Top Sling Alternatives & Competitors For 2024

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Looking for alternatives to Sling? Many users crave user-friendly and feature-rich solutions for tasks like Schedule Management, Mobile Capabilities, and Shift Management. Leveraging crowdsourced data from over 1,000 real Employee Scheduling Software selection projects based on 400+ capabilities, we present a comparison of Sling to leading industry alternatives like WhenToWork, Deputy, honeybeeBase, and Doodle.

WhenToWork Software Tool
honeybeeBase Software Tool

Product Basics

Sling is a cloud-native tool for streamlining employee scheduling for businesses of all sizes. It offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, allowing managers to build and modify schedules with ease. Pre-built templates for recurring shifts further save time, eliminating the need for repetitive manual assignments.

The platform offers employees self-service options to view schedules, request time off, and swap shifts with colleagues. This collaborative approach reduces management overhead and fosters a sense of autonomy among staff. Automated overtime tracking and labor cost analysis allow you to make data-driven decisions and identify areas for staffing optimization.

Additionally, it integrates with time clock functionality, enabling employees to clock in and out via their mobile devices. It also connects with existing calendar apps, ensuring everyone maintains a synced view of upcoming work commitments.

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WhenToWork is a cloud-based solution that helps businesses create and manage schedules for hourly workers. It offers a free mobile app that supports time tracking, allowing employees to punch in and out of work remotely.

The platform’s standout feature is its one-click scheduling that uses a proprietary algorithm to generate optimal shift schedules, minimizing conflicts and reducing human error. With just a few clicks, you can create efficient work plans that ensure your team is adequately staffed at all times.

Employees can easily input their preferred, disliked and unavailable work times, allowing managers to make informed decisions when creating schedules. This feature enhances employee satisfaction and minimizes scheduling conflicts by ensuring that employees are working shifts that align with their availability and preferences.

This platform lets you prioritize clear communication and accountability within your team. It automatically sends notifications to employees when their shifts are created or updated, ensuring everyone stays informed. This enhances employee engagement and reduces the risk of missed shifts.

WhenToWork offers a 30-day trial period, allowing you to test the platform’s suitability for your scheduling needs. Its paid plans start from $38 per month, with pricing based on the number of employees and the subscription duration. Unlike other platforms, it doesn’t offer tiered plans based on features — every plan includes the full toolkit.

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Deputy is a one-stop shop for hiring, training, scheduling, paying and managing time sheets of frontline and hourly workers. It offers an intuitive interface and various features to help manage employees, streamline scheduling operations and simplify internal communications.

You can easily create, edit and manage schedules while ensuring optimal staffing levels. The platform's drag-and-drop functionality allows quick adjustments to accommodate changes in staffing or workload. Time clock features enable employees to clock in and out accurately, minimizing the risk of time theft and simplifying payroll processing.

Also, Deputy provides a comprehensive suite of HR tools, including features for managing time off. Employees can easily request and track vacation, sick leave and other absences. A built-in messaging portal facilitates internal communication and records interactions to promote accountability.

You can also post job openings on popular online channels and create a branded portal to accept applications. The system lets you design a new hire’s onboarding workflow with embedded training materials and tips. Additionally, customizable automation helps businesses comply with fair workweek regulations, break rules, maximum work hours, consecutive workdays and other labor regulations.

One of the platform’s standout features is its pre-built integrations and extensibility with other third-party solutions. The vendor lets you add extra features such as payroll processing, business intelligence, demand forecasting, point of sale system and more.


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honeybeeBase is a cloud-hosted solution that helps businesses schedule employees, manage tasks, monitor employee attendance, track time, foster communication and more. Suitable for businesses of all sizes, it can be accessed from any internet-connected device.

Businesses can monitor employee work hours and get notified when employees start or finish their shifts and take paid or unpaid breaks. Users can get reports of all notifications compiled in emails and access weekly time card reviews to approve logged hours. Its attendance module closely monitors all early departures, late arrivals, absences and generates customized reports of employee leaves. Employees can check available leaves, request time off and get approvals through the vacation module. An activity stream notifies team members automatically of all important activities that require attention.
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Doodle is an enterprise scheduling platform that empowers teams to collaborate based on individual availability for quicker scheduling of one-on-one and group meetings through polls. It syncs across Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Office 365 and iCal. Meeting hosts can choose to send poll links to team members directly or through its email client. Email alerts notify the meeting host of the team’s replies and provides a clear snapshot of individual availability. In addition, it enables update broadcasts and meeting reminder setup to keep the team in the loop.

It integrates with Zoom to include a unique link for every scheduled meeting. Available on Android and iOS devices, it integrates with Slack through an AI-powered bot. It is hosted on AWS which is certified for compliance under ISO/IEC 27001:2013, 27017:2015 and 27018:2014. In addition, it leverages Cloudflare for DDoS protection. Besides the free version, the vendor offers business and enterprise subscriptions.
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Product Assistance

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Product Ranking

#30

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Employee Scheduling Software

#5

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Employee Scheduling Software

#8

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#27

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#16

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Employee Scheduling Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

84
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89
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91
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Mobile Capabilities
Reporting and Analytics
Collaboration
Employee Management
Schedule Management
Schedule Management
Mobile Capabilities
Integrations and Extensibility
Schedule Management
Time and Attendance Management
Collaboration
Collaboration
Employee Management
Leave and Absence Management
Mobile Capabilities
Platform Capabilities
Collaboration
Employee Management
Leave and Absence Management
Mobile Capabilities
Platform Capabilities

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Sling
WhenToWork
Deputy
honeybeeBase
Doodle
+ 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 91 87 78 98 75 95 86 56 86 83 52 62 79 55 67 81 89 37 82 27 91 85 78 100 88 64 95 76 89 94 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 234 reviews
Great User Sentiment 226 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1504 reviews
Great User Sentiment 219 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 4442 reviews
91%
of users recommend this product

Sling has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 234 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

89%
of users recommend this product

WhenToWork has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 89% when considering 226 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

90%
of users recommend this product

Deputy has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 1504 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

82%
of users recommend this product

honeybeeBase has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 82% when considering 219 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

90%
of users recommend this product

Doodle has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 4442 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

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4.7 (15)
4.3 (15)
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Awards

User Favorite Award
we're gathering data
User Favorite Award
Mobile Capabilities Award
Integrations and Extensibility Award
we're gathering data
User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly and Intuitive: Many users appreciate Sling's easy-to-use interface, which makes scheduling and other tasks straightforward and accessible without extensive training.
Comprehensive Features in the Free Version: Users find the free version of Sling highly functional and often better than some paid alternatives.
Optimized Shift Management: The ability to create repeating shifts and use shift templates saves time and effort in planning.
Improved Efficiency and Organization: Sling helps organize schedules and increase efficiency by reducing scheduling errors.
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Ease of Use: Users praised the platform’s user-friendly interface and ease of use across all user types. Its intuitive navigation simplifies shift management, schedule swaps and coworker communication. The platform also provides useful "how-to" videos, making it easier for users to understand the system without needing live support.
Better Customization and Flexibility: Users appreciated the ability to customize schedules, permissions and worker roles. It’s easy to switch shifts and see assigned shifts in one place.
Easy Reporting: The one-click report generation feature helps users manage budgets and track employee hours. This is especially helpful for administrators manually comparing scheduling costs with budgetary constraints.
Improved Remote Workability: Reviews highlight the benefit of accessing the software from any mobile device, making it convenient for teams to check schedules, receive notifications and streamline internal communications.
Simple Implementation Process: Users from small and medium businesses appreciated the software’s lightweight nature. It requires minimal IT involvement and can be deployed quickly across multiple departments.
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User-Friendly Interface: Users appreciate the intuitive design, which makes it accessible for both managers and employees and easy to adopt with minimal training.
Robust Remote Workability: The mobile app is highly praised for allowing employees to clock in/out, manage shifts and receive notifications, making it convenient for on-the-go use.
Greater Flexibility and Accessibility: Deputy offers flexible shift management, allowing employees to swap or pick up shifts and work across multiple locations. Cloud-based hosting ensures access from anywhere with an internet connection.
Employee Empowerment: The software gives employees more control over their schedules, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for time management.
Streamline Scheduling: Deputy effectively manages scheduling, time tracking and attendance, reducing errors and improving overall efficiency. Reviews highlight valuable features like preventing early clock-ins and integrating with payroll systems.
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Functionality: The system is easy to navigate and access information, simplifies tracking employee working hours and accurately calculates total hours worked. The set-up process is uncomplicated and can be configured to restrict user access, noted 84% of reviewers who talked about the product’s functionality.
Scheduling: Nearly 80% of the users who mentioned scheduling said that the system takes the pain away from the scheduling process and enhances operational efficiency. It keeps a tab on shift swaps, employee availability and provides real-time information of work progress.
Mobile App: The system’s mobile platform offers accessibility to field workers to view their shifts from anywhere and clock-in and out from their phones or any other web-connected device, said approximately 82% of the users who talked about the mobile app.
Affordable: Nearly 77% of the reviewers who mentioned cost said that the product is economical, especially for the smaller teams, as it charges a flat monthly fee rather than per user.
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Usability: According to 100% of users who reviewed this pro, the software is easy to use, straightforward and simple for both senders and responders.
Polling Functionality: About 83% of users who mentioned this pro said the polls make meeting coordination easier, help participants to find common times and streamline scheduling for those who are busy.
Scheduling Meetings: Regarding this feature, approximately 97% of users said scheduling is easier, saves time and is more efficient with the software.
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Notification Overload: There can be too many notifications, especially for chats that users are not actively involved in. Sling doesn’t offer the privacy tools required to customize notifications for managers and employees.
Occasional Glitches and Loading Issues: Some users experience occasional bugs, app crashes or slow loading times after a system update.
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Lack of Live Support: Live representatives are unavailable, especially during troubleshooting. Instead, the platform relies on video tutorials, which may not be sufficient in urgent situations.
Complicated Staff Availability Settings: Some reviewers found the "date specific" availability options frustrating, as it often caused confusion when scheduling in advance. Also, the inability to fully turn off certain options, like the "dislike" function, can complicate determining worker availability.
Limited Enterprise Features: Users from larger businesses noted that the platform lacks advanced enterprise-level security settings and integration support, making it less ideal for organizations with complex needs.
Cluttered Interface: The schedule display can sometimes be confusing or cluttered, particularly when many shifts are on the board. This makes it harder to quickly view and understand schedules at times.
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Support and Customer Service Issues: Several users reported poor customer service experiences, especially when dealing with technical support or canceling the service. The vendor primarily offers support via email, which some users found inadequate.
Performance and Speed: Some users experienced lag when accepting shifts or clocking in and out, causing delays and frustration.
Challenges With Multi-Location Tracking: For organizations with employees across multiple locations or states, keeping track of everyone’s whereabouts could be challenging as the platform doesn’t support multiple time zones across geographies.
Syncing Issues: Users noted that the inability to sync with external calendars (like Google or Apple Calendar) was a significant drawback.
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Bugs: The system is prone to bugs and freezes while clocking-in or out causing time log errors. It is slow to load and inconsistent, noted nearly 83% of reviewers who talked about the system’s glitches.
Reporting: Nearly 80% of the users who mentioned reporting said that the product offers limited reporting functionalities to track staff attendance and encounters issues while running reports.
Layout: The system offers a basic layout with limited customizations, and has unnecessary stuff on the home page with outdated icons, said approximately 79% of reviewers who mentioned layout and design.
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Ads: According to 100% of users who reviewed this con, advertisements are distracting, sometimes embedded in the middle of the webpage and the free version has tons of them.
Edit Functionality: Regarding this feature, 100% of users said that it requires enhancement, needs improvement and has a few glitches.
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My research into employee scheduling solutions revealed that Sling is a frontrunner, particularly for its user-friendliness. The intuitive interface simplifies schedule creation and management, even for those with limited technical expertise. The platform offers highly customizable templates and automation features, making it easy to generate regular reports.What truly impressed me was the feature set offered in the free plan. Beyond basic scheduling, it provides time tracking, communication tools like news sharing, private messaging and long-term scheduling. This exceeds what many of its competitors offer in their free plans. Also, the ability to schedule up to 50 employees at no cost is a huge advantage for growing small businesses.However, for larger enterprises with complex staffing needs, Sling might not be the perfect fit. While it excels in core scheduling functions, it lacks advanced features like a built-in AI, hiring and onboarding tools, and employee engagement trackers. It doesn't let you automate scheduling or analyze sales forecasts to optimize workforce allocation.Additionally, scheduling conflict alerts are limited to employee availability and don't consider skill sets or preferences. For businesses seeking a more comprehensive workforce management solution with AI-powered assistance, Sling may require further exploration alongside other options in the market.

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WhenToWork is a user-friendly online scheduling solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Its intuitive interface and straightforward features make it a viable option for businesses looking to ditch paper trails and digitize their scheduling operations.My experience with WhenToWork began with a simple sign-up process that required minimal information. The platform guided me through a brief onboarding process, where I provided details about my business and team members. While the onboarding process was straightforward, I noticed the business category list didn’t offer many options for construction-related industries.Upon accessing the web platform, I was greeted by a somewhat outdated design that felt reminiscent of an earlier era. While the layout was clean and easy to navigate, a modern update could benefit its overall aesthetic. The main menu has sections for schedules, employees, trades, time off, messaging, reports and current on-duty employees.The mobile app, however, offers a more streamlined experience with a user-friendly interface. It provides quick access to schedules, shift trades, time off, messaging, staff information and a link to the full web version. The app's dashboard offers a clear overview of assignments, time off, shift trades and messages.The messaging features are designed for efficient team communication. You can send and receive messages, create urgent alerts, and post on a bulletin board. The “Reports” section offers customizable reporting options, allowing you to generate reports based on various criteria and export them for further analysis.Overall, WhenToWork is a suitable option for businesses with basic scheduling needs. Its user-friendly interface, straightforward features and robust reporting capabilities make it a viable choice for organizations that prioritize simplicity and ease of use. However, businesses seeking a more modern and feature-rich platform may need to explore other options.

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Deputy is a valuable asset for businesses looking to streamline their scheduling operations and enhance employee productivity. During my research, I found it to be a highly effective and centralized tool for hiring, training and scheduling employees. Users consistently praise its performance, with many giving it a 4.5-star rating.One of Deputy's standout features is its AI-powered automation, which can significantly improve scheduling and shift break compliance. However, it may require some initial setup and learning to function optimally. The touchless facial recognition clock-in feature is particularly valuable in today's post-pandemic world.I appreciate Deputy's commitment to employee empowerment. Its accountability measures, such as GPS tracking and facial recognition, effectively prevent time theft without compromising employee autonomy. The Shift Pulse feature is another valuable tool that fosters open communication between employees and management.While Deputy is a powerful solution, it's not without its flaws. I encountered bugs and glitches that occasionally disrupted the user experience. Slow performance, particularly for mobile app users and non-desk staff, can be frustrating. Additionally, GPS challenges can be problematic for businesses with multiple locations as the platform doesn’t support multiple time zones.The HR functionality is also limited, but I believe it has the potential to expand over time. Adding more languages to the interface would also make it more inclusive. Overall, I recommend Deputy to small to mid-sized organizations seeking a reliable and feature-rich scheduling solution that also offers basic HR functionalities.

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honeybeeBase organizes processes, streamlines scheduling and strengthens team communications. It manages tasks, tracks employee work hours, accurately calculates total hours to compute payroll while eliminating manual calculations. It provides easy access to information anytime, anywhere, and employees can log in and out of their workplaces using mobile phones. The system is affordable and is backed by helpful technical support and an extensive knowledge base. However, the system is riddled with glitches and freezes while clocking in and out, is slow to load, encounters errors while generating reports and doesn’t have an appealing design. Its homepage is cluttered with unnecessary information, and the system comes with some unresponsive functionalities.

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Doodle has garnered significant praise for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design, making it a breeze to schedule meetings and appointments. Users particularly appreciate the platform's flexibility, allowing them to create polls with various options for dates, times, locations, and even custom questions to gather additional information. The ability to integrate with popular calendar applications like Google Calendar and Outlook further streamlines the scheduling process, eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails or phone calls. Additionally, Doodle's mobile app ensures that users can manage their schedules and respond to polls on the go, providing a seamless experience across devices. However, some users have noted that the free version of Doodle comes with limitations, such as advertisements and restricted editing functionality. While the paid versions offer more features and customization options, the pricing structure may not be suitable for all businesses, particularly smaller ones or those with limited budgets. Additionally, while Doodle excels at scheduling meetings and appointments, it may not be as comprehensive as some other employee scheduling software options that offer features like time tracking, payroll integration, and shift management. Overall, Doodle appears to be an excellent choice for businesses and teams of all sizes who primarily need a simple and efficient way to schedule meetings and appointments. Its ease of use, flexibility, and integration capabilities make it a valuable tool for streamlining communication and improving productivity. However, businesses with more complex scheduling needs or those seeking a free solution may want to explore alternative options that offer a broader range of features.

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Related Categories

Top Alternatives in Employee Scheduling Software


7shifts

Deputy

Findmyshift

Homebase

Humanity

OpenSimSim

Planday

Quinyx

ScheduleFlex

Shiftbase

Shiftboard

TimeForge

When I Work

WhenToWork

ZoomShift

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