The Homebase Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Homebase in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Homebase
The Insider’s Guide
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among shift scheduling apps, read from Homebase’s own pages.
Made by Pioneer Works, Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Homebase’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Homebase’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 11 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Homebase, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Just watch the add-ons: payroll, tips and tasks all cost extra.
- 1
Best for small single-site shops and restaurants
Homebase is the easy yes for a small shop or restaurant.
- 2
Paid plans start at $24 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials).
- 3
There is 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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 3.2 GPA, above 11 of 12
That is against the other shift scheduling apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
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.
Homebase at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Pioneer Works, Inc.
- Category
- Shift Scheduling
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 95,735 ratings
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Essentials 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. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Basic 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. |
| Features | B | Weekly 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. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.78 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$24
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Homebase has a free plan. Paid plans start at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials).
For a team that size that's in the cheapest quarter of this category.
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.
The 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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card required
Read from joinhomebase.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on joinhomebase.comOther 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.
Stated on joinhomebase.comOther 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.
Stated on joinhomebase.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: team chat, payroll, shift scheduling, time clock, job board posting, employee records, time off.
The whole job, with an AI scheduling assistant on Plus.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Square
- Toast
- Clover
- Shopify
- Gusto
- ADP
- QuickBooks
- Paychex
Homebase is made by Pioneer Works, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/12
Other shift scheduling apps it is graded above
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
- BFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 12
- BFeaturesAbove 4 of 12
- AEase of useAbove 8 of 12
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 12
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 shift scheduling apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Homebase is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
When I Work, 7shifts, Sling by Toast, Deputy and Connecteam
The 5 tools Homebase is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
When I Work
Free trial · from $2.50/mo
Staff scheduling with auto-fill, shift trades and an add-on time clock.
- Homebase has a free plan. When I Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- Homebase also covers payroll, job board posting and employee records.
- When I Work also covers auto-scheduling.
- 3.0GPA
7shifts
Free plan · from $39.99/mo
Restaurant scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll, per location.
- Homebase also covers job board posting and employee records.
- 7shifts also covers applicant tracking.
- 2.8GPA
Sling by Toast
Free plan · from $1.70/mo
Free shift scheduling for up to 30 users, with paid time clock tiers.
- Homebase also covers payroll, job board posting and employee records.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks and auto-scheduling.
- 2.6GPA
Deputy
Free trial · from $5/mo
Shift scheduling, time clock and labor-law tools for hourly teams.
- Homebase has a free plan. Deputy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Homebase also covers team chat, job board posting and employee records.
- Deputy also covers auto-scheduling.
- 3.2GPA
Connecteam
Free plan · from $29/mo
Employee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users.
- Homebase also covers payroll, job board posting and employee records.
- Connecteam also covers auto-scheduling and forms.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
How much does Homebase cost?
Homebase lists 4 plans. Basic: $0.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Homebase’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Pioneer Works, Inc. Prices change, so check joinhomebase.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Homebase, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/homebase
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Homebase: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/homebase
Know someone choosing between shift scheduling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/homebase/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded shift scheduling apps after Homebase, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Shift Scheduling Insider's GuideEvery one of the 13 shift scheduling apps we grade, compared
- Connecteam Insider's GuideEmployee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users3.2 GPA
- 7shifts Insider's GuideRestaurant scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll, per location3.0 GPA
- Sling by Toast Insider's GuideFree shift scheduling for up to 30 users, with paid time clock tiers2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Homebase’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Homebase is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Pioneer Works, Inc. Prices and plans change: check joinhomebase.com before you buy.