Homebase
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location
Our verdict
First of our top three shift scheduling apps
For: Most small businesses with hourly staff
Homebase is free for one location with up to 10 employees, with basic scheduling, time tracking and a POS link, though timesheets are kept only 90 days. Essentials is $24 a location a month billed annually ($30 monthly) for unlimited employees, and adds shift trades, open shifts, location-based mobile clock-in, payroll links and team messaging. It runs on the web, iPhone and Android, and its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 from about 96,000 ratings. Know the limits: each address needs its own plan, payroll is an add-on at $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid, and PTO accruals need Plus at $56.
See all three and how we rankHomebase report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for small single-site shops and restaurants
Homebase is the easy yes for a small shop or restaurant. It's free for one location of up to 10 people, and past that it's a flat $24 a month per location however many staff you have. Just watch the add-ons: payroll, tips and tasks all cost extra.
Who Homebase is for
- Great if you run one shop or restaurant with 10 staff or fewer
- Handy when you want labor costs next to the sales from your till
- Good for owners who'd like scheduling and payroll from one company
Who Homebase is not for
- Pricey if you add payroll, which is $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid
- Tight if you have several sites, as each address needs its own plan
- Skip it if you need PTO accruals on the cheap plan, since they start on Plus at $56
Why Homebase gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyEssentials 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 and trialBasic 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.
- BFeaturesWeekly 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.
- AEase of use4.78 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Homebase's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/homebase#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/homebase.svg" alt="Homebase: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Homebase stands among shift scheduling apps
Homebase's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 11 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 12) and worst on platforms and integrations (B, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $24 a month, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 8 of the 12 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 13 shift scheduling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Homebase’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 9 of 12, level with 3
- BFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 12, level with 5
- BFeaturesAbove 4 of 12, level with 8
- AEase of useAbove 8 of 12, level with 4
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 12, level with 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 shift scheduling apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Homebase, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Homebase you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 11 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade. It costs $288 a year.
What you could make
- Time off and employee records: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board.
- A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts.
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Square, Toast and Clover among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Homebase’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Homebase?
Homebase is a scheduling and time clock app for small hourly teams such as restaurants, shops and service businesses. Managers build the weekly schedule, staff trade shifts and clock in on a phone, tablet, computer or POS terminal, and hours sync to payroll or to Homebase's own payroll add-on. Plans are priced per location, and one location with up to 10 employees is free.
Homebase has a free plan. Paid plans start at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials). See every plan
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Homebase pricing
- Starts at
- $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials)
- 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.
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | One location and up to 10 employees: basic scheduling and time tracking, a POS integration, timesheets kept 90 days. |
| Essentials | $24per 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 | $56per 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 | $96per 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. |
Read from joinhomebase.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Homebase before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 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.
Stated on joinhomebase.com - Other savings6 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.
Stated on joinhomebase.com - Other savingsPayroll 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.
Stated on joinhomebase.com
How people rate the Homebase app
4.8
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars86%
- 4 stars9%
- 3 stars2%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star2%
95,735 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 18, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Square
- Toast
- Clover
- Shopify
- Gusto
- ADP
- QuickBooks
- Paychex
Homebase alternatives
- Homebase vs When I Work
Free trial · from $2.50/mo
- Homebase vs 7shifts
Free plan · from $39.99/mo
- Homebase vs Sling by Toast
Free plan · from $1.70/mo
- Homebase vs Deputy
Free trial · from $5/mo
- Homebase vs Connecteam
Free plan · from $29/mo
Common questions
Is Homebase free?
Homebase has a 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. Paid plans start at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials).
How much does Homebase cost?
Homebase lists 4 plans. Basic: $0. Essentials: $24 per location / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly). Plus: $56 per location / month, billed annually ($70 billed monthly). All-in-One: $96 per location / month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly). Prices were read from joinhomebase.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Homebase work on?
Homebase is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Homebase offer any discounts?
Homebase publicly lists the following: Save 20% with annual billing; 6 months free on Plus and Payroll for new customers; Payroll at $29 a month for teams of 5 or fewer.
How is Homebase rated?
Homebase's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 95,735 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Homebase have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Homebase is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Homebase have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Homebase is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Homebase open source?
Homebase is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Homebase integrate with?
Homebase's listing names Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify, Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks and Paychex. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Homebase have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card required.
Who makes Homebase?
Homebase is made by Pioneer Works, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Homebase?
The closest alternatives to Homebase in our directory are When I Work, 7shifts, Sling by Toast, Deputy and Connecteam. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Homebase.
How does Homebase compare with other shift scheduling apps?
Homebase's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 11 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 1. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 12) and worst on platforms and integrations (B, above 1).
Is Homebase good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Homebase B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $24 a month, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 8 of the 12 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Could I make my own version of Homebase?
To replace Homebase you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 11 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade. It costs $288 a year. What you could not make: Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. Chat that a whole team counts on staying up. Jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board. A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.