HotSchedules vs Branch

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Our analysts compared HotSchedules vs Branch 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.

HotSchedules Software Tool

Product Basics

HotSchedules is a cloud-based shift scheduling tool within the Fourth HR ecosystem. It assists with a variety of core employee scheduling tasks, including assigning shifts, tracking time and managing labor.

It helps optimize time and labor costs by analyzing sales patterns, forecasting demand and optimizing workforce allocation through seasons. The built-in messaging portal improves communication and keeps the team on the same page.

Businesses can create custom dashboards to track business-specific KPIs, employee performances and attendance. Employees get unique portals to view assigned tasks, swap shifts and communicate with team members.

A built-in wage and labor compliance module helps maintain compliance with state and federal labor laws. The mobile app provides push notifications for scheduling conflicts and compliance issues to stay agile and compliant from anywhere.

Pros
  • Convenience and accessibility
  • Scheduling functionality
  • Efficient automation
  • Diverse integrations
Cons
  • Learning curve
  • Inconsistent support services
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The Branch app is a mobile-first solution that connects employees working on an hourly basis with enterprises. Employees can pick up available shifts within minutes rather than wasting valuable time in search of available shifts. Employees can earn more by working available shifts, collect advance paychecks and plan their finances.

It offers modules that bridge the communication gap between hourly workers and companies. Employees can find convenient shifts and can swap shifts in case of an emergency. Its seamless interface reduces absenteeism, saves time and cuts costs.
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$40/Location, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$5 Monthly, Freemium
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Save Time: Build schedules and assign shifts more effectively and save time spent on these activities.
  • Improve Communication: Communicate with team members, update schedule changes, swap shifts and more directly through the platform to keep up with all critical and urgent scheduling revisions.
  • Reduce Labor Costs: Generate store reports on labor costs and sales and assess overall labor practices to help inform future budgets.
  • Encourage Employee Engagement: Managers can provide employees direct access to the schedule through the mobile app, allowing them to access and request changes to the schedule, which boosts engagement.
  • Ensure Compliance: Configure labor rules to document shift transactions, control labor costs, and comply with industry, state and federal legislation.
  • Accurate Forecasting: Ensure accurate forecasts using tools that help cut operational costs, boost revenue from sales and increase customer satisfaction and experiences.
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  • Automatic Notifications: Sends notifications automatically to employees about new messages, upcoming shifts, shift approvals or rejections. Its chat feature facilitates messaging between employees without having to share personal information. 
  • Improves Workers’ Finances: Provides various budgeting tools that help employees enhance their financial health. Employees can instantly access earned wages to pay their bills, unexpected expenses or emergencies ahead of the payroll period of two weeks. 
  • Boosts Earnings: Helps employees enhance their shift coverage and boost their earnings by picking up more shifts. 
  • Reduces Absenteeism Up to 43%: Offers a flexible platform for hourly employees to swap their shifts when their availability changes. This feature simplifies the scheduling process for shift managers and reduces employee absenteeism by as much as 43%. 
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  • Scheduling: Build schedules with customizable templates and intuitive drag-and-drop tools. Approve or deny shift change requests, define rules to limit overtime and manage employee availability from a dashboard.
  • Time and Attendance: Track clock-in and clock-out times, collect information on tip and break entries, and allow employees to access their timecards and payroll histories. Managers can set up alerts to notify employees when they miss a time punch. Set geo-fencing rules using the mobile WebClock to track employee locations.
  • Labor Forecasting: Access the following forecasting features:
    • Schedule Optimization: Standardize scheduling rules and automate recurring tasks using predictive scheduling across multiple branches and locations.
    • Scheduling Visibility: Manage labor analytics to measure critical KPIs like overall performance, cost per labor, sales patterns and labor cost to keep restaurants competitive.
    • Store-Level Forecasting: Analyze historical data to identify weekly sales patterns and help managers allocate workforces efficiently. Send alerts for overtime and other potential compliance issues.
  • Labor Management: Calculate minimum staffing requirements, plan shift breaks, and generate suggested headcounts to ensure that any given shift always has the proper number of staff members.
  • Scheduling and Wage Compliance: Adhere to local and federal regulations with:
    • Predictive Scheduling: Stay up to date with local laws and evolve as regulations shift. Prepare and adapt to compliance changes before they go into effect.
    • Break and Meal Management: Set up rules to automatically schedule meal and break times for staff members. Receive notifications of missed break times and automatically calculate break pay impacts.
    • Overtime Management: Track employees going into overtime and allow managers to swap overworked staff with other employees.
    • Certifications: Receive certificate expiry alerts and define automation to request updated documents from employees, managers and other team members.
  • POS Integration: Employees can track time and clock in and out of work from a POS system. Pull sales and operational data from POS to forecast weekly and seasonal sales patterns and workforce requirements.
  • Health Surveys: Generate digital health surveys to gain extra visibility into the business. Use CDC-tailored surveys and health screening tools to ensure employees are safe to come to work.
  • Manager Logbook: Manage physical and digital logbooks that help track tasks, maintenance objectives and food safety information, such as temperature.
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  • Self-Service Design: Offers a self-service platform to employees so that they can swap shifts as per their availability. This functionality eliminates administrative hassles and drastically reduces the time spent on scheduling. 
  • AI Chatbots: Designed with artificial intelligence chatbots to facilitate the onboarding of the staff, training, engagement and learning. 
  • Mobile Application: A native mobile application helps employees manage their shift coverage, earnings, leaves, overtime and attendance. 
  • Communication Tools: Offers numerous features that strengthen communications within businesses and boosts coordination. Shift managers can broadcast important updates and announcements to ensure everyone is informed, and important tasks are finished within deadlines. 
  • Reporting and Dashboards: Offers automated reporting tools and dashboards to report survey results in real time. Businesses can generate various customizable reports that can aid their improvement and help with employee performance reviews. 
  • Performance Benchmarking: Compare survey results with industry benchmarks and discover the areas that need improvement. It can be used to improve the performance of an employee or shake up things high up the ladder. 
  • Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with various third-party applications like Zapier, Box, Salesforce and SAP. Connect with the company’s external systems to complete team workflows. 
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Product Ranking

#7

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

#85

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 1149 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1616 reviews
86%
of users recommend this product

HotSchedules has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 1149 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

91%
of users recommend this product

Branch has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 1616 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

4.5 (14)
4.5 (14)
4.2 (94)
4.4 (219)
4.37 (426)
4.58 (679)
4.4 (388)
4.6 (675)
4.0 (227)
3.9 (29)

Awards

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

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Convenience and Accessibility: Users appreciate the system’s remote accessibility, which saves time and enhances productivity for both employees and managers.
Scheduling Functionality: The platform offers a comprehensive package of scheduling tools, including shift swapping, time off, blackout dates and availability management.
Efficient Automation: Automation such as auto-scheduling, sick pay and holiday calculations simplifies administrative tasks for managers.
Diverse Integrations: Users report that integration with other modules like payroll systems, POS solutions and HR software enhances productivity and workforce management.
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Ease of Use: All users who referred to ease of use said that the system is straightforward, making it easy to learn, use and navigate.
Communication: Provides an easy way to communicate with teams and includes supervision for more efficient workflows, as noted by all reviewers who referred to communication.
Management: All users who specified management said it streamlines managing and tracking of schedules, shifts, finances and more.
Advance Paycheck: All users who mentioned advance paychecks liked the ability to take paycheck advances or loans when needed.
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Learning curve & complexity: The interface can be challenging for beginners, requiring significant time and effort to learn and navigate effectively.
Inconsistent customer support: Users report long wait times or difficulty resolving complex issues, leading to potential frustration and delays.
Pricing concerns: Additional fees beyond the monthly subscription can add up, making it more expensive than competitors.
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Performance: All users who referred to performance said that the system can be slow, glitchy and also crash at times.
Integration: It doesn’t link with all banks or applications, as observed by 86% of users who mentioned linking.
Customer Support: All users who talked about customer support wished that support would be available online via 24/7 chat and phone.
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Let's dish on the good, the bad, and the ugly of HotSchedules based on what folks have been saying lately. HotSchedules seems to be a bit of a mixed bag. Users dig that it's pretty straightforward to use and can be a real time-saver, especially when it comes to wrangling schedules and keeping everyone in the loop. It's like having a personal assistant who's always on top of things. But, there's a catch – it can be a bit pricey, and some users feel like it's missing some bells and whistles that other scheduling software has. Think of it as a reliable car that gets you from point A to point B, but maybe doesn't have all the fancy features like a sunroof or heated seats. So, who's HotSchedules a good fit for? Well, if you're running a business in the hospitality industry, like a restaurant or hotel, and you need a solid scheduling tool that won't leave you scratching your head, HotSchedules could be your jam. It's especially handy if you've got a bunch of hourly employees and multiple locations to juggle. However, if you're on a tight budget or need a software with all the latest gadgets, you might want to shop around a bit. There are other options out there like Homebase or When I Work that might be more your style.

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Branch is a cloud-based solution for time and productivity tracking for companies managing multiple shifts. It provides the capability to monitor work hours, view schedules, assign tasks, plan shifts and communicate with employees. Provides visibility on employee availability both in real time and in the future to help managers plan resources and workflows. A self-service mobile app enables employees to track everyday schedules and budgets, message colleagues, take advance paychecks and earn more money by taking shifts that are available. Some reviewers mentioned that it doesn’t link with all the banks and applications, preventing them from using the cash advance feature. The system can be glitchy, slow and crash at times. Users wished that customer support would be made available online via 24/7 options, which would be more pragmatic and reliable.

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Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Employee Scheduling Software


7shifts

Deputy

Findmyshift

Homebase

Humanity

OpenSimSim

Planday

Quinyx

ScheduleFlex

Shiftbase

Shiftboard

Sling

TimeForge

When I Work

WhenToWork

ZoomShift

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