Atto vs Homebase
We give Atto a 2.2 GPA and Homebase a 3.2, out of 4.0. Homebase grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Atto
GPS time clock and shift scheduling for field crews
Homebase
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAttoFair | 3.2GPAHomebaseVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DStarter is $5.65 a user a month billed yearly, so 15 staff pay $84.75 a month. That's the dearest figure in this category for a team that size. Team chat and live GPS tracking need Plus at $7.95 a head. | BEssentials is $24 per location a month billed yearly, with unlimited employees, so 15 staff at one site pay $24. For a team that size that's in the cheapest quarter of this category. A second site means a second plan. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 14-day trial of Advanced with no credit card needed. Two weeks is enough to see whether your crew takes to it. | BBasic is free for one location and up to 10 employees, with scheduling, time tracking and a POS link, though timesheets are kept only 90 days. A small team can really run on it. |
| Features | CThe time clock side is strong: GPS punches, a kiosk, automatic timesheets and mileage logs. The scheduling half covers templates, open shifts, trades and covers, but nothing on record fills shifts from availability, and time-off requests need Advanced. | BWeekly schedules around availability, shift trades and open shifts, clock-ins on phones, tablets or POS terminals, timesheets that follow your overtime rules and sync to payroll, plus hiring. The whole job, with an AI scheduling assistant on Plus. |
| Ease of use | B4.58 from 3,784 App Store ratings. Clocking in is a tap on the phone, which is most of what a crew will ever do in it. | A4.78 from 95,735 App Store ratings, more ratings than any other app in this category. Staff see shifts, trade them and clock in from the phone. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android. Payroll links are just QuickBooks Online and Xero, and the API only comes with Expert, which you buy through sales. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with tills like Square, Toast, Clover and Shopify and payroll like Gusto, ADP and QuickBooks. The API needs All-in-One, and there's no desktop app. |
| Best for | GPS time clocks for field crews | small single-site shops and restaurants |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Atto and Homebase. How we grade
Price against what you get
Atto starts at $5.65 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Homebase starts at $24 a month and scores 3.3.
Homebase scores higher, and starts $18.35 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other shift scheduling apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Atto for less, and none scores higher than Homebase for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Atto starts at $5.65 per user / month, billed annually (Starter). Homebase starts at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials).
- Homebase has a free plan. Atto does not, though it has a free trial.
- Homebase also covers job board posting and employee records.
At a glance
| Atto | Homebase | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5.65 per user / month, billed annually (Starter) | $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials) |
| Free plan | None | Basic plan, free for one location with up to 10 employees: basic scheduling and time tracking and a POS integration, with timesheets stored for 90 days. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Advanced plan, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Specta Labs, Inc. | Pioneer Works, Inc. |
| Price read from | attotime.com | joinhomebase.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Atto
- Construction, landscaping and home services crews working on job sites
- Owners who want proof of where each clock-in happened
- Teams that reimburse mileage and want drives logged automatically
Homebase
- Single-location shops and restaurants with up to 10 staff, on the free plan
- Owners who want POS sales and labor costs side by side
- Small businesses that want scheduling and payroll from one vendor
Worth knowing
Atto
- Payroll is a US-only add-on at $5.95 per payroll user a month plus a $39.95 monthly base fee.
- Real-time GPS tracking and team chat start on Plus; mileage tracking, time-off requests and job costing need Advanced.
- API access comes only with Expert, which is bought through the sales team.
- Seats are paid upfront and recounted at the start of each billing cycle; downgrades and cancellations apply at the end of the cycle.
Homebase
- Plans are priced per location: each separate address needs its own plan, and the free Basic plan covers only one location and up to 10 employees.
- Payroll is an add-on on every plan at $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid.
- Other add-ons cost extra: Tip Manager $25 and Task Manager $13 a month per location, background checks $30 each, Hiring Assistant from $99 a month.
- PTO accrual policies need Plus; onboarding paperwork, HR advisors and API access need All-in-One.
Key features
Atto
- GPS time clock
- Workers clock in and out from the iOS or Android app or a browser, with the location of each punch recorded and optional limits on clocking in away from the job site.
- Shared kiosk
- A time clock kiosk lets a whole crew clock in from one device at the job site.
- Automatic timesheets
- Clock-ins become timesheets with breaks and overtime worked out, ready to review and approve, and they connect to QuickBooks Online and Xero for payroll.
- Shift scheduling
- Managers build, copy and publish schedules with open shifts and templates, staff send trade and cover requests, and reminders nudge people who forget to clock in.
- Location and mileage tracking
- Higher plans show who is on the clock and where in real time, keep a location history report and log drives automatically for mileage reimbursements.
- Team chat and activity feed
- One-to-one and group chats, plus a daily feed of clock-ins, locations, jobs and status changes.
Homebase
- Weekly schedule builder
- Managers build the week around availability and time-off requests, and staff trade, cover or claim open shifts. Plus adds an AI scheduling assistant.
- Time clock on any device
- Staff clock in on tablets, computers, POS terminals such as Clover and GoDaddy, or the mobile app with location checks, and tablets can take a photo at each clock-in.
- Timesheets to payroll
- Timesheets follow your overtime and break rules and sync to Gusto, ADP RUN, QuickBooks Online or Square Payroll, or feed Homebase's own payroll add-on.
- Team messaging
- Messenger channels, announcements and shift notes, with confirmation when employees have seen the schedule or read a message.
- Hiring and onboarding
- Job openings go out to online job boards, and All-in-One sends onboarding packets with W-4, I-9 and direct deposit forms for e-signature.
- Labor cost controls
- All-in-One alerts managers before overtime, blocks early clock-ins, clocks staff out at shift end and reports labor against sales pulled from the POS.
Plans
Atto
Starter$5.65
per user / month, billed annually ($6.95 billed monthly)
Time tracking on mobile and web, shift scheduling, automated timesheets, job codes, breaks and notes.
Plus$7.95
per user / month, billed annually ($9.95 billed monthly)
Adds team chat, real-time GPS tracking, basic time-off management and automated pay calculations.
Advanced$10.75
per user / month, billed annually ($12.95 billed monthly)
Adds mileage tracking, advanced shift controls, time-off requests and job costing. Marked most popular.
Expert$16.55
per user / month, billed annually ($19.95 billed monthly)
Adds priority support, concierge onboarding, custom implementation and API access. Sold through sales.
Homebase
Basic$0
One location and up to 10 employees: basic scheduling and time tracking, a POS integration, timesheets kept 90 days.
Essentials$24
per location / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
Unlimited employees. Adds shift trades and open shifts, availability, location-based mobile clock-in, payroll integrations and team messaging.
Plus$56
per location / month, billed annually ($70 billed monthly)
Adds an AI scheduling assistant, PTO policies with accruals, departments and manager permissions. Shown at $0 for 6 months with the payroll offer.
All-in-One$96
per location / month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
Adds onboarding paperwork with e-signatures, HR advisors and a custom handbook, overtime alerts, sales-based scheduling and API access.
Ways to pay less
Atto
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
Annual billing brings Starter, Plus, Advanced and Expert to $5.65, $7.95, $10.75 and $16.55 per user a month, against $6.95, $9.95, $12.95 and $19.95 monthly.
Homebase
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Annual billing brings Essentials, Plus and All-in-One to $24, $56 and $96 per location a month against $30, $70 and $120 monthly, or $72 to $288 a year saved.
- Other savings
6 months free on Plus and Payroll for new customers
New customers who set up payroll by December 15, 2026 and run it by January 20, 2027 get Plus free for 6 months and payroll free for 6 months for up to 50 employees.
- Other savings
Payroll at $29 a month for teams of 5 or fewer
Teams of up to 5 who start payroll in the same window get 6 months free, then $29 a month plus $6 per employee paid instead of $49, while they stay at 5 or fewer.
