SchedIndex is a boring, practical comparison of tools managers actually use for shifts, time clocks, and team chat. No fluff — just price starts, free-tier limits, and what fits a busy floor.
Pricing researched from public vendor pages (Sep 2026). Numbers change — rows marked check live should be verified on the vendor site before you buy.
Five common picks for hourly teams. “Price starts” means the cheapest paid plan that unlocks useful day-to-day ops — not enterprise quotes.
| Tool | Price starts | Best for | Free tier | Time clock | Messaging | POS integrations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase | $30/mo per location (Essentials; free Basic available) | Single-location shops that want schedule + clock + optional payroll | Yes — Basic $0, 1 location, up to 10 employees | Yes (basic on free; GPS/photo on paid) | Paid plans (Essentials+) | Yes (Square and others) | View |
| 7shifts | ~$35–$40/mo per location check live — plan names/prices vary by billing page | Restaurants that need labor vs. sales and tip tools | Yes — Comp plan (up to ~30 employees; scheduling-focused) | Limited/none on free; full on paid check live | Yes | Strong (Toast, Square, Clover, etc. — usually paid tiers) | View |
| When I Work | $2.50/user/mo (time & attendance may be add-on — check live) | Teams that prefer simple per-user pricing across industries | No forever free — 14-day trial | Available (confirm if bundled or add-on) | Yes (in-app) | Yes | View |
| Sling | $2/user/mo Premium ($1.70 annual); now Sling by Toast | Budget teams under ~30 that need free scheduling first | Yes — up to 30 users (schedule + messaging; no clock) | Premium+ (mobile); kiosk on Business | Yes | Business tier / Toast ecosystem check live | View |
| Deputy | ~$5/user/mo Lite (~$30/mo minimum — check live) | Multi-location / compliance-minded ops needing deeper WFM | No forever free — free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes (Square and others) | View |
Not “best overall” — best fit for common operator scenarios. Affiliate links are placeholders until network creatives are live.
From $0 · paid from $30/location/mo
Strong default for a single café, QSR, or retail store under ~10 people on free, or unlimited staff on Essentials. Built-in clock and optional payroll add-on. Less ideal if you already run a restaurant-first stack (Toast + tip pooling depth).
Free Comp · paid ~$35–$40+/location/mo
Built around FOH/BOH labor: sales-driven forecasting, tip tools, and deep POS hooks once you leave the free Comp plan. If labor % of sales is your weekly meeting, start here — then confirm current tier pricing on their site.
From $2.50/user/mo · 14-day trial
Clean schedule + messaging with transparent per-seat math. Good when you manage retail, hospitality, or mixed hourly teams and don’t want per-location billing. Confirm whether time & attendance is bundled or add-on for your quote.
Free to 30 users · Premium from $2/user/mo
Generous free scheduling and chat. Clock-in and labor tools unlock on paid tiers. Now part of the Toast ecosystem — worth a hard look if you already run Toast POS.
From ~$5/user/mo · ~$30 min · check live
Fuller workforce suite (scheduling, attendance, compliance) with per-user pricing and a monthly minimum. Fits multi-location ops that outgrew free/basic tools.
Short answers. The goal is fewer surprises after you pick a tool.
Only if cash is tight and your team is small. Free tiers (Homebase, 7shifts Comp, Sling) usually skip advanced clocks, labor reporting, or POS forecasting. Budget for paid once overtime alerts and clock accuracy matter.
Rough rule: large headcount at one site often favors per-location (Homebase, 7shifts). Small or multi-site teams with fewer people per site often prefer per-user (When I Work, Sling, Deputy) — but watch Deputy’s monthly minimum and When I Work’s attendance add-on.
If you schedule off gut feel, any tool works. If you staff to sales, prioritize POS labor forecasting (7shifts is purpose-built for restaurants; Homebase and others connect to Square and similar — confirm your POS on the vendor’s integrations list).
Yes, eventually — via affiliate programs. Recommendations are written for operators first. Placeholder links (#homebase, #7shifts, etc.) will be replaced with tracked Impact / ShareASale / PartnerStack URLs once applications are approved. Affiliate disclosure is in the footer on every page.
This MVP snapshot is dated September 2026 from public pricing pages. Always open the vendor’s live pricing before you commit — and treat any “check live” note as a homework item.