Bottom Line Up Front
- 🏆 Best Overall: When I Work is the sweet spot for most shift-based teams—simple, affordable, and mobile-first.
- 🍔 Best for Restaurants: 7shifts is purpose-built for food service with labor cost tracking and tip pooling.
- ⚡ Best for Enterprise Features: Deputy offers advanced compliance tools, demand forecasting, and deep integrations.
Managing shift schedules used to mean whiteboards, spreadsheets, and constant phone tag. Modern scheduling software automates the chaos—letting employees request time off, swap shifts, and get notifications, all from their phones.
But with dozens of options (When I Work, Deputy, 7shifts, Homebase, Humanity...), choosing gets overwhelming. We tested the top contenders based on ease of use, mobile experience, and affordability.
Detailed Reviews of the Top Scheduling Software
When I Work
When I Work nails the basics: drag-and-drop scheduling, mobile-first design, and seamless team communication. It's built for retail, hospitality, and healthcare teams that need shift coverage without the complexity of enterprise tools.
✅ The Good
- Intuitive drag-and-drop scheduling
- Mobile app employees actually use
- Shift trading with manager approval
- Auto-schedule based on availability
- Built-in team messaging
- Time clock with geofencing
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Limited reporting on lower tiers
- No forecasting/demand planning
- Integrations weaker than competitors
- Payroll integration costs extra
No credit card required
7shifts
Purpose-built for restaurants, 7shifts goes beyond basic scheduling to track labor costs against sales data in real-time. It integrates with POS systems (Toast, Square, Clover) to optimize shift planning based on forecasted demand.
✅ The Good
- Labor cost forecasting vs. revenue
- POS integrations (Toast, Square, etc.)
- Tip pooling and distribution
- Manager logbook for shift notes
- Recipe for restaurant workflows
- Excellent mobile app for FOH/BOH
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Overkill if you're not in food service
- Pricing jumps quickly with add-ons
- Learning curve for full feature set
- Customer support hit-or-miss
Deputy
Deputy is the power-user choice. It combines scheduling with compliance tracking (break rules, overtime alerts), demand forecasting, and task management. Perfect for multi-location retail or healthcare operations that need bulletproof labor law compliance.
✅ The Good
- Auto-break enforcement by state law
- Demand forecasting with AI
- Task management on top of scheduling
- Kiosk mode for time clocking
- Deep integrations (300+ apps)
- Multi-location support
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Steeper learning curve
- More expensive than simpler tools
- Interface can feel overwhelming
- Overkill for small single-location teams
Homebase
Homebase markets itself as the "free" option, and it largely delivers. The core scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging features are genuinely free forever for unlimited employees. Paid upgrades unlock hiring, HR compliance, and payroll.
✅ The Good
- Truly free forever (core features)
- Unlimited employees on free plan
- Integrated hiring/applicant tracking
- HR compliance library
- POS integrations for restaurants
- Clean, easy-to-use interface
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Best features locked behind paid tiers
- Reporting limited on free plan
- Mobile app can be glitchy
- Support is slow for free users
Humanity (TCP)
Humanity (now part of TCP Software) is built for complex scheduling needs: rotating shifts, split shifts, on-call rotations, and union rules. It's enterprise-grade but more accessible than competitors like Kronos or ADP Workforce Now.
✅ The Good
- Handles complex rotation schedules
- Shift bidding for fairness
- Auto-scheduling with AI
- Leave management built-in
- Strong reporting and analytics
- 24/7 customer support
❌ The Not-So-Good
- More expensive than competitors
- Complexity overkill for simple shifts
- Setup can take weeks
- Mobile app less polished
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | When I Work | 7shifts | Deputy | Homebase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Most Teams | Restaurants | Enterprise | Budget |
| Free Tier | ✓ Up to 75 | ✓ 1 location | Trial only | ✓ Unlimited |
| Starting Price | $2/user/mo | $35/location | $4.50/user/mo | $20/location |
| Shift Trading | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in |
| Time Clock | ✓ GPS | ✓ GPS | ✓ Kiosk | ✓ GPS |
| Labor Forecasting | ❌ No | ✓ POS data | ✓ AI-based | ❌ No |
| Mobile App Quality | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Good |
How to Choose the Right Scheduling Software
1. Match the Tool to Your Industry
- Restaurants: 7shifts or Homebase (POS integrations, labor cost tracking)
- Retail: When I Work or Deputy (shift trading, demand forecasting)
- Healthcare: Deputy or Humanity (compliance, rotation scheduling)
- General service: When I Work or Homebase (simplicity wins)
2. Consider Your Team's Mobile Usage
If most employees don't have company email or computers, the mobile app quality is critical. When I Work and 7shifts have the best employee-facing apps we've tested—intuitive enough that onboarding takes minutes.
3. Think About Integrations
If you use a POS system (Square, Toast, Clover), payroll software (Gusto, ADP), or accounting tool (QuickBooks), verify integration support before committing. Deputy has the widest integration ecosystem (300+ apps).
4. Don't Overpay for Features You Won't Use
Deputy's AI forecasting is powerful, but if you run a steady-state operation (same shifts every week), you're paying for complexity you don't need. Start simple (When I Work, Homebase) and upgrade if you outgrow it.
5. Test Employee Adoption During Trial
The best scheduling software is the one your team will actually use. During your free trial, get employees logging in and requesting time off. If adoption is low after week 1, it won't magically improve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I really use free scheduling software, or is it a trap?
Homebase and Clockify (for time tracking) offer genuinely useful free tiers with unlimited employees. The catch: you'll hit limits on reporting, integrations, and support. But for a small team (under 20), free plans work great.
How do I get employees to actually use the app?
Make it mandatory and enforce consequences. One restaurant we talked to withheld paychecks if timesheets weren't submitted via the app—adoption went to 100% overnight. (Just make sure that's legal in your state.)
What's the difference between scheduling and time tracking software?
Scheduling = planning shifts in advance. Time tracking = recording actual hours worked. Most modern tools (When I Work, Deputy, Homebase) do both, which is ideal for comparing scheduled vs. actual hours.
Do I need separate payroll software?
Usually, yes. Most scheduling tools export hours to payroll providers (Gusto, ADP, Paychex) rather than processing paychecks themselves. The exception: Homebase offers payroll as an add-on.
Can scheduling software help with labor law compliance?
Yes! Deputy and Humanity automatically enforce break rules, overtime limits, and "predictive scheduling" laws (required in some cities). This alone can save you from costly labor violations.
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