Homebase vs ZoomShift
We give Homebase a 3.2 GPA and ZoomShift a 2.4, out of 4.0. Homebase 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.
Homebase
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location
ZoomShift
Employee scheduling and time clock, free for up to 20 users
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAHomebaseVery good | 2.4GPAZoomShiftFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | A4.78 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. | 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 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, iPhone and Android. No integrations are named at all, so this B rests on the devices alone. |
| Best for | small single-site shops and restaurants | 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: Homebase and ZoomShift. 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. ZoomShift starts at $2 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Homebase scores higher, and starts $22 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 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
- Homebase starts at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials). ZoomShift starts at $2 per active user / month, billed annually (Starter).
- Homebase also covers team chat, payroll, job board posting and employee records.
- ZoomShift also covers auto-scheduling and applicant tracking.
At a glance
| Homebase | ZoomShift | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials) | $2 per active user / month, billed annually (Starter) |
| 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. | 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 All-in-One, no credit card required | 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pioneer Works, Inc. | ZoomShift |
| Price read from | joinhomebase.com | zoomshift.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
