The Sling by Toast Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Sling by Toast 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.
Sling by Toast
The Insider’s Guide
Free shift scheduling for up to 30 users, with paid time clock tiers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among shift scheduling apps, read from Sling by Toast’s own pages.
Made by Sling, Inc. (Toast) · 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 Sling by Toast’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Sling by Toast’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
2.8
GPA, above 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade
Sling, now Sling by Toast, is an employee scheduling app for restaurants, retail, healthcare and other shift-based teams. Scheduling, time-off requests, open shifts and messaging are free for up to 30 users, and paid plans add a mobile time clock, labor cost tracking against sales, a kiosk clock and payroll reports.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Sling by Toast, taken from its own pages and our grades.
We have no App Store rating on record for it.
- 1
Best for free scheduling for teams up to 30
Its connections are mostly restaurant tills, though, and the only payroll it names is Toast's.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1.70 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $1.70 per user / month, billed annually (Premium).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free plan for up to 30 users: shift scheduling, time-off requests, open shifts, schedules built months ahead, a team newsfeed and one-to-one messaging.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Schedules and templates
Managers build schedules months ahead from shift and weekly templates, around staff unavailability, with day parts, custom tags and several slots per shift.
- 6
Auto-assigning shifts
Sling can assign open shifts automatically, and mandatory meal and rest breaks are added to the shifts they apply to.
- 7
Shift offers, swaps and alarms
Employees offer shifts to coworkers, swap shifts and pick up available ones, and alarms remind them of upcoming shifts by push or SMS.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 8 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 Sling by Toast you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Sling by Toast at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $1.70 per user / month, billed annually (Premium)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 15-day free trial of the paid plans
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Sling, Inc. (Toast)
- Category
- Shift Scheduling
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for free scheduling for teams up to 30
Sling gives you proper shift scheduling free for up to 30 people: open shifts, time-off requests, schedules months ahead and messaging. Paying is cheap too, at $1.70 a person for the time clock. Its connections are mostly restaurant tills, though, and the only payroll it names is Toast's.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Premium is $1.70 a user a month billed yearly, so 15 staff pay $25.50 for the time clock and labor costs. For a team that size that's in the cheapest quarter of this category, and scheduling alone is free. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free for up to 30 users with scheduling, time-off requests, open shifts, schedules built months ahead and messaging. The one big thing missing is the time clock, which starts on Premium. |
| Features | B | Templates, auto-assigned open shifts, breaks added for you, swaps and offers, a time clock with labor costs against sales, PTO and tasks across its plans. That covers the whole job, with the kiosk on Business. |
| Ease of use | C | We have no App Store rating on record for it. A schedule needs staff, positions and templates set up first, so give it an afternoon. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with till links to Toast, Square, Harbortouch, Restaurant Manager and POSiTouch. The only payroll it names is Toast Payroll, 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 Sling by Toast is for
- Great if you have up to 30 staff and want scheduling for nothing
- Handy when you build schedules weeks or months ahead
- Good for restaurants already on Toast or Square
Who it is not for
- Tight if you need a time clock on the free plan, as clocking in starts on Premium
- Skip it if your payroll isn't Toast, since that's the only payroll link it names
- Pricey if you want the shared kiosk clock, which needs Business at $3.40 a user
Good to know
Good for
- Teams of up to 30 that want free scheduling and messaging
- Restaurants using Toast, Square or Harbortouch point of sale
- Managers who build schedules weeks or months in advance
Worth knowing
- The Free plan stops at 30 users and has no time clock; time tracking, labor costs and overtime tracking start on Premium.
- The kiosk clock, PTO tracking and payroll-ready hours and wage reports need the Business plan.
- Integrations are mostly restaurant point-of-sale systems: Toast, Square, Harbortouch, Restaurant Manager and POSiTouch, with timesheet export to Toast Payroll.
- Sling is now owned by Toast, and Toast customers buy it through the Toast Shop rather than on Sling's pricing page.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1.70
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Sling by Toast has a free plan. Paid plans start at $1.70 per user / month, billed annually (Premium).
For a team that size that's in the cheapest quarter of this category, and scheduling alone is free.
Free
$0
Up to 30 users: shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts, long-term scheduling, news sharing and private messaging.
Premium
$1.70
per user / month, billed annually ($2 billed monthly)
Adds mobile time tracking, labor costs compared against sales, overtime tracking, group messaging and calendar sync.
Business
$3.40
per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
Adds a shared-device kiosk time clock, hours and wage reports, no-show and sick call-out tracking, and PTO management. Recommended.
The free plan
Free plan for up to 30 users: shift scheduling, time-off requests, open shifts, schedules built months ahead, a team newsfeed and one-to-one messaging.
Trying it first
15-day free trial of the paid plans
Read from getsling.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 15% with annual billing
Annual billing brings Premium to $1.70 and Business to $3.40 per user a month, against $2 and $4 billed monthly.
Stated on getsling.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
Free shift scheduling for up to 30 users, with paid time clock tiers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: tasks, auto-scheduling, team chat, shift scheduling, time clock, time off.
That covers the whole job, with the kiosk on Business.
- Schedules and templates
- Managers build schedules months ahead from shift and weekly templates, around staff unavailability, with day parts, custom tags and several slots per shift.
- Auto-assigning shifts
- Sling can assign open shifts automatically, and mandatory meal and rest breaks are added to the shifts they apply to.
- Shift offers, swaps and alarms
- Employees offer shifts to coworkers, swap shifts and pick up available ones, and alarms remind them of upcoming shifts by push or SMS.
- Time clock and labor costs
- Paid plans add clock-in from phones, and Business adds a shared kiosk. Labor costs and overtime are tracked as the schedule is built and compared with sales.
- Messaging and newsfeed
- Private and group messages, announcements and newsfeed pages aimed at chosen groups of staff.
- Task management
- Tasks can be assigned to a shift or to an employee and tracked from the app.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Toast
- Toast Payroll
- Square
- Harbortouch
- Restaurant Manager
- POSiTouch
Sling by Toast is made by Sling, Inc. (Toast).
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/12
Other shift scheduling apps it is graded above
Sling by Toast's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 9 of 12) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $1.70 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 0 of the 12 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 13 shift scheduling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Sling by Toast’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 9 of 12
- BFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 12
- BFeaturesAbove 4 of 12
- CEase of useAbove 0 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. Sling by Toast 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 Sling by Toast you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. 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 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade. It costs $20.40 a year.
What you could make
- Time off and tasks: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts.
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- A scheduler that rearranges your day as things move.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Toast, Toast Payroll and Square among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Sling by Toast’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, Homebase, 7shifts, Connecteam and Deputy
The 5 tools Sling by Toast 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.
- Sling by Toast has a free plan. When I Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks.
- 3.2GPA
Homebase
Free plan · from $24/mo
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks and auto-scheduling.
- Homebase also covers payroll, job board posting and employee records.
- 3.0GPA
7shifts
Free plan · from $39.99/mo
Restaurant scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll, per location.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks and auto-scheduling.
- 7shifts also covers payroll and applicant tracking.
- 3.2GPA
Connecteam
Free plan · from $29/mo
Employee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks.
- Connecteam also covers forms.
- 2.6GPA
Deputy
Free trial · from $5/mo
Shift scheduling, time clock and labor-law tools for hourly teams.
- Sling by Toast has a free plan. Deputy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks and team chat.
- Deputy also covers payroll.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 Sling by Toast free?
Sling by Toast has a free plan. Free plan for up to 30 users: shift scheduling, time-off requests, open shifts, schedules built months ahead, a team newsfeed and one-to-one messaging.
How much does Sling by Toast cost?
Sling by Toast lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Sling by Toast work on?
Sling by Toast is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Sling by Toast offer any discounts?
Sling by Toast publicly lists the following: Save 15% with annual billing.
Does Sling by Toast have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Sling by Toast is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Sling by Toast have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Sling by Toast is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Sling by Toast open source?
Sling by Toast is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Sling by Toast integrate with?
Sling by Toast's listing names Toast, Toast Payroll, Square, Harbortouch, Restaurant Manager and POSiTouch.
Does Sling by Toast have a free trial?
Yes. 15-day free trial of the paid plans.
Who makes Sling by Toast?
Sling by Toast is made by Sling, Inc. (Toast).
What are the alternatives to Sling by Toast?
The closest alternatives to Sling by Toast in our directory are When I Work, Homebase, 7shifts, Connecteam and Deputy.
How does Sling by Toast compare with other shift scheduling apps?
Sling by Toast's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 1.
Is Sling by Toast good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Sling by Toast B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1.70 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 0 of the 12 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Sling by Toast?
To replace Sling by Toast you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Sling by Toast’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 Sling's own pages on 18 October 2026. Sling's pricing page sent our reader a robot check on 18 October 2026, so its prices are as the listing has them. 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 Sling, Inc. (Toast). Prices change, so check getsling.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
- Sling by Toast, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/sling
- 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, "Sling by Toast: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/sling
Know someone choosing between shift scheduling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/sling/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded shift scheduling apps after Sling by Toast, 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
- 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 Sling by Toast’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. Sling by Toast is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Sling, Inc. (Toast). Prices and plans change: check getsling.com before you buy.