Homebase is a popular scheduling, time tracking, and payroll tool trusted by small businesses. It offers a free plan and robust scheduling features but can feel limited as teams grow - with performance lags, missing customization, and costly upgrades for core functions.
Shifts by Everhour focuses purely on scheduling, time tracking, and communication – giving you everything you need to manage shifts efficiently, without complexity or unpredictable pricing.
Meet Shifts by Everhour
Shifts is a modern scheduling and attendance platform from the creators of Everhour. It unites scheduling, time tracking, PTO, and messaging in one seamless workspace designed for speed and clarity.
Whether you manage a restaurant, a retail store, or a cleaning business, Shifts helps you plan schedules, track hours, and communicate updates in minutes.
Shifts by Everhour
Best for unified scheduling + time tracking with a clean mobile experience
- Free plan available
- From $5/user/month
Shifts by Everhour brings schedules, time tracking, and PTO together in one intuitive platform. It’s ideal for teams that want a balance of structure and simplicity – without payroll or HR bloat.
Explore shift scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging.
- Fast, intuitive scheduling
- Transparent, flat pricing
- Free plan for small teams
- Built-in time tracking + PTO
- Seamless scheduling and messaging
Limitations
- Not built for large enterprise HR
- Fewer integrations (simplicity first)
Homebase vs Shifts by Everhour
Homebase
Best for small businesses that need scheduling, time tracking, and payroll in one
- Free plan available (limited features)
- Tiered pricing by location and admin
Homebase is designed for small businesses that need simple scheduling, clock-ins, and payroll. It’s easy to use and integrates multiple tools into one app, helping managers oversee attendance and shift changes.
However, reviewers note frequent bugs, slow loading times, limited customization, and inconsistent payroll performance. Some teams also report poor support responses and rising costs as they expand beyond the free tier.
For growing teams that value reliability and transparency over bundled payroll tools, Shifts provides a lighter, faster experience.
- Great scheduling and team communication
- Free plan and mobile access
- Integration with payroll systems
Common pain points
- Limited customization and missing features
- Performance lags and bugs in scheduling
- Payroll errors and slow customer support
What makes Shifts different
While Homebase tries to cover scheduling, payroll, and team management, Shifts stays focused on what most small teams need daily – scheduling, time tracking, and communication – keeping the experience fast and straightforward.
1. Focused on essentials. No payroll clutter or unnecessary extras – just clear scheduling and tracking.
2. Transparent pricing. One free plan (up to 5 users) and one paid plan – no per-location fees.
3. Clean interface. Built for everyday use on desktop and mobile without lag.
4. Quick setup. Get your team ready in under 30 minutes.
5. Real-time updates. Publish or change schedules instantly – everyone stays synced.
6. Reliable attendance tracking. Hours, breaks, and totals are automatically synced to timesheets.
7. Scales easily. From 5 to 500 users without tiered limits or hidden costs.
8. Clear collaboration. Built-in chat for fast updates, no external apps required.
9. Consistent performance. Lightweight design means no long loading or crashes.
10. Made for teams that move fast. Modern, mobile, and ready for real daily work.
Pricing comparison
Homebase offers a free plan with basic scheduling and clocking tools, but higher tiers add payroll, HR, and job posting features – each at increasing costs. Prices range roughly from $24.95 per location/month to $99.95+ for full functionality.
Shifts by Everhour keeps pricing simple: one free plan (up to 5 users) and one paid plan at $5 per user/month, all features included – no location or admin fees.
Example:
• Homebase (2 locations, 50 users) ≈ $200 / month
• Shifts (50 users) = $250 / month flat – all features, full access
• Transparent and predictable
Ease of use
Homebase is easy to start with but can slow down as teams and data grow. Shifts delivers the same simplicity with faster performance and fewer moving parts – ideal for teams that want focus, not features they’ll never use.
What real users say
According to verified Capterra and G2 reviews, Homebase earns praise for its ease of use and mobile accessibility but faces criticism for limited customization, bugs, and payroll issues.
- Simple and intuitive interface
- Efficient scheduling and team communication
- Helpful time tracking and geofencing features
- Free plan praised for small business accessibility
Common pain points
- Limited customization and missing functions
- Payroll errors and unreliable support
- Occasional bugs and slow performance
“Homebase is easy to use and quick to set up, but customization is limited.”
“Scheduling and time tracking are solid, though payroll errors can be frustrating.”
“Support is slow to respond – we switched after multiple unresolved issues.”
- Based on aggregated Capterra and G2 reviews
Why switch from Homebase
Homebase works for very small businesses but often adds extra layers – payroll, HR, job postings – that many teams don’t need.
Shifts by Everhour provides a simpler path: clean scheduling, time tracking, and team communication with transparent pricing and faster performance.
The bottom line
Homebase is easy to start with, but Shifts by Everhour is easier to grow with. If you want an intuitive, distraction-free scheduling tool that’s fast, transparent, and reliable, Shifts is the better alternative.
Try it free today and see how much smoother your scheduling can be.
