Core people systems · Employee scheduling
Employee scheduling software compared: shifts, swaps and labour rules
The job: Build and publish shift schedules, handle availability, swaps and time off, and keep labour within rules and budget.
Short answer. For a single location with up to ten staff, Homebase and Connecteam have free plans that cover scheduling and a time clock. Restaurants get the most from 7shifts, which uses POS sales to forecast labour. Deputy fits multi-site teams that need swap rules, overtime checks and exports to payroll. When I Work is a straightforward per-user option for hourly teams.
Headcount changes the shortlist
Free or low-cost plans cover one location; ease for staff on mobile matters most.
Multiple locations, swap approval rules and overtime checks become essential.
Labour compliance, forecasting and payroll exports at scale drive the choice.
Write these requirements down first
- Number of locations and how often staff work across them.
- Labour rules you must follow (breaks, overtime, predictive scheduling).
- Your POS, if sales should drive staffing.
- Which payroll system receives approved hours.
Shortlist, by situation
One location, free
Homebase
Free plan for one location and up to ten employees with scheduling, time clock and messaging.
Trade-off: GPS features and payroll sit on paid plans or add-ons.
Deskless teams, free to start
Connecteam
Free plan for up to ten users with scheduling, time clock, tasks and team chat.
Trade-off: Pages disagree on which extras are free.
Restaurants
7shifts
POS sales feed labour forecasts; tip pooling and clock-in enforcement work with Toast and Square.
Trade-off: Restaurant-specific; forecasts need one to two weeks of data.
Multi-site teams with labour rules
Deputy
Swaps with approval rules, overtime and break compliance and timesheet exports to payroll providers.
Trade-off: The starter plan caps scheduling and approvals per month.
Simple per-user scheduling
When I Work
Rules-based scheduling and messaging for hourly teams, with a time clock from mobile, web or kiosk.
Trade-off: Pages differ on how the time clock is priced.
Coverage matrix
| Product | Scheduling | Time | Payroll | Headcount | Pricing model | Implementation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase | ● | ● | ○ | 1–49, 50–499 | Free plan + paid | Self-serve |
| Connecteam | ● | ● | · | 1–49, 50–499 | Free plan + paid | Self-serve |
| 7shifts | ● | ● | · | 1–49, 50–499, 500–4,999 | Per location | Self-serve |
| Deputy | ● | ● | · | 1–49, 50–499, 500–4,999 | Per user | Self-serve |
| When I Work | ● | ○ | · | 1–49, 50–499 | Per user | Self-serve |
● included · ◐ higher tier · ○ add-on · ↔ via integration · · not stated in the sources we checked (not proof it is missing). Headcount is the range the vendor targets.
| Product | Strength | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Homebase | Free plan for one location and up to 10 employees with scheduling, time clock and messaging. | GPS features and payroll sit on paid plans or add-ons. |
| Connecteam | Free plan for up to 10 users covering scheduling, time clock, tasks and team communication for deskless teams. | Pages disagree on which extras are free; paid plans are flat-rate by user bands. |
| 7shifts | Restaurant scheduling with POS sales feeding labour forecasts, tip pooling and clock-in enforcement with Toast and Square. | Restaurant-specific; forecasts need one to two weeks of sales data first. |
| Deputy | Shift scheduling with swaps and approval rules, overtime and break compliance, and timesheets exported to payroll providers. | The starter plan caps scheduling and timesheet approvals per month. |
| When I Work | Rules-based scheduling for hourly teams with messaging; time clock from mobile, web or kiosk. | Pages differ on how the time clock is priced; check the current plan. |
Scheduling and time often come together
Most scheduling tools include or sell a time clock, and comparing scheduled hours to actual hours is where labour savings show up. If you already have a time and attendance system, check the scheduling tool can read from it or replace it.
Before you choose
Build one real week of shifts in the trial and have staff use the mobile app to swap a shift.
Sources
| Source | Used for | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Homebase | Homebase: free plan | |
| Connecteam | Connecteam: scheduling, free plan | |
| 7shifts | 7shifts: Square integration | |
| 7shifts | 7shifts: tip pooling | |
| Deputy | Deputy: scheduling | |
| Deputy | Deputy: compliance | |
| When I Work | When I Work: product |
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