Employee Scheduling Software Pricing Comparison 2026

Employee scheduling software in 2026 splits into three pricing philosophies. Per-user (Deputy $5-$9, When I Work $2.50-$8, Sling $0-$4) scales with employee count — best for businesses with a small, consistent roster. Per-location (Homebase $0-$120/location, 7shifts $0-$69.99/location) scales with number of worksites — best for SMB multi-location brands (restaurants, retail, salons) where 'employees per location' is predictable. Freemium-first (Sling free up to 30 users, Homebase free for 1 location with 10 employees) lets very small operators get started at $0 and upgrade when needed. The category has converged on the same core feature set (scheduling + time clock + team messaging + payroll integration), meaning differentiation now comes from vertical focus: 7shifts is restaurant-first (tip pooling, POS integration), Homebase targets SMB retail/hospitality multi-location, Deputy serves enterprise mid-market with compliance focus, When I Work is the generalist mid-market leader, Sling goes down-market with generous free tier.

First: what's your industry? Restaurants with tip pooling and POS integration needs: 7shifts is purpose-built. Multi-location retail/hospitality SMB (5-50 locations): Homebase (per-location pricing scales clean). Complex compliance environments (healthcare, care, trades with break/labor laws): Deputy (labor law compliance is best-in-category). Generalist growing SMB (offices, small retail, service): When I Work or Sling. Very small operation (≤30 employees, 1 location): Sling free or Homebase Basic free. Second: per-user or per-location economics? If you have 10 employees at 3 locations: Deputy Lite = $50/mo (10 × $5), Homebase Essentials annual = $72/mo (3 × $24), 7shifts Entrée ≈ $90/mo (3 × $29.99). Per-user wins for few employees per location; per-location wins for many employees per location. Third: do you need integrated payroll? Homebase All-in-One ($96/loc annual) includes payroll that's actually good; Deputy Payroll ($8/user + $49/mo base) is Paycor-powered and solid; 7shifts Payroll integrated into The Works. Standalone payroll (Gusto, Justworks) is usually better quality but adds another vendor. Fourth: how complex is your scheduling? Simple shift rotation: Sling Premium ($1.70/user annual) or When I Work Essentials ($2.50/user). Advanced demand forecasting, auto-scheduling, wage budget optimization: Deputy Core ($6.50) or 7shifts The Works. AI-powered scheduling (reads historical patterns + sales data): Homebase Plus ($56/loc annual) and Deputy Pro ($9/user).

For most SMB operators running 1-10 locations: Homebase Essentials at $24/location/month annual (unlimited employees, advanced scheduling, time clock, team communication) is the best default. Predictable per-location cost, generous employee counts, and the Basic free tier for your first location lets you try the product at zero risk. For restaurants specifically: 7shifts Entrée at ~$30/location/month annual is purpose-built with tip pooling, POS integration (Toast, Square, Clover), and restaurant-specific labor compliance. For businesses with 20+ employees at 1-2 locations (offices, clinics, small retail): When I Work Essentials at $2.50/user/month scales cheaper than Homebase's per-location model. For complex compliance environments (healthcare, trades with union rules): Deputy Core at $6.50/user is the compliance leader and worth the premium. For micro-businesses (≤30 employees, 1 location, tight budget): Sling free or Sling Premium at $1.70/user annual is the cheapest real solution.