The OnShift Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about OnShift 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.
OnShift
The Insider’s Guide
Staff scheduling and hiring software for senior care providers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among shift scheduling apps, read from OnShift’s own pages.
Made by OnShift, Inc. · checked Nov 13, 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 OnShift’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on OnShift’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 4 of the 49 other shift scheduling apps we grade
OnShift is workforce management software made for long-term care and senior living communities. OnShift Schedule builds schedules from templates, recommends replacements for open shifts and call-offs, and ties into an employee mobile app. The platform also covers applicant tracking, engagement tools and Payroll-Based Journal reporting. OnShift is a ShiftKey brand.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about OnShift, taken from its own pages and our grades.
But no price is published, and it is built only for long-term care.
- 1
Best for senior care homes and living communities
OnShift schedules staff for senior care, with open shift filling and call-off handling, plus a hiring module.
- 2
It runs on Web
Web.
- 3
Template-based scheduling
Schedules are created from configurable templates, with employees notified of new schedules and open shifts in one click.
- 4
Open shift and call-off filling
Suggests replacement employees based on work history, availability and cost, and can auto-approve shift requests for those not in overtime.
- 5
Staffing and cost visibility
Flags understaffing and overstaffing, and supports internal staffing pools shared across communities.
- 6
A 1.8 GPA, above 4 of 49
That is against the other shift scheduling apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
The plain part of OnShift you could make: applicant tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
OnShift at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- OnShift, Inc.
- Category
- Shift Scheduling
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for senior care homes and living communities
OnShift schedules staff for senior care, with open shift filling and call-off handling, plus a hiring module. But no price is published, and it is built only for long-term care.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No price on the site: every route goes to a demo request. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing free is listed: no free plan and no trial on the pages we read. |
| Features | B | Templates, open shift and call-off filling, cost visibility, an employee app and hiring and reporting. Payroll and HRIS come through partners, which is a scope choice, not a gap in scheduling. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. It's an enterprise rollout, so expect a managed setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web, with an employee app on the listing, and no integrations named in the listing. 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 OnShift is for
- Fits if you run a nursing home or senior living community
- Works for care operators who want hiring and scheduling from one vendor
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're not in long-term post-acute care or senior living
- Not for you if you need a price before a sales call
- Watch out: payroll and HRIS are offered through partners, not as standalone OnShift products
Good to know
Good for
- Nursing homes and senior living communities with open-shift problems
- Operators that want scheduling, hiring and PBJ reporting from one vendor
- Multi-community groups sharing a staffing pool
Worth knowing
- No prices are published; the site routes visitors to a demo request.
- It is built only for long-term post-acute care and senior living, not retail or restaurants.
- Payroll and HRIS are offered through partner integrations rather than as standalone OnShift products.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
OnShift's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No price on the site: every route goes to a demo request.
We could not confirm OnShift’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. onshift.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Staff scheduling and hiring software for senior care providers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: reports, shift scheduling, applicant tracking.
Templates, open shift and call-off filling, cost visibility, an employee app and hiring and reporting.
- Template-based scheduling
- Schedules are created from configurable templates, with employees notified of new schedules and open shifts in one click.
- Open shift and call-off filling
- Suggests replacement employees based on work history, availability and cost, and can auto-approve shift requests for those not in overtime.
- Staffing and cost visibility
- Flags understaffing and overstaffing, and supports internal staffing pools shared across communities.
- Employee mobile app
- One app combines messaging, scheduling, performance tracking, rewards and earned wage access.
- Hiring and reporting
- Talent acquisition covers applicant tracking, background screening and onboarding; reporting covers overtime and Payroll-Based Journal.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
OnShift is made by OnShift, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/49
Other shift scheduling apps it is graded above
OnShift's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 4 of the 49 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on features (B, above 23 of 49) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 50 shift scheduling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. OnShift’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 49
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 49
- BFeaturesAbove 23 of 49
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 49
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 49
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
The plain part of OnShift you could make: applicant tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 33 of the 49 other shift scheduling apps grade higher.
What you could make
- Applicant tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. OnShift’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
SmartLinx, symplr Workforce, Humanforce, Legion and Connecteam
The 5 tools OnShift is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
SmartLinx
Paid
Census-driven staff scheduling for senior care facilities.
- Only SmartLinx lists iOS and Android apps.
- OnShift also covers applicant tracking.
- SmartLinx also covers payroll, time clock and time off.
- 1.8GPA
symplr Workforce
Paid
Nurse scheduling and healthcare timekeeping for health systems.
- OnShift also covers applicant tracking.
- symplr Workforce also covers time clock and time off.
- 1.8GPA
Humanforce
Paid
Workforce management, HR and payroll suite for frontline teams.
- OnShift also covers reports.
- Humanforce also covers payroll, time clock and employee records.
- 1.8GPA
Legion
Paid
Enterprise workforce management with AI schedule optimization.
- OnShift also covers applicant tracking.
- Legion also covers time clock and time off.
- 3.2GPA
Connecteam
Free plan · from $29/mo
Employee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users.
- Connecteam has a free plan. OnShift does not.
- Only Connecteam lists iOS and Android apps.
- OnShift also covers reports and applicant tracking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
9
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 OnShift free?
No. OnShift is a paid product.
What platforms does OnShift work on?
OnShift is available on Web.
Does OnShift have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. OnShift is listed for Web.
Does OnShift have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. OnShift is listed for Web.
Is OnShift open source?
OnShift is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Who makes OnShift?
OnShift is made by OnShift, Inc.
What are the alternatives to OnShift?
The closest alternatives to OnShift in our directory are SmartLinx, symplr Workforce, Humanforce, Legion and Connecteam.
How does OnShift compare with other shift scheduling apps?
OnShift's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 4 of the 49 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 12.
Could I make my own version of OnShift?
The plain part of OnShift you could make: applicant tracking and reports.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from OnShift’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from OnShift's own pages on 13 November 2026. 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 OnShift, Inc. Prices change, so check onshift.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 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.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- OnShift, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/onshift
- 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, "OnShift: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/onshift
Know someone choosing between shift scheduling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/onshift/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded shift scheduling apps after OnShift, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Shift Scheduling Insider's GuideEvery one of the 50 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
- Homebase Insider's GuideSmall-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location3.2 GPA
- 7shifts Insider's GuideRestaurant scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll, per location3.0 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 OnShift’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. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. OnShift is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by OnShift, Inc. Prices and plans change: check onshift.com before you buy.