Homebase vs 7shifts (2025): Which platform fits your team?

You're here because you need to pick between Homebase and 7shifts. The main thing to know upfront: 7shifts only does restaurants. Everything they built—labor forecasting, tip analytics, POS integrations—is designed around restaurant operations. Homebase works for restaurants too, but also retail, salons, coffee shops, any hourly business.

So you're choosing between specialized restaurant tools or broader team management that works across different industries.

We'll walk through what each one actually does, what it costs, and when one makes more sense than the other.

TL;DR: Homebase vs 7shifts in 30s or less

Homebase handles scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and messaging for any shift-based business. 7shifts does the same thing but only for restaurants, with deeper POS integration and sales-driven labor forecasting.

Go with Homebase if:

• Your team swaps shifts and you're tired of being the middleman
• You want to start free (works for 1 location, up to 10 people)
• You need payroll that doesn't charge extra every time you run it
• You want messaging and schedules in the same app
• You run multiple types of businesses (like a restaurant and a catering company)
• Your managers live on their phones, not at a desktop

Go with 7shifts if:

• You use your POS sales data to predict how many people you need on the floor
• You need detailed tip pooling reports
• You're managing multiple restaurant locations or a franchise
• You want employee engagement scores to track retention
• You only run restaurants and want restaurant-only features
• Your POS is Toast or Square and you want them tightly connected

What is Homebase?

Homebase handles scheduling, time clocks, payroll, and HR for hourly teams. You build schedules, your team clocks in and out, you run payroll, and everyone messages in the same app. No jumping between different tools.

It's built for the stuff that comes up when you manage shifts: someone calls out at 6am, you need to fill an open shift, tips need to get distributed, your team needs to know about the menu change tonight. Homebase keeps all of that in one place instead of scattered across texts, spreadsheets, and your memory.

Homebase AI handles the repetitive stuff—screening job applications, building schedules based on your labor budget, processing payroll. So you're not spending Sunday night on admin work.

What makes Homebase different:

• Start using it right now for free. No credit card, works for one location with up to 10 people
• Add payroll when you're ready (handles tip distribution and files your taxes automatically)
• Keep work messages separate from personal texts with built-in team messaging
• See where your labor costs are actually going with the All-in-One plan
• Run everything from your phone the way you actually work
• GPS verification and geofencing come with every paid plan

150,000+ small businesses use Homebase. The free Basic plan includes scheduling, time tracking, messaging, and POS connections for one location with up to 10 employees.

What is 7shifts?

7shifts started as restaurant scheduling software and now does full labor management—but only for restaurants. Everything is built around POS data, sales forecasting, and restaurant-specific compliance.

What 7shifts does well:

• Connects deep with Toast, Square, and Lightspeed POS systems
• Predicts how many people you need based on sales data
• Handles complex tip pooling with detailed reports
• Tracks employee engagement with surveys and scoring
• Manages multiple restaurant locations or franchises
• Built-in restaurant break rules and overtime tracking

If you're running a restaurant and make staffing decisions based on sales forecasts and POS data, 7shifts is built for that. The trade-off is you're locked into restaurant-only features. It won't work if you expand into catering, retail, or other business types.

Homebase vs 7shifts pricing (November 2025): What you'll actually pay

These two price things completely differently, which affects what you'll actually pay.

Homebase pricing structure: A rundown as of November 2025

Homebase charges per location. Add as many employees as you want on paid plans—your price doesn't change.

Basic: $0/month (1 location, up to 10 employees)

Build schedules, track time, message your team, and connect your POS. Completely free.

Essentials: $30/month per location (unlimited employees)

Everything in Basic plus better scheduling tools, GPS clock-ins, and late arrival alerts.

Plus: $70/month per location

Everything in Essentials plus AI schedule building, PTO tracking and approvals, and department-based organization with role permissions.

All-in-One: $120/month per location

Everything in Plus plus digital onboarding, labor cost analytics, and HR compliance support with expert access.

Homebase Payroll: $39/month base fee + $6 per employee paid

First 6 months free, then $39 base + $6 per employee. Run payroll unlimited times, handle tax filing and W-2s, manage tips, offer early wage access. Add to any plan.

The key thing: you pay per location, not per person. Hire someone new and your software cost stays the same.

7shifts pricing structure: A rundown as of November 2025

7shifts uses tiered pricing where features unlock at higher plan levels. Pricing is per location.

Comp (Free): $0/month

Single location, up to 30 employees. Basic scheduling with feature limits.

Entree: $34.99/month per location

Up to 50 locations, 30 employees per location. Schedule templates, unlimited scheduling, labor budgeting, and basic reporting.

The Works: $76.99/month per location

Up to 50 locations, unlimited employees. Everything in Entree plus read receipts, weather-based scheduling, advanced budgeting, labor alerts, and manager logbook.

Gourmet: $150/month per location

Up to 50 locations, unlimited employees. Everything in The Works plus advanced compliance tools, employee management features, and Engage surveys with sentiment scoring.

7shifts Pay (payroll add-on): $39.99 base + $6 per employee

Payroll through Gusto integration. Similar pricing structure to Homebase.

Here's the catch: time tracking requires The Works tier or higher ($76.99+). Lower tiers give you scheduling, but you need to jump to premium plans for the full workforce management setup.

Real cost comparison

18-employee restaurant running dinner service: You need scheduling, time tracking, and eventually payroll.

Homebase costs:

• Essentials: $30/month per location
• Payroll: $39 base + $108 (18 × $6) = $147/month for payroll
• Total: $177/month
• Includes: Scheduling, time tracking, GPS verification, team messaging, POS connections

7shifts costs:

• Need The Works for time tracking: $76.99/month per location
• Payroll: $39.99 base + $108 (18 × $6) = $147.99/month for payroll
• Total: $224.98/month
• Built specifically for restaurants with deep POS integration

30-employee multi-location cafe chain (2 locations): You're managing multiple locations and need everything working together.

Homebase costs:

• Essentials: $60/month (2 locations × $30)
• Payroll: $39 base + $180 (30 × $6) = $219/month
• Total: $279/month for 2 locations
• Works for cafes, retail, whatever you're running

7shifts costs:

• The Works: $153.98/month (2 locations × $76.99)
• Payroll: $39.99 base + $180 (30 × $6) = $219.99/month
• Total: $373.97/month for 2 locations
• Restaurant-focused, might not fit cafe operations perfectly

8-person taqueria just starting out: You need scheduling and time tracking but aren't ready for payroll yet.

Homebase costs:

• Basic tier: $0/month (scheduling, time tracking, messaging included)
• No credit card required

7shifts costs:

• Comp tier: $0/month (basic scheduling, limited features)
• Need to upgrade to Entree ($34.99/month) or The Works ($76.99/month) for time tracking

Breakdown: Homebase Payroll vs 7shifts payroll

Homebase Payroll connects straight to your time clocks and schedules. Hours from clock-ins flow directly into payroll without you touching a spreadsheet. Run payroll from your phone while it handles tax filing, tip distribution through Tip Manager, and direct deposits. Run it as many times as you need—weekly, biweekly, whatever.

Homebase payroll features:

• Calculates wages, breaks, and overtime automatically from clock-in data
• Run payroll as often as you need—no extra charges per run
• Handles federal, state, and local tax filing plus W-2s and 1099s automatically
• Distributes tips to employees through Tip Manager with automatic calculations
• Gives employees Cash Out so they can access earned wages before payday
• Approve and submit payroll from your phone

7shifts runs payroll through Gusto. It imports hours from 7shifts time tracking into Gusto's system. Tax filing and compliance depend on your Gusto plan, and you'll pay both 7shifts and Gusto fees.

7shifts payroll features:

• Runs through Gusto integration
• Imports hours from 7shifts time tracking automatically
• Tax filing handled by Gusto
• Tip reporting and calculation tools
• Multi-state payroll depends on your Gusto plan
• Requires premium 7shifts tier plus separate Gusto fees

Which one makes sense?

If you want tip distribution, time tracking, and payroll all working together in one place—especially if you're managing shifts from your phone—Homebase handles it. If you're already using Gusto and need to connect your restaurant scheduling data, 7shifts bridges that connection.

Breakdown: Homebase Scheduling vs 7shifts scheduling

The AI assistant builds schedules based on who's available, your labor budget, and what's worked before—then pushes it out with instant notifications to everyone's phones. Your team claims open shifts, trades coverage, and requests time off without you playing phone tag on Sunday night.

Homebase scheduling features:

• AI builds schedules that learn from your patterns
• Copy previous schedules or let it create optimized staffing automatically
• Attach specific instructions to individual shifts for role clarity
• Connect to POS systems for labor cost analytics (higher-tier plans)

7shifts focuses on restaurant labor optimization with deep POS integration that forecasts how many people you need based on past sales, weather, and events.

7shifts scheduling features:

• Forecasts staffing needs based on POS sales data
• Restaurant-specific shift templates
• Multi-location franchise management
• Manager logbook for shift handoffs
• Labor cost optimization against sales targets

Which one fits?

For restaurants where POS-driven sales forecasting and franchise templates are worth the premium price, 7shifts gives you specialized analytics.

Breakdown: Homebase time tracking vs 7shifts time tracking

Homebase captures GPS location, sends late punch alerts, and reminds people about breaks automatically (on paid plans). Hours flow straight into payroll without manual timesheet work.

Homebase time tracking features:

• Captures GPS coordinates at clock-in and clock-out (all paid plans)
• Clock in from phones, tablets, computers, or POS terminals
• Automatic reminders about meal breaks and compliance
• Alerts when employees clock in late or miss their scheduled punch
• Manager review and approval before hours go to payroll

7shifts Time Tracking requires a premium tier (The Works or higher at $76.99+/month). It connects with POS terminals for clock-ins and uses geofencing to verify location.

7shifts time tracking features:

• POS-integrated clock-in from terminals
• Geofencing for location verification
• Tip tracking linked to sales data
• Restaurant break compliance and overtime rules
• Only available on premium tiers

Which one makes sense?

If you need time tracking included without upgrading to premium tiers, Homebase gives you that on paid plans starting at $30/month. If POS terminal integration for clock-ins is essential for your restaurant setup, 7shifts builds that in at $76.99+/month.

Breakdown: Homebase HR & compliance vs 7shifts engagement

Homebase HR handles hiring, digital onboarding, labor compliance monitoring, and expert support. The AI Hiring Assistant screens applications, schedules interviews, and runs background checks.

Homebase HR & compliance features:

• AI screens job applications, ranks candidates, and schedules interviews
• Collects I-9s, W-4s, and required documents digitally with e-signatures
• Alerts about federal, state, and city-specific labor law requirements
• Access to HR knowledge base and compliance guidance
• Build employee handbooks using policy templates reviewed for compliance
• Automatic break requirements and overtime alerts based on labor regulations

7shifts Engagement measures how your team feels and spots retention risks. It surveys employees, tracks engagement scores, and shows satisfaction trends.

7shifts engagement features:

• Employee sentiment surveys and scoring
• Engagement trend analysis and reporting
• Team recognition and acknowledgment tools
• Shift feedback and communication channels
• Only available on Gourmet tier ($150/month per location)

Which one makes sense?

If you need hiring automation, labor compliance monitoring, and HR support on top of scheduling, Homebase handles that in the All-in-One plan ($120/month per location). If measuring employee sentiment specifically for restaurant retention is critical, 7shifts provides that tracking in the Gourmet tier ($150/month per location).

Pros and cons of Homebase and 7shifts

What each platform excels at and where trade-offs exist.

Homebase pros ✅

• Start free—no credit card required for scheduling and time tracking (up to 10 employees)
• Built for shift coordination with mobile messaging and shift swapping
• Run payroll as many times as you need without extra per-cycle fees
• GPS and geofencing included on all paid plans
• AI assistants handle hiring screening, schedule building, and catch payroll errors automatically

Homebase cons ❌

• Built for hourly shift work—won't work for salaried office teams
• Payroll costs extra—contact sales for pricing based on team size
• Five locations means five separate subscriptions

7shifts pros ✅

• Deep POS integration with Toast, Square, and Lightspeed drives labor forecasting based on sales
• Restaurant-specific compliance features for food service
• Advanced tip pooling and tip analytics
• Multi-location franchise templates for chain operations
• Employee engagement scoring identifies retention risks (Gourmet tier)

7shifts cons ❌

• Free tier is limited—premium features start at $34.99/month
• Only works for restaurants—won't accommodate retail, salons, or other industries
• Time tracking requires The Works tier ($76.99/month)
• Gourmet tier runs $150/month per location
• Payroll runs through Gusto with separate fees, not built-in

The bottom line

7shifts owns restaurant analytics. Homebase owns everything else hourly teams need.

If you're running a restaurant chain where POS-driven labor forecasting justifies $150/month per location, 7shifts delivers specialized depth. If you need scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and hiring working together without juggling multiple platforms, Homebase handles it in one system.

You can start with Homebase for free. Build schedules and track hours for up to 10 people without entering a credit card. When you're ready for payroll, add it on. If you expand from your coffee shop into catering or open a retail store next door, you're already using the right platform. Try Homebase free—no credit card required.