Homebase Review — Free Scheduling, Time Tracking, Hiring, and HR for Small Local Businesses
Homebase is the scheduling, time tracking, and HR platform designed for small local businesses such as restaurants, retail shops, cafes, salons, fitness studios, and service businesses that manage hourly workers without enterprise software or enterprise budgets. The platform bundles scheduling, time clock, hiring, team communication, onboarding, HR compliance, and optional payroll into a single system with pricing that starts at free for basic scheduling and scales to $120 per location per month ($96 billed annually) for the full suite.
Homebase bills per location and gives one location a free plan, and that pricing changes the math for small businesses in 2026. Competitors charging per user make costs grow with every hire, while a 50-person restaurant on Homebase pays the same as a 10-person restaurant at one site. This review covers where the all-in-one approach saves owners money and time, where individual modules trail purpose-built tools, and whether the platform holds up past a single location.
The verdict
A café or shop still running on spreadsheets, paper timesheets and Craigslist job posts should make Homebase its first HR software; nothing else I tested gets that owner further for free.
The free plan does real work. It is not a stripped-down teaser but actual scheduling and time tracking for up to 10 employees at one location. The hiring module posts to job boards, collects applications, and manages the pipeline. The onboarding workflow digitizes paperwork that new hires would otherwise fill out on their first day. And the optional payroll add-on turns timesheets into paychecks without a separate provider.
But Homebase is built for simplicity, which means each module has a ceiling. The scheduling is not as powerful as Deputy. The hiring is not as deep as an ATS. The payroll is not as full-featured as Gusto. And the HR compliance tools provide templates and reminders, not legal protection.
For a single-location business with 1 to 50 employees that needs affordable, easy-to-use tools for scheduling, time tracking, and basic HR, Homebase is the most practical choice available. For multi-location businesses or teams above 100 employees, the per-location costs add up and the feature limitations become more pronounced.
Where Homebase fits
Who it suits
Owners and managers of restaurants, retail stores, cafes, salons, fitness centers, and service businesses with 1 to 100 employees at one or a few locations get the most from Homebase. They need scheduling, time tracking, and basic HR without per-user pricing or enterprise complexity.
It fits businesses that want a single platform to handle scheduling, hiring, onboarding, and payroll without managing multiple vendors.
A local business that wants free scheduling and low-cost HR in one app should start with Homebase. Operators who need an advanced scheduling engine should look at Deputy, and those who need enterprise workforce management should look at Dayforce.
What it does differently
Homebase stands out for charging by location instead of by user, and for a free plan that runs a real schedule. Per-user rivals make costs grow with every hire, while Homebase matches how small businesses actually think about costs. A restaurant owner does not budget per employee per month; they budget per location.
The breadth of the platform is the other differentiator. Homebase covers scheduling, time tracking, hiring (job posting, applicant tracking, offer letters), onboarding (paperwork, W-4s, I-9s), team communication, HR compliance (labor law alerts, document storage), and optional payroll, all from one vendor. Competitors either focus on scheduling only (Deputy, When I Work) or charge significantly more for comparable breadth (Gusto, Paychex).
For a single-location business owner who does not have an HR department and needs to manage hourly workers, Homebase provides the closest thing to an HR-department-in-a-box available at this price point.
How it gets bought
Homebase sells itself as free to start and affordable to grow for local businesses, and that promise holds up well for single-location businesses with 1 to 50 employees.
Five locations is where the math turns. A business with 5 locations on the All-in-One plan pays $600 per month ($480 billed annually), approaching the cost of more capable platforms like ADP or Paylocity. And the individual module depth (scheduling, hiring, HR) does not match purpose-built tools at any price point.
Homebase suits best the small business owner who wants to stop juggling spreadsheets, paper timesheets, Craigslist postings, and a separate payroll provider, and replace all of that with one affordable platform.
Homebase pricing, per-location costs, and what each plan tier includes
Homebase uses a per-location pricing model that is unusual in the scheduling market. The free Basic plan covers scheduling and time tracking for one location with up to 10 employees. Paid plans (Essentials at $30/month, Plus at $70/month, and All-in-One at $120/month, or $24, $56, and $96 billed annually) are priced per location with unlimited employees, not per user. This means a restaurant with 40 employees pays $120 per month for the full platform, while the same team on When I Work's Premium plan would pay $320 per month ($8 x 40 users).
The per-location model favors businesses with large teams at few locations, so a single restaurant with 50 employees gets exceptional value. It works against businesses with many locations and small teams: a franchise with 10 locations of 5 employees each would pay $1,200 per month on the All-in-One plan ($960 billed annually) versus $400 per month on When I Work's Premium plan ($8 x 50 users total).
| Plan | Published price | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (Free) | Free | Not stated |
| Essentials | $30/location/month ($24 billed annually) | Not stated |
| Plus | $70/location/month ($56 billed annually) | Not stated |
| All-in-One | $120/location/month ($96 billed annually) | Not stated |
| Payroll Add-on | $49/month + $6/employee paid/month | Not stated |
Pricing last checked September 25, 2026. View source
What the Homebase free plan actually includes and where it runs out
The free Basic plan includes scheduling (one location, up to 10 employees), time clock (mobile and web-based), employee availability management, team messaging, and POS integration with Square, Clover, Toast, and others. For a small business with one location that needs scheduling and time tracking, the free plan is a complete solution.
The free plan runs out when you need hiring tools, scheduling templates, labor cost controls, time-off management, onboarding workflows, or HR compliance features. Most growing businesses outgrow the free plan within 3 to 6 months as they start hiring and need the Essentials ($30/month) or Plus ($70/month) plan. The upgrade path is smooth (no data migration, just feature activation), but the free plan's limitations are designed to push businesses toward paid tiers as their needs evolve.
How Homebase payroll add-on pricing compares to standalone payroll providers
Homebase Payroll costs $49 per month base plus $6 per employee paid. For a 25-employee business, that is $199 per month for full-service payroll with direct deposit, tax filing, and W-2s. The payroll integrates directly with Homebase time tracking, so approved timesheets flow into payroll calculations without manual data entry.
Compared to standalone providers, Homebase Payroll is priced the same as Gusto's Simple plan ($49/month plus $6/employee), while Paychex no longer lists prices (its last published price, for Flex Essentials and no longer listed, was $39/month plus $5/employee). The advantage of Homebase Payroll is the built-in time tracking integration, which eliminates the sync step between time capture and payroll processing. The disadvantage is benefits: Homebase connects to 401(k), workers' comp and health insurance partners, while Gusto runs benefits administration inside its own platform.
Homebase features: scheduling, time tracking, hiring, onboarding, payroll, and POS integrations
Homebase scheduling and shift management
The scheduling module provides a visual calendar for creating, assigning, and publishing shifts. Managers can build schedules by clicking on time slots, assigning employees from the roster, and publishing the complete schedule with one action. Employees receive notifications through the Homebase app and can view their schedule, request shift trades, and submit availability.
Schedule templates (Essentials plan and above) let managers save recurring patterns and apply them to future weeks. Labor cost tracking (Plus plan) displays projected costs as the schedule is built, helping managers stay within budget. The scheduling interface supports drag-and-drop but is less fluid than When I Work or Deputy's purpose-built schedule builders.
Shift trades and open shift management. Employees can request shift trades with coworkers through the app, with trades requiring manager approval. Open shifts can be posted to all qualified employees, who opt in based on availability. The trade and open shift workflow reduces the phone calls and text messages that manual shift management requires.
Labor cost tracking during schedule building. The Plus and All-in-One plans display projected labor costs as shifts are added to the schedule. Managers can set labor budget targets per day or week and receive visual alerts when the schedule approaches or exceeds the budget. When POS data is connected, labor costs are shown as a percentage of projected sales.
Homebase time clock and timesheet management
The time clock supports clock-in through mobile app, web browser, and POS terminal integration. GPS verification captures employee location at clock-in for businesses that need location confirmation. The time clock records shift start, end, break times, and total hours worked. Timesheets are generated automatically from clock-in data and presented to managers for review and approval.
Timesheet management includes edit capabilities for manager corrections, flagging for late arrivals and overtime triggers, and export functionality for payroll processing. When Homebase Payroll is active, approved timesheets flow directly into payroll calculations.
POS-integrated time clock for retail and restaurant teams. Homebase integrates with Square, Clover, Toast, and other POS systems to enable clock-in through the register terminal. This is convenient for retail and restaurant workers who start their shift at the register, eliminating the need for a separate clock-in step. The POS integration also syncs sales data for labor cost analysis.
Early clock-in prevention and GPS verification. Managers can configure early clock-in restrictions that prevent employees from clocking in before their scheduled shift start time. GPS verification captures the employee's location at clock-in, discouraging off-site clock-ins. These controls help businesses manage labor costs and ensure employees are on-site when their shift begins.
Homebase hiring and applicant tracking
The hiring module (Essentials plan and above) handles job posting, applicant tracking, and offer management. Job listings are distributed to Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and other job boards from within Homebase. Applications are collected in a centralized inbox with screening questions, applicant notes, and status tracking.
The hiring workflow integrates with the rest of the Homebase platform. When an applicant accepts an offer, they move into the onboarding workflow (All-in-One plan) and then into the scheduling roster. This end-to-end flow from job posting to first scheduled shift is unique among scheduling-focused platforms.
Job board distribution and application collection. Job postings created in Homebase distribute to multiple job boards simultaneously. The posting interface includes templated job descriptions by role (cashier, server, barista, etc.) that can be customized. Applications flow into Homebase with applicant contact information, screening question responses, and any attached resumes.
Offer letters and transition to onboarding. Managers generate offer letters from templates with position, pay rate, and start date details. Accepted offers trigger the onboarding workflow, which sends the new hire a link to complete paperwork digitally. Moving straight from hiring to onboarding to scheduling removes the manual handoffs that cause delays and errors in small business hiring.
Homebase onboarding and new hire document management
The onboarding module (All-in-One plan) digitizes new hire paperwork including W-4 tax withholding, I-9 employment verification, direct deposit authorization, state tax forms, company policy acknowledgments, and custom documents. New hires receive a link to complete all paperwork online before their first day.
Document storage keeps all employee documents (onboarding paperwork, signed policies, certifications, and identification copies) in a centralized digital repository. This replaces the filing cabinets and scattered folders that most small businesses use for employee documentation.
Digital W-4, I-9, and state tax form completion. New hires complete federal W-4, I-9, and applicable state tax forms digitally through the Homebase onboarding portal. The forms are pre-formatted and guide employees through completion with inline instructions. Completed forms are stored in the employee's digital file and are available for audit or reference.
Custom document templates and e-signatures. Managers can upload custom documents such as employee handbooks, non-compete agreements, and equipment responsibility forms, and require digital signatures from new hires. The signed documents are timestamped, stored in the employee file, and accessible to both the manager and the employee through the platform.
Homebase team communication and employee engagement
The communication module provides team messaging, shift-specific announcements, and a company-wide newsfeed. Managers can broadcast updates to all employees, message specific teams or shifts, and hold one-on-one conversations within the platform. The All-in-One plan adds employee happiness tracking through periodic check-in prompts.
Employee shout-outs and recognition features let managers publicly acknowledge good work, which appears in the team feed. While the recognition tools are basic compared to dedicated employee engagement platforms, they provide a structured way for small business managers to acknowledge contributions.
Shift-specific announcements and instructions. Managers can attach notes and instructions to individual shifts or broadcast messages to all employees working on a specific day. The shift-linked communication ensures relevant information reaches the right employees at the right time, replacing the verbal handoffs and sticky notes that small businesses typically rely on.
Employee happiness tracking and check-ins. The All-in-One plan includes employee happiness tracking that prompts workers to rate their shift experience. The data aggregates into a happiness score that managers can monitor over time. While not a replacement for a formal engagement survey, the happiness tracking provides a lightweight signal for managers who want to stay aware of team morale.
Homebase payroll processing and tax management
Homebase Payroll (separate add-on) processes direct deposit payments, calculates federal and state taxes, files payroll tax returns, generates W-2s and 1099s, and handles new hire reporting. The payroll integrates directly with Homebase time tracking, so approved timesheets flow into payroll calculations without manual data entry or system switching.
The payroll service covers single-state and multi-state payroll within the United States. Tax calculations and filings are handled automatically, including quarterly filings and year-end processing. The integration with time tracking means overtime calculations, tip income, and hourly rate variations are processed accurately from actual clock-in data.
Time-to-payroll integration without manual data transfer. When Homebase Payroll is active, approved timesheets automatically populate the payroll run with hours, overtime, tips, and pay rates. Managers review and submit payroll within Homebase with no export, separate login, or data reconciliation. This integration is Homebase Payroll's primary advantage over using a standalone payroll provider that requires timesheet data import.
Tax filing and year-end processing. Homebase Payroll files federal, state, and local payroll taxes on the required schedule, including quarterly 941 filings, annual W-2 generation and distribution, and state unemployment tax filings. The platform handles tax calculation, withholding, and remittance automatically. Year-end W-2s are generated and distributed to employees electronically.
Homebase pros and cons: scheduling, time clock, hiring, payroll, and HR
Strengths
Homebase free plan provides real scheduling and time tracking at zero cost
The free Basic plan is not a trial or a teaser. It is a fully functional scheduling and time tracking tool for one location with up to 10 employees. Managers can build schedules, employees can clock in via mobile or web, and timesheets are generated automatically.
For micro-businesses and startups that have no software budget, the free plan replaces paper timesheets and spreadsheet schedules immediately. There is no credit card required, no time limit, and no artificial cap on features that would make the free tier unusable.
According to Homebase's website, over 100,000 businesses use the platform, and many of them start on the free plan before upgrading as their needs grow. The free plan works as a real entry point rather than a lead generation funnel.
Homebase per-location pricing model favors businesses with large teams at few locations
The per-location pricing means a 40-person restaurant pays $120 per month for the All-in-One plan, while the same team on per-user platforms would pay $320 (When I Work Premium at $8 per user) to $400 (Deputy Pro at $10 per user billed monthly) per month. For businesses with high headcount relative to location count, the savings are significant.
The pricing model matches how small business owners budget (per store, per restaurant, per location) rather than the per-employee model that SaaS companies prefer. This alignment reduces budget surprise and simplifies cost forecasting.
The per-location model also means there is no incremental cost to hiring another employee, which removes the financial friction that per-user tools create during staffing ramp-ups for seasonal businesses.
Homebase hiring module posts jobs, collects applications, and tracks candidates in one workflow
The hiring module (Essentials plan and above) posts job listings to Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and other job boards, collects applications into a centralized inbox, provides applicant screening questions, and generates offer letters with e-signatures.
For small businesses that currently post jobs on Craigslist, collect applications via email, and track candidates in a spreadsheet, the hiring module consolidates the process into a single workflow within the same platform they use for scheduling.
The hiring tools are not as deep as a dedicated ATS like Greenhouse or Lever, with no candidate CRM, no sourcing automation, and no structured interview workflows. For businesses hiring 2 to 10 people per month, though, the module handles the basics effectively.
Homebase onboarding digitizes new hire paperwork and compliance documents
The onboarding workflow (All-in-One plan) guides new hires through W-4 forms, I-9 verification, direct deposit setup, company policy acknowledgments, and custom documents with digital signatures. New employees complete everything online before their first day.
For businesses where onboarding currently consists of handing new hires a stack of paper on day one, the digital onboarding saves 30 to 60 minutes per new hire and ensures compliance documents are completed and stored properly.
The onboarding module connects to the hiring workflow. When an applicant accepts an offer, they automatically receive the onboarding packet, so the path from application to first shift has no manual handoff.
Homebase team communication keeps scheduling and operational conversations in one place
Built-in messaging supports team-wide announcements, group chats, and one-on-one conversations within the Homebase app. Managers can send shift reminders, share updates, and coordinate coverage without leaving the platform.
The communication tools are integrated with the schedule: managers can message everyone working a specific shift, announce schedule changes to affected employees, and share shift-specific instructions alongside the schedule itself.
For small businesses where the alternative is a group text thread or WhatsApp chat, Homebase's structured communication keeps work conversations separate from personal messaging and provides a record of important announcements.
Homebase connects to Square, Clover, and Toast so sales and hours share one record
Homebase integrates natively with major POS systems including Square, Clover, Toast, Shopify, Lightspeed, and Revel. The integrations sync employee data, pull sales information for labor cost tracking, and enable POS-based time clock functionality where employees clock in through the register.
For restaurants and retail stores that already use these POS systems, the integration means scheduling data flows into the POS for shift-aware access and POS sales data flows into Homebase for labor cost analysis.
The POS integration setup is self-service and typically takes less than 15 minutes, according to Homebase's integration documentation. The bi-directional data flow eliminates the manual data reconciliation that businesses running separate scheduling and POS systems deal with daily.
Limitations
Homebase scheduling is basic compared to dedicated scheduling platforms
The scheduling module handles shift creation, assignment, publishing, and basic availability management. But it lacks auto-scheduling, demand-based schedule generation, labor cost forecasting during schedule building, and the break compliance tools that Deputy provides.
For businesses with simple, consistent schedules (the same shifts every week with minor adjustments), Homebase scheduling is adequate. For businesses with variable demand, complex role requirements, or compliance-sensitive scheduling needs, the scheduling limitations become apparent quickly.
The scheduling interface is functional but not as polished as When I Work or Deputy. Multiple G2 reviewers note that the schedule builder feels dated compared to competitors, particularly on mobile.
Homebase per-location pricing penalizes multi-location businesses
The per-location pricing model that benefits single-location businesses works against multi-location operations. A business with 5 locations on the All-in-One plan pays $600 per month, and a business with 10 locations pays $1,200 per month on monthly billing, approaching the cost of enterprise platforms that offer significantly more capabilities.
Multi-location businesses should calculate the total monthly cost across all locations and compare against per-user alternatives. When I Work, at $2.50 to $8 per user per month, may be cheaper for businesses with many locations and fewer employees per site.
Homebase does not offer volume discounts for multiple locations, which makes the pricing model increasingly uncompetitive as location count grows.
Homebase payroll add-on is not included in any base plan and adds meaningful cost
Payroll is a separate add-on at $49 per month base plus $6 per employee paid, regardless of which base plan you are on. For a 25-person team, payroll adds $199 per month to the platform cost. On the All-in-One plan, total monthly cost becomes $319, still affordable but well above the $120 headline price.
Gusto, a payroll-first platform, starts at the same price ($49/month + $6/employee on Simple) but runs health benefits and 401(k) administration in-house rather than through partner integrations. Businesses that prioritize payroll and benefits depth over scheduling breadth may find Gusto a better fit.
Because payroll is sold separately, Homebase is not truly all-in-one until you add it, which the 'All-in-One' plan name somewhat misrepresents.
Homebase HR compliance tools provide templates and alerts but not legal protection
The All-in-One plan includes labor law alerts, compliance reminders, document storage, and HR policy templates. These tools help small business owners stay aware of compliance requirements, but they do not provide legal advice, guarantee compliance, or replace the guidance of an employment attorney.
The labor law alerts notify businesses of federal and state regulation changes, but the alerts are informational: they tell you what changed, not what to do about it. For small business owners without HR experience, the gap between awareness and action can be costly.
Businesses in highly regulated industries or jurisdictions with complex labor laws should not rely solely on Homebase for compliance. The tools are a helpful starting point, but they need to be supplemented with legal counsel or a dedicated HR compliance service like Bambee or Mineral.
Homebase reporting and analytics are limited for data-driven business owners
Reporting covers labor cost summaries, attendance patterns, sales-to-labor ratios (with POS integration), and basic scheduling metrics. The reports are adequate for daily operational decisions but do not provide the trend analysis, forecasting, or custom dashboard capabilities that growing businesses need.
There is no ability to build custom reports, no cross-module analytics that connect hiring data to retention patterns, and no export options designed for external BI tools.
For single-location business owners who check reports weekly, the built-in reporting is sufficient. For multi-location operators who need to compare performance across sites and make data-driven staffing decisions, the analytics depth is insufficient.
Homebase prices per location, not per head: $30, $70 or $120 a month for each site ($24, $56 or $96 billed annually), with a free Basic plan covering one location and up to 10 employees. Payroll is never bundled; it costs $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid on any plan, so a 25-person team adds $199 monthly.
Homebase buying motion: test Basic on a real pay period, then pick a paid tier
Because the Basic plan costs nothing, a Homebase evaluation can run on your real roster for a full pay period. Use that time to settle two things: whether Basic is enough, and which paid tier your hiring and HR needs actually call for.
- Start with the free Basic plan using your actual employee roster and scheduling needs. Build your schedule for the upcoming week, have employees download the app and clock in for at least one full pay period, and evaluate whether the free plan covers your needs. Many single-location businesses find the free plan sufficient for months before needing paid features. Do not skip straight to a paid plan, because the free tier is functional enough to evaluate the platform thoroughly.
- If you are considering Homebase Payroll, compare the total cost against your current payroll provider. Calculate the Homebase Payroll cost ($49/month + $6/employee) against your current provider. Factor in the time savings from the integrated time-to-payroll workflow: if you currently spend 2 to 4 hours per pay period reconciling timesheets for payroll, the integration may justify a higher subscription cost. Test Homebase Payroll with a parallel run for at least one pay period before switching from your current provider.
- If you have multiple locations, calculate the per-location costs across all plans before committing. Homebase's per-location pricing means multi-location businesses should compare total cost against per-user alternatives. A 3-location business on the All-in-One plan pays $360 per month ($288 billed annually) plus payroll costs, so compare this against When I Work or Deputy with your total employee count. For 4-plus locations, the per-location model may be more expensive than per-user alternatives.
- Test the hiring module during a real hiring cycle if you are on the Essentials plan or above. Post an actual job listing, let applications flow in, and evaluate the applicant tracking workflow. The hiring module's value is best assessed when you have real applicants to screen, not when you are testing with dummy data. Compare the experience against your current hiring process to quantify the time savings.
How we evaluated Homebase
Rajat worked through Homebase directly. Every figure below was checked against Homebase's published pricing on September 25, 2026. Follow the link and check it yourself — if the vendor has moved since, that date tells you how stale this page is.
Plans as published
| Plan | List price |
|---|---|
| Basic (Free) | Free |
| Essentials | $30/location/month ($24 billed annually) |
| Plus | $70/location/month ($56 billed annually) |
| All-in-One | $120/location/month ($96 billed annually) |
| Payroll Add-on | $49/mo + $6 per employee paid |
Trial: Free Basic plan (1 location, up to 10 employees); 14-day free trial of All-in-One, no credit card
What the list price doesn't cover
Homebase Payroll is not included in the All-in-One plan despite the name
The biggest pricing surprise in Homebase is that payroll is a separate add-on at $49 per month plus $6 per employee paid, even on the 'All-in-One' plan. For a 25-employee business on All-in-One, the true cost with payroll is $319 per month on monthly billing, not $120. The add-on is priced in the same range as small-business payroll providers such as Gusto, and its link to Homebase time tracking removes manual timesheet reconciliation. But the plan name gives a misleading impression of what is included.
Multi-location costs add up fast without volume discounts
Homebase does not advertise volume discounts for multiple locations. Each location is billed at the full plan price. On All-in-One with monthly billing, 3 locations cost $360 per month, 5 cost $600 and 10 cost $1,200; annual billing brings those to $288, $480 and $960. At 10 locations that approaches the cost of platforms like ADP or Paylocity that offer much more. Before committing to Homebase for multiple locations, total the per-location cost and compare it with per-user alternatives. Multi-location businesses with fewer than 15 employees per site should always run the comparison.
What we'd confirm on a demo
Start with the free plan and test before upgrading
The free Basic plan and the 14-day All-in-One trial are enough to evaluate Homebase properly. Build your schedule for the coming week, have employees download the app and clock in for at least one full pay period, and see whether Basic covers your needs. Basic is capped at one location and 10 employees, so larger teams should use the trial to test the paid features they would actually buy.
Calculate multi-location total cost before committing
If you have multiple locations, calculate the total monthly cost across all locations on each plan tier. Compare this total against When I Work and Deputy using your total employee count. For 4 or more locations, the per-location model may be more expensive than per-user alternatives. Run the math before signing up — the per-location pricing that saves money at one location can cost you significantly more at five.
Compare Homebase Payroll against your current provider before adding it
Compare the Homebase Payroll cost ($49 base plus $6 per employee paid) with your current payroll provider. Factor in the time saved by the time-to-payroll integration: if you spend 2 to 4 hours per pay period reconciling timesheets, the integration may justify a slightly higher subscription cost. Run payroll in parallel for at least one pay period before switching.
Frequently asked questions on Homebase's free plan, payroll add-on, and restaurant scheduling
Is the Homebase free plan really free with no hidden costs?
Yes. The Homebase Basic plan needs no credit card, has no time limit, and carries no hidden fees. It includes scheduling and time tracking for one location with up to 10 employees, plus basic team messaging and POS integration. The free plan leaves out hiring tools, scheduling templates, labor cost controls, onboarding, and HR compliance features, but the core scheduling and time tracking functionality works without paying anything. According to Homebase's public pricing page, the free plan is a permanent offering, not a promotional trial.
How does Homebase compare to Gusto for small business payroll?
Homebase Payroll ($49/month + $6/employee) and Gusto ($49/month + $6/employee on the Simple plan) are priced the same, but they serve different primary needs. Homebase's advantage is the integrated scheduling-to-payroll workflow, where timesheets flow directly into payroll without data transfer. Gusto's advantage is payroll and benefits depth: health insurance and 401(k) administration run inside Gusto, while Homebase relies on partner integrations for those. If scheduling and time tracking are your primary needs with payroll as an add-on, Homebase delivers better integration. If payroll and benefits are your primary needs, Gusto is the more capable platform.
Can Homebase handle scheduling and payroll for a restaurant?
Yes, Homebase is one of the most popular platforms for restaurant scheduling and payroll. The scheduling module handles shift creation for front-of-house and back-of-house roles, the time clock supports POS-integrated clock-in through Square, Clover, and Toast, and the payroll add-on processes tip income alongside hourly wages. The hiring module posts to restaurant-focused job boards, and the onboarding workflow handles new hire paperwork digitally. Multiple G2 reviewers in the restaurant industry cite Homebase as their first scheduling tool after opening, and the free plan lets new restaurants start without software costs during the cash-sensitive early months.
How does Homebase per-location pricing compare to per-user pricing?
Homebase's per-location model charges a flat monthly rate per location regardless of employee count on paid plans: $0 (Basic, up to 10 employees), $30 (Essentials), $70 (Plus), or $120 (All-in-One) per location per month, or $24, $56, and $96 billed annually. Per-user models like When I Work ($2.50 to $8 per user) and Deputy ($5.50 to $10 per user billed monthly) charge based on employee count. For a single location with 40 employees, Homebase All-in-One costs $120 versus When I Work Premium at $320 or Deputy Pro at $400. For 5 locations with 10 employees each, Homebase All-in-One costs $600 versus When I Work Premium at $400 or Deputy Pro at $500. The crossover point depends on your employee-to-location ratio.
Does Homebase work for businesses with multiple locations?
Homebase supports multiple locations, and each location can have its own schedule, time clock settings, team roster, and manager permissions. However, the per-location pricing means multi-location costs add up quickly. A business with 3 locations on the Plus plan pays $210 per month; on All-in-One, $360 per month (monthly billing). Homebase does not offer volume discounts for multiple locations. Multi-location businesses with fewer than 10 employees per site should compare the total per-location cost against per-user alternatives to verify which model is more economical.
What is the difference between Homebase Plus and All-in-One plans?
The Plus plan ($70/location/month, or $56 billed annually) adds labor cost controls, budgets, overtime alerts, departments and permissions, time-off management, and PTO tracking on top of Essentials features. The All-in-One plan ($120/location/month, or $96 billed annually) adds everything in Plus plus HR compliance tools (labor law alerts, document management), new hire onboarding (digital W-4, I-9, custom documents), and employee happiness tracking. The $50 per month difference ($40 on annual billing) buys you onboarding and HR compliance features. If you hire frequently and need to digitize new hire paperwork, All-in-One pays for itself in time savings. If your team is stable and you primarily need scheduling and time tracking with labor cost controls, Plus is sufficient.
Can Homebase replace my current payroll provider?
Homebase Payroll can replace standalone payroll providers for US-based businesses with straightforward payroll needs: hourly workers, direct deposit, federal and state tax filing, and W-2 and 1099 processing. It runs in all 50 states and handles tip income, which covers most small restaurant and retail scenarios. However, Homebase Payroll does not run international payroll, and health insurance and 401(k) come through partner integrations rather than in-house administration. If you need those capabilities, a dedicated provider like Gusto, ADP, or Paychex is a better fit. The primary advantage of Homebase Payroll is the integrated time-to-payroll workflow that eliminates manual timesheet reconciliation.
Alternatives worth comparing
Homebase trails specialists in three places: scheduling depth, per-user economics for thin multi-site teams, and payroll with in-house benefits. The three tools below each cover one of those gaps.
| Product | Pricing model | Free trial | Why buyers shortlist it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infor WFM | Custom quote | Not stated | Infor WFM handles time and attendance, demand-based scheduling and absence for large manufacturing, healthcare and retail employers. |
| EmpMonitor | Per user per month | Yes | EmpMonitor is commercial employee monitoring software that records screenshots, keystrokes, URLs, app use and idle time on Windows, macOS and Ubuntu computers. |
| Open Time Clock | Freemium, flat rate per company | Not stated | Open Time Clock is a proprietary hosted time clock, in business since 1997, with PIN kiosk, face, QR, RFID and GPS-geofenced clock-ins, WiFi-restricted punching, PTO accruals and 80+ reports. |
| Dayforce | Custom quote | Not stated | Dayforce is a single-database HCM suite covering payroll, HR, workforce management and talent for mid-market and enterprise employers. |
| Connecteam | Tiered pricing | Yes | Connecteam is the all-in-one employee management platform built specifically for deskless and frontline workers, the teams that spend their shifts away from desks, computers, and office environments. |
Head-to-head comparisons
- 7shifts vs Homebase
7shifts and Homebase both price per location rather than per employee, but the tiers land in different brackets: 7shifts' paid plans run $44.99 to $149.99 per location per month ($39.99 to $134.99 billed annually), while Homebase runs $30 to $120 ($24 to $96 billed annually). Both have a free single-location tier: up to 15 employees on 7shifts and up to 10 on Homebase. The real split isn't price — it's specialization. 7shifts builds for restaurant labor math (tip pooling, POS-linked cost-of-sales tracking); Homebase builds for any hourly business and bundles its own payroll product. This page breaks down which tier fits which floor plan.
- Connecteam vs Homebase: All-in-One Frontline App vs Free Scheduling and Time Tracking
Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management app for deskless and frontline workers — scheduling, time tracking, communication, training, forms, and task management in a single mobile app. Homebase is a free scheduling and time clock tool that adds payroll, hiring, and team communication at paid tiers. Connecteam does more. Homebase costs less (free to start). The question is whether your frontline team needs an operational platform or a scheduling tool with extras. Not sure? Take the quick quiz below.
- Deputy vs Homebase
Deputy and Homebase price on entirely different axes — Deputy per user ($5 to $9 per user per month billed annually across Lite, Core and Pro), Homebase per location ($24 to $96 billed annually or $30 to $120 monthly, with unlimited staff on paid plans, plus a free tier for a single site with up to 10 employees). That structural difference matters more than any feature checklist: a single restaurant with 30 employees costs far less on Homebase's flat per-location fee than on Deputy's per-user rate, while a company with five employees spread across ten job sites flips that math entirely. This page walks through both scenarios.
- Homebase vs When I Work
Homebase and When I Work both show up when buyers search this category, but they're built for different needs. This page breaks down pricing, features, and what should actually decide this — in plain English, for buyers, not vendors. Not sure which fits? Take the quick quiz below to find out in 30 seconds.
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IRS-ready mileage log and reimbursement form with the 2026 rates (72.5 cents to June 30, 76 cents from July 1), trip fields, examples and approvals.
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Payroll register template with per-employee columns, a pay run that reconciles, employer taxes, GL and bank reconciliation, and FLSA/IRS retention rules.
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