ZKTeco Attendance Management Software: What It Does and Where It Stops
What ZKTime 5.0, ZKBio Time and ZKBioSecurity actually do, which are free, how to download them safely, and where they stop for garment factory payroll.
ZKTeco attendance management software is not one program. The name covers an old free Windows desktop program (Attendance Management, also shipped as ZKTime 5.0), a newer web-based system (BioTime 8, now ZKBio Time), and a security platform (ZKBioSecurity) that is mainly about doors. All of them do the first job well: getting punches off the device and into shift-based attendance reports. For a Bangladeshi garment factory they stop short of the second job, which is a wage sheet that follows local rules and prints in Bangla.
The three programs people mean
Attendance Management / ZKTime 5.0. This is the desktop program that came on a CD or a download link with many fingerprint devices, and local sellers still list it as the software for models such as the K40. It runs on one Windows PC. You add each device by IP address or load a USB flash drive export, click to download the logs, define shifts and print reports. It is distributed free with the hardware. It is also old: ZKTeco's current desktop product is ZKBio Time.Net, a lite Windows program for small and medium businesses.
BioTime 8 / ZKBio Time. This is the web-based system. It is installed on a Windows server and used through a browser, so several HR users can work at once. Devices send their punches to the server over the network instead of waiting to be polled. The BioTime 8 datasheet lists up to 500 devices per server. It adds a mobile app, employee self-service, automatic report export and a generic payroll module. The current release line is ZKBio Time 9.
ZKBioSecurity. This is an access control platform: doors, lifts, visitors, parking and video in one web system, with a time and attendance module on the side. It is licensed by the number of doors. ZKTeco's newer product in this line is ZKBio CVSecurity. A factory would choose it for security, not for payroll.
Comparison at a glance
Attendance Management / ZKTime 5.0 | BioTime 8 / ZKBio Time | ZKBioSecurity | |
|---|---|---|---|
Type | Windows desktop, single PC | Web-based, on your own server | Web-based security platform |
Main job | Download logs, shifts, reports | Multi-site attendance, self-service | Access control, visitors, video |
How data arrives | Software pulls from device, or USB | Device pushes to server | Controllers and terminals report to server |
Licence | Free with the device | Trial, then paid by device count | Paid, by number of doors |
Payroll | Basic salary items at most | Generic payroll module | Not its purpose |
Best fit | One office, one or two devices | Many devices or branches | Sites where door security leads |
Free or paid
The desktop program is free, which is why it is still everywhere.
ZKBio Time is licensed software. Distributor pages we checked describe a 60-day full trial on installation, then a one-time licence priced in tiers by number of devices and employees. One distributor lists a no-cost starter tier of 2 devices and 100 users that still needs activation through a reseller. Mobile app users are licensed separately. Terms differ by country and version, so get a written quotation from an authorised distributor in Bangladesh.
ZKBioSecurity is sold in door-count packages. We could not confirm its current trial terms.
What the ZKTeco software does well
Collecting punches. It speaks the device's own language, so downloading logs and uploading users is reliable.
Managing users. Enrol a worker once and copy the template to other devices.
Shifts and timetables. Fixed shifts, rotating shifts, grace minutes and break rules are all there.
Basic reports. Daily attendance, late and early leave, absence and total hours, exported to Excel.
Where it stops for a garment factory
These programs are written for a world market. A garment factory in Bangladesh runs on rules they do not model out of the box:
BDT wage structure. Wages are split into basic, house rent, medical, transport and food allowances by grade. Overtime and several benefits are calculated on basic, not gross.
Overtime rules. Overtime is paid at twice the basic hourly rate, and factories commonly work that out as basic / 208 x 2. A worker on a basic of Tk 9,000 earns about Tk 86.54 per overtime hour, so 40 hours comes to roughly Tk 3,462. A generic "1.5x after 8 hours" setting gets this wrong. See our guide to garment overtime calculation.
Bangla pay slips. The ZKTeco programs do not produce a Bangla pay slip in the format factories use.
Wage grades and increments. Minimum wage grades change by gazette, and annual increments have to flow through to basic and overtime.
Leave and encashment. Earned leave accrues on days worked and unused leave is paid out. That needs attendance history and wage data in one place.
Compliance reports. Buyers and auditors ask for wage sheets, overtime registers and working-hours summaries in familiar local formats.
The usual workaround is to export attendance to Excel and build the wage sheet by hand. That works for 50 people, not for 1,500. This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the current Labour Act, rules and wage gazette for your sector.
Downloading it safely
Get installers from the official ZKTeco website or from the distributor who sold you the device. Some downloads on the official site need a registered partner login, which is one more reason to buy from an authorised seller.
Avoid "cracked", "activated" or "unlimited licence" copies of BioTime. They are a common way to pick up malware, and this server holds your employees' biometric templates and personal details.
Be careful with old ZKTime 5.0 copies on file-sharing sites. You cannot tell whether they have been altered.
Back up the database before any upgrade.
How third-party payroll connects to the devices
You are not tied to ZKTeco's own software. Payroll systems reach the devices in one of two ways.
SDK pull. The software connects to each device over the local network, by default on port 4370, and asks for new logs. It is simple and works with almost every model. The weakness: a changed IP address, a switched-off PC or a full device log leads to gaps.
ADMS push. The device itself calls a server address and sends each punch as it happens. Nothing needs to reach into the factory network, so it suits several buildings or remote sites. The device firmware must support push, and not every unit sold locally does.
Many factories use both: push for live data, and a scheduled pull to catch anything missed. If punches are going missing, our note on ZKTeco attendance sync problems walks through the usual causes.
Frequently asked questions
Is ZKTeco attendance management software free? The old desktop program is. ZKBio Time is licensed by device count after a trial period, and ZKBioSecurity is licensed by doors.
Can I do payroll in ZKBio Time? It has a payroll module with configurable salary items and formulas. It is not built around Bangladeshi wage grades, basic-based overtime or Bangla pay slips, so expect a lot of manual setup and Excel work.
Do I have to use ZKTeco software with a ZKTeco device? No. Third-party systems read the same devices through SDK pull or ADMS push.
Where Octapus fits
Octa Punch picks up where the ZKTeco software stops. It is ZKTeco compatible, so you keep your devices. It runs BDT payroll following the rules Bangladeshi factories run on, with an English and Bangla interface and Bangla PDF pay slips. It is priced per business by headcount, not per seat, and setup, device integration and training are included.
If the free ZKTeco program already covers what you need, keep using it. If pay day depends on a chain of Excel files, look at something built for a factory.
TopicAttendance
