Homebase vs 7shifts (2026)
General hourly-business tooling against restaurant-specific labour forecasting.
Pricing and review data verified 2026-08-24 · Sourced from Capterra
The verdict
7shifts wins in restaurants, on POS-tied labour forecasting and tip pooling. Homebase wins everywhere else, and on price for a single location.
No credit card required · ClockIt is one of the products compared here, and we say plainly below where Homebase is the better choice.
At a glance
| Homebase | 7shifts | ClockItThird option | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capterra rating | 4.6 (1,152) | 4.7 (1,212) | 4.6 (135) |
| Starting price | $30 Usage Based, Per Month | $39.99 Other, Per Month | $2.99 Per User, Per Month |
| Free plan | No | Free version available | Free version available |
| Best for | Single-location US hourly businesses that want scheduling, a tablet time clock and hiring in one place. | Restaurants and hospitality groups managing labour cost as a percentage of sales. | Teams of 10–100 that want a physical clock on the wall as well as an app, without a per-site hardware contract. |
| Not for | Teams outside the US, where the payroll and compliance tie-ins do not apply. | Non-hospitality teams — much of the value is POS-tied and restaurant-specific. | Freelancers billing hours to clients — a solo timer does that job with less setup. |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Homebase | 7shifts | ClockIt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | PartialOne location | PartialLimited tier | Yes |
| Time clock / punch in | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shared kiosk mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Biometric hardware | No | No | Yes |
| GPS tracking | Yes | — | Yes |
| Geofencing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shift scheduling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shift swaps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PTO / leave management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overtime rules | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll export | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | — | — | — |
| API access | — | Yes | Yes |
“—” means we could not verify that feature for that product, not that it is missing.
What users actually say
The highest-rated and most critical review we found for each product, quoted verbatim.
Homebase 4.6 / 5 from 1,152 Capterra reviews
“Time tracker with GPS location”
Great app to keep track of time, it integrates GPS which allows for precise location. It includes some functions to allow to communicate with your team, this is great when you need to coordinate work. It is very easy to use and intuitive, it does take a little setup, but once you have it set, it is very easy to use. It predicts your pay, and offers some options to get an advance on your paycheck.
Jesus G., Case Worker · Mental Health Care · May 1, 2026 · Capterra
“Good and Easy, but...”
There are features that would be helpful but are not included lower tier plans, but don't warrant the change in pricing to go to a higher tier. For example, overtime calculation across sites. Or another example would be attaching documents to team members. These things would help, but the price jump to turn them on is too extreme.
Davinder T., Owner · Restaurants · January 23, 2026 · Capterra
7shifts 4.7 / 5 from 1,212 Capterra reviews
“Best Decision”
We can maximize profit by scheduling exactly where needed with forecasting We can create a schedule in minutes verses an hour We can eliminate scheduling employees on requested days off or outside of their availability Employees can update availability, time off without bothering management Employees find a replacement for their shift after schedule is posted instead of bothering management Managers can monitor labor in real time on phone app dashboard report We use the 'engage' report as a positive way to eliminate attendance issues (late, no show, sick, change schedule, etc) Employees can access by phone or computer Employees can provide immediate shift feedback at end of shift Managers can distribute hours and tasks evenly and monitor
Leslie B., Owner · Restaurants · November 26, 2019 · Capterra
“Restaurant shift App”
A lot of clutter, but generally works well. Wish there was a better shift swapping system for multiple shifts.
Oliver M., Waiter · Hospitality · October 13, 2025 · Capterra
A closer look
Homebase
Homebase bundles shift scheduling, a tablet-based time clock, team messaging and hiring for hourly businesses, with a free tier that covers a single location. Its centre of gravity is US small business — payroll integrations, labour-law alerts and break rules are built around US requirements. The time clock runs on a shared tablet with photo capture rather than dedicated biometric hardware, and the features that matter most to multi-site operators tend to sit on the paid tiers.
Strengths
- Free tier genuinely usable for one location
- Scheduling, time clock, messaging and hiring in one product
- Deep US payroll and compliance integrations
Limitations
- Value drops sharply outside the US
- Multi-location features require higher tiers
Available on: Web, Android, iPhone/iPad · Support: Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live rep), Chat
7shifts
7shifts is built for restaurants and little else, which is its strength. It integrates with POS systems to forecast labour against projected sales, handles tip pooling, and gives managers shift-level visibility on wage cost before the schedule is published. Pricing is per location rather than purely per user, which suits a multi-unit operator and reads as expensive to a small non-restaurant team.
Strengths
- POS integrations and sales-based labour forecasting
- Tip pooling and hospitality-specific compliance
- Per-location pricing suits multi-unit groups
Limitations
- Little reason to choose it outside hospitality
- Per-location pricing is poor value for a single small team
Available on: Web, Android, iPhone/iPad · Support: Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live rep), Chat
Where ClockIt fits
ClockIt is an employee time clock and attendance platform that pairs a web and mobile app with physical biometric terminals. It is one of the few products in this category that talks to fingerprint and face terminals directly over the ZKTeco ADMS push protocol, so punches from a wall-mounted device land in the same timesheet as mobile and kiosk punches. Scheduling, leave, overtime rules and payroll-ready exports are included rather than tiered, and there is a free plan you can start on without talking to sales.
Worth a look if neither Homebase nor 7shifts solves your actual problem — most often because you need a fingerprint or face terminal on the wall rather than a tablet, or because scheduling and leave are priced as extras elsewhere.
Common questions
Is Homebase or 7shifts cheaper?
Homebase starts at $30 Usage Based, Per Month. 7shifts starts at $39.99 Other, Per Month. Compare the total for the modules you actually need rather than the headline seat price — several products in this category price the time clock separately from scheduling.
Which has better reviews, Homebase or 7shifts?
On Capterra, Homebase rates 4.6 from 1,152 reviews and 7shifts rates 4.7 from 1,212 reviews, captured 2026-08-24. Ratings across this category cluster tightly, so review volume tells you more about maturity than quality.
Do Homebase or 7shifts support biometric time clocks?
Homebase: no. 7shifts: no. ClockIt connects directly to ZKTeco and eSSL fingerprint and face terminals over the ADMS push protocol, so hardware punches land in the same timesheet as app and kiosk punches.
Try ClockIt alongside your shortlist
No credit card required · Free plan available