Which tip tracker fits your working week?

How do the options compare?

Written by Forge 9 Labs, the maker of Tillside. This is a comparison of published features, checked on 20 September 2026, not an independent hands-on ranking. Competitor features come from their own websites and US App Store listings; confirm the offer in each app before paying.

When is Tillside the right choice?

Tillside is an iPhone tip tracker for servers and bartenders. It records cash tips, card tips, tip-out, wage and hours, then calculates net tips and effective hourly earnings. Logging and full-history CSV export are free. There are no ads or Tillside accounts.

The trade-offs are specific: the free screen shows 30 days and one job; full history, Insights and multiple jobs need Pro. There is no Android app, rota planner, payroll service or CSV import. If you already have years of data in another app, keep its export before switching. Tillside cannot import that history.

For the calculations, see how tip-out works and how to calculate your hourly wage with tips.

What does logging a shift in Tillside look like?

Set up your job with its hourly wage and tip-out rule. At the end of a shift, check the date and hours, enter cash and card tips, and adjust the tip-out to what you actually paid. Save the shift to see it alongside the rest of your week.

The screenshot below shows the actual entry form with example data. Your figures stay in your own record. You can export all logged shifts from Settings, including shifts older than the free screen’s 30-day window.

When should you consider ServerLife or TipSee?

ServerLife’s feature page describes schedules, calendar sync, goals and income charts, with cloud storage accessed through a login. Those are useful reasons to choose it if planning future shifts matters as much as recording completed ones. Its US App Store listing includes multiple purchase options, so this guide does not label one as the price every new customer will receive.

TipSee’s listing describes local storage, automatic email backups, multiple jobs, hourly wage and tip-out tracking. It offers advanced features with ads, plus paid ad-free subscriptions. That can suit someone who values a broader free feature set more than avoiding ads. Test its backup process before depending on it.

Is a spreadsheet enough?

A spreadsheet is a reasonable choice if you log at a laptop, want custom fields or already keep your budget there. It also makes your formulas visible. The work is maintaining those formulas, entering each shift and keeping a separate backup. Start with the free tip tracker template.

An app is useful when the obstacle is remembering to log after work. Pre-filled job details, a quick entry form and an optional reminder remove repeated steps. Try a week of each before deciding; neither approach helps if the record is incomplete.

How should you test a tracker before switching?

Use the same sample shift in each app: 6 hours, $12 hourly wage, $40 cash tips, $120 card tips and $24 tip-out. Net tips should be $136, total earnings $208 and the effective hourly rate about $34.67 before taxes. These are illustrative inputs, not earnings predictions.

• Check whether the free tier covers your number of jobs and the history you need.
• Export a sample record and open the file. Check that dates, amounts and hours are understandable.
• Check where the data is stored and how recovery works. Sync is not an independent backup: deletions can sync too.
• Keep a separate export before deleting an old app. For record-keeping basics, read what to record after each shift.