workforce Management SaaS solution. 3. Contact your system administrator or an authorized reseller to configure app access on your device. Disclaimers: NOVAmobile is designed and built for iOS devices. 1. Use of the NOVAmobile app requires data usage, subject to additional charges. Data charges will depend on the mobile phone service provider and actual usage patterns. 2. This app collects and transmits (or allows the transmission of) geolocation information to the NOVAtime Workforce Management solution. The app accesses geolocation information for the sole purpose of recording the location of employee time punches to allow supervisors/managers to verify permissible work premises. The app saves geolocation information within separate electronic timesheets for each employee. GPS data capture requires employee (app user) authorization. Location information will not be collected if GPS is not authorized. 3. The app transmits geolocation information only to the NOVAtime database of the client company with which an employee is associated. Geolocation information collected by the app is the property of the client and may be used and shared at the client’s discretion. NOVAtime is not responsible for the client’s release of geolocation information. 4. GPS location accuracy depends on physical location, signal strength, and the mobile phone service provider. NOVAtime cannot guarantee the capture of exact locations.
Benefitfirst
Access and manage your employer-provided benefits conveniently from your mobile device. This app offers personalized enrollment experiences, educational resources, and secure access to your benefits information and important HR documents.
- Benefits education and support
- Personalized enrollment
- View current enrollment information
- Access HR documents and disclosures
- Submit claims forms
- Secure user authentication
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The Benefitfirst Mobile App offers access to important benefits information provided through your employer. Securely and conveniently manage your employee benefits on your mobile device anytime you choose. Benefitfirst™ delivers a personalized enrollment experience giving you complete control to navigate your benefits options for you and your family. Key Features Benefits Education and Support Benefits Enrollment: annual enrollments, new hires, qualifying life events, and status changes Current Enrollment Information Important HR Documents and Disclosures Claims Forms Security Details No personal information pertaining to your benefits will be stored to your mobile device User authentication process ensures benefits data is secured for each access Note The Benefitfirst Mobile App is only accessible to employees of existing clients. Once the app is downloaded, individuals will authenticate their access to their employer benefits portal. If your employer is not an existing client, please express your interest in Benefitfirst to them.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Benefitfirst at 100% against NOVAmobile's 20%. Benefitfirst also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.3) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). NOVAmobile's advantage is ratings volume (173 vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Benefitfirst holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOVAmobile has 173 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of NOVAmobile's written reviews are positive against 100% of Benefitfirst's.
NOVAmobile ships an update every 6 weeks, Benefitfirst every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NOVAmobile | Benefitfirst |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.3 (173 ratings) | 5.0 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 19.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 173 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 124 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kronos Incorporated | The Benefit Company, Inc |
Customer experience
NOVAmobile
Benefitfirst
Bugs and requests
NOVAmobile
Reported bugs
39 issues- Missed punches not inputting or saving
- Punching in and out not working
- Cannot adjust time if forgotten to log in
- Takes many tries to clock in or out
- Punches won't take, requires multiple logins
Show 34 moreShow fewer
- Mobile access not enabled error
- Hardly ever loads, sits there loading
- Kicks off by quitting time
- Drains battery significantly
- Not user friendly and very glitchy
- Horribly slow loading times
- Cannot clock in unless tracking is 'always on'
- Cannot enter time manually, only 12 am
- GPS locator stuck in a loop
- UX design terrible and unorganized
- Does not work with MDM on iPhone SE
- App won't let me download
- App not allowing punch in or out
- Red clock in button does not turn green
- Version 3.34 broke sign-in and dash access
- Cannot see previous worked hours on the app
- App logged out and can't get back in
- New update makes app unusable, loading wheel spins
- App is slower, running on dialup
- Newest update grouped swipe-n-go and group transfers
- App continues to run in background, kills battery
- Doesn't recognize client code
- GPS not great, always says miles away
- GPS not showing location on iPhone 6sPlus
- App doesn't like to open on iPhone X
- App keeps closing out before pin entry
- Editing punches and adding missed punches is a pain
- Cannot access functions on iPhone that coworkers can on Android
- Leave button problem, cannot send time off request
- App is slow, requires password every time
- Layouts broken or only tested on Plus sized phones
- Login tells me unable to retrieve data from the server after iOS update
- App is slow, takes 20-30 seconds to load punch
- Location Services only offers 'Never' and 'Always' options
Requested features
7 requests- Allow adjustment of time for forgotten logs
- Add time sheets view back
- Make swipe-n-go default start page or button
- Add In/Out status board for business owners
- Add convenient feature suggestion link
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- Option to use Location Services 'While Using the App'
- Change timesheet default to 'Current'
Benefitfirst
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
NOVAmobile
No in-app purchases
Benefitfirst
No in-app purchases








