Connecteam vs ZoomShift
We give Connecteam a 3.2 GPA and ZoomShift a 2.4, out of 4.0. Connecteam grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
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
ZoomShift
Employee scheduling and time clock, free for up to 20 users
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAConnecteamVery good | 2.4GPAZoomShiftFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CStarter is $2 per active user a month billed yearly, so 15 staff pay $30 a month with the time clock and timesheets included. For a team that size that's just past the cheapest quarter of this category. |
| 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. | BEssentials is free for up to 20 users at one location, with schedules up to 2 weeks ahead, messaging, reminders and shift confirmations. No time clock, but a small single-site team can live on it. |
| 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. | CTemplates, availability, swaps and covers, a web and phone time clock, timesheets and a payroll report, with auto-scheduling on Premium. The gap the listing names is payroll: no payroll connections, so hours are exported. |
| Ease of use | A4.86 from 60,756 App Store ratings, the best score on record in this category. Staff mostly live in the phone app, clocking in and checking shifts. | CWe have no App Store rating on record for it. Schedules need staff, positions and templates set up before the first week goes out. |
| 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android. No integrations are named at all, so this B rests on the devices alone. |
| Best for | deskless teams that want shifts, chat and forms | cheap scheduling with a time clock |
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 ZoomShift. How we grade
Price against what you get
Connecteam starts at $29 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ZoomShift starts at $2 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Connecteam scores higher, and starts $27 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other shift scheduling apps on the chart, none scores higher than Connecteam for less, and 1 scores higher than ZoomShift 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
- Connecteam starts at $29 per month for up to 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic). ZoomShift starts at $2 per active user / month, billed annually (Starter).
- Connecteam also covers forms and team chat.
- ZoomShift also covers applicant tracking.
At a glance
| Connecteam | ZoomShift | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29 per month for up to 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic) | $2 per active user / month, billed annually (Starter) |
| 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. | Essentials plan, free for up to 20 users at one location: schedules up to 2 weeks ahead, team messaging, reminders, shift notes and shift confirmations. No time clock. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Expert plan, no credit card needed | 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Connecteam | ZoomShift |
| Price read from | connecteam.com | zoomshift.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Connecteam
- Businesses with up to 10 staff that want a free all-in-one employee app
- Field service, cleaning and construction crews clocking in by GPS
- Deskless teams that need chat, forms and training beside the schedule
ZoomShift
- Single-location teams of up to 20 that only need a shared schedule
- Small businesses that want a low per-user price for scheduling and time clock
- Seasonal businesses, since a subscription can be paused for quiet months
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.
ZoomShift
- The free Essentials plan has no time clock or timesheets, schedules only 2 weeks ahead and covers one location and 20 users.
- Auto-scheduling, overtime warnings and the geofenced time clock need Premium.
- No payroll integrations are named on the site; timesheets are exported and sent to your payroll provider.
- There is no set non-profit or education discount; the vendor says it will discuss a price on request.
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.
ZoomShift
- Schedules from templates
- Shift and schedule templates, availability and time-off requests, and multi-shift assignment for groups; Premium adds auto-scheduling.
- Shift swaps and covers
- Staff request covers and swap shifts in the app, and changes reach the team by email, text and push notifications.
- Web and mobile time clock
- Employees clock in for assigned shifts from a browser or the iPhone and Android apps, with break and meal tracking, GPS checks and IP address whitelisting.
- Timesheets and payroll reports
- Each finished shift creates a timesheet that managers edit and approve, then a payroll report breaks down hours and gross pay by location, position or person.
- Overtime and attendance controls
- Premium warns about overtime, blocks overlapping shifts and clock-ins that are too early or late, and compares scheduled with worked hours.
- AI applicant screening
- An applicant tracking tool filters candidates by your criteria and runs AI-led first interviews that score each answer.
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.
ZoomShift
Essentials$0
Up to 20 users and 1 location, scheduling up to 2 weeks ahead, team communication, reminders and shift confirmation.
Starter$2
per active user / month, billed annually ($2.50 billed monthly)
Unlimited users and locations. Adds templates, availability and time off, swaps and covers, time clock, timesheets, PTO and break tracking, payroll report.
Premium$4
per active user / month, billed annually ($5 billed monthly)
Adds auto-scheduling, overtime warnings, conflict prevention, early and late clock-in limits, a geofenced time clock and custom role permissions.
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.
ZoomShift
- Annual discount
About 20% off with annual billing
Annual billing brings Starter to $2 and Premium to $4 per active user a month, against $2.50 and $5 billed monthly.
