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Homebase vs Schedulefly (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Homebase: it is first in our ranking of shift scheduling apps, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 2.2.

Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA

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.

Homebase

Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location

Free plan · from $24/mo

Schedulefly

Restaurant staff scheduling priced by headcount, all features included

Free trial · from $30/mo

Which one is for you

Pick Homebase if

  • Fits if you run one shop or restaurant with 10 staff or fewer
  • Works for owners who want labor costs next to the sales from their till

Look elsewhere if

  • Pricey if you add payroll, which is $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid on every plan
  • Tight if you have several sites, as each address needs its own plan
  • Skip it if you need PTO accruals on the $24 plan, since they start on Plus at $56
  • Watch out: Tip Manager is $25 and Task Manager $13 a month per location, background checks $30 each, Hiring Assistant from $99
  • Watch out: the free plan keeps timesheets for 90 days, and onboarding paperwork and the API need All-in-One at $96

Pick Schedulefly if

  • Fits if you run a restaurant and want a rota, shift trades and a manager logbook
  • Works for a single venue, as the price is set by staff count

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you need a time clock, as the pages read do not list one
  • Not for you if you work outside restaurants and hospitality, as the site does not address them
  • Watch out: the price steps up by staff count, from $30 to $60, and larger teams get a quote
  • Watch out: the vendor's pricing page could not be read, so the prices come from its home page

How we grade them

3.2GPAHomebaseVery good2.2GPAScheduleflyFair
Value for money
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.
C$30 a month for up to 19 staff, so about $6 a head for a team of five, against a middle of $5.65. It rises to $60 at 60 to 79 staff.
Free plan and trial
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.
CA 30-day trial with no card, then paid. There is no free plan.
Features
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.
CSchedule builder, trades and time off, labour cost preview, messaging and a manager logbook. The pages read do not list a time clock, which is a gap.
Ease of use
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.
CNo store rating on record. You build the schedule and invite staff first.
Platforms and integrations
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.
BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with one integration listed.
Best forsmall single-site shops and restaurantsrestaurant staff scheduling

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: Homebase and Schedulefly. How we grade

Price against what you get

Homebase starts at $24 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Schedulefly starts at $30 a month and scores 2.3.

Homebase scores higher and starts $6 a month lower. Of the other shift scheduling apps on the chart, none scores higher than Homebase for less, and 8 score higher than Schedulefly for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0$1$2$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessHomebaseSchedulefly

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
The full chart of shift scheduling apps, and the best at every price

Where they differ

  • Homebase also covers team chat, payroll, time clock, job board posting and employee records.
  • Schedulefly also covers reports.
In commonWebiOSAndroidShift schedulingTime off

At a glance

HomebaseSchedulefly
PricingFree planFree trial
Starts at$24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials)$30 per month for up to 19 staff
Free planBasic 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.None
Free trial14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card required30-day free trial, no credit card required
Web
iOS
Android
Made byPioneer Works, Inc.Schedulefly
Price read fromjoinhomebase.comschedulefly.com
CheckedOct 18, 2026Nov 12, 2026

Worth knowing

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.

Schedulefly

  • The price follows staff count in steps of 20, from $30 up to $60 at 60 to 79 staff; larger teams get a quote.
  • The pages read describe scheduling, messaging and labor cost, and do not list a time clock.
  • It is built for restaurants and hospitality; the site does not address other industries.
  • The site pricing page could not be read, so the prices come from the pricing section and FAQ on the home page.

Key features

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.

Schedulefly

Schedule builder
Schedules are created, copied and published quickly, and staff get schedules and changes by text and email.
Shift trades and time off
Employees can give up, pick up and trade shifts with manager approval, and managers see availability and time-off requests while building the schedule.
Labor cost preview
Entering forecast sales shows scheduled labor dollars and projected labor cost as a percentage of sales before publishing.
Team messaging
Announcements, reminders and schedule updates go out by text and email instead of group chats.
Manager logbook and crib sheet
Fly Notes is a shared manager logbook, and the Daily Crib Sheet summarizes who is working, manager notes, reminders and staff birthdays.
Multi-location dashboard
One login moves between every restaurant in a group, with communication across locations.

Plans

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.

Schedulefly

  • Up to 19 staff$30

    per month for up to 19 staff

    All features included, month to month with no contract.

  • 20-39 staff$40

    per month for up to 39 staff

    Same features. The price rises with the number of staff.

  • 40-59 staff$50

    per month for up to 59 staff

    Same features. The price rises with the number of staff.

  • 60-79 staff$60

    per month for up to 79 staff

    Same features. Restaurants with 80 or more staff are asked to call for a quote.

Ways to pay less

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.

Schedulefly

No public discounts listed.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, Homebase or Schedulefly?

As of Nov 12, 2026, Homebase is cheaper to start with: $24 a month, against $30 a month for Schedulefly. Homebase starts at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials), and Schedulefly starts at $30 per month for up to 19 staff.

Which has a free plan, Homebase or Schedulefly?

As of Nov 12, 2026, only Homebase has a free plan. Schedulefly does not, though it has a free trial.

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.
How we review and grade