Homebase vs 7shifts

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Our analysts compared Homebase vs 7shifts based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Employee Scheduling Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Homebase is a cloud-based solution that helps manage employee schedules, maintain timesheets and streamline payroll processes. Managers can create staff shifts using drag-and-drop scheduling tools and pre-built templates. They can also define rules to put schedules on autopilot for recurring tasks based on employee availability, skills and labor budget.

The platform is mobile-optimized and offers a native app for employees to view schedules, communicate, set preferences and trade shifts. You can use a POS system to track employee attendance and work hours or use the app to let staff log time from their phones. The platform maintains timesheets while integrating with payroll modules for wage calculation.

Verify employee identity and location with the built-in photo capture or GPS time clock functionality. Additionally, you can automate break tracking and overtime calculations to comply with shift worker regulations. It sends automatic alerts for employee absences or late logins while allowing managers to record daily summaries using the manager log.


Pros
  • Ease of setup
  • Efficient scheduling and time tracking
  • Robust mobile app
  • Cost-effective
Cons
  • Limited customization
  • Customer service issues
  • System update bugs
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7shifts is a web-based platform that helps restaurants create, edit and publish staff schedules. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows managers to assign shifts quickly while factoring in employee availability, time-off requests and overtime limitations. To avoid scheduling conflicts, it automatically highlights potential issues such as missed breaks and unbudgeted labor hours during the creation process.

It integrates with existing point-of-sale (POS) systems, eliminating the need for manual data entry. It pulls sales data to help managers create labor schedules that align with sales forecasts. Additionally, clock-in/out data can be incorporated, providing a complete picture of labor costs.

The platform offers a mobile app for both managers and employees. The manager app allows for on-the-go schedule changes, communication with staff, and real-time sales and labor cost monitoring. The employee app allows staff to view their schedules, request time off, and swap shifts with colleagues directly from their smartphones.

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$24.95/Location, Monthly, Freemium
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$3/User, Monthly
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Start Scheduling For Free: Homebase allows you to schedule up to 20 employees in one location at no cost. You get basic scheduling tools, a time tracker and POS integration to manage employee shifts from anywhere.
  • Streamline Team Communication: The platform excels in collaboration tools, helping managers run their teams efficiently. It includes everything you need, from one-on-one chats and team messaging to a bulletin board, newsfeed and even read receipts. Plus, you can recognize outstanding employees with shout-out cards and appreciation notices.
  • Go Mobile: The Homebase mobile app boasts impressive ratings — 4.4 on the Play Store and 4.8 on the Apple Store. Managers can create open shifts for qualified employees to claim, while features like geofencing and time tracking improve overall control. The app informs everyone with push notifications for upcoming events and alerts employees about late logouts or missed breaks.
  • Create the Perfect Software Stack: According to our analysis, Homebase ranks exceptionally well for its integration and extensibility with third-party solutions. It allows you to easily import or export data in CSV or Excel format. You can connect it with popular solutions like QuickBooks Online, Rippling, Gusto and ADP. It offers a native payroll integration at a cost. You can access its API with partner integrations and design custom connections with any tool!
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  • Try It Before You Buy It: Get started with 7shifts for free! You can schedule up to 30 employees at one location without needing a credit card. Plus, all paid plans come with a 14-day trial to help you explore all the features before committing.
  • Top-Rated Solution: Our analysts ranked 7shifts among the best employee scheduling software, with an impressive score of 86. This puts it right up there with industry leaders like When I Work (85) and Deputy (86).
  • Simple Setup, Powerful Features: Looking for an all-in-one scheduling solution? 7shifts might be perfect for you. Our research shows it supports 84% of essential employee scheduling needs right out of the box, requiring minimal setup.
  • Enhanced Teamwork: 7shifts excels in team communication and collaboration, offering features like news feeds, group chats, announcements and direct messaging. Plus, read receipts ensure recipients read messages, and employee sentiment tracking helps managers identify potential issues.
  • Effortless Employee Management: 7shifts offers everything you need to manage your team effectively. Create and maintain employee profiles with ease while ensuring compliance with labor regulations. Features include self-service profiles, certification reminders, task management and even employee mood tracking.
  • Robust Mobile App: The 7shifts mobile app is a user favorite, with a 4.8 rating on the Apple Store and a 4.5 rating on Google Play. It includes features like geofencing, time tracking, shift swapping, team messaging and customizable notifications to keep everyone informed.
  • Effortless Schedule Creation: Scheduling is a breeze with 7shifts thanks to tools like AI-powered auto-scheduling, drag-and-drop functionality, conflict identification, skill-based scheduling, and the ability to create and use customizable templates for recurring needs.
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  • Scheduling: Create, copy and save schedules that can be modified or reused later. View employee availability and time off requests, manage shift changes, and forecast labor costs.
  • Time Clock: Clock in and out from the web, a tablet or an integrated POS. The advanced subscription packages can prevent employees from clocking in early for their shifts and returning from breaks early. The time clock feature can also round time and allow for automatic clock-out.
  • Timesheets: Track clock-ins, breaks and overtime hours with online timesheets. Generate a daily summary of activities, track breaks and export timesheets to payroll, reducing time errors.
  • Team Communication: Send direct messages and broadcast messages to entire groups directly through the app.
  • Hiring: Streamline the hiring process by providing pre-written job descriptions, interview reminders and applicant tracking capabilities. Post open jobs to Craigslist and other job boards. Import new hires to the schedule automatically.
  • Reporting: Track and generate reports on labor costs as a percentage of sales, actual hours worked, employee performance and shift feedback summaries. The more advanced subscription plans also track labor costs by type and generate reports on the application programming interface, on-time arrival and other customized reports.
  • Drag-and-Drop Interface: Users can view and sort schedules by role, time period or employee hours with a drag-and-drop interface. Managers can also copy the previous week’s schedule and publish work changes directly through the mobile app.
  • HR and Compliance: Centralize employee information, eSign documents and send automated welcome packets for a smooth self-onboarding experience. Define clear PTO policies and approval workflows, set up black-out dates and define advance notice requirements for more control. The platform offers consultancy with external HR advisors for expert insights and policy reviews, helping comply with labor regulations.
  • Employee Benefits and Productivity Tools: Early access to earned wages allows staff members to avoid overdraft fees. Peer-to-peer recognition tools and automatic performance metric tracking help foster a productive environment. You can also gain valuable insights into employee sentiment through anonymous end-of-shift feedback.
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  • Scheduling: Managers can quickly build staff schedules using drag-and-drop functionality. The system integrates with existing point-of-sale systems to automatically forecast sales and suggest labor needs. Managers can then publish the schedule through the mobile app, allowing staff to view their shifts, request time off and swap shifts.
  • Time Clocking: Use a mobile time-clocking app, 7punches, to simplify employee attendance tracking and ensure labor law compliance. The app integrates with the scheduling system, allowing only employees with scheduled shifts to clock in. This prevents time theft and ensures accurate timesheets. Managers can also enable optional features like photo verification or location tracking (geofencing) upon clock-in to further confirm employee presence.
  • Tip Pooling: You can automate tip calculations and payouts. The system integrates with existing scheduling data to ensure accurate tip allocation. Managers can specify how to split tips among staff, and the system handles calculations automatically, eliminating manual errors and saving time. 7shifts also offers secure and cashless tip payouts, replacing the need for cash advances, bank runs and manual tip distribution.
  • Payroll Management: This integrated solution, specifically designed for US restaurants, centralizes employee onboarding, time clocking, labor law compliance checks and payroll processing. The system automates wage and tip calculations, ensuring accurate and timely employee payments.
  • Employee Engagement: An engagement dashboard helps monitor key metrics and identify areas for improvement. Managers can automate shift feedback surveys to gather employee insights for coaching and addressing issues. The platform facilitates performance conversations with data and insights, ensuring continuous improvement. The manager logbook bridges communication gaps between shifts by allowing managers to document and share daily updates.
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Product Ranking

#6

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

#12

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

84
86
100
100
87
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87
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Collaboration
Integrations and Extensibility
Mobile Capabilities
Leave and Absence Management
Schedule Management
Collaboration
Schedule Management
Employee Management
Mobile Capabilities
Shift Management

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Homebase
7shifts
+ Add Product + Add Product
Collaboration Employee Management Leave And Absence Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting And Analytics Schedule Management Security And Compliance Shift Management Time And Attendance Management 100 87 91 93 61 50 88 83 86 74 100 94 87 90 61 81 95 67 89 83 0 25 50 75 100
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83%
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88%
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93%
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87%
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83%
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17%
85%
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67%
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84%
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89%
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26%
84%
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16%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

90%
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20%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1169 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1305 reviews
91%
of users recommend this product

Homebase has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 1169 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

94%
of users recommend this product

7shifts has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 94% when considering 1305 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.6 (13)
4.2 (12)
4.2 (108)
4.6 (105)
4.6 (1027)
4.7 (1176)
4.1 (21)
4.8 (12)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Homebase and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Collaboration. Homebase stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Collaboration Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated 7shifts and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Collaboration. 7shifts stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Collaboration Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Ease of Setup and Use: Many users found Homebase easy to set up and navigate. The platform is intuitive, making it simple for both managers and employees to use.
Scheduling and Time Tracking: The platform simplifies employee scheduling, making it easy to create, modify and track schedules. It includes useful features like a time clock, timesheets and attendance tracking.
Integration with Other Tools: Users appreciated its integration with various payroll processors and POS systems.
Accessibility: You can access the software from various devices, including desktops, tablets and smartphones, enhancing flexibility for managers and employees on the go.
Cost-Effectiveness: Several reviews mentioned that the free basic plan suffices for smaller businesses, providing essential features without extra cost.
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Ease of Use: The platform has an Intuitive interface and is simple to navigate, even for non-tech-savvy employees.
Comprehensive Features: 7shifts supports every key employee scheduling requirement in a centralized platform, managing scheduling, time tracking, payroll and employee engagement.
Responsive Customer Support: Users report positive experiences with support in resolving issues and implementing feedback.
Improved Employee Engagement: The platform reduces managerial stress by allowing employees to manage their schedules and trades from phones. This promotes transparency and confidence among employees by allowing real-time schedule and timesheet tracking.
Efficient Team Communication: Users report that 7shifts has significantly improved team collaboration by facilitating easy messaging among staff and management, making shift swaps and updates straightforward.
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Undo and Modification Limitations: The lack of an undo feature can be problematic if accidental changes or deletions occur.
User Interface Issues: Some users found the new updates and interface changes cumbersome, with issues like light markings, lack of lines and frequent refresh rates. Others mentioned that the iPad app is not optimized and often mimics the mobile website, limiting its functionality.
Customer Support: Several reviews highlighted delayed responses from customer support and insufficient support hours, which can be challenging for businesses operating outside regular hours. Also, the platform heavily targets the U.S. market and offers limited support for international users.
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Comparatively Expensive: Users find the platform costly for accessing necessary functions, especially on higher-tier plans. It could be more affordable for smaller companies.
Technical Issues: There are reports of occasional slowness and glitches, particularly on mobile devices. After a system update, some functions may change without prior notification.
Limited Customizations: Some features lack flexibility, such as the inability to stack and sort employee shifts on a given day and limited options for dashboard and view customizations.
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In my research, I was particularly impressed by the guided onboarding process. The intuitive setup allowed me to get the platform up and running within minutes, enabling easy scheduling without a steep learning curve. This ease of use also extends to onboarding employees.The auto-documentation request feature stood out to me. I could define the required documents for each employee, and the system automatically sent follow-up reminders. This automation significantly streamlined the process of maintaining up-to-date employee profiles with all the necessary paperwork.Homebase’s integration with other tools, such as payroll processors, accounting solutions and POS systems, is a huge plus. It saves time and reduces the hassle of manual data transfers, making the overall management process smoother. Additionally, the system can handle basic hiring, onboarding, payroll and compliance management, making it an all-in-one HR suite for small businesses.However, I encountered some drawbacks. One notable issue was the auto-scheduling feature. While the idea behind it is great, it proved complicated in practice and lacked customization options to meet my specific needs.Users have reported facing issues with the vendor’s customer support team. There were reports of delayed responses, and the support hours were insufficient for businesses operating outside regular U.S. business hours. Despite these issues, the platform’s cost-effectiveness, especially with the free basic plan, makes it a viable option for small and medium enterprises. It offers essential scheduling and time-tracking features without hidden costs and implementation complexities.

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My overall experience with 7shifts has been positive. The onboarding process was a breeze, taking just five minutes to set up my shop and begin scheduling. I particularly liked the option to have 7shifts automatically set up my business by uploading an existing Excel schedule. The platform then created departments and employee profiles for me, saving a significant amount of time.Another feature I found valuable was the customizable manager logbook. It allowed me to take detailed notes, set up alerts and create reminders for upcoming maintenance activities. Additionally, the mobile app stood out with its unique selfie-based employee punch-in feature, ensuring that the right person was clocking in for their shift.While 7shifts offers a comprehensive suite of features, there are some drawbacks to consider. One major concern is the cost. Compared to competitors like Homebase, WhenIWork and Sling, 7shifts is more expensive for smaller companies. Another point to note is that payroll management is not included in the paid plans, requiring an additional charge to unlock this feature.Despite these limitations, 7shifts offers a user-friendly platform with various features designed to streamline employee scheduling, time tracking, communication and employee engagement. Responsive customer support and a focus on employee experience are additional strengths.Ultimately, whether 7shifts is the right fit depends on your specific needs and budget. For small business owners on a tight budget, the cost may be prohibitive. However, for those seeking a comprehensive, user-centric solution, 7shifts could be a valuable asset.

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WhenToWork

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