Employee scheduling software: prices, scores and payroll links
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Employee scheduling software for 20 hourly staff at one location costs $30 to $100 a month at the four providers that publish prices, from Homebase Essentials ($30 per location) to Deputy Lite and When I Work Pro (both 20 x $5 = $100), according to their pricing pages (checked October 16, 2026). For 10 staff, Homebase and Connecteam have free plans.
The scheduling fee is the small part. The bigger choices are whether the app runs payroll itself, which plan includes the time clock, and how hard it is to leave an annual plan.
Employee scheduling software is an app that builds shift schedules, sends them to staff phones, handles swaps and time-off requests, and usually records clock-ins for payroll.
Our picks at a glance ranked by published score out of 100
- 1HomebaseSingle-location hourly businesses that want low-cost scheduling with built-in payroll$30 a month77See pricing
- 2ConnecteamDeskless and field teams that want scheduling and team chat in one app$35 a month72See pricing
- 3DeputyMulti-location hourly businesses that need auto-scheduling and labor law tools$100 a month62See pricing
- 4When I WorkHourly teams that want low per-user scheduling cost$100 a month58See pricing
- 57shiftsRestaurants, cafes and bars that need tip poolingNot published21See pricing
On this page
Scheduling and time tracking guides
Start with the cost table below if you already know you need a scheduling app. Use these pages to go deeper on one product or one job.
- 7shifts pricingNo published prices in our research, tip pooling, a payroll add-on and costed alternatives.
- Time clock appsWhich plan includes the clock, GPS clock-in, free tiers and cost for 10 and 20 staff.
- Connecteam pricingFlat price to 30 users, two free plans, GPS time clock and no payroll of its own.
- Deputy pricingPer-user plans from $5, the $30 minimum, payroll by Paycor and strict annual terms.
- Time tracking softwareHours to paycheck: all-in monthly cost for 10 and 20 staff and which payroll each app uses.
- Homebase pricingFree tier limits, per-location fees, payroll at $49 + $6 and the $29 small-team puzzle.
- Restaurant schedulingFive apps for restaurants ranked, with tip pooling, payroll links and costs for 10 and 20 staff.
- When I Work pricingPer-user plans from $2.50, a time tracking conflict on the page and payroll via Rippling.
- Workforce managementCosts at 50 staff and across 3 sites, forecasting, labor law tools and annual lock-in.
Quick picks, ranked by score
Ranked by our scheduling scores, which weigh price for 20 staff (30 points), features (25), payroll link (15), contract terms (15) and complaints (15). The method is on how we score providers.
Homebase
Scheduling is free for one location with up to 10 employees. Paid tiers are $30, $70 and $120 per location a month. Its own payroll is $49 + $6 per employee paid. Homebase plans and payroll fees.
How the score adds up
- Price30/30
- Scheduling tools15/25
- Payroll link15/15
- Contract terms11/15
- Complaints record6/15
Connecteam
$35 a month covers the first 30 users on Operations Basic ($29 billed yearly). GPS time clock and team chat are documented. No payroll of its own. Connecteam hubs and per-user fees.
How the score adds up
- Price30/30
- Scheduling tools15/25
- Payroll link5/15
- Contract terms13/15
- Complaints record9/15
Deputy
$5 to $9 per user a month with a $30 monthly minimum. The only one of the five that documents auto-scheduling with demand forecasting. Annual plans cannot be refunded or downgraded. Deputy plans and lock-in terms.
How the score adds up
- Price20/30
- Scheduling tools20/25
- Payroll link10/15
- Contract terms7/15
- Complaints record5/15
When I Work
$2.50 to $8 per user a month. The pricing page conflicts on which plan includes time tracking, so budget for Pro at $5. Payroll runs through Rippling. When I Work plan conflicts explained.
How the score adds up
- Price20/30
- Scheduling tools15/25
- Payroll link7/15
- Contract terms11/15
- Complaints record5/15
7shifts
Built for restaurants, with tip pooling and labor compliance tools and a payroll add-on. Its prices were not published in our research, which costs it 30 points. What we know about 7shifts pricing.
How the score adds up
- Price0/30
- Scheduling tools10/25
- Payroll link8/15
- Contract terms0/15
- Complaints record3/15
What scheduling software costs for 10 and 20 staff
| Provider (score) | Published price | 10 staff | 20 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase (77) | Basic $0 (1 location, up to 10 employees); Essentials $30, Plus $70, All-in-One $120 per location | $0 on Basic | $30 on Essentials |
| Connecteam (72) | Operations Basic: $35 a month billed monthly ($29 billed yearly) for the first 30 users, then $1.0 per extra user | $0 on the free Small Business plan (up to 10 users) or $35 on Basic | $35 on Basic |
| Deputy (62) | Lite $5, Core $6.50, Pro $9 per user; $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans | 10 x $5 = $50 on Lite | 20 x $5 = $100 on Lite |
| When I Work (58) | Essentials $2.50, Pro $5, Premium $8 per user | 10 x $5 = $50 on Pro (Essentials: 10 x $2.50 = $25) | 20 x $5 = $100 on Pro (Essentials: 20 x $2.50 = $50) |
| 7shifts (21) | Not published in our research (the pricing page showed no prices) | Not published | Not published |
Source: each vendor's pricing page, checked October 16, 2026. Monthly billing, one location, promotions left out. When I Work is priced on Pro because its page conflicts on whether Essentials includes time tracking. Deputy counts admins and managers as users.
Two things move the bill more than the sticker price. Homebase charges per location, so a second shop doubles the tier fee. Deputy and When I Work charge per user, and Deputy counts managers and admins as users. Connecteam charges a flat fee up to 30 users, then adds a per-user fee.
Homebase lists payroll at $49 + $6 per employee paid and also "$29 per month for teams up to 5". The page does not say whether the $6 per-person fee also applies to the $29 rate, so a 5-person team could pay $29 or $29 + 5 x $6 = $59.
Adding payroll: the real monthly bill
Most hourly businesses want hours to flow straight into payroll. Here is what that costs for each app, using only published prices.
| Provider (score) | How payroll works | 10 staff | 20 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase (77) | Own payroll: $49 + $6 per employee paid, plus the scheduling tier | $0 + $49 + 10 x $6 = $109 | $30 + $49 + 20 x $6 = $199 |
| Connecteam (72) | No payroll of its own; connects to outside payroll (not on the free plan) | $35 + your payroll bill | $35 + your payroll bill |
| Deputy (62) | Deputy Payroll (by Paycor): $49 + $8 per user, annual Core or Pro only | Core yearly 10 x $6.50 less 10% = $58.50, + $49 + 10 x $8 = $129: $187.50 | Core yearly 20 x $6.50 less 10% = $117, + $49 + 20 x $8 = $209: $326 |
| When I Work (58) | Payroll through a Rippling partnership; Rippling quotes only | $50 on Pro + Rippling quote | $100 on Pro + Rippling quote |
| 7shifts (21) | Own payroll add-on; price not published (promo: 3 months of 7shifts Payroll free) | Not published | Not published |
Source: Homebase, Connecteam, Deputy, When I Work, 7shifts and Rippling pricing pages, checked October 16, 2026. Payroll taxes are extra. Deputy shows "10% off annual"; we apply it to the per-user price. Rippling's FAQ says plans "start at $8 per employee per month, with a monthly base fee" without naming the product or the base fee.
For comparison, standalone payroll for 10 people is $95 a month on Square Payroll ($35 + $6 per person) and $109 on Gusto Simple ($49 + $6 per person), per their pricing pages checked October 16, 2026. Neither price includes a scheduling app. See our payroll rankings for more options, and remember that payroll taxes cost far more than either app: estimate employer taxes per worker.
What to check before you pick one
- Free plan limits. Homebase Basic: one location, up to 10 employees. Connecteam: a free Small Business plan for up to 10 users and a free Limited plan for up to 30 users, but the research did not capture which features each includes, and payroll integration is not on the free plan.
- Time clock tier. Deputy does not say which tier includes the time clock. When I Work's page conflicts on whether Essentials includes time tracking. Ask before you buy.
- GPS or geofenced clock-in. Only Connecteam documents a GPS time clock in our research. None of the five documents geofencing by name on the pages we checked. More in our time clock app comparison.
- Tips. Only 7shifts documents tip pooling. Restaurants should read restaurant scheduling apps compared and restaurant payroll and tip credits.
- Labor law tools. Deputy and 7shifts document labor law compliance features. Our research does not cover overtime or predictive scheduling rules by state, so we do not rate how well either handles them.
- Exit terms. Deputy's annual plans are paid upfront with no refund, downgrade or headcount cut. Connecteam refunds annual plans pro rata only in the first 30 days.
More on time tracking and workforce tools
If you mainly need clock-ins that feed payroll, read time tracking software that connects to payroll. If you run several sites and want forecasting, read workforce management software for multi-site teams. Before you set wages in a new schedule, check 2026 minimum wage by state.
Vendor pages: Homebase pricing, Connecteam pricing, Deputy pricing, When I Work pricing and 7shifts pricing and payroll.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest employee scheduling software?
Is there free employee scheduling software?
Which scheduling app also runs payroll?
How much does scheduling software cost per employee?
How are these scheduling apps ranked?
Sources (8)
- Homebase: Homebase pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Connecteam: Connecteam pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Deputy: Deputy pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- When I Work: When I Work pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- 7shifts: 7shifts pricing page (no prices shown) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Rippling: Rippling pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto: Gusto pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Square: Square Payroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
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