RosterzenRestaurant-specific vs cross-industry
7shifts' restaurant focus is useful if you need restaurant labour and communication workflows. Rosterzen is deliberately industry-neutral.
6 7shifts Alternatives for Employee Scheduling in 2026
7shifts is purpose-built for restaurants. If you are comparing alternatives, first decide whether restaurant-specific workflows are essential or whether you need a more general scheduling product with different automation and pricing.
7shifts alternatives at a glance
| Product | Best for | Starting price | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7shifts | restaurants | Free for 1 location / 15 employees; Essentials $39.99/location/month annual | Restaurant scheduling, communication, time clocking and labour tools. |
RosterzenRosterzen | automatic schedule creation | $39/month · up to 25 workers | Builds the schedule and shows any gaps |
Homebase | small hourly businesses | Free · Plus $56/location/month annual | Per-location plans for small hourly businesses |
Deputy | scheduling + broader workforce tools | Core $6.50/user/month | Scheduling inside a broader people platform |
When I Work | hourly teams | From $2.50/user/month | Simple day-to-day scheduling for hourly teams |
Connecteam | deskless operations | $29/month · first 30 users (annual) | Scheduling plus a broad deskless-workforce toolkit |
Planday | teams that want scheduling + workforce administration | Per-user plans · Pro custom | Rota planning tied to wider workforce administration |
What to compare before switching from 7shifts
How the roster gets built
Compare whether the product mainly helps a manager arrange shifts or can create assignments from availability, qualifications, locations, hours, rest and coverage rules.
Per-location pricing
7shifts charges paid plans per location. That can work well for restaurant groups, but multi-site teams should compare the total cost with fixed-plan or per-user pricing.
Rosterzen
automatic schedule creation$39/month · up to 25 workersAny industry
Rosterzen creates the schedule from your coverage needs and worker rules instead of making you start from a blank calendar.
Add the shifts you need covered, then enter each worker's availability, qualifications, locations, weekly hours and rest rules. Rosterzen assigns eligible people and keeps any shift it cannot cover clearly open.
Time and attendance is included. Pricing stays fixed within each plan’s active-worker limit, so the bill does not rise with every person you add.
Good if you need
- Automatic schedule creation
- Availability, qualifications and location rules
- Hours, rest and coverage rules
- Time and attendance
Worth knowing
Best when the difficult part is deciding who should work each shift. Enterprise agreements can include EU data residency or self-hosting.
Homebase
small hourly businessesFree · Plus $56/location/month annual
Homebase combines scheduling and time tracking with team communication, hiring, payroll options and other tools for hourly businesses.
The Basic plan is free for one location with up to 10 employees. Essentials adds advanced scheduling and time tracking, while Plus adds AI-powered scheduling and more controls.
Paid plans are priced per location rather than per employee, which can suit businesses with many staff at one venue but changes the maths for multi-location teams.
Good if you need
- Basic free plan
- Time tracking
- Team communication
- Payroll add-on
Worth knowing
A natural option when scheduling is part of a broader small-business toolkit. AI-powered scheduling is on the Plus plan rather than the free or Essentials tiers.
Deputy
scheduling + broader workforce toolsCore $6.50/user/month
Deputy combines scheduling, time tracking, availability, shift changes and broader workforce tools.
Its Core plan includes auto-scheduling, demand forecasting and labour planning. Lite covers basic scheduling and time tracking for teams that do not need those advanced scheduling tools.
Pricing is per user, so the monthly total increases as the workforce grows.
Good if you need
- Auto-scheduling
- Time and attendance
- Demand forecasting
- Shift swaps and replacements
Worth knowing
Useful when you want scheduling, time tracking and workforce tools in one product. Compare the Core plan if auto-scheduling is a requirement.
When I Work
hourly teamsFrom $2.50/user/month
When I Work combines employee scheduling, open shifts, shift swaps, availability and team communication in a straightforward app for hourly teams.
Essentials includes auto-scheduling and multi-week scheduling. Higher tiers add more scheduling rules, permissions and controls.
The product is priced per user, which is easy to understand but means cost rises directly with headcount.
Good if you need
- Auto-scheduling
- Open shifts and swaps
- Availability
- Team messaging
Worth knowing
A good fit for teams that want a familiar shift-management workflow. Check the plan level if you need more scheduling rules.
Connecteam
deskless operations$29/month · first 30 users (annual)
Connecteam puts job scheduling alongside time tracking, forms, tasks, communication and other tools for deskless teams.
Scheduling is part of the Operations Hub, so it can replace several frontline apps when the same team also needs task management, forms and mobile workflows.
Paid hub plans cover the first 30 users for a fixed base price, with additional-user charges after that. More advanced scheduling automation sits higher in the plan structure.
Good if you need
- Job scheduling
- Time clock
- Forms and tasks
- Deskless workforce app
Worth knowing
Useful when you want several frontline tools in one app. If the main problem is automatically constructing a difficult roster, compare the scheduling workflow closely.
Planday
teams that want scheduling + workforce administrationPer-user plans · Pro custom
Planday combines rota planning, time and attendance, leave, payroll preparation and employee administration.
Starter covers scheduling, time tracking and working-time rules. Plus adds broader workforce tools. Auto-scheduling is available on Pro, with a newer auto-schedule experience also rolling out to selected Plus and Pro organisations.
Starter and Plus are priced per user; Pro uses custom pricing.
Good if you need
- Rota planning
- Time and attendance
- Leave management
- Payroll preparation
Worth knowing
Compare the exact plan and regional availability if auto-scheduling is important, because scheduling automation differs by plan and rollout status.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 7shifts alternative for businesses outside restaurants?
Rosterzen, Deputy, When I Work, Connecteam and Planday all serve broader workforce types. Rosterzen is industry-neutral and focuses on automatic schedule creation.
Does 7shifts have a free plan?
Yes. Its Comp plan is free for a single location with up to 15 employees. Essentials and higher plans add more advanced features.
How is Rosterzen different from restaurant scheduling software?
Rosterzen does not include restaurant-specific operations features. It focuses on scheduling rules that apply across industries: availability, qualifications, locations, hours, rest and required coverage.
Create your first roster
Use your own team and shifts. No account required.