The best employee scheduling software in 2024

Employee scheduling technology has come a long way from handwritten schedules pinned to bulletin boards. These days, employee scheduling apps come with advanced tools like auto-scheduling, compliance features, and multiple filter views to make your job easier. And for employees, these tools not only let you clock in via your phone, but painlessly pick up and swap shifts.

The best tools let managers create schedules, track labor costs, and keep teams organized, all in one app. But many scheduling platforms look alike at first glance—so how do you know which one is right for your organization?

I spent several weeks putting dozens of employee scheduling apps through rigorous testing, so you don't have to. In this article, I'll walk you through my seven top picks to help you choose the right platform for your team.

The 7 best employee scheduling apps

• Deputy for making more intelligent staffing decisions

• Homebase for the most robust free plan

• Planday for businesses with multiple departments or locations

• Sling for day-to-day employee management

• Findmyshift for a minimalist and easy-to-use app

• Agendrix for an app that grows with you

• Workfeed for small businesses

What makes the best employee scheduling app?

Every business's scheduling needs are different, but all great employee scheduling software has a few things in common:

• Ease of use for managers. The platform should have intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces that make it easy to schedule employees and make changes as your staffing needs evolve. The best apps are complex enough to handle businesses with multiple roles, departments, and locations—so you can see at a glance if essential jobs are being covered. And the app gets bonus points if it offers advanced features like auto-scheduling, payroll, and applicant tracking. 

• Ease of use for employees. All good employee scheduling apps are functional on the employees' side, too. They should have a mobile app that lets your staff see their upcoming schedules, swap or pick up shifts, and put in time-off requests. And of course, push notifications from a mobile app make sure employees are kept in the loop about last-minute schedule changes.

• Integrations and exporting. Scheduling is directly tied to other business-critical HR processes, like processing payroll and approving time off. And when you onboard a new employee, all of their information should be readily available in your scheduling app. That's why top employee scheduling apps feature robust integrations and import/export functions. Exporting also helps keep labor costs in line with your budget and projections, since you can't tell if you're spending too much on staffing unless you compare those costs with data from other sources. 

• It's available as a standalone app. If you're looking for employee scheduling software, odds are good that you need a lightweight scheduling solution—not broad (and expensive) HR software. Many of the best employee scheduling apps come as standalone tools that are relatively inexpensive.

When reviewing these apps, I signed up for each one, added multiple employees and roles, and created a few sample schedules. I paid attention to ease of use on the manager's side and the employee's side, as well as any important features like templates, integrations, leave requests, and in-app messaging. Based on all that testing, here are my picks for the best employee scheduling platforms.

The best employee scheduling software at a glance

Best employee scheduling app for making more intelligent staffing decisions

Deputy (Web, iOS, Android)

Deputy pros:

• Easy to get started and use

• Time-saving scheduling features

• Staffing data analysis features

• Plenty of integrations

Deputy cons:

• Paid plan is pricier than average

Deputy is an all-in-one employee scheduling, timesheets, tasking, and communication platform. Getting started with Deputy is fairly straightforward: when you sign up, the app prompts you to either add new employees manually or bulk import them from another source, like a spreadsheet.

Adding a new shift is also pretty simple: just click the plus sign on the schedule, which you can view by employee or by role. Once you've filled out a shift's details, you can either schedule it or select from a list of helpful options, like repeating the shift tomorrow or for the rest of the week. After testing several scheduling apps, I was thankful for any small feature like this that saved me time scheduling multiple shifts at once.

Deputy's real strength, however, is that it offers several features that can help you make smarter staffing decisions. Its robust reporting features make it simple to analyze staffing data, like how sales volume correlates with the number of employees on hand at any given time. The tool also offers helpful reminders like "fatigue" notifications that let you know when an employee's schedule might lead to burnout.

The auto-scheduling feature can also incorporate historical data and data from third-party sources to determine how certain factors—like the weather, time of day, or major events like holidays—impact your business. It then takes these factors into consideration when automatically generating schedules, so you always have an ideal number of employees on hand. These features make it a good choice for businesses that want to schedule staff more efficiently but who lack the skills or time to analyze scheduling trends themselves. 

Deputy also has more integration options than almost every other tool on this list, making it easy to connect your staffing solution to the rest of your tech stack. And if your chosen tool isn't on the list, Deputy's integration with Zapier lets you create automated workflows with thousands of popular apps. Here are a few pre-made workflows to get you started.

Deputy pricing: Free plan available for 100 shifts and timesheets per month, a time clock, leave management, and 24/7 support. Paid plans start at $6/user/month for features like auto-scheduling, labor forecasting, and robust reporting. 

Best free employee scheduling app

Homebase (Web, iOS, Android)

Homebase pros:

• Robust free plan

• Intuitive schedule builder with role-based view

• Well-designed mobile app

Homebase cons

• No integrations other than point-of-sale apps

• Limited reporting customizability

Most employee scheduling apps put most (or all) of their features behind a paywall, so it's reasonable to expect to pay for something better than a spreadsheet or a notice board. But if you want to dip your toe into the world of digital employee scheduling without committing to a paid plan, Homebase is your best bet. Not only is Homebase a quality paid scheduling tool in its own right, but it offers the most robust free plan I found. Most free plans cap out at just a few employees or make you choose between scheduling and time tracking, but Homebase's free tier allows up to 20 employees in one location, basic scheduling and time tracking functionality, POS integration, and employee management features.

Homebase's intuitive, drag-and-drop interface is also a great option if you need an app that's easy to learn. Easily drag and drop shifts, copy to other days, and duplicate schedules with a click. Homebase also allows you to group employees into departments and view the schedule according to role, which is especially helpful for businesses like restaurants that need to see whether they have enough back-of-house staff versus front-of-house staff on the schedule.

Homebase is an excellent experience from the employee side, too. The well-designed mobile app lets staff easily trade, find cover for, and claim open shifts. In-app team messaging also simplifies the process of managing their own schedules.

Once you're ready to upgrade to the paid subscriptions, you can take advantage of Homebase's advanced features, like employee shift swapping, location-based clock-ins, team communication tools, and more. In fact, the highest paid tier ($80/location/month) functions as an all-in-one HR tool, offering hiring and retention tools, onboarding workflows, employee documentation, and advanced compliance processes.

Homebase also offers several native integrations with point-of-sale (POS) systems. If your business relies on POS terminals, you probably already know that they can be an invaluable source of data about customer traffic. With native integrations to common POS systems like Square, Toast, and Clover, you can make sure that your staffing decisions are backed by real data about when you do the most business.

These integrations also mean you only need to add or delete employees in one system, and the change will sync with the other tool—a huge plus if, like many retailers and restaurants, you hire additional staff seasonally or have high turnover.

Homebase pricing: Starts free; paid plans from $20/month per location for features like team communication, auto-scheduling, and manager permissions.

Best employee scheduling app for businesses with multiple departments or locations

Planday (Web, iOS, Android)

Planday pros:

• Granular organization options for departments and locations

• Auto-scheduling and schedule templates

• Multiple useful integrations

Planday cons

• Limited reporting tool

Planday is a powerful shift scheduling tool for businesses that have multiple locations, departments, or both. The granular hierarchy options built into the platform let you structure employees into groups and departments—and from there, you can use sections, positions, shifts, and shift types to further visualize and organize your employee management.

The scheduling tool contains several views, so managers can easily build a schedule by employee, role, or section. If you need to organize your schedule by categories—like back-of-house and front-of-house, or day shift and night shift—Planday makes it easy. 

Other useful features include schedule templates, auto-scheduling, and color coding for quickly pinpointing employees who are over or under their hour limit. Employees can use the Planday app to clock in, swap or pick up open shifts, request time off, and set their available hours. 

As I was testing, the only real downside that stuck out to me was the reporting tool. While Planday does let you export customized reports to Excel, there are no fancy dashboards or in-app views of your employee scheduling data. 

Planday is part of the Xero family and therefore plays well with Xero's accounting tools. You can also use Planday's Zapier integrations to connect the app to the rest of your tech stack, like your HR tool or Google Sheets.

Planday pricing: No free plan available. Paid plans start at $2.99/user/month for one location and basic scheduling features; the Plus plan starts at $59.90/month for 10 users, multiple locations, and advanced tools like auto-scheduling and leave management.

Best employee scheduling software for day-to-day employee management

Sling (Web, iOS, Android)

Sling pros:

• Easy and intuitive to use

• Auto-scheduling feature

• Employee management tools like tasks and messaging

Sling cons:

• Limited integrations

Sling offers all of your basic employee scheduling features, like an intuitive interface, role-based scheduling, and customizable templates. It even includes an auto-schedule feature that makes assigning new shifts a breeze. But if you're looking for a tool that prioritizes day-to-day employee management, Sling's thoughtful extras make it a no-brainer.

For example, the Tasks tab lets managers create and attach tasks to shifts, so every employee knows what they're responsible for. Employees can then view all tasks assigned to them on the Tasks tab on their mobile app—or they can click into a shift on the schedule to see attached tasks and subtasks.

To further support a healthy work culture, Sling offers a messaging feature where users can hold group or private conversations. The mobile app makes it easy for employees to swap or pick up shifts, view the company newsfeed, and set their unavailability. And the platform helps managers identify potential "clopening" scenarios (where the same employee closes on Monday and opens on Tuesday, not getting enough rest time between shifts). 

Sling pricing: Free plan available for unlimited employees, managers, and locations. Paid plans start at $1.70/user/month for time tracking, templates, and internal messaging.

Best minimalist employee scheduling app that's easy to use

Findmyshift (Web, iOS, Android)

Findmyshift pros:

• Easy and fast to use, with intuitive keyboard shortcuts

• Useful integrations with popular work management apps

• In-app SMS messaging (optional)

Findmyshift cons:

• No role-based scheduling view

• Lacking advanced features

If you're looking for a scheduling app with a minimal learning curve, try Findmyshift. The tool is easy to use and has an intuitive, simple interface that makes it simple and quick to build a schedule. I don't know why more scheduling apps don't let you click into a square, type "9a-5p" to create a shift, and then use keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste that shift into other squares. But Findmyshift does, so I was able to create multiple weeks' worth of schedules in just a few minutes. You can also drag and drop shifts, color-code schedules, and add notes. The only downside to the scheduler was that you can't group it by role or department—though there are plenty of filter options to choose from.

On the employee side, Findmyshift makes it easy to swap or pick up shifts, and the messages and notice board views keep your team on the same page. Managers can even send text messages to employees via the app with pre-purchased credits. Findmyshift also has native integrations with popular apps like Slack, BambooHR, and monday.com. 

While Findmyshift lacks some of the advanced features other apps offer—like role-based scheduling and robust reporting—it's easy to use and a great choice for managers that want a simple scheduling solution.

Findmyshift pricing: Free for up to 5 team members and one week of forward planning. Paid plans start at $25/team/month for 20 team members, real-time reporting, templates, and time off requests.

Best employee scheduling app that grows with you

Agendrix (Web, iOS, Android)

Agendrix pros:

• Easy and intuitive to use

• Can purchase additional workforce management modules as needed

Agendrix cons:

• No auto-schedule feature

• Pay for time tracking separately

Agendrix is a scheduling, time tracking, and team management app that also offers additional paid features as needed. The app has a user-friendly schedule builder that both looks great and makes it easy to create and assign shifts by employee or role. Agendrix doesn't come with an auto-schedule feature, but it does have granular filter options and a multi-select tool that lets you edit and duplicate shifts in batches. 

The Messenger tab makes it easy to start group or private conversations, while the news feed is a great central hub for announcements and training information. Employees can clock in from a mobile phone, tablet, or computer, and they can also easily swap or pick up open shifts and request time off within the app.

While Agendrix is an excellent standalone employee scheduling app, it also offers additional modules that you can purchase as needed. These modules include a resource management module for tracking equipment and using geolocation across multiple workplaces, a premium attribution module, and a phone-number-based punch clock that doesn't require internet access. You can also build out your HR platform in Agendrix by adding payroll, HR reporting, advanced employee profiles, and document management.

If you're looking for a build-your-own solution (or a workforce management platform that can grow with you), Agendrix is worth checking out.

Agendrix pricing: No free plan available. Paid plans start at $2.95/user/month for schedule management, or $4.95/user/month with time tracking included.

Best employee scheduling app for small businesses

Workfeed (Web, iOS, Android)

Workfeed pros:

• Auto-scheduling

• Minimalist, modern interface

Workfeed cons:

• No drag-and-drop functionality

• Could get overwhelming for larger organizations

• Limited exporting options

Workfeed is a scheduling and time tracking tool with a modern interface and helpful automation tools. The auto-assign feature lets you create a new schedule with just a few clicks, and you can set rules for things like the minimum time between shifts and maximum work days in a row. Managers can also decide when and how employees can swap shifts and set availability. And the employee insights feature lets managers view sick days, shift drops, and retention rates.

Overall, I was impressed with Workfeed's user-friendly interface. I personally wish there was more drag-and-drop functionality, but I did appreciate that you could view the schedule by not only role but time frame, which lets you ensure there's coverage throughout the day. Employees can clock in via app or terminal, and the group chat feature makes it easier to swap and pick up open shifts.

While Workfeed's simple navigation and straightforward interface work well for smaller teams, I can see how it might become overwhelming for larger businesses. There are limited filter views on the scheduling page, so a larger number of shifts and roles could easily lead to a cluttered, confusing experience for managers.

Workfeed pricing: No free plan. Paid plans start at $2/user/month for scheduling, time tracking, notifications, and calendar integrations. The Pro plan is priced at $3/user/month for automated scheduling, chat functionality, and more.

Which employee scheduling software should you choose?

There's a wealth of employee scheduling apps out there, and most of them are fairly similar—which is why it's crucial to know what's most important to your business. 

Do you need to track how much you're spending on labor? Deputy is probably the right choice for you. If you're looking for tools that prioritize employees and day-to-day employee management, look no further than Sling. On the other hand, you may want to consider Planday if you have multiple locations and customizable scheduling hierarchies would make your job easier. Do you just need a basic tool that's easy to use? In that case, Findmyshift or Workfeed might be the best fit. Or if you want to dip your toe in the scheduling world without making a purchase, try Homebase's robust free plan.

Related reading:

• The best employee onboarding software

• How to automate employee onboarding and offboarding

• What is HRIS?

This article was originally published in July 2019 by Hannah Herman. The most recent update was in February 2024.