Homebase vs Jolt

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Our analysts compared Homebase vs Jolt based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Employee Scheduling Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Homebase is a cloud-based solution that helps manage employee schedules, maintain timesheets and streamline payroll processes. Managers can create staff shifts using drag-and-drop scheduling tools and pre-built templates. They can also define rules to put schedules on autopilot for recurring tasks based on employee availability, skills and labor budget.

The platform is mobile-optimized and offers a native app for employees to view schedules, communicate, set preferences and trade shifts. You can use a POS system to track employee attendance and work hours or use the app to let staff log time from their phones. The platform maintains timesheets while integrating with payroll modules for wage calculation.

Verify employee identity and location with the built-in photo capture or GPS time clock functionality. Additionally, you can automate break tracking and overtime calculations to comply with shift worker regulations. It sends automatic alerts for employee absences or late logins while allowing managers to record daily summaries using the manager log.


Pros
  • Ease of setup
  • Efficient scheduling and time tracking
  • Robust mobile app
  • Cost-effective
Cons
  • Limited customization
  • Customer service issues
  • System update bugs
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Jolt is a tablet and smartphone-based operations execution solution that helps businesses achieve digital food safety compliance, team accountability and boost employee performance. It offers audit management, personnel tracking, performance review, time, attendance and learning and goal management.

Team leaders can track daily operations in real time to keep staff accountable. It offers a training library, drag-and-drop schedule builder and task checklists for every shift. Organizations can decrease labor costs and improve staff efficiency.
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$24.95/Location, Monthly, Freemium
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$89.99 Monthly
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Start Scheduling For Free: Homebase allows you to schedule up to 20 employees in one location at no cost. You get basic scheduling tools, a time tracker and POS integration to manage employee shifts from anywhere.
  • Streamline Team Communication: The platform excels in collaboration tools, helping managers run their teams efficiently. It includes everything you need, from one-on-one chats and team messaging to a bulletin board, newsfeed and even read receipts. Plus, you can recognize outstanding employees with shout-out cards and appreciation notices.
  • Go Mobile: The Homebase mobile app boasts impressive ratings — 4.4 on the Play Store and 4.8 on the Apple Store. Managers can create open shifts for qualified employees to claim, while features like geofencing and time tracking improve overall control. The app informs everyone with push notifications for upcoming events and alerts employees about late logouts or missed breaks.
  • Create the Perfect Software Stack: According to our analysis, Homebase ranks exceptionally well for its integration and extensibility with third-party solutions. It allows you to easily import or export data in CSV or Excel format. You can connect it with popular solutions like QuickBooks Online, Rippling, Gusto and ADP. It offers a native payroll integration at a cost. You can access its API with partner integrations and design custom connections with any tool!
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  • Streamlined Scheduling: Create efficient work schedules while centrally managing multiple location shifts. Customize task checklists for every shift while automatically sending them to employees. 
  • Efficient Time Tracking: Employees can punch in from any device using the built-in time clock capability. Use GPS facilities to ensure employees clock in from designated locations. 
  • Accessibility: Use the information library to distribute company announcements promptly. Make general announcements or notify a policy change with ease. Get reports when employees view urgent announcements. 
  • Secure Team Communication: Relay company information faster and securely. Use message blasts for urgent announcements and setting event reminders. Set filters to communicate with specific roles or groups of employees. 
  • Simplify Compliances: Use forms and inspections to build custom audits and inspections. Create CLIA compliance checklists, inspections and equipment auditing to keep pace with industry regulations. Pinpoint deficiencies while boosting accountability using real-time task review options. 
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  • Scheduling: Create, copy and save schedules that can be modified or reused later. View employee availability and time off requests, manage shift changes, and forecast labor costs.
  • Time Clock: Clock in and out from the web, a tablet or an integrated POS. The advanced subscription packages can prevent employees from clocking in early for their shifts and returning from breaks early. The time clock feature can also round time and allow for automatic clock-out.
  • Timesheets: Track clock-ins, breaks and overtime hours with online timesheets. Generate a daily summary of activities, track breaks and export timesheets to payroll, reducing time errors.
  • Team Communication: Send direct messages and broadcast messages to entire groups directly through the app.
  • Hiring: Streamline the hiring process by providing pre-written job descriptions, interview reminders and applicant tracking capabilities. Post open jobs to Craigslist and other job boards. Import new hires to the schedule automatically.
  • Reporting: Track and generate reports on labor costs as a percentage of sales, actual hours worked, employee performance and shift feedback summaries. The more advanced subscription plans also track labor costs by type and generate reports on the application programming interface, on-time arrival and other customized reports.
  • Drag-and-Drop Interface: Users can view and sort schedules by role, time period or employee hours with a drag-and-drop interface. Managers can also copy the previous week’s schedule and publish work changes directly through the mobile app.
  • HR and Compliance: Centralize employee information, eSign documents and send automated welcome packets for a smooth self-onboarding experience. Define clear PTO policies and approval workflows, set up black-out dates and define advance notice requirements for more control. The platform offers consultancy with external HR advisors for expert insights and policy reviews, helping comply with labor regulations.
  • Employee Benefits and Productivity Tools: Early access to earned wages allows staff members to avoid overdraft fees. Peer-to-peer recognition tools and automatic performance metric tracking help foster a productive environment. You can also gain valuable insights into employee sentiment through anonymous end-of-shift feedback.
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  • Employee Scheduling: Use a drag-and-drop scheduler to build employee schedules while managing breaks. Send shift reminders via text messages and push notifications. Employees can request shift swaps and get approvals. 
  • Team Accountability: Achieve cleaner stores, faster service and consistent processes. Standardize procedures for staff to follow with on-the-spot training. Deliver fast service across locations with real-time alerts, reports and message notifications. 
  • Digital Food Safety: Serve fresh and hot meals with automated temperature monitoring, quick temperature logs and food and date labeling. Use sensors to protect inventory while keeping ingredients fresh. Receive notifications when temperatures fall out of range. 
  • Employee Performance: Train employees to complete tasks with perfection to achieve high standards. Improve order accuracy with employee quizzes and an accessible training hub. Deliver friendly service by ensuring employees aren’t overworked or understaffed. 
  • Training Hub: Incorporate training materials while providing access according to employee roles. Create scorable employee quizzes while reviewing performance using templates. 
  • Checklists: Create daily, repeatable and time-based task checklists. Customize daily food safety and HACCP checklists. Assign work by role while naming and time-stamping every task. Receive checklist completion alerts in real time. 
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Product Ranking

#6

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

#9

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Collaboration Employee Management Leave And Absence Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting And Analytics Schedule Management Security And Compliance Shift Management Time And Attendance Management 100 87 91 93 61 50 88 83 86 74 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1169 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 371 reviews
91%
of users recommend this product

Homebase has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 1169 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

93%
of users recommend this product

Jolt has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 93% when considering 371 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.6 (13)
4.9 (30)
4.2 (108)
4.5 (83)
n/a
4.7 (246)
4.6 (1027)
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4.1 (21)
4.5 (12)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Homebase and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Collaboration. Homebase stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Collaboration Award

Jolt stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Ease of Setup and Use: Many users found Homebase easy to set up and navigate. The platform is intuitive, making it simple for both managers and employees to use.
Scheduling and Time Tracking: The platform simplifies employee scheduling, making it easy to create, modify and track schedules. It includes useful features like a time clock, timesheets and attendance tracking.
Integration with Other Tools: Users appreciated its integration with various payroll processors and POS systems.
Accessibility: You can access the software from various devices, including desktops, tablets and smartphones, enhancing flexibility for managers and employees on the go.
Cost-Effectiveness: Several reviews mentioned that the free basic plan suffices for smaller businesses, providing essential features without extra cost.
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Functionality: Around 94% of users who mentioned functionality said that the system provided a robust suite of helpful tools that helped them save time.
Ease of Use: The system’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage and understand, as noted by 100% of reviewers who mentioned ease of use.
Customer Service: More than 88% of reviewers referring to customer support noted that included professional services were helpful and provided follow-up tips and corrections.
Tracking/Monitoring: All users who refer to monitoring state that it helps boost employee accountability, inventory organization and scheduling.
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Undo and Modification Limitations: The lack of an undo feature can be problematic if accidental changes or deletions occur.
User Interface Issues: Some users found the new updates and interface changes cumbersome, with issues like light markings, lack of lines and frequent refresh rates. Others mentioned that the iPad app is not optimized and often mimics the mobile website, limiting its functionality.
Customer Support: Several reviews highlighted delayed responses from customer support and insufficient support hours, which can be challenging for businesses operating outside regular hours. Also, the platform heavily targets the U.S. market and offers limited support for international users.
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Initial Setup: Its initial setup is time-consuming, as noted by nearly 100% of users who mentioned setup.
Slow Application: Around 55% of the users who mentioned it’s mobile application report that it can be slow/glitchy and at times would crash.
Communication: Text and emails can only be sent to employees through its time-card feature, as observed by 60% of reviewers who referred to communication.
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In my research, I was particularly impressed by the guided onboarding process. The intuitive setup allowed me to get the platform up and running within minutes, enabling easy scheduling without a steep learning curve. This ease of use also extends to onboarding employees.The auto-documentation request feature stood out to me. I could define the required documents for each employee, and the system automatically sent follow-up reminders. This automation significantly streamlined the process of maintaining up-to-date employee profiles with all the necessary paperwork.Homebase’s integration with other tools, such as payroll processors, accounting solutions and POS systems, is a huge plus. It saves time and reduces the hassle of manual data transfers, making the overall management process smoother. Additionally, the system can handle basic hiring, onboarding, payroll and compliance management, making it an all-in-one HR suite for small businesses.However, I encountered some drawbacks. One notable issue was the auto-scheduling feature. While the idea behind it is great, it proved complicated in practice and lacked customization options to meet my specific needs.Users have reported facing issues with the vendor’s customer support team. There were reports of delayed responses, and the support hours were insufficient for businesses operating outside regular U.S. business hours. Despite these issues, the platform’s cost-effectiveness, especially with the free basic plan, makes it a viable option for small and medium enterprises. It offers essential scheduling and time-tracking features without hidden costs and implementation complexities.

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Jolt helps its users keep up with daily tasks and track who completes what with a time stamp. It is an easy-to-use solution that satisfies food safety guidelines with automated temperature checks, temperature logs and food labeling by date. Reviewers mentioned that its initial set-up takes time, and printer issues are difficult to solve. The application does not allow users to send messages to a single employee, but they can send a message to a large group of people at once. Overall, it is a cost-effective software solution with seamless training and support.

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Screenshots

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