Homebase vs Shiftboard

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Our analysts compared Homebase vs Shiftboard 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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Shiftboard is a cloud-based employee scheduling software designed to help businesses efficiently manage their workforce. It caters to businesses of all sizes, but it particularly shines when handling complex scheduling needs or a large number of employees. Shiftboard offers a variety of features including schedule creation and management, employee hour tracking, and communication tools. The software integrates with other business systems like payroll and HR software, streamlining operations.

Benefits of using Shiftboard include improved employee productivity, reduced labor costs, increased employee satisfaction, and better compliance with labor laws. Users appreciate its ease of use, comprehensive features, and positive impact on workforce management. Shiftboard's pricing structure is not publicly available, so interested businesses should contact Shiftboard directly for detailed pricing information. Keep in mind that pricing for software like this can vary based on factors such as the number of users and desired features.

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$24.95/Location, Monthly, Freemium
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$3/User, Monthly
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Mobile

Product Assistance

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24/7 Live Support
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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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  • Efficiency: Helps HR managers build better schedules in less time. On average, implementing the system results in a 53% increase in schedule creation efficiency and a 55% increase in shift change management efficiency. 
  • Optimized Workforce: Save on business costs by reducing the number of unnecessary shifts. The average user can reduce scheduled hours by more than 7% and overtime costs by more than 50%. 
  • Employee Performance:: Managers can build better schedules that benefit employees as well as the business. As a result, the average user reports a more than 6% increase in employee productivity and a 40% decrease in turnover. 
  • Accuracy: It helps optimize scheduling processes, reducing the average number of scheduling errors by more than 50%. 
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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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  • Profiles: Collect and store employee information such as contact information, credentials, skills and work history. This information can then be used to assign roles based on scheduling needs. 
  • Communication: View schedules online and notify staff on schedule changes. It sends messages and notifications automatically so that all team members have access to the most up-to-date information. 
  • Demand Planner: Forecast scheduling needs using historical data and patterns. Managers can build schedules and fill shifts based on predicted business needs. 
  • Tradeboard: Employees can utilize Tradeboard to switch shifts, while the system ensures that no shifts are double-booked. Managers can oversee shift-swapping and set rules to ensure compliance and that employees don’t pick up shifts that will put them into overtime. 
  • Reports and Analytics: The system can collect data on shifts, employees, budgets, forecasts, labor costs and more. Generate reports and analyze them at any time to help track spending. 
  • Mobile: Access the schedule at any time through any internet-connected device. Employees can view the schedule, update their availability, request time off and trade shifts, all through the mobile app. 
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Product Ranking

#6

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

#10

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

84
80
100
39
87
94
91
65
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Collaboration
Integrations and Extensibility
Mobile Capabilities
Leave and Absence Management
Schedule Management
Platform Capabilities
Employee Management
Mobile Capabilities
Shift Management

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Homebase
Shiftboard
+ Add Product + Add Product
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 39 94 65 90 100 67 84 78 89 79 0 25 50 75 100
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83%
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92%
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88%
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12%
63%
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37%
93%
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7%
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84%
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21%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

90%
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10%
70%
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30%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1169 reviews
Great User Sentiment 519 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.

88%
of users recommend this product

Shiftboard has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 88% when considering 519 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.6 (13)
n/a
4.2 (108)
4.6 (48)
n/a
4.39 (236)
4.6 (1027)
4.4 (230)
4.1 (21)
3.3 (5)

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

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Shiftboard and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Platform Capabilities.

Platform Capabilities 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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Shift Management: Nearly 94% of reviewers liked the built-in Tradeboard for employees to exchange or transfer shifts, boosting accountability and efficiency.
Schedules: Around 90% of users who referred to schedules liked that it reduces time spent creating and managing schedules. It notifies of any errors and provides easy access for employees.
Tracking: It helps monitor the login / logout of individual workers, their interest in additional shifts and overtime status, as noted by 91% of users who specified tracking.
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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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Reports: About 56% of reviewers who referred to reports said that custom reports require a great deal of trial and error, and some fields are not reportable.
Layout: The page layout style is quite clunky and difficult to navigate, especially when there are more teams and time slots, as mentioned by 80% of users who referred to layout.
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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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Shiftboard provides robust scheduling tools that help reduce scheduling errors. Its online and mobile availability allows employees to access it from anywhere and stay updated on schedules and shifts. Staff in certain roles can trade shifts within Shiftboard without going through management. It helps to keep track of employee shift times and their clock in and out locations. Some reviewers said that creating custom reports requires a great deal of trial and error, while some fields are not reportable. Users have mentioned that they would like to see more viewer-friendly pages.

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Screenshots

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