Build an employee app — time tracking, shift plans, internal communication
- from €2,900 net

In short
A lean employee app starts at around €2,900 net setup (e.g. time tracking, shift plan, news, documents); more complex platforms are quoted individually.
Fixed price from€2,900net
Price- Fixed pricein writing before we start
- Hosting in the EUservers and backups in the EU
- GDPR-compliantprivacy built in from day one
- Accessiblefollowing WCAG 2.1 AA
- From Düsseldorfstraight from the developer
Overview
When shift planning drowns in chat chaos, paper timesheets go missing and important updates never reach the right colleague, it costs real time and nerves every single month. A custom employee app brings time tracking, shift plans and internal communication into one place — on the smartphone everyone already carries.
Read more
Rhein Code builds employee apps and internal platforms for small and medium businesses in Germany: from trades with field teams to care services and multi-location retail. You get exactly the features your operation needs, without bloated off-the-shelf software and without a per-head licensing trap.
We deliver at a fixed price from 2,900 € net, GDPR-compliant and accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA), hosted on EU servers. You talk directly with the developer — in German or English — and you keep all your data and full access in the end.
Sound familiar?
- Shift plans, sick notes and info run through WhatsApp chaos
- Time tracking happens on paper or not at all (mandatory since the BAG ruling)
- Enterprise platforms cost €5–15 per employee per month — too expensive
Your employee app
Clocking in, rosters, leave – in one app instead of WhatsApp chaos
Employees clock in and out in the app, see their current roster, request leave and read important notices – all in one place. You plan and approve in the web dashboard. And the working-time recording that Germany's Federal Labour Court made mandatory in 2022 is taken care of too.
What we build for your team
- Your own app (web/PWA or native) with per-employee login
- Time tracking, shift plan, holiday & sick leave requests
- Internal news, documents, push notifications
- GDPR-compliant, data in Germany, no forced per-head subscription
- Connection to existing systems (payroll, calendar) possible
Employee App & Platform
What your website or solution delivers
Digital time tracking
Employees clock in and out from the app, with optional GPS or location check for field work. Hours, breaks and overtime are captured automatically and exported cleanly, instead of being typed up by hand at month's end.
Shift and roster planning
Build rosters centrally and publish them with one click. The team always sees the current plan on their phone, can request swaps or leave, and gets notified automatically whenever something changes.
Internal communication
A secure channel for announcements, notices and targeted messages to specific teams or locations. Important information stops getting lost in private WhatsApp groups and lands where it belongs, traceable and reliable.
Leave and absence management
Employees request leave straight in the app, managers approve with a tap. Remaining leave, sick notes and absences live in one clear place instead of being scattered across spreadsheets.
Documents and onboarding
Provide work instructions, safety briefings, payslips or handbooks digitally. New hires follow a guided onboarding flow and confirm key documents in an audit-proof way.
Roles and permissions
Management, team leads and staff each see exactly what's relevant to them. Locations, departments and permissions are cleanly separated so sensitive data stays protected.
Tasks and checklists
Recurring tasks, handovers and checklists are assigned and ticked off digitally. You see at a glance what's done — a real win for distributed teams or multiple branches.
Admin web dashboard
The employee app is paired with a clear web dashboard for you. There you plan shifts, review hours, export reports and keep an overview of the entire team.
Examples
Typical scenarios
Example 1/4
A trade business with field teams
Installers clock in and out right at the site, and the boss sees in real time who is where. Endless WhatsApp messages and handwritten timesheets disappear, and payroll prep is cut in half.
Example 2/4
A hospitality chain across several locations
Rosters for each branch are built centrally and the team swaps shifts themselves in the app. Sick notes and leave requests come in in an orderly way instead of trickling in by phone each morning.
Example 3/4
A care service with decentralised routes
Carers see their route, document visits and get short-notice plan changes straight to their phone. Work instructions and training are always available and receipt is traceable.
Example 4/4
A retail branch with many part-timers
Rotating part-time staff see their plan and tasks without having to call the store. Onboarding of new helpers runs digitally and consistently.
Rhein Code
Why Rhein Code for Employee App & Platform
Fixed price, not per head
You pay once from 2,900 € net for your app — no growing monthly fee that gets more expensive with every new hire. Costs stay predictable, even as your team grows.
Tailored to your operation
Instead of squeezing into generic software, you get your actual workflows mapped — whether care service, hospitality chain or trade with installation crews. Only the features you really use.
GDPR & accessibility from day one
Employee data is especially sensitive. We build data-minimal, documented and accessible to WCAG 2.1 AA, hosted on EU servers — so your works council and data protection officer come along.
Direct contact with the developer
No support-ticket maze: you speak directly with the person building your app, in German or English. Change requests reach someone who actually knows your system.
No lock-in, full data ownership
You own the app and your data — no lock-in, no export drama if you want to change something later. The source code is available on request.
Process
How we work
Requirements workshop
We clarify the key 3–5 functions — deliberately lean at the start.
Fixed-price quote
Clear MVP scope, clear price, clear timeline. Funding-eligibility checkable.
Agile development
You test a working version every 1–2 weeks.
Rollout & operation
Team onboarding, maintenance, gradual feature expansion.
Technology & standards
- PWA / React
- Flutter (native)
- .NET / Node backend
- PostgreSQL
- Push (FCM)
- EU servers
Fixed price
Transparent pricing
Employee App & Platform from€2,900net
Fixed price plus 19 % VAT, in writing before the project starts. The exact price depends on scope.
Optional maintenance from €29/month (updates, backups, small changes).
What's included
- Your own app (web/PWA or native) with per-employee login
- Time tracking, shift plan, holiday & sick leave requests
- Internal news, documents, push notifications
- GDPR-compliant, data in Germany, no forced per-head subscription
- Connection to existing systems (payroll, calendar) possible
Free initial consultation & a fixed-price quote within 48 hours — no obligation.
Request a projectFAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does an employee app cost?
We build a custom employee app at a fixed price from 2,900 € net (plus 19% VAT). The exact price depends on scope — time tracking, rostering and communication as a base, further modules as needed. You get a clear quote upfront with no hidden costs.
Are there monthly per-employee fees?
No. Unlike many SaaS tools, you don't pay a per-head licence that rises with every new hire. Only modest costs remain for EU-server hosting and optional maintenance.
How long does development take?
We typically deliver a first usable version within a few weeks, depending on scope. We often start with the core features and expand step by step, so your team can start working with it early.
Is the app GDPR-compliant?
Yes. We handle employee data with particular care: data-minimal, documented, with clear roles and permissions, hosted on servers in the EU. We provide the groundwork so you're properly set up toward data protection and your works council.
Does it run on iPhone and Android?
Yes. We use modern technology that runs on both platforms, plus a web dashboard for administration. No one needs a specific device, and you manage everything conveniently from the browser.
Can we manage content and plans ourselves?
Yes. You manage rosters, announcements, documents and employees yourself through the dashboard, without needing us for every change. We set everything up and show your team how it works.
Can the app connect to our payroll?
Usually yes. Recorded hours can be exported or, where an interface exists, handed directly to your payroll or ERP system. We clarify which integration is feasible upfront.
Do we own the app and the data?
Yes, fully. You own the app and your data, there is no lock-in, and the source code is available on request. You're not dependent on us if you later want to expand or move.
Related solutions & industries
Contact
Let's talk
Tell us briefly about your project. We respond within 24 hours.
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