Employee scheduling software replaces the spreadsheet rota and the group chat. Managers build the week once, staff see it on their phones, and swaps, time-off requests and open shifts get handled in the app instead of by text.
Every tool here does that well. They differ on how they charge, whether the time clock is included, and how firmly they enforce break, overtime and fair workweek rules.
How Price Compares With Score
- Ring shows the pricing model
- Per user
- Per location or hub
- Flat per account
- Per active worker
Monthly cost for a 10-person team at one location, entry paid plan, monthly billing
Scores start at 3.7, not zero. Costs use each vendor’s published monthly-billing price in October 2026. Shiftbase is priced in euros and plotted at its euro figure. WhenToWork’s $28 is a promotional rate. When I Work’s time clock is a paid add-on and is not included. Sling is free for up to 30 users and is plotted on its paid Premium plan. Rotageek and Dayforce publish no pricing and are not plotted.
What the chart shows
Best Employee Scheduling Software: Quick Summary
All 10 tools at a glance, with the price model, time clock and free option that decide most shortlists. Sort by price or score, or open any tool’s full review below.
-
- From
- $2.50/user/mo
- Pricing model
- Per user
- Time clock
- Paid add-on
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day trial
Watch for: The time clock costs extra, so price the add-on before comparing per-user rates.
-
- From
- $5/user/mo
- Pricing model
- Per user, $30 minimum
- Time clock
- Included
- Free plan or trial
- 31-day trial
Watch for: Monthly plans carry a $30 minimum spend, which lifts the cost for teams of five or fewer.
-
- From
- $30/location/mo
- Pricing model
- Per location
- Time clock
- Included
- Free plan or trial
- Free, 1 location, 10 staff
Watch for: The free plan stops at one location and 10 employees, and payroll is a separate $39 a month plus $6 per person.
-
- From
- $35/hub/mo, 30 users
- Pricing model
- Per hub
- Time clock
- Included
- Free plan or trial
- Free up to 10 users
Watch for: Each hub is billed separately, so adding a second hub roughly doubles the monthly bill.
-
- From
- $2/user/mo
- Pricing model
- Per user
- Time clock
- Paid plans
- Free plan or trial
- Free up to 30 users
Watch for: The free plan leaves out the time clock and shift swaps, which most teams want within a month.
-
- From
- €30/mo incl. 6 staff
- Pricing model
- Base fee + €4/user
- Time clock
- Paid plans
- Free plan or trial
- Free up to 15 staff
Watch for: Prices are in euros and the free plan covers a single department with five teams.
-
- From
- $28/mo up to 10 staffPromo
- Pricing model
- Flat per account
- Time clock
- None
- Free plan or trial
- 30-day trial
Watch for: The $28 rate is promotional and there is no built-in time clock, so hours need a second tool.
-
- From
- Quote only
- Pricing model
- Custom contract
- Time clock
- Included
- Free plan or trial
- Demo only
Watch for: There is no published price and few public reviews to check the sales pitch against.
-
- From
- Quote only
- Pricing model
- Per employee, by module
- Time clock
- Included
- Free plan or trial
- Demo only
Watch for: Scheduling comes as part of a full HR and payroll rollout, not a tool you can switch on this week.
-
- From
- $4/active worker/mo
- Pricing model
- Per active worker, $50 minimum
- Time clock
- Included
- Free plan or trial
- Free network tier
Watch for: The $50 monthly minimum applies whenever fewer than 13 workers are active.
Ranked for small and mid-size shift-based teams, weighting price, staff adoption and payroll connections. Sort by Highest score to rank by our ratings. Prices are each vendor’s monthly-billing rate as published on its own site in October 2026. Lowest price sorts by the monthly cost for a 10-person team at one location. Shiftbase is priced in euros, WhenToWork’s $28 is a promotional rate and When I Work’s time clock is a paid add-on. Rotageek and Dayforce publish no pricing and sort last. Sorting changes the order only.
Employee Scheduling Software Reviewed in Detail
If you only read one part of each card, read “What to watch”. That is where the tools really differ: a $30 minimum spend on Deputy, a time clock sold separately on When I Work, a free plan that stops at 10 people on Homebase. Plan limits and prices on every card come from the vendor’s own pricing page.
When I Work
Why we picked When I Work
When I Work is the easiest tool on this page for staff to pick up. Employees see their shifts, swap them and claim open shifts from the app, and we scored its ease of use 4.7, the highest of the ten.
Pricing starts at $2.50 per user a month, billed month to month, so a 10-person team pays $25. The catch is the time clock, which is sold as an add-on. Price the two together before you compare it with Deputy or Homebase.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Deputy
Why we picked Deputy
Deputy is the strongest tool here for labor rules. Breaks, overtime and rest periods are checked while you build the week, and its compliance score of 4.8 is the highest on this page. Lite costs $5 per user a month with a $30 monthly minimum, more than When I Work, but the time clock is included.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Homebase
Why we picked Homebase
Homebase prices by location, not by person. Essentials costs $30 a month per location whether you schedule 8 people or 80.
That makes it cheaper than every per-user tool on this page once a single site passes 15 staff.
The free plan is real but small: one location and up to 10 employees.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Connecteam
Why we picked Connecteam
Connecteam scores highest overall at 4.4 because scheduling is only part of what it does. Shifts, a GPS time clock, chat, forms and checklists all run in one app built for staff who never sit at a desk.
The free plan covers 10 users with every feature. Paid plans start at $35 a month per hub for 30 users, which suits field teams well but adds up if you need several hubs.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Sling
Why we picked Sling
Sling is free for up to 30 users, the most generous free plan on this page. Premium adds the time clock, shift swaps and templates for $2 per user a month, so a team of 10 pays $20, the lowest paid price we found.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Shiftbase
Why we picked Shiftbase
Shiftbase is the strongest pick here for teams in Europe. Labor cost shows while you plan, and it connects to European payroll systems that US-built tools rarely cover.
Basic costs €30 a month including six employees, then €4 for each extra person. The free plan covers up to 15 employees in one department.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
WhenToWork
Why we picked WhenToWork
WhenToWork charges one flat price for the whole account: $28 a month for up to 10 employees, currently on a promotional rate. Every feature is included, and AutoFill drafts the week from staff availability.
It has no time clock, and its Android app is rated 1.5 by 3,160 users, so it suits teams that only need a shared schedule, such as volunteer groups and seasonal staff.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Rotageek
Why we picked Rotageek
Rotageek builds schedules from demand forecasts, matching staff hours to expected footfall and sales. Its customers have included Pret, O2 and Merlin Entertainments, and it became part of ELMO Software in June 2025. Pricing is quote only and suits chains far more than single sites.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Dayforce
Why we picked Dayforce
Dayforce puts scheduling, time and payroll on a single employee record, so hours worked flow into pay without an export. It is the most complete HR and payroll suite on this page.
That depth comes at a cost. Pricing is quote only, there is no trial, and setup is a full HR and payroll project rather than a same-week switch.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Ubeya
Why we picked Ubeya
Ubeya charges only for workers who are active that month, at $4 each with a $50 minimum. For staffing agencies and event teams whose headcount swings week to week, that beats paying for everyone on the books.
Workers accept shifts, clock in and get updates from the app, and managers can organize jobs by client.
Employee scheduling details
Editor scores: 8 parameters
Strengths and limitations
Support channels
Every tool on this page was scored on the same eight parameters, with prices checked on each vendor’s own site in October 2026. The full method and weights are in the methodology below.
This guide is for the decision after the shortlist: which pricing model fits your headcount, where the time clock and payroll should live, and whether your locations fall under a fair workweek law.
How to choose employee scheduling software
Every tool here builds a schedule and sends it to staff phones. These five factors are where they actually differ.
Match the pricing model to your headcount
Per-user tools are cheapest for small teams and climb with every hire. Per-location and per-hub tools cost more at first and then stay flat.
Best equippedHomebase, Connecteam
Check whether the time clock is in the price
When I Work sells its clock as an add-on and WhenToWork has none. If you pay by the hour worked, you need clock-ins that feed timesheets.
Best equippedDeputy, Homebase, Connecteam
Test the app your staff will use
Managers choose the software, but staff decide whether it works. A schedule nobody opens fails, so check the Android rating, not just the iPhone one.
Best equippedDeputy, Connecteam, Sling
Three kinds of scheduling tool
How a tool charges says a lot about who it was built for. The ten on this page fall into three groups.
Where the time clock and payroll should live
The biggest practical choice is how much of the hours-to-pay chain sits in one product. Each step you keep separate adds an export or an integration to maintain.
Changing payroll too? Compare the options in our payroll software ranking. If you only need clock-ins and timesheets, see our time tracking software list.
What it really costs at 10, 30 and 75 staff
Headline prices use different units, so we costed each tool at three team sizes, one location, on its entry paid plan with monthly billing.
| Tool | 10 staff | 30 staff | 75 staff | Charges outside the headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When I Work | $25 | $75 | $187.50 | Time clock is a paid add-on |
| Deputy | $50 | $150 | $375 | $30 minimum monthly spend |
| Homebase | $30 | $30 | $30 | Payroll $39 a month plus $6 per person, each extra location billed |
| Connecteam | $35 | $35 | $35 plus extra seats | Each hub billed separately |
| Sling | $20 | $60 | $150 | Free plan to 30 users has no clock or swaps |
| Shiftbase | €46 | €126 | €306 | Priced in euros, yearly billing 10% less |
| WhenToWork | $28 | Not published | Not published | $28 is a promotional rate |
| Rotageek | Quote | Quote | Quote | Custom contract |
| Dayforce | Quote | Quote | Quote | Priced by module and employee |
| Ubeya | $50 | $120 | $300 | $50 minimum, counts active workers only |
Prices as published on each vendor’s own site in October 2026. Ubeya assumes every worker is active that month.
Fair workweek laws and which tools enforce them
Oregon and a group of cities require covered employers to post schedules in advance and pay extra when they change them. If you have a location in one of these places, the software should catch a breach before you publish, not after payroll.
| Where | Who is covered | Schedule notice | Pay for late changes | Rest between shifts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon (statewide) | Retail, hospitality and food service with 500+ employees worldwide | 14 days | Yes | 10 hours, or time and a half |
| Seattle | Retail and food service with 500+ employees worldwide (full-service restaurants also need 40+ locations) | 14 days | 1 extra hour for added time, half pay for cut hours | 10 hours, or time and a half |
| Chicago | Seven industries, 100+ employees globally, workers earning up to $33.85 an hour or $64,945.55 a year from July 1, 2026 | 14 days | Yes | 10 hours, or 1.25 times pay |
| New York City | Fast food and retail chains | 14 days fast food, 72 hours retail | Yes, fast food | Fast food clopening premium |
| San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Berkeley, Emeryville, Evanston | Chains above local size thresholds | Generally 14 days | Yes | Varies by city |
Checked in October 2026 against Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards and the City of Chicago’s July 2026 notice. Chicago raised its pay ceiling this year, so check thresholds for each location before you rely on the table. Here is how the ten tools handle these rules.
Will your staff actually use the app?
iPhone ratings for the six apps below all sit between 4.6 and 4.9, so they tell you little. The Android ratings below spread much wider, and they come from the people who will open the schedule every week.
A low Android score does not rule a tool out, but it tells you where to test.
Run the trial on staff phones: When I Work rates 4.8 on iPhone but 2.9 on Android. Ask two or three Android users on your team to clock in, swap a shift and request time off before you sign.
Five questions to ask every vendor
Most surprises on this page come from fees and limits outside the headline price. Put these questions to sales in writing.
“What will we pay each month at our headcount, with the time clock included?”
“Is there a minimum monthly spend or seat count?”
“Is this a promotional rate, and what will we pay after it ends?”
“Which scheduling laws for our locations do you enforce automatically?”
“Can we export all schedules and timesheets if we cancel?”
Narrow it down
Start with your biggest constraint. Each row names the tool that handles it best and the number that decides it.
Six common priorities, and the tool on this page that handles each one best.
Staff must use it from day one
Highest ease-of-use score on this page at 4.7, from $2.50 per user a month.
Locations in fair workweek cities
Compliance score of 4.8, with break, overtime and rest rules checked before you publish.
One site with a growing team
$30 a month per location with unlimited employees, so new hires add nothing.
Field and deskless crews
Free for up to 10 users, with a GPS time clock and team chat in one app.
Agency or event staffing
$4 per active worker with a $50 minimum, so idle names on the books cost nothing.
Source: HRStacks editorial scores and vendor pricing, October 2026
Employee Scheduling Software FAQs
Short answers to the questions buyers ask most, using the prices and scores on this page.
How we scored employee scheduling software
Every provider on this page is scored on these same eight parameters, on a 1 to 5 scale. The overall score is the weighted average, and rankings are not influenced by paid placement.
Pricing & Value
Published price at 10, 30 and 75 staff on monthly billing, minimum spends, paid add-ons and how far the free plan goes. Quote-only pricing scores lower because buyers cannot check it.
Scheduling & Shift Management
How fast a manager builds and publishes a week: templates, auto-scheduling, availability, open shifts, swaps and time-off handling.
Time & Attendance
Whether a time clock is included, how clock-ins are verified and how cleanly hours turn into approved timesheets.
Labor Compliance & Cost Control
Break, overtime and rest rules checked before publishing, fair workweek support for covered cities, and labor cost shown while you plan.
Payroll & POS Integrations
Native payroll or the depth of payroll and point-of-sale connections, and whether approved hours move without a manual export.
Mobile & Deskless Support
How well the staff app works for people without a desk, judged on features and on public iPhone and Android ratings.
Customer Support
Support channels offered, response quality reported in public reviews, and access to help during setup.
Ease of Use
How quickly managers and staff become productive, based on our testing and recurring themes in public reviews.
Conclusion
Pick the tool your staff will actually open. A schedule that lives in an app nobody checks fails, whatever it costs.
The common pricing mistake is comparing per-user rates. When I Work’s $2.50 looks cheaper than Homebase’s $30 until you schedule 30 people: that is $75 a month before its time clock add-on, against Homebase’s flat $30.
Shortlist two tools, run both trials on your staff’s own phones for a full schedule cycle, and put the five questions above to each vendor in writing before you sign.
