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Top Restaurant Scheduling Software

The 9 Best Restaurant Scheduling Software & Apps in 2024

The best restaurant scheduling software platforms reviewed and compared: Get info on features, pricing, pros & cons and more below.

Jawad Khan
Written by
Jawad Khan
Technical Writer
Contributing Experts
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Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024
TOP
Well-rounded team management for restaurants
7shifts
4.6
Popularity Score
4.6
User Score
4.8
Product  Score
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TOP
Well-rounded team management for restaurants
7shifts
4.6
Popularity Score
4.6
User Score
4.8
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Great for its ease of use
ZoomShift
4.1
Popularity Score
4.6
User Score
4.1
Product  Score
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TOP
Great for its ease of use
ZoomShift
4.1
Popularity Score
4.6
User Score
4.1
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Free employee scheduling tool
Sling
4.2
Popularity Score
4.0
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Free employee scheduling tool
Sling
4.2
Popularity Score
4.0
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
Learn More
Over 3 million HR leaders trust our advice

Introduction to Restaurant Scheduling Software

Managing staff schedules is among the most challenging parts of running a successful restaurant business. Last-minute leave requests, unplanned shifts, and miscommunication among team members can severely hurt productivity and cost a restaurant thousands of dollars.

As economies around the world are bouncing back from the pandemic restrictions, coping with new ones, or dealing with rapidly-shifting demand, it makes sense that among the restaurant owners surveyed by Finances Online in their 2022 report, 55% consider staffing the top challenge they’re facing

To make sure you avoid the pitfalls of inadequate scheduling and staffing practices, we’ve handpicked some of the best restaurant scheduling software for your business.

In this detailed guide, we’ll cover the top restaurant scheduling tools, describe their strengths and weaknesses, evaluate their features, and examine their pricing plans.

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Top Restaurant Scheduling Software

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7shifts

: Well-rounded team management for restaurants

ZoomShift

: Great for its ease of use

Sling

: Free employee scheduling tool

Push Operations

: Good customer service and interface

Planday

: Most suitable for multi-location restaurants

Deputy

: Highly-reviewed Windows scheduling app

When I Work

: Great for scheduling/employee communication

Homebase

: Easy-to-use tool for small business owners

Schedulefly

: Entry-level restaurant staff scheduling tool

Our Criteria: Here's How We Chose The Top Restaurant Scheduling Software

To find the best scheduling software for restaurants, we meticulously evaluated a plethora of tools drawing upon demos, testing, user feedback and expert insight. To be featured, tools must excel on three pivotal criteria: staffing features, ease of use, and pricing.

  • Staffing Features: We prioritized products with comprehensive staffing features, as this is one of the main challenges restaurants face. The software tools we picked all offer robust functionalities, including shift planning, team communication, employee availability management, and shift swapping.
  • Ease of Use: User-friendliness is essential in the fast-paced restaurant industry. We focused on software that stands out for its intuitive and straightforward interface. These solutions all offer a hassle-free setup, streamlined navigation, and efficient workflows.
  • Pricing: Budget considerations can be paramount for restaurant businesses. We sought out companies with competitive and transparent pricing models. The chosen solutions offer flexible subscription plans, affordable pricing tiers, and features tailored to the unique needs of dining establishments.

To delve deeper into our rigorous evaluation process, you can always have a look at our post on how we select the finest HR tech.

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Compare the Top Restaurant Scheduling Software

Popularity Score
Best for
Key Differentiator
Pricing
Free Trial
Customers
Users Score
Product Score

7shifts

Most Popular
4.6
4.6
4.8

ZoomShift

Most Popular
4.1
4.6
4.1

Sling

Most Popular
4.2
4.0
4.3

Push Operations

Most Popular
4.1
Starts at $4/employee/month
No
1000+
4.5
4.2

Planday

Most Popular
4.1
4.0
4.2

Deputy

Most Popular
4.6
4.5
4.7

When I Work

Most Popular
4.1
4.4
4.2

Homebase

Most Popular
4.6
$14/mo/user
Yes
400+ companies
4.6
4.7

Schedulefly

Most Popular
4.1
4.6
4.2
Phil Strazzulla
HR Tech Expert, Harvard MBA, Software Enthusiast

Need Help? Get Custom Recommendations for Top Restaurant Scheduling Software

Talk to An Advisor

Detailed Reviews of the Best Restaurant Scheduling Software

7shifts

Visit Website
7shifts
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.6 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.8 / 5

Why we picked 7shifts

7Shifts is an excellent scheduling solution for most small restaurants. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop scheduling tool that adjusts itself based on employee availability. It also has features to let you analyze attendance trends, forecasts, etc.

PROS

  • Easy-to-use shift management features
  • Match top employees with important shifts
  • Maximize profitability through labor cost management
  • This software has a lot of integration options, making it easier to streamline aspects of your business like sales. You can, for example, connect to point of sale systems like Square and Toast so you can easily accept credit card and NFC payments as well as inventory and financing.
  • A fully-featured software that helps you manage team schedules, timesheets, tasks, communications, and much more, within a mobile-friendly platform.
  • Their free plan features basic scheduling and ATS functionalities to get your restaurant up and running, and it can accommodate as many as 30 users per location.

CONS

  • Once published, you can’t edit reports
  • Customer support may not be available on weekends
  • Web and mobile app synchronization doesn’t always work
  • The platform’s scheduling can be a drag for teams with global remote workers because the shifts are only scheduled in CST timezone.
  • The system, sometimes, does not synchronize employee’s mobile shift data with admin data. So shifts could be created and published on the manager’s end and the employees might not receive it.
  • Doesn’t allow you to edit schedules before publishing. If a mistake is made, the schedule will have to be deleted and created again.

7shifts Review

7Shifts is an employee scheduling solution specifically for the restaurant industry. It helps restaurant managers maximize profitability and save time through excellent third-party integrations. Even the free version of the app offers extensive functionality and is good enough for a small team.

This makes 7Shifts one of the best free employee scheduling software for small-medium restaurants.

7shifts Customers

7shifts Pricing

7Shifts offers the following subscription plans:

  • Free - Up to 30 employees + basic scheduling features
  • Entree - $29.99/location/month
  • The Works - $69.99/location/month

Best For

7shifts in action
Reviewer's Rating
9/10
  • As someone who uses 7shifts regularly, I can say that it has become an essential tool for managing our scheduling and time-tracking processes. I use it on a daily basis to create and manage employee schedules, approve time-off requests, and communicate with our team.
  • One of the key workflows that I use 7shifts for is creating schedules. With the ability to customize our scheduling rules and preferences, I can easily create schedules that are optimized for our needs. I can quickly add or remove shifts, assign employees to specific shifts, and communicate any changes to our team.
  • Another workflow that I use 7shifts for is managing time-off requests. Employees can submit time-off requests through the app, and I can easily approve or deny them. I can also set up rules for time-off requests, such as requiring a certain amount of notice or limiting the number of employees who can be off at the same time.
  • I also use 7shifts for time tracking, which has streamlined our payroll processes. I can easily view and export timesheets, and the system automatically calculates overtime and other labor law requirements.
  • Overall, I use 7shifts on a daily basis to manage our scheduling and time-tracking processes, and it has been an essential tool for improving our operations and communication with our team.
What do you like about this tool?

I can tell you that there are several things that I really like about the software. Here are a few of the main pros:

1. Ease of use: 7shifts is very intuitive and easy to use, even for someone who is not tech-savvy. The interface is clean and simple, and the features are well-organized and easy to access.

2. Flexibility: 7shifts is highly customizable, which has been great for us as we have a large and varied workforce. We can set up our scheduling rules and preferences, and the system automatically generates optimal schedules based on our needs.

3. Communication: 7shifts has greatly improved our communication with our team. We can easily send messages and announcements to our employees through the app, and they can quickly and easily request time off or shift swaps. This has helped to reduce conflicts and improve morale among our team.

Overall, I have found 7shifts to be a great solution for managing our scheduling and time-tracking processes. The ease of use, flexibility, and communication features has been particularly helpful, and I would highly recommend it to other organizations.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

Our organization purchased 7shifts in order to streamline our scheduling and time tracking processes. Prior to using 7shifts, we were using a combination of spreadsheets and paper schedules, which was time-consuming and often led to errors or conflicts. We were looking for a tool that would allow us to easily create and manage schedules, track employee hours, and communicate with our team.

One of the key benefits of using 7shifts has been the ability to quickly and easily create schedules, even for a large and varied workforce. We can customize our scheduling rules and preferences, and the system automatically generates optimal schedules based on our needs. We can also easily communicate with employees through the app, and they can quickly and easily request time off or shift swaps.

Another benefit has been the time tracking feature, which has helped us to track employee hours and ensure compliance with labor laws accurately. We can easily view and export timesheets, which has streamlined our payroll processes.

Overall, we have been using 7shifts for about a month, which has been a game changer for our organization. It has saved us time, reduced errors and conflicts, and improved communication with our team.

What do you dislike about this tool?

There are a few things that I think could be improved about the software. Here are a few cons:

1. Glitches: Like any software, 7shifts occasionally has glitches or bugs. While these are usually resolved quickly, they can be disruptive to our operations when they occur.

2. No GPS tracking: 7shifts does not offer GPS tracking, which can be a downside for organizations with mobile or remote employees who need to track time and location.

3. Mobile app limitations: While the mobile app is useful for checking schedules and communicating with employee’s on-the-go, it can be a bit clunky and slow at times. It would be great to see some improvements in this area.

Overall, while there are a few things that I think could be improved about 7shifts, I still find it to be a great solution for managing our scheduling and time-tracking processes. The pros outweigh the cons for us, and we have been very satisfied with the value we have received from using the software.

How is this tool different than their competitors?
  • In my experience, one thing that sets 7shifts apart from its competitors is its focus on the restaurant industry. While other scheduling and time-tracking software options are more general-purpose, 7shifts is specifically designed to meet the needs of restaurants, with features like shift swapping, time off requests, and menu item tracking.
  • Additionally, I have found that 7shifts has a more user-friendly interface than some of its competitors, which makes it easier to train new employees on how to use the software. The scheduling process is also very intuitive and easy to use, which has helped us to save time and reduce scheduling errors.
  • In terms of similar tools that I have used, I have found that 7shifts compares favorably to other scheduling and time-tracking software options. While there are certainly other good options out there, we have found that 7shifts meets our needs well and provides good value for the cost.
  • Overall, while there are certainly other scheduling and time-tracking software options available, I believe that 7shifts is a strong choice for organizations in the restaurant industry. Its focus on this industry and its user-friendly interface set it apart from some of its competitors, and we have been very satisfied with our experience using the software.
What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

When buying a tool, it's important to consider several key criteria to ensure that you get the best value for your money. One important factor is the tool's quality and durability, which can affect its lifespan and how well it performs. Another important factor is its functionality and features, which should align with your needs and intended use. It's also important to consider the price and your budget, as well as any additional costs such as maintenance or replacement parts. Lastly, you should also look at reviews and feedback from other users to get a sense of the tool's performance and reliability.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

As we have just started using the tool, I cannot provide much information on this.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

7shifts is a great tool for businesses in the food and hospitality industry, such as restaurants, cafes, and bars. It's designed to help managers and employees streamline their scheduling processes, track labor costs, and manage time-off requests, which are all important aspects of managing a successful restaurant or hospitality operation. Additionally, 7shifts has several features that are tailored to the unique needs of these types of businesses, such as shift swapping, automatic scheduling, and integrations with popular POS systems. Overall, if you're running a food or hospitality business and need a reliable tool to help manage your scheduling and labor costs, 7shifts is definitely worth considering.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

7shifts may not be the best fit for businesses outside of the food and hospitality industry, as its features and functionality are specifically tailored to the unique needs of these types of businesses. For example, if you run a retail store or a manufacturing operation, you may not need some of the scheduling and labor management features that 7shifts offers. Additionally, if your business operates on a significantly different schedule, such as 24/7 or with rotating shifts, you may find that 7shifts is not flexible enough to accommodate your needs.

ZoomShift

Visit Website
ZoomShift
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked ZoomShift

ZoomShift makes it incredibly easy for employees and managers to navigate the app. The user interface is intuitive yet simple. In addition, the app developers are responsive to user feedback about adding or modifying features.

PROS

  • Manage staff scheduling on the move
  • Color-coded schedules
  • Forecast labor costs and hours with ease
  • Manage staff scheduling on the move
  • Color-coded schedules
  • Forecast labor costs and hours with ease

CONS

  • Updates too often for an employee scheduling software, which some customers may find confusing
  • Some reports indicates that the tool tends to crashes and disconnects from the server 
  • Accidentally deleted shifts cannot be retrieved
  • Updates too often for an employee scheduling software, which some customers may find confusing
  • Some reports indicates that the tool tends to crashes and disconnects from the server 
  • Accidentally deleted shifts cannot be retrieved

ZoomShift Review

ZoomShift is a fantastic schedule creation tool. Its user interface is intuitively designed to help new users access the essential features of the software with ease. ZoomShift is best for small restaurants that experience seasonal highs and lows.

ZoomShift Customers

ZoomShift Pricing

ZoomShift has the following pricing plans:

  • Free trial - Up to 14-days
  • Starter - $2.5/user/month (monthly billing) or $2/user/month (annual billing)
  • Premium - $5/user/month (monthly billing) or $4/user/month (annual billing)
  • Enterprise - Custom pricing

The Starter and Premium plans come with a 14-day trial.

Best For

ZoomShift in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

We use zoom daily. It's used to schedule meetings, it's integrated with google calendars so it's easy to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Zoom is used for both one-on-one meetings as well as group company meetings. Zoom is also used when we have meetings with our external stakeholders.

What do you like about this tool?
  • It's integration with Google Calendars makes it easy to schedule meetings
  • The new notes feature makes in meeting collaboration very easy
  • The recording feature makes it simple for us to go back and review meeting information

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We use Zoom so that we can collaborate with our globally diverse team. Since we have team members from around the world it's difficult to communicate some things asynchronously so there is a need to have some form of live group communication. We have been using Zoom for almost 4 years now and it has been an excellent video meeting platform so far since it's easy to use.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • There are times when the Camera feature of Zoom doesn't share well
  • Having both Camera on and screen sharing can take a toll on the system's processing power
  • The chat feature is limited

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Zoom is better than its competitors because it offers a smoother video experience, more tools around collaboration and the ability to schedule meetings in advance

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

People should think about about how long they want to meet, what type of systems will the participants be using and also the level of control they want to have during the meeting

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Zoom has significantly improved with the inclusion of its new AI and collaboration features, which cut the need for other third-party software that would usually be paired with Zoom.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Zoom is good for organizations that have many video meetings

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Zoom isn't good for organizations that don't do a lot of video meetings

Sling

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Sling
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked Sling

Sling is an excellent tool for restaurants with multiple locations. Even the free version of the app allows unlimited users and locations. The mobile and desktop apps are stable and free.

PROS

  • Get alerts when total labor cost exceeds the budget
  • Use projected sales data to view labor costs as a percentage of sales
  • Predictive alerts minimize OT cases
  • Get alerts when total labor cost exceeds the budget
  • Use projected sales data to view labor costs as a percentage of sales
  • Predictive alerts minimize OT cases

CONS

  • Mobile app notifications don’t come through sometimes, as reported by some users
  • The time clock can’t be customized for different roles
  • Mobile app notifications don’t come through sometimes, as reported by some users
  • The time clock can’t be customized for different roles

Sling Review

Sling is among the best restaurant scheduling software you can find for free. Its scheduler provides organization-wide awareness. You can add unlimited users and locations. The tool works best for small restaurants looking for a comprehensive scheduling solution on a budget.

Sling Customers

Sling Pricing

  • Free - Packed with features, unlimited users, and locations
  • Premium - $2/user/month
  • Business - $4/user/month

Best For

Sling in action
No items found.

Push Operations

Visit Website
Push Operations
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Push Operations

Push Operations stands out for its outstanding payroll management capabilities. It’s easy to navigate and incredibly fast, saving managers hours weekly.

PROS

  • POS system integration
  • Eliminate break violations through proactive alerts
  • Customized reporting
  • POS system integration
  • Eliminate break violations through proactive alerts
  • Customized reporting

CONS

  • Some users have reported issues like a confusing interface, long loading times, and the platform logging out randomly.
  • Some users have reported issues like a confusing interface, long loading times, and the platform logging out randomly.

Push Operations Review

Push Operations is a small business. This allows them to provide personalized customer service. Push stands out for its cloud-based payroll management system that saves lots of managerial time. The software is best for multi-location restaurants with 50+ employees.

Push Operations Customers

Push Operations Pricing

The pricing plans are as follows:

  • Starter - $5/user/month
  • Pro - $6/user/month
  • Premium - $10/user/month
  • 50+ users - Custom pricing

You can book a demo before making a purchase.

Best For

Push Operations in action
No items found.

Planday

Visit Website
Planday
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Planday

Planday offers some of the most critical scheduling app features at an affordable price. Out of all the software we tested, Planday’s app stood out for its visual appeal and after-sales support. That being said, most users are able to figure out and use the app on their own.

PROS

  • Automatic punch clock alerts prevent OT cases.
  • Easily manage employee schedules, payroll, and timesheets.
  • The app is highly customizable to suit the needs of your business.
  • The development team is proactively fixes bugs and frequently releases new app updates
  • Automatic punch clock alerts prevent OT cases.
  • Easily manage employee schedules, payroll, and timesheets.
  • The app is highly customizable to suit the needs of your business.
  • The development team is proactively fixes bugs and frequently releases new app updates

CONS

  • Daily reports don't show weekly overtime until the last day of the week.
  • According to some reviews, the customer service has room for improvement.
  • Limited mobile app functionality.
  • The app asks for way too many access permissions on its host device which may be considered invasive by users.
  • Compared to its competitors, such as Deputy, Zoomshift, and Sling, Planday offers a much less affordable solution.
  • Daily reports don't show weekly overtime until the last day of the week.
  • According to some reviews, the customer service has room for improvement.
  • Limited mobile app functionality.
  • The app asks for way too many access permissions on its host device which may be considered invasive by users.
  • Compared to its competitors, such as Deputy, Zoomshift, and Sling, Planday offers a much less affordable solution.

Planday Review

Planday is most suitable for shift-based restaurants with multiple teams working with their schedules because it allows managers to create different schedules for different groups. 

For this reason, the software is an excellent match for the needs of modern restaurants, bars, pubs, and similar businesses.

Ida Beate Wenstad, the restaurant manager at Heim in Norway, says that Planday makes it easy for her and her employees to plan their workdays and shifts without worrying about making calls to colleagues for shift management. She goes on to say that Planday allows her to maintain a bird’s eye view of the business while maintaining control over weekly staffing budgets.

Planday Customers

Some of Planday’s prominent customers are Shell, Sophie’s, Riddle & Finns, Enoteca Da Luca, and Rumba Cabana.

Planday Pricing

The paid plans for Planday are:

Starter Plus Pro Enterprise
€2.49/user/month €4.49/user/month €6.49/user/month Custom pricing

The Starter and Plus plans come with a free trial. It’s important to note that the packages are sold in increments of five users. For example, if you have 13 users, you’d be billed for 15.

Best For

Planday is best for shift-based, labor-intensive restaurants with multiple locations that require forecasting and labor planning tools.

Planday in action
Reviewer's Rating
10/10

Planday allows us to plan our internal shift schedule effectively so that there is no confusion and constant coverage. We use Planday to track our customer success and other key operations shifts. The tool allows us to make quick edits to the shifts. It also clearly displays them for team members to review without issues. Planday allows team members to track their timeshare which simplifies the process of reviewing the productivity of team members

What do you like about this tool?
  • The simple layout that shows the schedule clearly
  • The ability to make quick adjustments to the schedule
  • The overall user experience is intuitive

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

It's difficult to maintain all of the scheduling between our internal team. It's also difficult to track the productivity of other team members in a globally diverse team when some team members don't operate on set schedules. Planday tackles both of those problems with one product. We use it to track the timeshare of the team members as well as coordinate with select team members..

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • The site has some longer load times when signing in after a long time
  • The color scheme of the website could be better (Personal opinion not that there's anything wrong with it)

How is this tool different than their competitors?

It provides a very intuitive experience to manage the entire shift process, from scheduling, tracking time and executing payroll

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

You should think about the number of members on your team that need to be on the shift and also the type of shift system that you have.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

The product is constantly adding new features.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

It's good for all organizations that have a shift system.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

It wouldn't be good for organizations that predominantly operate on mindshare and are more deadline based rather than time spent.

Deputy

Visit Website
Deputy
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.6 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.7 / 5

Why we picked Deputy

Deputy is a robust restaurant scheduling app. It stands out from its competitors due to its AI scheduling capabilities that make workforce management easier. Simply enter your team data and let Deputy take care of everything from shift scheduling to payroll.

PROS

  • Create AI optimized employee schedules
  • Eliminate no-shows with quick replacements
  • Track unproductive time and breaks with precision
  • Create AI optimized employee schedules
  • Eliminate no-shows with quick replacements
  • Track unproductive time and breaks with precision

CONS

  • Limited reporting functionality
  • Once published, upcoming schedules can’t be changed
  • Limited reporting functionality
  • Once published, upcoming schedules can’t be changed

Deputy Review

Deputy is packed with valuable features. Its AI-powered employee scheduling gives it an edge over its competitors. The software is best for small restaurant owners who like to free up their time to focus on growing their business.

Deputy Customers

  • Hubspot
  • Ace Hardware
  • Bondi Vet
  • Silk Hospitality
  • Dallas Air
  • Au bon pain

Deputy Pricing

Deputy offers a 31 day free trial. The paid annual plans are:

  • Scheduling - $2.5/user/month 
  • Time & Attendance - $2.5/user/month
  • Premium - $4.5/user per month
  • Enterprise - Custom pricing

Best For

Medium to large organizations, especially those with frequent shift changes such as hospitality and retail.

Deputy in action
Reviewer's Rating
3/10

We use Deputy to schedule 24/7 global operations with three shifts staffed with team members in multiple time zones. We have two managers who approve work hours and time off for 42 team members. The managers can view team members' availability and shift preferences, and they can see on the upcoming weeks' schedules who will be out based on approved time off requests. Managers can also see, based on each team member's hourly and overtime rates, how much labor cost a schedule will incur. The tool is also used to determine how many additional staff are needed.

What do you like about this tool?

I appreciate that it has all of the functionality you would expect from a scheduling system for a very reasonable price. As an admin, I like that I can see who is out on leave, any pending time off requests, and who is running late all at a glance. It also has a few additional features that you would not expect that are nice, such as announcing birthdays and anniversaries.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We purchased Deputy in December 2020 and are still using it for our global hourly team members. We needed to be able to have a scheduling application that worked with different shifts and time zones. Additionally, we needed it to integrate with BambooHR, since BambooHR does not have its own native scheduling application. The integration we needed was one that would push approved work time and paid time off over to BambooHR to be included in the US payroll. Other considerations included needing to allow shift swapping and needing to have different time off types for different groups of employees.

What do you dislike about this tool?

I highly dislike the fact that they do not seem to prioritize maintaining their integration with BambooHR. We've put in multiple help tickets over the course of more than a year trying to get the sync issues resolved, and it always goes nowhere. The reason this is a big deal is that people's approved hours and time off requests and balances are not being pushed over to the HR/Payroll system. This creates confusion for employees and has even resulted in people not being paid correctly more than once. So we no longer even bother relying on the integration and just assume it won't work properly and enter everything manually. The poor customer support on this issue combined with the lack of resolution is why we are actively evaluating alternative solutions.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Deputy has more functionality and customization than a solution like WhenIWork, and it's more likely to comply with timekeeping requirements for employees than something like Toggl which is designed for contractors. Deputy does not allow you to manage occurrences and warnings based on your company's time and attendance policy like TeamSense.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Make sure you consider the type of workforce and what wage and hour laws apply to them, including recordkeeping requirements, overtime criteria, maximum workweek, etc. Confirm that the system you're going to purchase is capable of complying with the requirements. Make sure the system you purchase will play nice with your other tools and is not redundant. Solicit feedback and gain buy-in from key stakeholders like supervisors/managers, IT, and Accounting before selecting a system.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Honestly, it seems to function the same as it did 2+ years ago. And the customer service has not gotten any better.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

It works best for small to mid-sized organizations with compatible payroll systems.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Anyone who also uses BambooHR for HR and Payroll might have issues. Very large organizations might need something with more bulk action options, protected leave management, and corrective action warnings.

When I Work

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When I Work
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked When I Work

When I Work offers a solid scheduling solution for small restaurants on a budget. The app takes an essentialist approach to workforce management by filtering out extra features and focusing on delivering high-quality employee scheduling and time tracking features.

PROS

CONS

When I Work Review

When I Work is a powerful employee scheduling tool. Its ability to give managers an organization-wide view of staff scheduling makes it stand out. Even though businesses of all sizes use it, When I Work is ideal for employee scheduling software for small or medium-sized restaurants on a budget.

When I Work Customers

When I Work Pricing

The paid plans are:

  • Small Business - $2/user/month
  • Enterprise - Custom quote

The Small Business plan comes with a free trial of up to 14-days.

Best For

When I Work in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

I run payroll, so I use When I Work mainly for its outputs of time data, but I am very familiar with the tool and how it functions. Typically I review folks' shifts, correct any clock-ins or clock-outs, and ensure that no one has overclocked. I then download all of the timesheet data and transform it so that it's able to be loaded into our HRIS tool.

What do you like about this tool?

I really like how easy it is to use, and how easy it is for the end user - it's very intuitive. When I Work also has out of the box integrations with some payroll tools, like Gusto. In addition, I really enjoy how many features it provides to encompass a broad range of types of hourly workers.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

The decision to purchase When I Work pre-dated my time, but the intention was for our business to be able to track time for all types of workers. I've personally used it for approximately 4 years now, and have come to grow very accustomed to it. It provides a very robust platform to track time, holidays, and more.

What do you dislike about this tool?

I really dislike how buggy and slow When I Work is - although this is something that can be fixed. I also dislike its lack of reporting features. Also, and this is quite specific, but I dislike that end users can edit their names - it makes it difficult to use data if an end user can edit their personal information without an admin's access. Also, the security permission features within the tool aren't quite as robust as I would've hoped for.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

I haven't used other time-tracking tools, but I know When I Work is one of the most sought after scheduling and time tracking tools. I've explored and researched Workday Time Tracking, which would integrate better with our systems, but it's not as robust as When I Work. Our company enjoys When I Work due to its open API and the ability to build on top of the tool.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

If you prefer intuitive use and ease of building on top of the tool, then it's worth it. If you like clean data, and a tool that isn't as buggy, then this might not be for you.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

In my time using the tool, it's gotten less buggy, but not much has changed overall. However, I can say I never have issues with the tool being "down" like other tools.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Certainly a startup who needs to manage fewer than 1000 hourly employees. This system starts to see flaws and limitations after this threshold. This should be considered in the purchasing discussion, since it's very hard to migrate off of a time tracking and scheduling tool.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

A larger company with several thousand hourly workers who need time tracking and scheduling.

Homebase

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Homebase
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Popularity Score
4.6 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.7 / 5

Why we picked Homebase

Homebase’s ability to present a centralized view of company-wide scheduling makes it unique. This centralized view offers customizable dashboards for users. Along with its paid features, the app offers a robust free plan that’s good enough for the needs of most small restaurants.

PROS

  • Separate dashboards for managers and employees
  • Real-time communication features allow for schedule changes on the move
  • Requesting and approving paid time off is easy
  • Great scheduling templates help managers streamline work
  • Separate dashboards for managers and employees
  • Real-time communication features allow for schedule changes on the move
  • Requesting and approving paid time off is easy
  • Great scheduling templates help managers streamline work

CONS

  • Limited third-party integration support
  • Additional features are somewhat expensive
  • Limited third-party integration support
  • Additional features are somewhat expensive

Homebase Review

Homebase is one of the best restaurant employee scheduling applications. It allows restaurant owners to manage their team’s schedule, make changes, and send out alerts to employees accordingly. Homebase is best for hourly teams, which is why it’s well-suited to the restaurant industry.

Homebase Customers

Homebase Pricing

Best For

Homebase in action
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Schedulefly

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Schedulefly
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Schedulefly

Launched in 2007, Schedulefly, to this day, remains one of the easiest apps to use. The software has a loyal user base of over 7000 restaurants.

PROS

  • Coordinate with your team easily with one-click schedule sharing and instant notifications.
  • Employees can trade shifts without a hassle by direct coordination.
  • Requesting time off is a breeze with the option to add notes for more context.
  • Coordinate with your team easily with one-click schedule sharing and instant notifications.
  • Employees can trade shifts without a hassle by direct coordination.
  • Requesting time off is a breeze with the option to add notes for more context.

CONS

  • The tool does not offer a mobile app which significantly reduces its utility for off-site workers.
  • The mobile site has very limited functionality and is not optimized for mobile experience which we found makes some of the workflows take longer. 
  • Does not integrate with any third-party software which means it cannot become a part of your existing HR and payroll process.
  • The tool does not offer a mobile app which significantly reduces its utility for off-site workers.
  • The mobile site has very limited functionality and is not optimized for mobile experience which we found makes some of the workflows take longer. 
  • Does not integrate with any third-party software which means it cannot become a part of your existing HR and payroll process.

Schedulefly Review

Wes Aiken, the founder of Schedulefly, was a restaurant employee during his college years. Schedulefly was born as a result of the gaps Wes noticed in how employee scheduling is done in the restaurant business. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Schedulefly is specifically designed with restaurants in mind.

As a result, you get a tool that’s light, accessible from any web browser, and offers an efficient employee scheduling solution. As a restaurant, you can also take advantage of Schedulefly’s kitchen and menu management features. However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the best software for large restaurants due to its limited features in terms of design, scalability, and security.

Schedulefly Customers

Sup Dogs, Baked & Wired, Le Farfalle, Avery Brewing

Schedulefly Pricing

Schedulefly offers a simple pricing structure based on the number of staff you need to create accounts for. You can start with $30 per month for up to 19 users and scale up to 79 people at $60 per month. Beyond that level, you can request a custom quote.

Schedulefly offers a 30-day free trial for you to see whether the software meets your requirements. You don’t need a credit card to sign up.

The different pricing slabs offered by Schedulefly are:

Total People Total Cost per Month
1-19 $30
20-39 $40
40-59 $50
60-79 $60
80+ Custom pricing

Best For

Schedulefly is best for restaurants on a budget that are only looking for basic scheduling features.

Schedulefly in action
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What is Restaurant Scheduling Software?

Restaurant scheduling software is a program/app that allows restaurant managers to organize and automate scheduling processes for their staff with a host of features. These features include a customizable scheduling tool, attendance tracking, task management, etc.

According to a recent survey, restaurant managers spend as much as 20% of their time working on employee schedules every week. Restaurant scheduling software does the hard work for you, freeing up your time as a restaurant manager to focus on more important pursuits. 

How much does restaurant scheduling software cost?

For small restaurants that only have a handful of employees with fixed shifts, most scheduling software offers basic features for free. But for more extensive operations, the subscription fee is typically between $1 - $4 per user per month or at a fixed price of $14 to $35 per month for unlimited users.

Pro Tips on Restaurant Scheduling Software

Last Advice: Which Is The Best Restaurant Scheduling Tool For You?

Restaurant schedule software is in high demand, and for good reason. It allows restaurant managers to automate operational work and focus on other aspects of their jobs.

When choosing scheduling software, managers need to carefully consider the features on offer. It's vital to match business needs with software features.

Restaurant sizes and needs vary widely. Therefore, it's hard to name a single software as the best one for all situations. 

However, we hope our detailed analysis of some of the best available options will help you make the right choice.

We recommend that you try these tools since most of them offer free plans. For those without, you can schedule a demo and have their team give you a run down of the tool. 

As a last piece note, most of the software here is all about scheduling. If you find that most feature lists don’t cover all that you’d need, that could be a sign that you need a more complex solution, like Workforce Planning Software.

About Us

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  • SSR lists all companies we feel are top vendors - not just those who pay us - in our comprehensive directories full of the advice needed to make the right purchase decision for your HR team.

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