Find the Best Scheduling App for Small Businesses in 2025
Efficient time management is crucial for small business success. Finding the right tools can make all the difference. This article explores the best scheduling apps for small businesses. Whether you’re interested in free employee shift scheduling apps, pick-up shift apps, or discovering how these tools can transform how small businesses navigate their schedules, you’ll find valuable insights here. Explore how they can transform how small businesses navigate their schedules.
Best Scheduling Apps for Small Business: Evaluation Criteria
🖥️ User interface: Evaluate the app’s user interface for its intuitiveness and ease of use in a small business setting.
🛠️ Features: When choosing the best scheduling app for small business, assess the range of features offered.
🔄 Customization: Explore the app’s ability to adapt to the needs of various small businesses.
🤝 Integration: Consider the app’s compatibility with other tools commonly used by small businesses.
📱 Mobile accessibility: Examine the functionality of these apps on mobile devices.
👥 Collaboration capabilities: Evaluate the app’s capacity to facilitate collaboration among team members.
💲 Cost-effectiveness: Analyze the app’s pricing structure in relation to the features provided.
❗ Note: We do not accept paid entries for our evaluation of the best scheduling apps for small business.
Best Scheduling Apps for Small Business: Comparison Table
| Tool | Features | Pricing | Cost-Effectiveness |
| Shifts by Everhour | Shift creation and scheduling, Real-time updates, Availability management, Kiosk, Customizable reporting | Free | High |
| Sling | Shift scheduling, Labor cost monitoring, Time clock functionality, Time off requests | Free, Premium ($1.25/user/month), Business ($3.40/user/month) | High |
| Homebase | Shift scheduling, Availability tracking, Time off requests, Shift swaps | Basic (Free), Essentials ($20/month), Plus ($48/month), All-In-One ($80/month) | High |
| Calendly | Calendar integrations, Standardized scheduling, Overview team activity | Basic (Free), Essentials ($8/seat/month), Professional ($12/seat/month), Teams ($16/seat/month), Enterprise (Custom) | High |
| Deputy | Shift scheduling, Employee communication, Forecasting and budgeting | Scheduling ($3.50/user/month), Time and Attendance ($3.50/user/month), Premium ($4.90/user/month), Enterprise (Custom) | High |
| Shifty | Scheduling, Employee self-service | Free | High |
| Setmore | Appointment scheduling, Time zone detection, Class and group scheduling | Free (up to 4 users), Premium ($5/user/month), Team ($5/user/month) | High |
| Appoint.ly | Online scheduling features, Integrations, Time zone synchronization | Basic (Free), Pro ($8/user/month), Enterprise (Custom) | High |
| Planable | Content collaboration and scheduling, Approval workflow, Integration with social platforms | Free, Basic ($11/user/month), Pro ($22/user/month), Enterprise (Custom) | High |
| Acuity Scheduling | Customizable booking pages, Automated reminders, Time zone auto-adjustment, Integrations | Emerging ($16/month), Growing ($27/month), Powerhouse ($49/month) | High |
| Picktime | Widget and forms, Reminders, Team management, Manual data entry | Free, Starter ($3/user/month), Pro ($2.25/user/month) | High |
Best Scheduling Apps for Small Business: 11 Top Picks
1. Shifts by Everhour
Shifts by Everhour is your solution for streamlining workforce management and shift planning. This free scheduling app for small business meets the dynamic scheduling needs of businesses, thus providing a robust set of features for efficient employee schedule creation, management, and optimization. This tool is designed to teach you how to schedule shifts.
Key features
- Shift creation: Shifts by Everhour makes it easy to create and edit shifts. The intuitive interface allows quick shift assignment and seamless schedule adjustments.
- Real-time updates: Keep your team well-informed with real-time updates. Employees can view schedules, swap shifts, and also request time off from the app, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
- Availability tracking: Track employee availability and preferences. Gain a clear view of who can work when to prevent scheduling conflicts.
- Kiosk: Simplify clocking in/out with the kiosk. Allows employees to do so quickly without a steep learning curve.
- Customizable reporting: Gain valuable insights into scheduling efficiency with its reporting tools.
Pricing
Shifts by Everhour is available for free.
2. Sling
Sling streamlines employee scheduling across businesses of various sizes and industries. It simplifies workforce management, making it a flexible option for small businesses. The intuitive design makes Sling an ideal choice for small enterprises.
Key features
- Shift planning: Create, edit, and manage shifts. Establish regular schedules or tailor shifts to meet specific business requirements.
- Shift notifications: Automatic shift notifications are a key feature of Sling. Reduce absenteeism and ensure punctuality among employees.
- Labor cost monitoring: Gain valuable insights into labor costs with Sling’s reporting and analytics tools.
- Time clock functionality: Track employee hours with built-in time clock features.
- Time off requests: Employees can submit time off requests through the app.
Pricing
- Free plan.
- Premium plan: $1.25 per user per month.
- Business plan: $3.40 per user per month.
3. Homebase
When it comes to the best scheduling apps for small business, Homebase is a standout choice. This software simplifies employee scheduling and management, as it helps optimize the workforce. It’s especially beneficial for small businesses seeking seamless scheduling solutions.
Key features
- Flexible shift creation: Small businesses often require adaptable scheduling to accommodate changing needs. Homebase creates and adjusts shifts, whether following regular schedules or customizing them.
- Availability tracking: In small teams, knowing employee availability is crucial. Update employees’ availability, helping managers shedule shifts that align with individual preferences.
- Time off requests: With Homebase, employees can request time off directly through the app.
- Shift swaps: Small businesses often rely on a tight-knit team. Homebase facilitates collaboration by enabling employees to initiate shift swaps.
Pricing
- Basic Plan: Free.
- Essentials Plan: $20 per month per location.
- Plus Plan: $48 per month per location.
- All-In-One Plan: $80 per month per location.
4. Calendly
Calendly is an automated schedule builder. It allows you to program availability and integrate schedules with employee calendars. As one of the best scheduling apps for small business, it greatly enhances the booking and appointment process.
Key features
- Easy and intuitive user interface: Scheduling becomes quick and straightforward with Calendly’s user-friendly interface. Input your availability preferences, and Calendly takes care of the rest.
- Automation: Handle such tasks as bookings, rescheduling, appointments, and even emails. This ensures a seamless and efficient scheduling process for small businesses.
- Calendar integrations: It integrates with multiple calendars and scheduling systems (Outlook, Google, iCloud, etc).
- Standardized scheduling: Users can create and save templates. This facilitates the standardization of meeting types.
- Overview team activity: Use the admin dashboard to review all meeting types, participants, and agenda items. This provides insights to ensure your small business team remains productive and engaged.
Pricing
- Basic: Totally free.
- Essentials: $8 per seat, monthly.
- Professional: $12 per seat, monthly.
- Teams: $16 per seat, monthly.
- Enterprise: Based on derived quotes.
5. Deputy
Next, Deputy is one of the best scheduling apps for small business and a powerful workforce management software. It offers features that simplify scheduling, time tracking, and employee communication.
![the 9 best when i work alternatives in 2023 [both paid and free]](https://blog-cdn.everhour.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/deputy.jpg)
Key features
- Intuitive scheduling: Deputy’s user-friendly interface makes creating and managing schedules a breeze. Drag-and-drop shifts, assign tasks, and view schedules at a glance.
- Employee communication: Send messages, notifications, and updates directly through the platform.
- Forecasting and budgeting: Plan your labor costs with Deputy’s forecasting and budgeting tools. Predict future labor needs and optimize schedules to meet your small business budget.
- Employee self-service: Access schedules, request time off, and swap shifts using the Deputy mobile app/web portal. This feature promotes autonomy and engagement among small business employees.
Pricing
- Scheduling: $3.50 per user per month.
- Time and Attendance: $3.50 per user per month.
- Premium: $4.90 per user per month.
- Enterprise: Customized pricing.
6. Shifty
Shifty is the go-to mobile app if you’re seeking to create a work schedule easily. This app is appreciated by small businesses looking for effective scheduling solutions.
Key features
- Scheduling: Use Shifty to manage your staff, assign duties and tasks, and attach time slots. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface ensures quick employee management.
- Mobile-friendly: Shifty is optimized for mobile devices and connected apps. It simplifies scheduling for small businesses, ensuring flexibility for both employers and employees.
- Employee self-service: Accessing schedules, requesting time off, or shift swapping can enhance autonomy.
Pricing
- Free: $0
7. Setmore
Another contender for being the best scheduling app for small business, Setmore is an automated online appointment app that brings significant value to your business.
Key features
- Appointment scheduling: Setmore is accessible through your browser, desktop/laptop, or mobile device. Booking appointments on Setmore takes just a few seconds!
- Time zone detection: As a versatile shift schedule generator, Setmore can automatically update time zones. This is super beneficial for businesses with clients or team members in different locations.
- Class and group scheduling: Setmore supports class and group scheduling. It’s great for businesses offering workshops, classes, or group sessions.
Pricing
- Free: $0 per user, monthly – up to 4 users.
- Premium: $5 per user, monthly (billed annually).
- Team: $5 per user, monthly (billed annually).
8. Appoint.ly
Appoint.ly is a small business scheduling app that brings simplicity to online scheduling. It allows you to effortlessly set your appointment and share your availability through a link. Its versatility also makes it an excellent scheduling software for teams in multiple countries and time zones.
Key features
- Online scheduling features: Through Appoint.ly, you can share your availability via a link. That link can be easily distributed via messages, emails, or integrated into your website.
- Integrations: Appoint.ly integrates with such platforms as Google Calendar, iCloud, Outlook, and Exchange. This ensures a cohesive scheduling experience, enhancing productivity for small businesses.
- Time zone synchronization: Time zone synchronization makes it easier to plan meetings around the world. This functionality minimizes the risk of scheduling conflicts and no-shows.
Pricing:
- Basic Plan: Free.
- Pro Plan: $8 per user per month.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing.
9. Planable
Planable is another social media collaboration and planning tool that simplifies the creation, scheduling, and approval of social media content. Tailored for social media campaigns, it enhances the efficiency of small businesses.
Key features
- Content collaboration: Planable allows small business teams to collaborate on social media content. Multiple team members can review and provide feedback on posts before publication.
- Visual planning: It enables users to preview their social media feed’s appearance before content goes live. This ensures a cohesive and visually appealing online presence.
- Content scheduling: Small businesses can organize their content calendars with content scheduling features. Scheduling posts in advance ensures a consistent posting schedule on all social media platforms.
- Approval workflow: Review and approve content before it’s published. It contributes to quality control and messaging consistency.
- Integrations: With integration with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, small businesses have a direct pathway to publish content.
Pricing
- Free plan
- Basic plan: $11 per user per month
- Pro plan: $22 per user per month
- Enterprise plan: Custom pricing.
10. Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is an online appointment scheduling software. It streamlines the booking and appointment management process. It is particularly popular among service-based businesses that need to schedule appointments.
Key features
- Customizable booking pages: Tailor your booking pages to create a branded experience for clients. The user-friendly platform ensures a seamless booking process, reinforcing your business identity.
- Automated reminders: Reduce no-shows with email/SMS reminders about upcoming appointments.
- Time zone auto-adjustment: Simplify scheduling for a global clientele with time zone auto-adjustment.
- Video conferencing integrations: Join online appointments with integrations, e.g. popular video conferencing software.
- Payment integrations: Use Stripe, Square, and PayPal integrations. Acuity Scheduling accepts payments when customers book appointments, ensuring a seamless transaction process.
Pricing
- Emerging: $16 per month
- Growing: $27 per month
- Powerhouse: $49 per month
11. Picktime
Finally, Picktime is one of the go-to scheduling programs for small businesses. It is finely tuned for the specific needs of small businesses. It simplifies the process, ensuring your appointments run smoothly.
Key features
- Booking widget for 24/7 online appointments: Embed a booking widget on your website.
- Comprehensive booking forms: Use booking forms to get key information about your customers’ needs before their first appointment.
- Reminders: Combat no-shows with automated reminders, reducing the likelihood of missed appointments.
- Personal calendar integrations: Manage appointments by adding them to team members’ calendars. This feature enhances coordination and ensures everyone is on the same page.
- Manual data entry for duplication: Duplicate schedules and other data. Streamline repetitive scheduling needs for improved efficiency.
Pricing
- Free
- Starter: $3 per user per month
- Pro: $2.25 per user per month
Why Use a Specific Scheduling Tool for a Small Business?
Using a specific scheduling app for small business offers several advantages:
- Efficiency: Best scheduling apps streamline the booking processes, saving time for both businesses and customers. This efficiency is crucial for small businesses with limited resources.
- Improved customer experience: Intuitive scheduling tools often provide a great user experience. In that way, clients can book appointments at their convenience.
- Reduced no-shows: Many scheduling tools come with automated reminders, reducing the likelihood of no-shows. This feature is especially valuable for small businesses, ensuring that booked appointments are honored.
- Enhanced organization: Scheduling tools often include features for team coordination, calendar integrations, and also efficient data management. This helps small businesses stay organized and ensures everyone is on the same page.
- Customization: Specific scheduling tools may offer customization options. This flexibility is essential for adapting to different industries and business models.
- Cost-effective solutions: Many scheduling tools offer cost-effective solutions that fit the budget constraints.
- Scalability: As small businesses grow, having a dedicated scheduling tool allows for scalability. The tool can adapt to the growing company’s increasing demands and complexities.
- Integration with other systems: Some scheduling tools integrate with payment processors or CRM tools. This integration streamlines operations for small businesses.
In case you’re looking for a seamless way to improve shift planning, Shifts by Everhour is the perfect solution. Real-time monitoring, easy scheduling, and mobile accessibility help manage your workforce easily!
Best Scheduling App for Small Business: Conclusion
In summary, the best scheduling apps for small businesses are a game-changer. From enhancing customer experience to internal operations, these tools address the challenges of smaller enterprises.
To sum up, Shifts by Everhour stands out as a comprehensive and best-for-all solution. With real-time updates, mobile clock-in/out, and also customizable reporting, Shifts by Everhour helps businesses streamline operations and gain valuable insights. Additionally, as a free tool, Shifts by Everhour stands out as the best scheduling app for small businesses.
