Employee Scheduling Software
Best Employee Scheduling Software for Small Business
Small teams need schedules built quickly by a manager who also does other work.
- products that fit
- 13
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Top 10 by LeadChange Scoreof 13 that fit · 3 not scored yet · scored for small business (reweighted)
When I Work9.2 out of 10, Medium confidence
Deputy9.0 out of 10, High confidence
Sling8.6 out of 10, Medium confidence
Homebase8.3 out of 10, Medium confidence
Planday8.1 out of 10, Medium confidence
Connecteam7.4 out of 10, High confidence
7shifts7.2 out of 10, Medium confidence
TCP Humanity7.0 out of 10, High confidence
Buddy Punch6.4 out of 10, High confidence
Workforce.com5.6 out of 10, Medium confidence
See all 13 rankedHighMedium confidence
Our top picks
- Best overall
Highest LeadChange Score here (9.2/10), with 9 of 11 core employee scheduling capabilities verified.
From $2.50/user/mo1
- Best value
Sling
by Toast
Lowest published list cost at 25 employees ($50/mo) among products scoring at or above the median.
From $2/user/mo2
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Employee scheduling software for small business, ranked
Ranked by LeadChange Score from verified facts; products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Prices are list prices as published by each vendor.
Filter by verified facts
When I Work
When I Work is a mobile-first scheduling and time-tracking tool for hourly, shift-based teams, priced publicly from $2.50 per user per month with no setup fee or contract. It is focused on scheduling and time, so payroll runs through integrations, and there is no free plan.
Deputy
Deputy suits shift-based businesses, from single locations to franchises and enterprises, that want scheduling, time clocking and labor-law compliance at published per-user prices: Lite starts at $5 per user a month on annual billing.
Sling
Sling fits shift-based teams in restaurants, retail, hospitality and care that want scheduling and messaging free for up to 30 users, and time tracking and labor cost tools for a low per-user price: Premium is $2.00 and Business $4.00 per user a month, 15% less billed annually.
- Pricing model
- Per user2
Show all 13 products
- Homebase8.3/10 · Medium confidenceHomebase pricing
- Planday8.1/10 · Medium confidenceWhat Planday costs
- Connecteam7.4/10 · High confidenceConnecteam pricing
- 7shifts7.2/10 · Medium confidence7shifts plans and prices
- TCP Humanity7.0/10 · High confidenceTCP Humanity pricing
- Buddy Punch6.4/10 · High confidenceWhat Buddy Punch costs
- Workforce.com5.6/10 · Medium confidenceWorkforce.com plans and prices
- ZoomShiftNot scored yet (13 of 25 facts verified)ZoomShift pricing
- ClockSharkNot scored yet (11 of 25 facts verified)What ClockShark costs
- QuickBooks TimeNot scored yet (10 of 25 facts verified)QuickBooks Time pricing
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
What matters for small business
Fast schedule building
Owners and managers have little time, so templates and copy-forward matter.
Employee mobile app
Staff adoption replaces group texts.
Overtime warnings
Schedules create overtime, so the tool should warn before a shift pushes someone into it.
Simple pricing
Per-user fees must stay predictable at low headcount.
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Find your fit
By industry
By company size
Popular comparisons
More on employee scheduling software
- All employee scheduling software, ranked
The full ranking, top picks and how to choose.
- Employee Scheduling Software comparison table
Every product side by side: score, price and verified features.
- Employee Scheduling Software pricing guide
Published list prices, cost by headcount and fees to ask about.
- Employee scheduling software for retail
The ranking reweighted for retail.
- Employee scheduling software for enterprises
The ranking reweighted for enterprises.
- Employee scheduling software for healthcare
The ranking reweighted for healthcare.
- Employee scheduling software for mid-sized companies
The ranking reweighted for mid-sized companies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best employee scheduling software for small business?
Look for fast schedule building, availability and swap handling, a good employee app and simple pricing. Our small-business ranking weights those points with verified data. Compare the shortlist here against your headcount, number of locations and need for time tracking.
How much does employee scheduling software cost for small business?
At 10 employees, the lowest published list prices among the products ranked here are Sling ($20/mo), ZoomShift ($20/mo), and When I Work ($25/mo); the median of 7 products is $27.50/mo. List prices, before discounts and add-ons.
Which employee scheduling platforms for small business offer a free trial?
7shifts, Buddy Punch, ClockShark, Connecteam, Deputy, Homebase, Planday, and QuickBooks Time list a free trial, according to their vendors: 13 of the 13 products for small business.
Is there free employee scheduling software for small business?
7shifts, Connecteam, Homebase, Sling, and ZoomShift list a free plan, 5 of the 13 products for small business. Free plans limit employees, features or support.
Which employee scheduling platforms for small business have SOC 2 Type II?
Connecteam, Deputy, Homebase, QuickBooks Time, TCP Humanity, and When I Work state SOC 2 Type II compliance; Connecteam and Deputy also hold ISO 27001. That is 6 of the 13 products for small business.
Which employee scheduling platforms for small business integrate with Paychex?
Paychex, listed by 8 of the 13 employee scheduling platforms for small business: 7shifts, Buddy Punch, ClockShark, Deputy, Homebase, and 3 more.
Which employee scheduling platforms for small business have a mobile app?
Buddy Punch, ClockShark, Connecteam, Deputy, Homebase, and 7 more confirm a mobile app; 1 of the 13 products for small business does not document one.
Which employee scheduling platforms for small business support single sign-on?
Buddy Punch, Connecteam, Deputy, Homebase, and TCP Humanity document single sign-on; 8 of the 13 products for small business do not.
How we research
This ranking of employee scheduling software for small business reweights the LeadChange Score: capability coverage 25%, pricing transparency & value 30%, integrations & API 10%, security & compliance 10%, fit & support 15%, and data confidence 10%. Only products with a verified fact showing they serve this segment are listed.
How this page was made
What it is built from
43 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 14, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
ClockShark was tested hands-on on Oct 26, 2026.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction
Get a shortlist of employee scheduling software for small business
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Sources
The 5 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- When I Work wheniwork.com/pricing“When I Work pricing starts at just $2.50 per user per month for single-location teams, and $5 per user per month for multi-location businesses.”
- Sling getsling.com/pricing“Take it to the next level by adding tools for tracking time and optimizing labor costs. $2.001.70 per user per month” “Customers using Premium or Business plans have the option to save 15% by paying annually.”
- When I Work trust.wheniwork.com“ComplianceSOC 2 Type II”
- Deputy deputy.com/pricing“Lite Everything you need to get started with scheduling and time tracking $5 per user per month (USD excl. all applicable taxes) billed upfront or in monthly installments”
- Deputy trust.deputy.com“ComplianceCyber EssentialsISO/IEC 27001:2022SOC 2 Type 2TX-RAMP Level 2”