Homebase Alternatives 2026: Scheduling and Time Clocks Compared
Eight scheduling and time clock apps for hourly teams leaving Homebase, with US prices read on vendor pages in October 2026 and a 20-employee cost model.
Connecteam is the best Homebase alternative in 2026 for most hourly teams: its Operations Basic plan covers scheduling and a GPS time clock for the first 30 users at a flat $35 a month on monthly billing, and it is free for businesses under 10 employees. Sling is the cheapest per-user switch, and 7shifts is the restaurant pick.
Homebase itself charges per location, not per employee: Essentials is $30 a month per location billed monthly ($24 on annual billing), Plus is $70 and All-in-One is $120, each with unlimited employees. The free Basic plan stops at one location and 10 employees. Prices were checked on each vendor's pricing page on October 21, 2026.
Key facts8 tools compared: Connecteam, Sling, When I Work, 7shifts, Deputy, Buddy Punch, ClockShark…
- 8 tools compared: Connecteam, Sling, When I Work, 7shifts, Deputy, Buddy Punch, ClockShark, Jibble
- Sling (best for: Small teams that mostly need a shift schedule and can live without a time clock on the free plan): Free scheduling up to 30 users; Premium $2/user/mo, Business $4/user/mo billed monthly.
- When I Work (best for: Single-location shops that want auto scheduling and forecast tools at a low per-user rate): Essentials from $2.50/user/mo; Pro $5 and Premium $8 per user per month.
- 7shifts (best for: Restaurants that want scheduling, tip pooling and payroll built for food service): Comp free (1 location, 15 staff); Essentials $44.99/location/mo billed monthly, $39.99 on annual billing.
Most teams do not leave Homebase because of the price at one location. In our 20-employee model below, Homebase Essentials is the cheapest paid plan of the nine; the case for switching is a second or third location, a feature Homebase holds for Plus or All-in-One, or a workflow Homebase was not built for, such as job costing or a restaurant tip pool.
That is why the list below is ordered by how well each tool covers Homebase's core job, a shift schedule plus a time clock for hourly staff, and what that costs at your size. Connecteam and Sling come first because they replace both at a lower or similar bill. Deputy, Buddy Punch and ClockShark cost more and earn their place on compliance, payroll-ready timesheets or field work.
HRpresso data: Toolradar, the software directory we run, evaluated 110 time tracking tools for its time tracking ranking, updated October 20, 2026, and lists Homebase, Connecteam, Sling and Deputy among its profiles. Our own cost model prices one 20-employee location on monthly billing on every tool that prints a rate.
If you are deciding whether to stay, start with the Homebase review and the Homebase pricing breakdown. Head-to-head pages cover Connecteam vs Homebase, Homebase vs When I Work, Homebase vs Deputy and 7shifts vs Homebase.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
The closest all-round Homebase swap: schedule, time clock, forms and tasks in one app, priced flat for the first 30 users.
Operations Basic $35/mo for the first 30 users billed monthly, $29 yearly; free under 10 employees.
Hourly teams that want scheduling and a GPS time clock at a flat price, across one or several sites
The cheapest per-user switch, with free shift scheduling, time-off requests and messaging for up to 30 users.
Free scheduling up to 30 users; Premium $2/user/mo, Business $4/user/mo billed monthly.
Small teams that mostly need a shift schedule and can live without a time clock on the free plan
A per-user scheduler with auto scheduling and forecasting on its entry plan, best value at small headcounts.
Essentials from $2.50/user/mo; Pro $5 and Premium $8 per user per month.
Single-location shops that want auto scheduling and forecast tools at a low per-user rate
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Connecteam | Operations Basic $35/mo for the first 30 users billed monthly, $29 yearly; free under 10 employees. | Hourly teams that want scheduling and a GPS time clock at a flat price, across one or several sites |
| Sling | Free scheduling up to 30 users; Premium $2/user/mo, Business $4/user/mo billed monthly. | Small teams that mostly need a shift schedule and can live without a time clock on the free plan |
| When I Work | Essentials from $2.50/user/mo; Pro $5 and Premium $8 per user per month. | Single-location shops that want auto scheduling and forecast tools at a low per-user rate |
| 7shifts | Comp free (1 location, 15 staff); Essentials $44.99/location/mo billed monthly, $39.99 on annual billing. | Restaurants that want scheduling, tip pooling and payroll built for food service |
| Deputy | Lite $5/user/mo, Core $6.50, Pro $9 on annual billing; monthly $5.50, $7.25 and $10. | Multi-site operators that need labor law compliance, auto-scheduling and demand forecasting |
| Buddy Punch | $19/mo base plus Starter $5.99, Pro $7.99 or Advanced $13.99 per user billed monthly; less on annual. | Teams whose real problem is accurate punches, breaks and payroll-ready timesheets rather than the schedule |
| ClockShark | Standard $42/mo + $9.50/user; Pro $63/mo + $11.50/user; three-year contract term on all plans. | Construction and field service crews that track time by job and task across job sites |
| Jibble | Free for unlimited users; the website prints no price for paid upgrades. | Teams that only need clock-ins and timesheets and want to stop paying for them |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Nov 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
Connecteam
The closest all-round Homebase swap: schedule, time clock, forms and tasks in one app, priced flat for the first 30 users.
- Pricing
- Operations Basic $35/mo for the first 30 users billed monthly, $29 yearly; free under 10 employees.
Best for: Hourly teams that want scheduling and a GPS time clock at a flat price, across one or several sites
Pros
- Operations Basic includes a real-time GPS time clock, basic scheduling with open shifts, payroll integration and unlimited checklists and forms.
- Each extra user above 30 costs $1.0 a month on monthly billing, so a 45-person team adds $15 rather than a full second fee.
- The Small Business Plan is free for businesses with fewer than 10 employees, and a 14-day trial runs on the Expert plan.
Cons
- Repeating shifts, schedule templates and auto clock-out start on Advanced at $59 a month billed monthly, so a template-heavy scheduler pays more.
- Messaging and HR features are separate hubs with their own prices, so replacing Homebase's team chat can mean a second subscription.
Sling
The cheapest per-user switch, with free shift scheduling, time-off requests and messaging for up to 30 users.
- Pricing
- Free scheduling up to 30 users; Premium $2/user/mo, Business $4/user/mo billed monthly.
Best for: Small teams that mostly need a shift schedule and can live without a time clock on the free plan
Pros
- The free plan includes shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts, news sharing and private messaging for up to 30 users.
- Premium adds mobile time tracking, labor cost management and overtime tracking; annual billing lowers it to $1.70 per user.
- Sling prorates a seat when a team member leaves or is deactivated, so seasonal turnover does not leave you paying for empty seats.
Cons
- Time tracking is not on the free plan, so a team that clocks in through Homebase Basic pays from the first user to keep doing so.
- Kiosk clock-ins, payroll hour reports and PTO management sit on Business, which doubles the per-user price.
When I Work
A per-user scheduler with auto scheduling and forecasting on its entry plan, best value at small headcounts.
- Pricing
- Essentials from $2.50/user/mo; Pro $5 and Premium $8 per user per month.
Best for: Single-location shops that want auto scheduling and forecast tools at a low per-user rate
Pros
- Essentials includes auto scheduling, multi-week scheduling, schedule templates, forecast tools, OpenShifts and shift swapping.
- When I Work says every plan includes scheduling, time and attendance, and team messaging, with no contract and cancel at any time.
- A 14-day free trial includes full access, and billing can be monthly or annual.
Cons
- The pricing FAQ ties the entry rate to single-location teams and puts multi-location businesses on a higher per-user rate, while the Essentials card lists multi-location scheduling, so confirm your rate before you count on the lower one.
- At 20 employees it already costs more a month than Homebase Essentials, and the gap widens with every hire.
7shifts
The restaurant-specific Homebase alternative, priced per location with employee caps on each plan.
- Pricing
- Comp free (1 location, 15 staff); Essentials $44.99/location/mo billed monthly, $39.99 on annual billing.
Best for: Restaurants that want scheduling, tip pooling and payroll built for food service
Pros
- Essentials adds advanced scheduling, team messaging and basic time clocking for up to 30 employees per location.
- Pro adds PTO accruals and balances, labor compliance and labor cost tools, advanced time clocking and a manager log book.
- Premium includes 7shifts Payroll, Tip Management and Task Management for unlimited employees, at $149.99 a month per location billed monthly.
Cons
- Every plan has a headcount cap below Premium, 30 employees on Essentials and 60 on Pro, so growth can force a tier change.
- Payroll on Essentials or Pro costs $39.99 a month per location plus $6 per employee paid, on top of the plan.
Deputy
The compliance-heavy pick: labor law rules from Lite, auto-scheduling and forecasting from Core, priced per user.
- Pricing
- Lite $5/user/mo, Core $6.50, Pro $9 on annual billing; monthly $5.50, $7.25 and $10.
Best for: Multi-site operators that need labor law compliance, auto-scheduling and demand forecasting
Pros
- Lite includes basic scheduling, timesheets and time clocking, labor law compliance, shift swaps and leave management.
- Core adds auto-scheduling, demand forecasting, biometric time clocking and wage and labor budgets.
- Add-ons are priced openly: HR at $2 per user a month, Messaging+ at $1.95 and Analytics+ at $1.50, each with a 30-day free trial.
Cons
- At 20 employees, Lite on monthly billing costs several times Homebase Essentials, so Deputy pays off only when its compliance tools replace manual work.
- Deputy Payroll, enabled by Paycor, costs $8 per user a month plus a $49 monthly base fee and is available only on annual Core and Pro plans in the US.
Buddy Punch
A time clock first, with scheduling included from Pro, built to stop buddy punching and feed payroll.
- Pricing
- $19/mo base plus Starter $5.99, Pro $7.99 or Advanced $13.99 per user billed monthly; less on annual.
Best for: Teams whose real problem is accurate punches, breaks and payroll-ready timesheets rather than the schedule
Pros
- Pro includes scheduling plus offline mode, basic geofencing, QR code and kiosk punches, webcam photos on punches and break compliance with automatic premium pay.
- Admins are free and unlimited, and Starter already covers GPS on punches, time off tracking, job tracking and payroll integrations.
- Annual billing lowers Pro to $6.99 per user a month, and Pro includes API and MCP access.
Cons
- Scheduling is included from Pro and is not in Starter's feature list, so a Homebase user who needs the schedule should price Pro.
- The $19 monthly base fee comes on top of every plan, which makes very small teams pay more per head.
ClockShark
Built for field crews: GPS time tracking by job and task, drag-and-drop scheduling and job costing.
- Pricing
- Standard $42/mo + $9.50/user; Pro $63/mo + $11.50/user; three-year contract term on all plans.
Best for: Construction and field service crews that track time by job and task across job sites
Pros
- Standard includes GPS tracking, job and task tracking, built-in Spanish language support, drag-and-drop scheduling and manager approvals.
- Pro adds PTO, multi-department controls, advanced job costing, shift wrap-up and compliance forms, and mileage tracking.
- The 14-day trial runs with every Pro feature, and data entered during the trial stays when you subscribe.
Cons
- ClockShark states that a three-year contract term applies to all pricing plans, a long commitment next to Homebase's change-anytime terms.
- It is the most expensive option in our 20-employee model and is aimed at field work, not a retail or restaurant floor.
Jibble
A free time tracker for unlimited users, with mobile, web and kiosk clock-ins, not a shift scheduler.
- Pricing
- Free for unlimited users; the website prints no price for paid upgrades.
Best for: Teams that only need clock-ins and timesheets and want to stop paying for them
Pros
- Jibble says its free plan covers unlimited users with mobile and web clock-ins, desktop time tracking and basic timesheets.
- It integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams and QuickBooks on the free plan, and the site lists kiosk, geofencing and face recognition options.
- Jibble's help center describes a 50% lifetime discount for nonprofits.
Cons
- Jibble's website prints no price for its paid plans, so the cost of features beyond the free plan is unknown until you upgrade in the app.
- Its free plan is described as time tracking and basic timesheets, so a team that builds shift schedules in Homebase needs a separate scheduler.
What it is
A Homebase alternative is a scheduling and time clock app for hourly staff that can take over the shift schedule, clock-ins and timesheets Homebase runs today, with team messaging and a payroll export or payroll add-on attached.
Homebase prices every paid plan per location with unlimited employees, which is the key fact for a comparison. Basic is free for one location and up to 10 employees with basic scheduling and time tracking. Essentials adds advanced scheduling, advanced time tracking and team communication; Plus adds the AI scheduling assistant, PTO and time-off controls, and departments and permissions; All-in-One adds onboarding, labor cost management and HR and compliance.
Payroll is a separate add-on at $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid, or $29 a month for teams of up to 5. Homebase also sells a Tip Manager at $25 a month per location and a Task Manager at $13 a month per location. A promotion offering six months of payroll and the Plus plan free is a limited-time offer, not the list price.
Why it matters
Per-location and per-user pricing cross at a predictable headcount, which is the number to know before any demo. Homebase Essentials costs the same for 3 people or 30 at one site, while Sling Premium, When I Work and Deputy grow with every person you add. By our arithmetic on monthly list prices, Homebase Essentials is cheaper than Sling Premium above 15 employees per location, cheaper than When I Work Essentials above 12, and cheaper than Deputy Lite from 6.
Our 20-employee model, one location, monthly billing: Homebase Essentials $30, Connecteam Operations Basic $35, Sling Premium $40, 7shifts Essentials $44.99, When I Work Essentials $50, Deputy Lite $110, Buddy Punch Pro $178.80 and ClockShark Standard $232 a month. Jibble's free plan is $0 but covers time tracking rather than a shift scheduler. These are our multiplications of published rates, not quotes.
The picture flips at several small locations. Three sites with 15 people each cost $90 a month on Homebase Essentials, because each location is billed. Connecteam's flat first-30-user price plus $1 for each of the 15 extra users comes to $50, and 7shifts Essentials comes to $134.97 for the same three sites.
Features move the line too. PTO controls sit on Homebase Plus, so a team that needs time-off rules compares the $70 plan, not Essentials. A restaurant that pools tips pays for the Tip Manager on top, and a field crew that bills by job should look at ClockShark's job costing instead.
Key features to look for
Pricing
Homebase prints four per-location plans with a monthly and an annual price, and it is one of only two tools here, with 7shifts, that bills by location rather than by user. On Homebase's pricing page the annual toggle saves 20%, so Essentials drops to $24 a location.
Per-user tools print low headline rates that grow with the team: Sling, When I Work and Deputy. Connecteam sits between the two models, with a flat fee for the first 30 users and a small per-user charge above that.
Buddy Punch and ClockShark add a monthly base fee to a per-user rate, and ClockShark's prices come with a three-year contract term. 7shifts caps employees on every plan below Premium. Jibble prints a free plan only. All prices were read on the vendors' pages on October 21, 2026, and every total in this piece is our arithmetic on those published rates, not a quote.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Homebase Basic | $0 | One location, up to 10 employees. Basic scheduling and time tracking |
| Homebase Essentials | $30/location/mo monthly; $24 annual | Unlimited employees. Advanced scheduling, time tracking, team chat |
| Homebase Plus | $70/location/mo monthly; $56 annual | Adds AI scheduling assistant, PTO controls, departments |
| Homebase All-in-One | $120/location/mo monthly; $96 annual | Adds onboarding, labor cost management, HR and compliance |
| Homebase Payroll | $49/mo + $6/employee paid | Add-on to any plan. $29 a month for teams of up to 5 |
| Connecteam Operations Basic | $35/mo monthly; $29 yearly | First 30 users. GPS time clock, scheduling, forms |
| Connecteam Operations Advanced | $59/mo monthly; $49 yearly | First 30 users. Templates, repeating shifts, auto clock-out |
| Sling Free | $0 | Up to 30 users. Scheduling, time-off requests, messaging |
| Sling Premium | $2/user/mo monthly; $1.70 annual | Adds mobile time tracking and labor cost tools |
| Sling Business | $4/user/mo monthly; $3.40 annual | Adds kiosk clock-in, payroll reports, PTO management |
| When I Work Essentials | $2.50/user/mo | Auto scheduling, templates, forecasting, shift swaps |
| When I Work Pro | $5/user/mo | Scheduling rules, role permissions, labor sharing |
| 7shifts Comp | $0 | One location, up to 15 employees. Basic scheduling |
| 7shifts Essentials | $44.99/location/mo monthly; $39.99 annual | Up to 30 employees. Basic time clocking, team messaging |
| 7shifts Pro | $89.99/location/mo monthly; $79.99 annual | Up to 60 employees. PTO accruals, labor compliance |
| Deputy Lite | $5.50/user/mo monthly; $5 annual | Scheduling, timesheets, time clock, labor law compliance |
| Deputy Core | $7.25/user/mo monthly; $6.50 annual | Auto-scheduling, forecasting, biometric clock-in |
| Buddy Punch Pro | $19/mo + $7.99/user monthly; $6.99 annual | Scheduling, kiosk and QR punches, break compliance |
| ClockShark Standard | $42/mo + $9.50/user | GPS and job tracking, scheduling. Three-year term |
| ClockShark Pro | $63/mo + $11.50/user | Adds PTO, job costing, mileage tracking. Three-year term |
| Jibble Free | $0 | Unlimited users. Clock-ins and basic timesheets |
The bottom line
Connecteam is the Homebase replacement for most hourly teams, because Operations Basic prices scheduling and a GPS time clock flat for the first 30 users and costs less than Homebase at several small sites. The Connecteam review covers its hubs in detail.
Choose Sling when the schedule is the job and the team is small, and When I Work when auto scheduling and forecasting on the entry plan matter more than the per-user rate. Choose 7shifts for a restaurant that wants tip pooling and payroll from the same vendor, and Deputy when labor law compliance across sites is the reason you are shopping.
Choose Buddy Punch when accurate punches and break compliance are the problem, ClockShark for job-site crews that can accept a three-year term, and Jibble when you only need free clock-ins. Wider shortlists are the free employee scheduling apps, the time clock software ranking and HR software for restaurants.
How we ranked: we read the nine pricing pages on October 21, 2026, costed one 20-employee location on monthly billing for every tool that prints a rate, and ordered the list by how closely each covers Homebase's schedule-plus-time-clock job at a comparable price, with contracts, caps and missing features counted against a tool. HRpresso runs no test lab, so nothing here is a hands-on result. Toolradar's Homebase alternatives page lists further options. The page is refreshed when a vendor changes its published prices. Cite this: HRpresso, "Homebase Alternatives 2026: Scheduling and Time Clocks Compared", November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Homebase alternative in 2026?
How much does Homebase cost compared with its alternatives?
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Which Homebase alternative is best for restaurants?
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Which alternative suits construction and field teams?
Sources
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.
- Connecteam pricingchecked Sep 2026
- When I Work pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Deputy pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Jibble pricingchecked Sep 2026
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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