Homebase vs SignUpGenius (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 2.4.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Homebase grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
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
SignUpGenius
Online sign-up sheets for volunteers, events and group shifts
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 SignUpGenius if
- Fits if you need a volunteer or event sign-up sheet people can fill in without an account
- Works for schools and clubs that can put up with ads on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need paid-staff rostering, because there is no time clock or payroll
- Tight if you want ad-free sign-ups: 1 on Silver and 10 on Gold
- Pricey if you send lots of messages, as texts and emails are capped on each paid plan
- Watch out: Enterprise pricing is not published, and waitlists need Gold at $22.49
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAHomebaseVery good | 2.4GPASignUpGeniusFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BFree plan with unlimited sheets. Silver is $8.99 a month billed annually, which is below the category's middle of $24. |
| 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. | BUnlimited sign-up pages, confirmation and reminder emails and email support are free for good. One person can live on it, but the sheets carry ads. |
| 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. | CSign-up pages, reminders, waitlists, calendar sync and payments. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job than rostering: no clock, no cost tracking, no payroll. |
| 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. Building each sheet is the work, so it's not zero-setup. |
| 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. | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations named. |
| Best for | small single-site shops and restaurants | volunteer and event sign-up sheets |
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 SignUpGenius. 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. SignUpGenius starts at $8.99 a month and scores 2.0.
Homebase scores higher, and starts $15.01 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 Homebase for less, and 10 score higher than SignUpGenius 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
- Homebase also covers team chat, payroll, time clock, job board posting, employee records and time off.
- SignUpGenius also covers templates, calendar, forms and ticketing.
At a glance
| Homebase | SignUpGenius | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials) | $8.99 per month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 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. | Unlimited sign-up pages in multiple formats, automatic confirmation and reminder emails, group management tools and email support. Sign-ups carry ads. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pioneer Works, Inc. | SignUpGenius Inc. |
| Price read from | joinhomebase.com | signupgenius.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
SignUpGenius
- Sign-ups on the Free plan show ads; ad-free sheets are limited to 1 on Silver and 10 on Gold.
- It is a sign-up sheet tool, with no time clock, labor cost tracking or payroll export.
- Text invites and monthly email sends are capped on each paid plan.
- Enterprise pricing is not published.
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.
SignUpGenius
- Self-serve slot sheets
- Organizers list shifts or tasks and participants choose their own; recurring events can be duplicated.
- Reminders and invites
- Confirmation and reminder emails go out automatically; paid plans add text invites and updates with monthly caps.
- Waitlists and administrators
- Waitlist management starts on Gold, which also allows 10 administrators; Platinum raises that to 20.
- Calendar sync
- Silver and above sync sign-ups to a calendar and can lock a sheet once it is full.
- Payments and tickets
- The same account can collect payments, sell event tickets, take dues and fees, and gather waivers.
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.
SignUpGenius
Free$0
Unlimited sign-up pages, automatic confirmation and reminder emails, recurring event duplication and email support.
Silver$8.99
per month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly)
1 ad-free sign-up, 2 custom questions, calendar sync, 150 text and 2,500 emails per month.
Gold$22.49
per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly)
10 ad-free sign-ups, 10 administrators, waitlists and 500 texts and 10,000 emails per month.
Platinum$44.99
per month, billed annually ($59.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited ad-free sign-ups, 20 administrators, custom URLs and portal pages, phone support.
EnterpriseCustom
Full branding control, a dedicated account manager, SSO and sign-ups embedded on your own website.
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.
SignUpGenius
- Annual discount
Save with annual billing
The pricing page shows Silver at $8.99 a month paid annually against $11.99 billed monthly, and similar savings on Gold and Platinum.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Homebase or SignUpGenius?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SignUpGenius is cheaper to start with: $8.99 a month, against $24 a month for Homebase. Homebase starts at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials), and SignUpGenius starts at $8.99 per month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Homebase or SignUpGenius?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Homebase and SignUpGenius have a free plan.
Which platforms do Homebase and SignUpGenius run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Homebase 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.