Employee scheduling · September 20, 2026
Best employee scheduling software (2026)
The schedule is where overtime hides. A spreadsheet in the break room is not a labor system.
By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure
Employee scheduling is not appointment booking. This page is for hourly crews — retail, restaurants, light healthcare — who swap shifts and blow overtime. Consultants booking clients should read the appointment ranking.
Homebase is the SMB default. Deputy is the heavier labor OS. When I Work is the simple published alternative. 7shifts is restaurant-shaped.
Prices as of September 20, 2026. Deputy publishes $5–$9 per user with a $30 monthly minimum. Homebase payroll is $39 + $6 if you add it. This is not wage-and-hour advice.
The short list
Public list prices as of September 20, 2026. Promos change. Confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
| # | Product | Best for | Public starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homebase | US shops that need a schedule the crew will open on their phone | Free scheduling tier plus paid location plans on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a $120/mo plan appears on the public card). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid. | 8.4 |
| 2 | Deputy | Operators who want published per-user labor software with time and compliance depth | Lite $5/user/month, Core $6.50, Pro $9 (USD, taxes extra; billed upfront or installments). A $49 base + $8/user monthly option also appears. Minimum spend $30/month on monthly Lite/Core/Pro as of Deputy’s public note (from September 1, 2025). | 8.1 |
| 3 | When I Work | Managers who want a straightforward schedule and time clock without a platform religion | When I Work publishes per-user scheduling plans on wheniwork.com/pricing. Confirm the live PEPM — packaging has moved between scheduling-only and bundles. We will not freeze a stale third-party $2.50 figure. | 7.8 |
| 4 | 7shifts | Restaurants that want a food-service labor tool, not a generic hourly app | 7shifts publishes location-based plans on 7shifts.com/pricing (comp and paid tiers; restaurant groups often talk to sales). Confirm the live location sticker. | 7.7 |
01
Homebase
US shops that need a schedule the crew will open on their phone
Public pricing: Free scheduling tier plus paid location plans on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a $120/mo plan appears on the public card). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid.
Homebase official pricing, reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You are a multi-unit restaurant group that wants 7shifts, or you need Deputy-grade labor compliance modules on day one.
Why it ranks
- Availability, swap, and the team chat are why hourly people use it.
- A path to payroll without a second vendor if you want it.
- Priced for one location, not a 400-person HCM.
- Ranks on our restaurant payroll page for the same reason.
Watch-outs
- Location-priced plans add up.
- Payroll is extra. Budget both.
- Not a professional services PSA.
- Predictive scheduling laws are on you — software will not make you a lawyer.
02
Deputy
Operators who want published per-user labor software with time and compliance depth
Public pricing: Lite $5/user/month, Core $6.50, Pro $9 (USD, taxes extra; billed upfront or installments). A $49 base + $8/user monthly option also appears. Minimum spend $30/month on monthly Lite/Core/Pro as of Deputy’s public note (from September 1, 2025).
Deputy pricing (deputy.com/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You have eight people and a simple week. Deputy’s $30 monthly minimum plus per-user fees is more product than a coffee cart needs.
Why it ranks
- Published PEPM you can model against headcount.
- Time, leave, and scheduling in one labor OS.
- Better when you have multiple sites and actual compliance work.
- API and payroll exports exist when Gusto or ADP is the payday.
Watch-outs
- The $30 minimum means a 3-person crew still pays a floor.
- Pro is easy to overbuy.
- Implementation is heavier than Homebase Free.
- AI add-ons are optional notes — not a reason to buy.
03
When I Work
Managers who want a straightforward schedule and time clock without a platform religion
Public pricing: When I Work publishes per-user scheduling plans on wheniwork.com/pricing. Confirm the live PEPM — packaging has moved between scheduling-only and bundles. We will not freeze a stale third-party $2.50 figure.
When I Work official pricing page, reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You need restaurant-specific 7shifts features or Homebase’s payroll add-on in the same login.
Why it ranks
- The UI is a schedule. That is a feature.
- Time clock and messaging cover the hourly loop.
- Useful when you do not want Homebase’s full product gravity.
- A known name for managers hired from other hourly shops.
Watch-outs
- Confirm current bundles so you do not buy time-clock twice.
- Payroll is usually elsewhere (Gusto, ADP).
- Less restaurant-specific than 7shifts.
- Export before you switch; schedules are operational memory.
04
7shifts
Restaurants that want a food-service labor tool, not a generic hourly app
Public pricing: 7shifts publishes location-based plans on 7shifts.com/pricing (comp and paid tiers; restaurant groups often talk to sales). Confirm the live location sticker.
7shifts official pricing (7shifts.com/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You are retail or a clinic. 7shifts is restaurant-shaped. Homebase or Deputy will fit better.
Why it ranks
- Forecasting and restaurant labor math are the point.
- Pairs with Toast and other F&B POS tools.
- Logbook and team comms match how kitchens actually run.
- A better default than generic HRIS scheduling for FOH/BOH.
Watch-outs
- Wrong vertical if you are not food.
- Location pricing vs per-user — model your shops.
- POS integration is a project.
- Tip and wage rules are still yours.
How we picked
The job is hourly SMB scheduling in the US. We scored crew adoption, published prices, payroll adjacency, and vertical fit. Sling and HotSchedules are fine; this list stays four.