Workzenly makes time clock, scheduling, PTO and payroll software, and it appears in this list as one option. We researched every product on its own website on November 7, 2026. No company paid to be included. Features and prices change, so check each vendor’s site before you buy.
The best Homebase alternatives depend on why you are leaving. When I Work and Sling cost less for small teams spread over several locations, 7shifts goes deeper for restaurants, Connecteam suits crews at job sites, and Deputy adds labor law compliance for multi-site operators. This guide compares nine apps like Homebase, with prices checked on each vendor’s site.
Homebase is scheduling, time clock and team communication software for hourly small businesses. Its free Basic plan covers one location with up to 10 employees. Paid plans are priced per location with unlimited employees: Essentials is $24 per location per month on annual billing ($30 monthly), Plus is $56 and the top plan, which adds HR and compliance tools, is $96. Payroll is an add-on at $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid, and Tip Manager, Task Manager and hiring tools cost extra.
Most people searching for Homebase competitors have hit one of three limits: an 11th employee or a second location ends the free plan, per-location fees add up across many small sites, or they need a feature such as geofenced job-site clock-ins or advanced compliance rules. Each tool below says which buyer it fits.
Top picks at a glance
When I WorkBest for small teams across many locations
SlingBest for a large free team
7shiftsBest for restaurants
ConnecteamBest for job sites and field crews
WorkzenlyBest for schedule, time, PTO and payroll in one app
GustoBest for payroll first
Homebase competitors compared
| Tool | Best for | Free plan or trial | Starting price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When I Work | small teams across many locations | 14-day free trial, no free plan | $2.50 per user/month (Essentials); time tracking is an add-on | Web, iOS, Android |
| Sling | a large free team | Free plan up to 30 users; 15-day trial of paid plans | $1.70 per user/month billed annually ($2 monthly) | Web, iOS, Android |
| 7shifts | restaurants | Free Comp plan: 1 location, up to 15 employees; 14-day trial | $39.99 per location/month billed annually (Essentials, teams up to 30) | Web, iOS, Android |
| Connecteam | job sites and field crews | Free for up to 10 users; 14-day trial | $29/month for the first 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic) | Web, iOS, Android, kiosk app |
| Workzenly | schedule, time, PTO and payroll in one app | Book a demo | Book a demo | Employee app, shared tablet clock |
 Deputy | multi-location compliance | Free trial up to 31 days, no free plan | $5 per user/month (Lite); $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans | Web, iOS, Android |
| Gusto | payroll first | No free plan listed | $49/month + $6 per person (Simple); scheduling is on Plus or a $6 per person add-on | Web, iOS, Android |
 Buddy Punch | accurate hours and GPS punches | 14-day free trial, no free plan | $4.99 per user/month + $19 base fee, billed annually | Web, iOS, Android, kiosk |
 QuickBooks Time | QuickBooks Online users | No free plan; 30-day free trial of the base fee | $20/month base + $10 per user/month (Time Premium) | Web, iOS, Android, kiosk |
- Best for
- small teams across many locations
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no free plan
- Starting price
- $2.50 per user/month (Essentials); time tracking is an add-on
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
When I Work is the usual first comparison for Homebase users. The key difference is billing: When I Work charges per user, from $2.50 per user per month on Essentials, while Homebase charges per location. If you run five small sites with six people each, per-user pricing can cost less than five per-location subscriptions. Multi-location scheduling is included on the entry plan.
Essentials includes auto scheduling, schedule templates, forecast tools, OpenShifts, shift swaps and in-app messaging. Pro adds scheduling rules, role permissions and labor sharing between locations. Time tracking and attendance is a separate add-on, and payroll runs through integrations rather than inside the app. There is a 14-day free trial and no free plan.
Strengths
- Entry plan from $2.50 per user/month with unlimited users
- Auto scheduling, schedule templates and multi-week, multi-location scheduling on Essentials
- OpenShifts, shift swapping and in-app team messaging on every plan
- 14-day free trial of everything, no credit card required
Drawbacks
- No free plan
- Time tracking and attendance is a separate add-on you switch on per plan
- No built-in payroll; it connects to payroll providers instead
- Best for
- a large free team
- Free plan or trial
- Free plan up to 30 users; 15-day trial of paid plans
- Starting price
- $1.70 per user/month billed annually ($2 monthly)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
Sling is the alternative for a team that has outgrown Homebase’s 10-employee free plan but still wants to pay nothing for the schedule. Sling’s free plan covers shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts and messaging for up to 30 users. Sling is now part of Toast, the restaurant point-of-sale company.
When you need a time clock, Premium costs $1.70 per user per month on annual billing and adds mobile clock-in with geofencing, timesheets, overtime tracking and labor budgets. Business adds kiosk clock-in, attendance reports and PTO management. Sling does not process payroll, so Homebase users who rely on its payroll add-on would need a separate provider.
Strengths
- Free plan for up to 30 users with shift scheduling, time-off requests and messaging
- Paid plans from $1.70 per user/month billed annually
- Labor cost tracking, overtime tracking and budgeting on Premium
- Now part of Toast, the restaurant point-of-sale company
Drawbacks
- Time clock, geofencing and timesheets need the paid Premium plan
- Kiosk clock-in, attendance reports and PTO management are on the Business plan
- No built-in payroll processing
- Best for
- restaurants
- Free plan or trial
- Free Comp plan: 1 location, up to 15 employees; 14-day trial
- Starting price
- $39.99 per location/month billed annually (Essentials, teams up to 30)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
7shifts is the specialist option for restaurants that use Homebase today. It bills per location like Homebase, and its free Comp plan covers basic scheduling for one location with up to 15 employees, five more than Homebase’s free tier. Paid plans add restaurant-specific tools: a manager log book, labor compliance and tip management.
Essentials costs $39.99 per location per month on annual billing and adds team messaging and basic time clocking, with a cap of 30 employees per location. Pro at $79.99 adds PTO accruals, labor compliance and advanced clocking for up to 60 employees. Premium at $134.99 includes tip management and the US payroll add-on, which otherwise costs $39.99 per location plus $6 per employee paid.
Strengths
- Built for restaurants, with tip management, labor compliance and a manager log book
- Free Comp plan for one location with up to 15 employees
- Labor compliance tools and PTO accruals on Pro ($79.99 per location/month billed annually for teams up to 30)
- US payroll add-on that turns timesheets, tips and PTO into pay runs
Drawbacks
- The free plan covers scheduling only; time clocking starts on Essentials
- Employee caps per location: 30 on Essentials and 60 on Pro
- Tip management and payroll are included only on Premium ($134.99 per location/month billed annually, or $179.99 for teams of 31 or more)
- Best for
- job sites and field crews
- Free plan or trial
- Free for up to 10 users; 14-day trial
- Starting price
- $29/month for the first 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, kiosk app
Connecteam fits businesses whose people start the day somewhere other than the store: cleaning, home care, landscaping and construction. Its time clock records GPS-verified clock-ins, lets you geofence each work area and adds a kiosk app for a shared tablet. Scheduling covers shift templates, open shifts, swaps and AI auto-scheduling.
Pricing is flat for the first 30 users rather than per location. The free Small Business plan covers up to 10 users with all hubs, limited to one time clock and one schedule; after that, the Operations hub starts at $29 a month on annual billing for 30 users, plus a fee for each extra user. Chat, HR documents and training are separate hubs, each with its own price.
Strengths
- Free Small Business plan for up to 10 users with all hubs, limited to one time clock and one schedule
- GPS-verified clock-ins, geofenced work areas and a shared-tablet kiosk app
- Shift templates, open shifts, shift swaps and AI auto-scheduling
- Separate hubs for team chat, HR documents and training
Drawbacks
- Priced per hub, so scheduling, chat and HR each add a subscription
- The free plan ends at 10 users
- Paid plans charge a flat fee for the first 30 users plus a fee for each extra user
- Best for
- schedule, time, PTO and payroll in one app
- Free plan or trial
- Book a demo
- Starting price
- Book a demo
- Platforms
- Employee app, shared tablet clock
Workzenly is our product. Like Homebase, it keeps scheduling, the time clock and payroll together, but PTO tracking, onboarding with e-signed forms, documents and performance reviews sit in the same employee records too. Employees clock in on a phone or a shared tablet with GPS and geofencing, and see shifts, PTO balances and pay stubs in one app.
It suits a US business that is outgrowing a free scheduler and would rather not stack add-ons for payroll, PTO and onboarding. We do not publish prices or offer a self-serve free plan. Book a demo and we will price it for your locations and headcount.
Strengths
- Scheduling, time clock, PTO and payroll share one set of employee records
- Phone or shared-tablet clock-in with GPS and geofencing
- Pay stubs, e-signed onboarding forms and documents in the employee app
- Performance reviews in the same system
Drawbacks
- No published price; you get a quote on a demo call
- No self-serve free plan
- More than you need if you only want a free schedule for one small team
- Best for
- multi-location compliance
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial up to 31 days, no free plan
- Starting price
- $5 per user/month (Lite); $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
Deputy suits operators with several sites who need more control than Homebase offers. Labor law compliance tools are on every plan, and Core adds advanced compliance, demand forecasting, wage budgets, auto-scheduling and biometric clocking. Pro adds location hierarchies, custom access levels and SSO for larger groups.
Billing is per user: Lite is $5 and Core $6.50 per user per month, with a $30 minimum per invoice on monthly plans. US payroll is an add-on enabled by Paycor for annual Core and Pro customers at $8 per user per month plus a $49 base fee. Deputy offers a free trial of up to 31 days and no free plan.
Strengths
- Labor law compliance tools on every plan, with advanced compliance on Core
- Auto-scheduling, demand forecasting and wage budgets on Core ($6.50 per user/month)
- Biometric time clocking on Core
- US payroll add-on enabled by Paycor, plus an HR add-on at $2 per user/month
Drawbacks
- No free plan
- $30 minimum per monthly invoice on monthly plans
- Payroll needs an annual Core or Pro plan and costs $8 per user/month plus a $49 base fee
- Best for
- payroll first
- Free plan or trial
- No free plan listed
- Starting price
- $49/month + $6 per person (Simple); scheduling is on Plus or a $6 per person add-on
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
Gusto is the pick for a business that mainly uses Homebase for payroll and could live with simpler scheduling. Gusto runs full-service payroll on every plan, with tax filings, unlimited pay runs, direct deposit and an employee app. Time tracking and scheduling are included on Plus, and Simple users can add them with Time & Attendance Plus for $6 per person per month.
Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person and covers single-state payroll, basic PTO policies and holiday pay. Plus costs $80 a month plus $12 per person and adds time tracking, scheduling, multi-state payroll and workforce cost reports. A large hourly team that rebuilds the schedule every week will find more scheduling tools in a dedicated app.
Strengths
- Full-service payroll with tax filings and unlimited payroll runs on every plan
- Time tracking and scheduling included on the Plus plan
- Basic PTO policies and holiday pay on Simple
- Employee and employer mobile apps
Drawbacks
- No free plan
- On Simple, time tracking and scheduling are a $6 per person add-on; Plus costs $80/month plus $12 per person
- Scheduling is part of a payroll product, not a dedicated shift-planning tool
- Best for
- accurate hours and GPS punches
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no free plan
- Starting price
- $4.99 per user/month + $19 base fee, billed annually
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, kiosk
Buddy Punch is a time clock first. If your main reason to leave Homebase is tighter control of hours, it offers GPS on punches, time-off tracking and payroll integrations from Starter, plus geofencing, QR code scanning, PIN and kiosk punches and offline mode on Pro.
Starter costs $4.99 per user per month plus a $19 base fee on annual billing. Pro, which includes scheduling, costs $6.99 per user plus the base fee; Starter users can add scheduling for $1 per user. Real-time GPS tracking is a $2 add-on below Advanced. There is a 14-day free trial and no free plan.
Strengths
- GPS on punches, time-off tracking and payroll integrations from the Starter plan
- Geofencing, QR code scanning and PIN or kiosk punches on Pro
- Scheduling included on Pro and a $1 per user add-on on Starter
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
Drawbacks
- No free plan
- A $19 monthly base fee on every plan
- Real-time GPS tracking is a $2 per user add-on below the Advanced plan
- Best for
- QuickBooks Online users
- Free plan or trial
- No free plan; 30-day free trial of the base fee
- Starting price
- $20/month base + $10 per user/month (Time Premium)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, kiosk
QuickBooks Time is the Homebase alternative for businesses that keep their books in QuickBooks Online, which it requires. Hours sync into QuickBooks for payroll and job costing, and both plans include scheduling, a time kiosk and the Workforce mobile app.
Time Premium lists at $20 a month base plus $10 per user per month, with the base fee discounted for the first three months at the time of writing. Time Elite costs $40 base plus $12 per user and adds project tracking, mileage tracking and timesheet signatures. Per-user pricing makes it costlier than Homebase for a large hourly team, but it removes manual hour entry for QuickBooks users.
Strengths
- Hours flow into QuickBooks Online for payroll and invoicing
- Scheduling and a time kiosk are included on both Time plans
- Time off, alerts and photo attachments on Time Premium
- Project tracking, mileage tracking and timesheet signatures on Time Elite
Drawbacks
- Requires a QuickBooks Online account
- A monthly base fee on top of the per-user fee
- Time Elite costs $40/month base plus $12 per user/month
How we chose these tools
We listed the products that US small businesses compare with Homebase on review-site category pages and vendor comparison pages, then confirmed each one on its own website on November 7, 2026. Homebase itself is summarized in the introduction and left out of the ranking, since this page lists Homebase alternatives.
Our criteria
- Shift scheduling and a time clock for hourly employees, built in or as a clear add-on.
- A published US price, or an honest note when there is none.
- A mobile app for employees.
- A clear payroll answer: included, add-on, or export only.
- No ratings, review quotes or paid placements; drawbacks are facts from vendor pages.
How to choose between Homebase alternatives
First, price your real setup. Count locations, employees (including managers) and the add-ons you use today, such as payroll and tip pooling. Homebase’s per-location pricing is hard to beat for one busy location with many part-timers; per-user apps win for many small locations; flat team pricing sits in between.
Then check each finalist against US labor rules during its free trial:
- Overtime. The FLSA requires 1.5 times the regular rate for non-exempt hours over 40 in a workweek. Check for overtime warnings while scheduling, not only on the timesheet. Our guide on how to calculate overtime shows the math, including bonuses.
- Daily overtime and breaks. California adds daily overtime after 8 hours, and several states require meal breaks. The app should let you set break rules per location.
- Predictive scheduling. Oregon and cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia require advance schedule notice for certain employers. Ask how each app records publish dates and late changes.
- Clock-in control. Decide between phone clock-in with GPS or geofencing, and a shared tablet kiosk. Compare options in our list of free time clock apps.
- Records. Keep payroll records for three years and time cards for two, as the FLSA requires. Export your Homebase timesheets before you cancel.
- Payroll. If you use Homebase payroll, line up a new provider or an app with payroll included before your last pay run, so year-end tax forms stay with one provider where possible.
Want the full field rather than switch candidates? See our guide to the best employee scheduling apps, or map your shifts first with a free employee schedule template.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Homebase?
Sling has the largest free team: its free plan covers scheduling, time-off requests and messaging for up to 30 users, though the time clock needs a paid plan. 7shifts’ free Comp plan covers one restaurant location with up to 15 employees. Connecteam is free for up to 10 users, with one time clock and one schedule.
Homebase vs When I Work: which costs less?
Homebase charges per location, from $24 per location per month on annual billing with unlimited employees, and has a free plan for 10 employees at one location. When I Work charges $2.50 per user per month and up. One large location usually favors Homebase; several small locations often favor When I Work.
Which Homebase competitor includes payroll?
Gusto runs payroll on every plan and adds scheduling on Plus. Deputy sells US payroll enabled by Paycor as an add-on on annual Core and Pro plans. 7shifts sells a US payroll add-on and includes it in Premium. Workzenly includes payroll with scheduling, the time clock and PTO tracking.
What happens when I outgrow Homebase’s free plan?
Homebase’s Basic plan covers one location with up to 10 employees. Once you add an 11th employee or a second location, Homebase asks you to choose one of its three paid plans, each priced per location per month, starting with Essentials. That is a good moment to compare per-user and flat-priced alternatives.
Can I move my employees from Homebase to another app?
Yes. Export your employee list and timesheets from Homebase, then import the staff list into the new app, which most scheduling tools accept as a spreadsheet. Rebuild one typical week as a schedule template, run both apps for a pay period to compare hours, and download payroll records before you cancel.