Homebase Review
Homebase is a scheduling, time clock and team app for small businesses with hourly staff, used by 150,000+ small businesses.
- Company size
- Small businesses
- Pricing model
- Tiered plans
- Free trial
- Yes
Best for
- Restaurants, retail and service businesses with hourly staff
- Single-location owners with a small team: Basic is free
- Teams that clock in on tablets, phones or POS devices
Not ideal for
- Salaried or office teams that need a full HRIS
- Multi-location businesses on a tight budget: prices are per location
- Owners who want payroll included: it is a paid add-on
How we evaluated Homebase
This review rests on 20 facts checked against Homebase’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.
Our verdict
Homebase suits small businesses with hourly teams, such as restaurants, retail and services, that want scheduling, a time clock, team chat and optional payroll in one app. Basic is free for one location and up to 10 employees; Essentials, Plus and All-in-One cost $30, $70 and $120 per location a month. It is less suited to larger or salaried workforces that need a full HR system, and payroll costs extra.
Strengths
Free plan to start
Basic is free for one location and up to 10 employees, with scheduling, time tracking and point-of-sale integration.
Evidence: Free plan: Yes
Built for hourly scheduling
Owners set availability, and employees trade, cover and claim open shifts; Plus adds an AI Scheduling Assistant.
Evidence: Key features: Schedules with availability, shift trades and open shifts, Mobile time clock with location-based clock in, Photo capture at clock in on tablets and POS devices, Overtime and break preferences, break waivers, PTO policies with accruals, Timesheets stored 4+ years (paid plans)
Time clock with proof
Location-based clock-in on the mobile app and photo capture on tablets and POS devices help confirm who clocked in and where.
Evidence: Key features: Schedules with availability, shift trades and open shifts, Mobile time clock with location-based clock in, Photo capture at clock in on tablets and POS devices, Overtime and break preferences, break waivers, PTO policies with accruals, Timesheets stored 4+ years (paid plans)
Point-of-sale and payroll connections
Homebase connects to Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify, Lightspeed and Heartland, and sends hours to Gusto, ADP, Paychex and QuickBooks.
Evidence: Notable integrations: Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify, Lightspeed, PAR, GoDaddy, Heartland, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, SurePayroll, Square Payroll
Payroll in the same app
The payroll add-on calculates, files and pays payroll taxes and produces W-2s and 1099s, with direct deposit.
Evidence: Automatic tax filing: Yes
Audited security
Homebase lists a SOC 2 Type 2 report, AES-256 encryption at rest, two-factor authentication and SSO.
Evidence: SOC 2 Type II: Yes
Weaknesses
Priced per location
Paid plans cost $30, $70 or $120 per location a month, so costs rise with each site.
Evidence: Pricing model: Tiered plans
Payroll and extras cost more
Payroll adds $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid; Tip Manager, Task Manager, background checks and the Hiring Assistant are also extra.
Evidence: Extra costs: Payroll add-on: $49 a month base plus $6 per employee paid (first 6 months free promotion), Tip Manager: $25 a month per location, Task Manager: $13 a month per location, Background checks: $30 each, Job post boosts: from $50 per post, Hiring Assistant: from $99 a month
Live support only on paid plans
The free plan has 24/7 AI chat and a help center; live chat and phone support come with paid plans.
Evidence: Support channels: 24/7 AI chat support and Help Center, Live support by chat and phone (paid plans)
Limited HR depth
Onboarding, labor cost tools and HR compliance sit in the top All-in-One plan, and Homebase is not a full HRIS for salaried teams.
Evidence: Modules: Scheduling, Time clock, Payroll (add-on), Hiring, HR and compliance, Team messaging, Task management, Tip management
Price at a glance
Starting base fee
$30/mo
Pricing model
Tiered plans
Price transparency
Published
Free trial
Yes
Free plan
Yes
Contract term
Monthly
Quick answers
- Is Homebase free?
- Yes, the Basic plan is free for one location and up to 10 employees. Paid plans start at $30 per location a month.Based on Free plan: Yes
- How much does Homebase cost?
- Essentials is $30, Plus $70 and All-in-One $120 per location a month billed monthly, or $24, $56 and $96 billed annually.
- Is Homebase trustworthy?
- Homebase was founded in 2014 in San Francisco, serves 150,000+ small businesses, and holds a SOC 2 Type 2 report.Based on Founded: 2014
- Does Homebase do payroll?
- Yes, as an add-on for $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid; it files and pays payroll taxes and issues W-2s and 1099s.Based on Extra costs: Payroll add-on: $49 a month base plus $6 per employee paid (first 6 months free promotion), Tip Manager: $25 a month per location, Task Manager: $13 a month per location, Background checks: $30 each, Job post boosts: from $50 per post, Hiring Assistant: from $99 a month
Coverage of core employee scheduling software capabilities
Each core capability we evaluate in Employee Scheduling Software, checked against Homebase’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.
8 verified of 11 core capabilities
Employee Scheduling Software
- Shift scheduling
- Availability and time off
- Open shifts and swaps
- Overtime and labor cost view
- Fair workweek support · not verified yet
- Minor work-hour limits · not verified yet
- Mobile app for staff
- Time and payroll integration
- Templates and auto-scheduling
- Team messaging
- Schedule history · not verified yet
Specifications
Product
- Modules
- Scheduling, Time clock, Payroll (add-on), Hiring, HR and compliance, Team messaging, Task management, Tip management
- Mobile apps
- Yes
- AI features
- AI-powered Scheduling Assistant (Plus), 24/7 AI chat support, Hiring Assistant
Support
- Support channels
- 24/7 AI chat support and Help Center, Live support by chat and phone (paid plans)
Homebase integrations
Native integrations: P–T
Homebase integration coverage
The 10 apps that employee scheduling software products document most often, and whether Homebase documents each.
7 of the 10 most-connected apps documented by Homebase; median of the 12 products compared: 5.5
- QuickBooks · documented by 11 of 12
- Paychex · documented by 8 of 12
- Gusto · documented by 7 of 12
- Square · documented by 7 of 12
- Lightspeed · documented by 6 of 12
- Clover · documented by 5 of 12
- Xero · documented by 5 of 12
- Zapier · documented by 5 of 12
- ADP · documented by 4 of 12
- ADP Workforce Now · documented by 4 of 12
Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 12 live employee scheduling software products. Not documented does not mean not possible.
Where it ranks
- #4 of 10 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software
- #6 of 11 scoredTime & Attendance Software
- #11 of 14 scoredPayroll Software
- #6 of 8 scoredWorkforce Management Software
- #1 of 4 scoredFree Employee Scheduling Software
- #4 of 10 scoredEmployee Scheduling Software for Small Business
- #1 of 1 scoredFree Payroll Software
- #9 of 10 scoredPayroll Software for QuickBooks
- #8 of 13 scoredPayroll Software for Small Business
- #1 of 3 scoredFree Time & Attendance Software
- #6 of 9 scoredTime & Attendance Software for QuickBooks
- #6 of 11 scoredTime & Attendance Software for Small Business
Homebase alternatives
Compare Homebase
Security and compliance
- SOC 2 Type IIYes
- Single sign-onYes
About Homebase
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Ownership
- Private
Official profiles
Homebase: frequently asked questions
Does Homebase track your location?
Owners can enable location-based clock-in on the mobile time clock, which checks location when an employee clocks in.
Does Homebase integrate with Square or Toast?
Yes. Homebase integrates with Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify, Lightspeed, PAR, GoDaddy and Heartland point-of-sale systems.
What is Homebase used for?
Homebase, on the market since 2014, is an employee scheduling software product built for small businesses. Its modules include Scheduling, Time clock, Payroll, Hiring, and 4 more.
What are the pros and cons of Homebase?
Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: free plan to start, built for hourly scheduling, and time clock with proof. It is less suited to salaried or office teams that need a full HRIS and Multi-location businesses on a tight budget: prices are per location.
What does Homebase integrate with?
Homebase documents integrations, including Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify, and 10 more. Every documented connection: Homebase integrations.
Is Homebase secure?
Homebase states a SOC 2 Type II report. It supports single sign-on.
Does Homebase have a mobile app?
Yes. Homebase confirms a mobile app for employees and admins.
Is Homebase good for small businesses?
Homebase lists small businesses among the company sizes it is built for (small businesses). It ranks #4 of 10 in our employee scheduling software for small businesses.
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