Scheduling apps build shifts, let staff swap them from their phones and usually include a time clock, so hours flow into payroll. The biggest differences are how they charge — per user, per location or a flat fee — and whether payroll is built in.
| Feature | Homebase | When I Work | Deputy | 7shifts | Connecteam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small, hourly-staff businesses priced per location | Hourly teams wanting per-user scheduling and time tracking | Shift-based businesses needing scheduling with labor law compliance | Restaurants and hospitality teams | Frontline and deskless teams, including mobile/field workers |
| Free plan | Free for 1 location, up to 10 employees | No free plan; 14-day free trial | No free plan | Free for a single location, up to 15 employees | Free for up to 10 users (Small Business plan) |
| Starting price |
From $30 per location / month
lowest listed paid plan |
From $2.50 per user / month
lowest listed plan |
From $5 per user / month
lowest listed plan; $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans |
From $39.99 per location / month
billed annually ($44.99 billed monthly) |
See vendor site |
| Clock in / out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid plans | Yes |
| Timesheets | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid plans | Yes |
| GPS location | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| Geofencing | Yes | Yes | Paid plans | Paid plans | Paid plans |
| Kiosk / shared device | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid plans | Yes |
| Shift scheduling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overtime tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid plans | Yes |
| Break tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid plans | Yes |
| Time off (PTO) | Paid plans | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in payroll | Paid plans | Not stated |
Paid add-on Deputy Payroll enabled by Paycor (US add-on) |
Yes | No |
| Payroll integrations |
Yes ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks |
Yes Rippling, ADP, QuickBooks, Gusto and more |
Yes Payroll and HR integrations (names not listed) |
Yes ADP, Ceridian, Deluxe Payroll, Dominion Systems, Gusto and more |
Yes QuickBooks Online, Gusto, Xero, Paychex Flex, PrismHR and more |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Website | Visit Homebase | Visit When I Work | Visit Deputy | Visit 7shifts | Visit Connecteam |
How we compare
Every price and feature in the table comes from the vendor’s own website (pricing pages, feature pages and help centers), with the date we checked it. We don’t accept payment for placement, we don’t publish star ratings, and when a vendor’s site doesn’t say whether a feature exists, the table says “Not stated” instead of guessing.
Homebase
Best for: Small, hourly-staff businesses priced per location
In Homebase’s words: “Schedule. Manage. Pay. All from one easy app.”
- Free plan
- Free for 1 location, up to 10 employees
- Price
- From $30 per location / month (lowest listed paid plan)
All plans
- Basic: $0 / location / month
- Essentials: $30 / location / month
- Plus: $70 / location / month
- All-in-One: $120 / location / month
- Payroll (add-on): $49/mo base fee + $6/month per employee paid
Included: Clock in / out, Timesheets, GPS location, Geofencing, Kiosk / shared device, Shift scheduling, Overtime tracking, Break tracking, Payroll integrations, Mobile app.
On paid plans or as an add-on: Time off (PTO), Built-in payroll.
Priced per location, with unlimited employees on paid plans.
Checked September 28, 2026 on the vendor’s site: Homebase — official site · Homebase — pricing · Homebase — feature page
When I Work
Best for: Hourly teams wanting per-user scheduling and time tracking
In When I Work’s words: “ALL-IN-ONE WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE”
- Free plan
- No free plan; 14-day free trial
- Price
- From $2.50 per user / month (lowest listed plan)
All plans
- Essentials: $2.50 /user/month
- Pro: $5 /user/month
- Premium: $8 /user/month
Included: Clock in / out, Timesheets, GPS location, Geofencing, Kiosk / shared device, Shift scheduling, Overtime tracking, Break tracking, Time off (PTO), Payroll integrations, Mobile app.
Checked September 28, 2026 on the vendor’s site: When I Work — official site · When I Work — pricing · When I Work — feature page
Deputy
Best for: Shift-based businesses needing scheduling with labor law compliance
In Deputy’s words: “Make shift work simpler, faster, and more profitable”
- Free plan
- No free plan
- Price
- From $5 per user / month (lowest listed plan; $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans)
All plans
- Lite: $5 per user per month (USD excl. all applicable taxes)
- Core: $6.50 per user per month (USD excl. all applicable taxes)
- Pro: $9 per user per month (USD excl. all applicable taxes)
- Deputy Payroll enabled by Paycor (add-on): $8USD per user per month + $49 monthly base fee
Included: Clock in / out, Timesheets, GPS location, Kiosk / shared device, Shift scheduling, Overtime tracking, Break tracking, Time off (PTO), Payroll integrations, Mobile app.
On paid plans or as an add-on: Geofencing, Built-in payroll.
Checked September 28, 2026 on the vendor’s site: Deputy — official site · Deputy — pricing · Deputy — feature page
7shifts
Best for: Restaurants and hospitality teams
In 7shifts’s words: “The platform behind great restaurant teams”
- Free plan
- Free for a single location, up to 15 employees
- Price
- From $39.99 per location / month (billed annually ($44.99 billed monthly))
All plans
- Comp: Free
- Essentials: $44.99 Per month/location (monthly); $39.99 Per month/location (annual billing)
- Pro: $89.99 Per month/location (monthly); $79.99 Per month/location (annual billing)
- Premium: $149.99 Per month/location (monthly); $134.99 Per month/location (annual billing)
Included: Shift scheduling, Time off (PTO), Built-in payroll, Payroll integrations, Mobile app.
On paid plans or as an add-on: Clock in / out, Timesheets, Geofencing, Kiosk / shared device, Overtime tracking, Break tracking.
Built for restaurants; clock-in and timesheets are on paid plans.
Checked September 28, 2026 on the vendor’s site: 7shifts — official site · 7shifts — pricing · 7shifts — feature page
Connecteam
Best for: Frontline and deskless teams, including mobile/field workers
In Connecteam’s words: “Manage your entire team without the chaos”
- Free plan
- Free for up to 10 users (Small Business plan)
- Price
- See vendor site
All plans
- Operations Hub – Basic: see vendor site
- Operations Hub – Advanced: see vendor site
- Operations Hub – Expert: see vendor site
- Operations Hub – Enterprise: see vendor site
- Communications Hub / HR & Skills Hub (Basic / Advanced / Expert): see vendor site
Included: Clock in / out, Timesheets, GPS location, Kiosk / shared device, Shift scheduling, Overtime tracking, Break tracking, Time off (PTO), Payroll integrations, Mobile app.
On paid plans or as an add-on: Geofencing.
Not offered: Built-in payroll.
Flat monthly price for the first 30 users, then per extra user; features are grouped into separately priced hubs.
Checked September 28, 2026 on the vendor’s site: Connecteam — official site · Connecteam — pricing · Connecteam — feature page
How to choose
- Pricing model: per-location pricing (Homebase, 7shifts) can be cheaper for large teams in one place; per-user pricing (When I Work, Deputy) scales with headcount.
- Industry: 7shifts is built for restaurants; Connecteam targets frontline and field teams.
- Payroll: check the “Built-in payroll” and “Payroll integrations” rows against what you use today.
- Compliance: if your state or city has predictive scheduling or break rules, look for labor-law tools and break tracking.
Whatever you pick, check the hours it records: our time card calculator and overtime calculator show the math step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Which scheduling apps have a free plan?
Among the five compared, Homebase, 7shifts and Connecteam list free plans with limits on locations or users; When I Work and Deputy do not list a free plan.
Do scheduling apps calculate overtime?
Most can track or alert on overtime hours. The rules differ by state, so compare the results with our overtime calculator for your state.
Can employees swap shifts in these apps?
All five vendors describe shift swapping or trading on their sites.