Connecteam vs OnShift (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Connecteam: it is second in our ranking of shift scheduling apps, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Connecteam grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Connecteam
Employee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users
Which one is for you
Pick Connecteam if
- Fits if you have 10 staff or fewer and want to pay nothing
- Works for cleaning or field crews who clock in by GPS from different sites
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you also want chat and HR, since each hub is its own plan from $29 a month
- Tight if you stay free and run payroll, as the free plans have no payroll link and the 30-user Limited plan drops many features
- Skip it if you might want a refund: monthly plans get none, and yearly plans only within the first 30 days
- Watch out: past 30 users, each person is charged on every hub, $4.20 a month on Operations Expert billed yearly
- Watch out: repeating shifts and templates need Advanced at $49, and auto-assigned shifts and the API need Expert at $99
Pick OnShift if
- Fits if you run a nursing home or senior living community
- Works for care operators who want hiring and scheduling from one vendor
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not in long-term post-acute care or senior living
- Not for you if you need a price before a sales call
- Watch out: payroll and HRIS are offered through partners, not as standalone OnShift products
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAConnecteamVery good | 1.8GPAOnShiftWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BOperations Basic is a flat $29 a month for up to 30 users, billed yearly, so 15 staff pay $29. For a team that size that's in the cheapest quarter of this category. Each user past 30 adds $0.80. | CNo price on the site: every route goes to a demo request. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for up to 10 users with all three hubs and nearly every feature, though payroll links are left out. Teams of up to 30 can stay on a free Limited plan with the basics, and there's a 14-day trial of Expert with no card. | FNothing free is listed: no free plan and no trial on the pages we read. |
| Features | BGPS, NFC and kiosk clock-ins, repeating shifts with open shifts, AI auto-scheduling and timesheets to payroll, plus forms, checklists, chat and training. The whole job, though time off and chat live in hubs you buy separately. | BTemplates, open shift and call-off filling, cost visibility, an employee app and hiring and reporting. Payroll and HRIS come through partners, which is a scope choice, not a gap in scheduling. |
| Ease of use | A4.86 from 60,756 App Store ratings, the highest score on record in this category. Staff mostly live in the phone app, clocking in and checking shifts. | CNo store rating on record. It's an enterprise rollout, so expect a managed setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex, ADP, BambooHR and Zapier, and an API on Expert. No desktop app, so a B. | CWeb, with an employee app on the listing, and no integrations named in the listing. No desktop app. |
| Best for | deskless teams that want shifts, chat and forms | senior care homes and living communities |
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: Connecteam and OnShift. How we grade
Where they differ
- Connecteam also covers auto-scheduling, forms, team chat, time clock and time off.
- OnShift also covers reports and applicant tracking.
At a glance
| Connecteam | OnShift | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $29 per month for up to 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic) | Not published |
| Free plan | Small Business plan, free for up to 10 users, with all three hubs and nearly every feature, though payroll integration is left out. Teams of up to 30 can stay on a free Limited plan with the basics of each hub. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Expert plan, no credit card needed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Connecteam | OnShift, Inc. |
| Price read from | connecteam.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Connecteam
- Each hub is bought separately: scheduling and time clock sit in the Operations Hub, while chat and HR tools need their own hub plans from $29 a month each.
- The flat price covers the first 30 users; every user after that is charged per month on each hub, for example $4.20 on Operations Expert billed yearly.
- The free Small Business plan has no payroll integration, and the free Limited plan for up to 30 users drops many features.
- Monthly plans are not refunded for prepaid time; annual plans get a prorated refund only if cancelled within the first 30 days.
OnShift
- No prices are published; the site routes visitors to a demo request.
- It is built only for long-term post-acute care and senior living, not retail or restaurants.
- Payroll and HRIS are offered through partner integrations rather than as standalone OnShift products.
Key features
Connecteam
- GPS, NFC and kiosk clock-ins
- Staff clock in from their phones with a GPS stamp, by tapping an NFC tag, or at a shared tablet kiosk. Geofences and on-the-clock location tracking come on higher plans.
- Scheduling with open shifts
- Shifts repeat daily, weekly or monthly, open shifts can be claimed with approval, and reminders go out before work starts. AI auto-scheduling weighs availability, roles and labor rules.
- Timesheets to payroll
- Clock-ins build timesheets that export to payroll services including Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex and ADP, with pay periods and pay rates per person.
- Forms, checklists and shift tasks
- Unlimited checklists, forms and tasks on every paid plan, plus tasks and attachments such as photos, mileage and signatures tied to a shift.
- Chat, updates and knowledge base
- The Communications Hub adds one-to-one and group chat, a company feed with surveys and polls, an employee directory and a knowledge base.
- Time off, training and documents
- The HR & Skills Hub covers time-off policies with balances, courses and quizzes, documents with e-signatures, hiring and onboarding.
OnShift
- Template-based scheduling
- Schedules are created from configurable templates, with employees notified of new schedules and open shifts in one click.
- Open shift and call-off filling
- Suggests replacement employees based on work history, availability and cost, and can auto-approve shift requests for those not in overtime.
- Staffing and cost visibility
- Flags understaffing and overstaffing, and supports internal staffing pools shared across communities.
- Employee mobile app
- One app combines messaging, scheduling, performance tracking, rewards and earned wage access.
- Hiring and reporting
- Talent acquisition covers applicant tracking, background screening and onboarding; reporting covers overtime and Payroll-Based Journal.
Plans
Connecteam
Small Business$0
Free for life for up to 10 users, covering all three hubs. Payroll integration is not included.
Operations Basic$29
per month for up to 30 users, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
GPS time clock, basic scheduling with open shifts, unlimited forms and tasks, payroll integration. Each user past 30 is $0.80 a month ($1 monthly).
Operations Advanced$49
per month for up to 30 users, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
Adds repeating shifts, templates, auto clock-out, up to 10 geofence sites and up to 6 schedules. Each user past 30 is $2.50 a month ($3 monthly).
Operations Expert$99
per month for up to 30 users, billed annually ($119 billed monthly)
Adds auto-assigned shifts, unlimited geofences, up to 12 schedules, automatic reports and API access. Each user past 30 is $4.20 a month ($5 monthly).
Operations EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited time clocks and schedules, SSO, two-factor sign-in and a success manager. Aimed at companies with 201 to 10,000 employees.
OnShift
Pricing could not be confirmed. See onshift.com.
Ways to pay less
Connecteam
- Annual discount
Save 18% with yearly billing
Yearly billing brings Operations Basic, Advanced and Expert to $29, $49 and $99 a month against $35, $59 and $119 monthly; the FAQ calls it two months free.
OnShift
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Connecteam or OnShift?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Connecteam starts at $29 per month for up to 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic), and OnShift has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Connecteam or OnShift?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Connecteam has a free plan. OnShift does not.
Which platforms do Connecteam and OnShift run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Connecteam lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.