Employee scheduling software lets you build shifts, let staff swap them from their phones, track hours and keep an eye on labor costs. For restaurants and retail stores, where the schedule changes every week, it is often the first piece of software that really pays for itself, but only if you choose the right pricing model. In my view that choice matters more than any feature list, so I start there.
My short answer: for a single location I would try Homebase or 7shifts (flat price per location), for the lowest cost per head Sling or When I Work, and for stricter labor-law compliance across several locations Deputy.
Start With the Math: Per Location or Per User?
Scheduling tools charge in two ways:
- Per location (Homebase, 7shifts): one flat price for the site, whatever the number of staff, though some plans cap employees.
- Per user (Deputy, When I Work, Sling): you pay for each person on the schedule.
The way to compare them is the break-even headcount: divide the location price by the per-user price. Above that number, the flat fee is cheaper. Below it, per-user wins.
| Flat price per location | vs. $2.50 per user | vs. $5 per user | vs. $9 per user |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30 | 12 staff | 6 staff | about 3 staff |
| $60 | 24 staff | 12 staff | about 7 staff |
| $100 | 40 staff | 20 staff | about 11 staff |
Several comparisons put the crossover for a typical restaurant between 10 and 30 staff per site, which matches this arithmetic. A 25-person restaurant is usually cheaper on a flat plan, while a retailer with six part-timers spread over three stores is usually cheaper per user.
Which Model Fits Which Business
- One restaurant, 15 to 40 staff: a flat per-location plan, such as Homebase or 7shifts.
- A shop with a handful of part-timers: per-user pricing, such as Sling or When I Work.
- Several locations with compliance exposure: Deputy, even though per-user costs add up, because of its compliance tools.
The Five Options
| Tool | Pricing model | Entry price (estimates) | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase | Per location | ~$25-$30/location/month | Yes, one location (employee cap varies by source) | Single-site small businesses |
| 7shifts | Per location | ~$30-$40/location/month | Yes, one location | Restaurants |
| Deputy | Per user | ~$5-$9/user/month, with a $30 monthly minimum | Trial only | Compliance across locations |
| When I Work | Per user | ~$2.50-$8/user/month | Trial only | Simple shift teams |
| Sling | Per user | Free up to 30 users; paid ~$1.70-$4/user/month | Yes | Tight budgets |
Prices come from 2026 comparisons that disagree in places, and many are published by competing vendors, so confirm every figure on the vendor’s own pricing page.
Homebase: the easiest place to start
Homebase offers a free plan for one location with scheduling, time tracking and team messaging, and paid plans from about $25 to $30 per location per month, rising to roughly $60 and about $100 to $120 for the top tier on annual billing. Sources disagree on how many employees the free plan allows, quoting limits of 10, 20 or more depending on the date. Its own blog also lists a payroll add-on at $49 a month plus $6 per paid employee. My take: the first thing I would try for a single site, because the free plan costs nothing to test. Watch out for: the free plan’s employee cap and which features sit on paid tiers.
7shifts: built for restaurants
7shifts is restaurant-specific, with tip pooling, labor forecasting from sales data and POS integrations, and it has a free plan for one location. Paid plans are listed at about $30 to $40 per location per month for the first tier, around $70 to $80 for the next and $135 to $150 for the top, with 7shifts Entrée appearing at $29.99, $34.99 and $39.99 in different sources. Payroll is a separate add-on of about $40 per location plus $6 per employee. My take: the best fit when you want scheduling tied to sales and labor targets. Watch out for: employee caps on lower plans and the spread in reported prices.
Deputy: for compliance across locations
Deputy is priced per user, with Lite at about $5, Core near $6.50 and Pro around $9, and a $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans. It is known for auto-scheduling, compliance alerts and facial verification at the time clock. My take: the one I would price first if I managed several stores in cities with scheduling laws. Watch out for: per-user costs rise quickly with a large hourly team.
When I Work: simple and per-head
When I Work charges about $2.50 per user per month on its entry plan, $5 on the middle plan and $8 on Premium, with time tracking included and the same per-user price across locations. My take: a good fit for teams that want a simple tool and fast adoption. Watch out for: it has no free plan, only a trial.
Sling: the cheapest per head
Sling has a free tier that covers scheduling and messaging for up to 30 users, with paid plans reported from about $1.70 to $2 per user and a Business plan around $3.40 to $4. My take: the lowest-cost way to start if you have many part-timers. Watch out for: it is lighter on restaurant-specific features such as sales forecasting.
Fair Workweek Laws: A Five-Minute Check
Some places require employers to publish schedules in advance and pay extra for late changes. Oregon has a statewide predictive scheduling law, and a number of cities have their own, including New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Los Angeles. A common pattern is 14 days of notice and a payment of about one hour of pay for certain late changes, but notice periods, industries and size thresholds vary, and New York City retail uses a shorter window than fast food. Sources even disagree on how many jurisdictions have such laws.
Check your own city and state labor department, and if you are covered, make compliance alerts a deciding feature. This is general information, not legal advice. Our guide to HR and payroll software covers the payroll side.
What I Would Measure in a 30-Day Pilot
A scheduling tool only earns its price if something changes. Before you start, write down your current numbers, and compare them after a month:
- Labor cost as a share of sales.
- Overtime hours.
- Schedule changes after posting.
- Time spent building the schedule.
- Shift swaps and no-shows.
Questions I Would Ask Before Paying
- Is there a minimum monthly spend or an employee cap on the plan I need?
- How does the tool count an “active” employee?
- Does it integrate with my POS and payroll provider? See our guide to restaurant POS software.
- What is the price on annual billing versus monthly?
- Can I export my schedules and hours if I leave?
Related Guides
- Match staffing to bookings with restaurant reservation software.
- If your restaurant belongs to a hotel, see our guide to hotel management software.
- Automate shift reminders and approvals with AI workflow automation tools.
How I Researched This
I compared vendor pricing pages and several independent 2026 comparisons, and noted every price where sources disagreed. Many comparisons are published by scheduling vendors, including Homebase itself, so I weighed their claims carefully and used the break-even math above rather than any single source’s ranking. I have not run these tools in a live restaurant or store, so my opinions come from analysing pricing and positioning, not hands-on testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free employee scheduling software?
Homebase, 7shifts and Sling all have free plans, with different limits on locations and employees. Check the cap before you rely on one.
How much does employee scheduling software cost?
Per-user tools run roughly $2 to $9 per person per month, and per-location tools from free to about $150 per location per month.
Is per-location or per-user pricing cheaper?
Divide the location price by the per-user price. Above that number of staff, the flat fee wins; below it, per-user pricing is cheaper.
Do I have to follow predictive scheduling laws?
Only if your business is covered where you operate, which depends on your city or state, your industry and your size. Check with your local labor department.
My Verdict
If I had to simplify all of this: do the break-even math first, then try Homebase or 7shifts for a single restaurant, Sling or When I Work for a small per-head budget, and Deputy if compliance is your main risk. Whatever you choose, measure labor cost before and after your first month.
Pricing note: figures are estimates from independent 2026 comparisons and may differ from vendor pages. Confirm current pricing with each vendor.
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