Homebase vs TSheets: Which time tracking software fits your team?

You need your team to clock in and out without the mess of paper timesheets or group texts. But Homebase and TSheets (now called QuickBooks Time) work completely differently.

Homebase is built for shifts at physical locations like coffee shops, restaurants, retail stores, and salons. Your team clocks in at the register, you build the weekly schedule, and payroll runs from the same place. QuickBooks Time is built for mobile crews like construction teams, landscapers, and plumbers who clock in from different job sites every day. Everything syncs to QuickBooks so you know which jobs are eating up labor costs.

This breakdown shows you real pricing, what each tool actually does, and the honest trade-offs so you can pick what fits your business.

TL;DR: Homebase vs. TSheets in 30s or less

Pick Homebase if: You're building weekly schedules, your team works at your location(s), and you need scheduling + time tracking + payroll in one place.

Pick QuickBooks Time if: Your crew moves between job sites every day, you're already using QuickBooks for accounting, and you need to track which jobs cost you the most in labor.

You'll want Homebase when:

• Your schedule changes every week and someone's always calling out
• You're starting out (it's free for 1 location with up to 10 people)
• You track tips and need them to flow into payroll automatically
• You're tired of scheduling through group texts
• You need to see if labor costs are eating into your profits
• You want HR support without hiring an HR person

You'll want QuickBooks Time when:

• Your team clocks in from different addresses every day
• You bill clients by the hour and need to prove where time went
• You're already running your books through QuickBooks Online
• You need to know exactly which projects are over budget
• Your crew works at 5 different sites in one week
• The city inspector asks where your plumber was at 2pm on Tuesday

What is Homebase?

You're running a restaurant, retail store, or salon. Every week you're building schedules, tracking who's actually showing up, running payroll, and dealing with "can you cover my shift?" texts at 10pm.

Homebase puts all of that in one place. You build the schedule on Sunday, your team clocks in on their phones (or at your iPad by the register), and when payday hits, you run payroll from the same app. No jumping between three different systems.

It works from your phone, so you can approve a time-off request from your kid's soccer game or fix Tuesday's schedule when someone texts you at 6am that they're sick.

Here's what you get:

• Free to start for one location with up to 10 people (actually free—not a trial that ends)
• Payroll built for hourly teams with automatic tax filing so you're not doing math on Sunday nights
• Team messaging so your crew stops texting your personal number about shifts
• Labor cost tracking that shows you if staffing is eating into profits
• Tip tracking that flows straight into payroll without extra spreadsheets
• Works from anywhere because you're never actually at your desk

Over 150,000 small businesses use Homebase. The free plan includes complete scheduling, time clocks, team messaging, and connections to your POS system for a single location with up to 10 employees.

What is TSheets (QuickBooks Time)?

TSheets got bought by Intuit and rebranded as QuickBooks Time. It's a time clock, basically—but a really good one if your crew is all over the place.

Think construction, landscaping, plumbing, electrical work. Your team isn't at your office—they're at the Henderson job Monday, the Rodriguez project Tuesday, and the Miller house Wednesday. QuickBooks Time tracks where they are, how long they're there, and which job is costing you the most in labor.

If you're already using QuickBooks Online for your books, this syncs right into it. All those tracked hours flow into your accounting so you can see which jobs are profitable and which ones are killing you.

Here's what it does:

• GPS tracking automatically verifies your crew is actually at the job site
• Job costing shows you exactly how many hours went to each project
• QuickBooks integration syncs everything to your accounting without manual entry
• Multi-site tracking when you've got three crews at three different addresses
• Photo timestamps so your team can document what the site looked like
• Overtime alerts before someone hits time-and-a-half

QuickBooks Time doesn't do scheduling, payroll, or team communication the way Homebase does. It's focused on one thing: tracking time accurately across multiple locations so you know where your labor dollars are going.

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

Homebase charges per location. QuickBooks Time charges per person. That makes a huge difference depending on your team size.

Homebase pricing

Homebase bills you for each location. You can have unlimited employees on paid plans (except Basic).

Basic: Free

• Works for 1 location with up to 10 people
• You get: Basic scheduling, time clocks, POS integration
• Add payroll for $39/month + $6 per employee

Essentials: $30/month per location

• Unlimited employees
• You get: Advanced scheduling, advanced time tracking, team messaging, POS integration
• Add payroll for $39/month + $6 per employee
• Save 20% if you pay annually ($24/month)

Plus: $70/month per location

• Unlimited employees
• Everything in Essentials, plus: AI-powered scheduling, PTO tracking, departments and permissions
• Add payroll for $39/month + $6 per employee
• Save 20% if you pay annually ($56/month)

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

• Unlimited employees
• Everything in Plus, plus: Employee onboarding, labor cost management, HR and compliance tools
• Add payroll for $39/month + $6 per employee
• Save 20% if you pay annually ($96/month)

Homebase Payroll: $39/month + $6 per employee

• Run payroll as many times as you want
• Handles multi-state tax filing
• Automatic tax calculations and filing
• W-2s and 1099s
• Your team can access earned wages early
• Add to any Homebase plan

Special offer: Right now, when you buy Homebase Payroll, you get 6 months free of the Plus plan included.

Here's the thing: Once you pick a plan level, adding employees doesn't increase that cost. A 5-person team pays the same as a 50-person team on Essentials ($30/month). Only payroll processing adds $6 per employee.

QuickBooks Time pricing

QuickBooks Time charges a base fee plus a cost for each person on your team every month.

Premium: Around $20/month + $8 per user

• You get: GPS time tracking, scheduling, job costing, QuickBooks sync, overtime alerts, mobile apps, basic reports

Elite: Around $40/month + $10 per user

• Everything in Premium plus: Project management tools, advanced reports, geofencing, crew tracking across multiple sites, priority support

Scheduling comes with QuickBooks Time. Payroll doesn't—that's a separate QuickBooks subscription you have to buy and add on.

Contact QuickBooks directly for current pricing. These numbers change.

What this looks like with real numbers

Scenario 1: 16-person hair salon that needs payroll

Homebase:

• Essentials plan: $30/month for the location (unlimited employees)
• Payroll: $39 + ($6 × 16) = $135/month
• Total: $165/month
• You get: Scheduling, time clocks, GPS tracking, team messaging, payroll processing, automatic tax filing—all in one place

QuickBooks Time:

• Premium: roughly $20 + ($8 × 16) = around $148/month just for time tracking
• Then add QuickBooks Payroll on top (separate subscription, separate cost)
• Total: $148+ per month (plus whatever payroll costs)
• You get: Time tracking, scheduling, GPS, job costing
• You don't get: Team messaging or payroll in the same system

Scenario 2: 28-person gym (no payroll needed)

Homebase:

• Essentials plan: $30/month for unlimited employees
• Includes: Full scheduling, time clocks, GPS tracking, team messaging

QuickBooks Time:

• Premium: roughly $20 + ($8 × 28) = around $244/month
• Includes: Time tracking, scheduling, GPS, job costing

Scenario 3: 7-person landscaping crew just testing things out

Homebase:

• Basic plan: $0
• Includes: Basic scheduling, time clocks, POS integration (but limited to 10 employees max)

QuickBooks Time:

• Premium: roughly $20 + ($8 × 7) = around $76/month
• Includes: Time tracking, scheduling, GPS

Note: These prices change. Check both companies for current rates and any deals they're running.

Breakdown: Homebase scheduling vs QuickBooks Time scheduling

Both tools let you schedule your team, but they work completely differently. Homebase is built for weekly schedules that change constantly, while QuickBooks Time focuses on assigning crews to job sites.

How Homebase handles scheduling

You need to build next week's schedule, someone just called out for tomorrow, and three people want to swap shifts. Homebase is built for this.

You start with a template from last week, drag names around for 10 minutes, and publish. Your team gets texts instantly. When Sarah needs Tuesday off, she requests it in the app and you approve it from your phone. When Mike can't work Friday, he posts it as an open shift and someone claims it—you just get a notification to approve.

The system also shows you if you're about to blow your labor budget. If you're scheduling too many people for a slow Tuesday, you'll see it before you publish.

What you can do:

• Build schedules with templates—copy last week, adjust, done
• Let the system auto-schedule based on who's available and your labor budget
• Post open shifts so your team claims them instead of you texting everyone
• Approve shift swaps without being the middleman
• See labor costs while you're scheduling so you don't overspend
• Everyone gets automatic texts/emails when the schedule drops

How QuickBooks Time handles scheduling

QuickBooks Time does scheduling, but it's basic. You can assign people to shifts and jobs, and they can see their schedule in the app.

The real focus is making sure your crew clocks in at the right job site—not managing who works when or dealing with shift swaps.

What you can do:

• Schedule shifts and assign people to specific jobs
• Your team sees their schedule in the mobile app
• The schedule syncs with time tracking
• Assign field crews to specific job sites
• Verify people showed up where they were supposed to

Which one fits your situation?

Pick Homebase if: Your schedule changes every week, people swap shifts constantly, someone's always calling out, and you need to watch labor costs.

Pick QuickBooks Time if: Your main concern is proving your crew was at the Henderson job site from 9am to 3pm—not juggling schedule changes.

Breakdown: Homebase time tracking vs QuickBooks Time tracking

The big difference here is location. Homebase tracks time at your physical business, while QuickBooks Time tracks time across multiple job sites.

Breakdown: Homebase time tracking vs QuickBooks Time tracking

The big difference here is location. Homebase tracks time at your physical business, while QuickBooks Time tracks time across multiple job sites.

How Homebase handles time tracking

Your team clocks in at your register or on their phones when they get to work. They punch in with a PIN or the iPad takes their photo. The system knows if they're actually at your business (not clocking in from home).

Hours automatically calculate. Breaks get tracked. Overtime gets flagged before it happens. Different pay rates (like when someone works both FOH and BOH) get recorded correctly. Then everything flows straight into payroll—no copying numbers around.

What you can do:

• Clock in with PIN codes or photo verification at your tablet
• GPS confirms they're at your business address when they clock in from their phone
• Breaks and overtime calculate automatically based on your state's rules
• Track multiple pay rates for each person (server wage vs manager wage)
• Stop people from clocking in 15 minutes early
• Send hours directly to payroll without any spreadsheets

How QuickBooks Time handles time tracking

QuickBooks Time is built for crews that move around. Your plumber clocks in at the Rodriguez house, moves to the Chen job, then hits the Garcia site—and you see exactly where they were and for how long.

Geofencing does the clock-in automatically when they arrive at a job site. They can take photos to show what the site looked like. You can track which jobs are eating up the most labor hours and costing you money.

What you can do:

• GPS geofencing clocks people in automatically when they arrive at a job site
• Track hours per project so you know what each job actually cost in labor
• Employees can take photos at clock-in to document the site
• Track multiple crews across different locations at the same time
• Log PTO (syncs with QuickBooks Payroll if you have it)
• Track mileage between job sites

Which one fits your situation?

Pick Homebase if: Your team works at your location(s), you need hours to flow straight into payroll, and you're managing shifts at physical stores/restaurants/salons.

Pick QuickBooks Time if: Your crew is at the Henderson job Monday, the Miller house Tuesday, and the Garcia project Wednesday—and you need to bill clients for those exact hours.

Breakdown: Homebase payroll vs QuickBooks Time payroll

Homebase has payroll built in as an add-on. QuickBooks Time doesn't—you need to buy QuickBooks Payroll separately.

Breakdown: Homebase payroll vs QuickBooks Time payroll

Homebase has payroll built in as an add-on. QuickBooks Time doesn't—you need to buy QuickBooks Payroll separately.

How Homebase handles payroll

Hours from time tracking flow into payroll automatically. You review them, approve, and run payroll. Taxes get calculated and filed. Direct deposits hit bank accounts. W-2s generate themselves in January.

Your team can also access their earned wages early if they need money before payday (doesn't cost you anything). Tips get processed and distributed through the same system.

What you can do:

• Add payroll to any Homebase plan for $39/month + $6 per employee
• Taxes calculate and file automatically in every state where you have employees
• Run payroll for multiple locations from one dashboard
• Process tips and distribute them correctly
• W-2s and 1099s generate and send automatically
• Let your team access earned wages early (at no cost to you)

How QuickBooks Time handles payroll

QuickBooks Time doesn't do payroll. It tracks hours, then exports them to QuickBooks Payroll (which you buy separately).

The time data flows over automatically, so you're not manually entering hours. But payroll processing, tax filing, and direct deposits all happen in QuickBooks Payroll, not QuickBooks Time.

What you can do:

• Export hours to QuickBooks Payroll (separate subscription required)
• Time data syncs automatically so you're not re-entering it
• Taxes get calculated and filed in QuickBooks Payroll
• Job costing data flows into your accounting reports
• Multi-state tax filing happens in QuickBooks Payroll
• Direct deposits run through QuickBooks Payroll

Which one fits your situation?

Pick Homebase if: You want time tracking and payroll in one place, you're tired of jumping between systems, and you want taxes filed automatically without thinking about it.

Pick QuickBooks Time if: You're already running your books through QuickBooks, you need job costing in your accounting reports, and you don't mind buying payroll separately.

Breakdown: Homebase HR vs QuickBooks Time HR

Homebase includes hiring, onboarding, and HR support. QuickBooks Time doesn't do any of that.

Breakdown: Homebase HR vs QuickBooks Time HR

Homebase includes hiring, onboarding, and HR support. QuickBooks Time doesn't do any of that.

How Homebase handles HR

You need to hire a server, onboard them with I-9s and W-4s, track their food handler cert, and know when California updates its meal break rules.

Homebase posts your job to multiple sites, lets applicants apply through the app, walks new hires through paperwork with e-signatures, and stores everything. You also get access to actual HR experts who can review your policies or help you write an employee handbook.

What you can do:

• Post jobs to multiple job boards from one place
• Track applicants and send onboarding paperwork with e-signatures
• Store employee documents electronically
• Get alerts when labor laws change in your city or state
• Ask HR experts questions about policies and handbooks (HR Pro feature)
• Set up PTO policies that track accruals automatically

How QuickBooks Time handles HR

It doesn't. QuickBooks Time tracks time. That's it.

If you need to post a job, onboard someone, store their documents, or figure out if you're compliant with California's new sick leave law—you need a different tool for that.

What it doesn't do:

• No job posting or applicant tracking
• No onboarding or document management
• No compliance tracking or labor law alerts
• PTO requests can be logged, but that's it
• No HR support or policy help
• Employee documents go somewhere else

Which one fits your situation?

Pick Homebase if: You're hiring, onboarding, and managing compliance alongside scheduling and payroll—and you need it all in one place.

Pick QuickBooks Time if: You already have HR handled elsewhere and just need precise job site time tracking.

Pros and cons of Homebase and QuickBooks Time

No tool is perfect for everyone. Here's what each does well and where they have limits.

Homebase pros ✅

• Free to start: Scheduling, time clocks, and messaging for up to 10 people costs nothing
• Built for shift work: Handles schedule changes, callouts, shift swaps, and last-minute coverage
• Works from your phone: Build schedules, approve timesheets, and run payroll from anywhere
• Payroll included: Add it to any plan—taxes file automatically, no separate subscription to manage
• GPS tracking included: Location verification doesn't cost extra per person
• AI help: Chat assistant and scheduling assistant handle routine tasks

Homebase cons ❌

• Only for hourly teams: Not built for salaried office workers or 9-to-5 desk jobs
• Payroll costs extra: It's an add-on at $39/month + $6 per employee, not included in the base plan
• Charges per location: Three stores means three separate subscriptions

QuickBooks Time pros ✅

• GPS tracking is excellent: Geofencing and job site verification are top-tier for field crews
• Job costing: Tracks exactly how many labor hours went to each project
• QuickBooks integration: Syncs perfectly with QuickBooks Online for accounting
• Photo timestamps: Your crew can document site conditions at clock-in
• Multi-crew tracking: Monitor several teams across different locations at once

QuickBooks Time cons ❌

• No free plan: Even basic time tracking requires a paid subscription
• Gets expensive fast: $8-10 per person per month adds up with larger teams
• Payroll costs extra: Separate QuickBooks Payroll subscription required
• Limited team communication: No built-in messaging like Homebase
• Elite plan is pricey: Jumps to $40/month base plus $10 per person

The bottom line

Homebase works for businesses with hourly shifts. Think restaurants, retail stores, salons, gyms, and coffee shops. If you're constantly juggling callouts, approving shift swaps, and watching labor costs eat into your margins, Homebase handles that reality.

You can start free and add what you need as you grow. Everything runs from one app: scheduling, time tracking, team messaging, and payroll all connect so you're not jumping between systems.

QuickBooks Time works for field teams that move around. Construction crews, landscapers, plumbers, and electricians who clock in at different job sites every day. When you need to prove exactly where your crew was and bill clients for those specific hours, QuickBooks Time tracks it precisely.

The trade-off? You'll need to buy QuickBooks Payroll separately, and there's no built-in way for your team to message each other.

Start with Homebase free for up to 10 people. No credit card required. Get your scheduling and time clocks working today, then add payroll when you're ready to consolidate everything.