Head-to-Head Review

Homebase vs 7shifts: Which Is Better for Restaurants?

Choosing between Homebase and 7shifts comes down to your size, complexity, and how tightly you want
scheduling tied to POS-driven forecasts, labor % guardrails, and payroll flow. This comparison covers scheduling, time tracking,
comms, forecasting, compliance, pricing, and migrations.

Homebase schedule builder screenshot
Homebase schedule builder (example)
7shifts labor forecasting screenshot
7shifts POS-driven labor forecasting (example)

Executive Summary

Quick take: If you’re a restaurant-first operation that needs deep scheduling guardrails,
POS forecasting, labor % targets, and multi-location oversight, 7shifts is usually the better fit.
For smaller venues wanting an approachable bundle of scheduling + time tracking + basic HR, Homebase is excellent.

Both cover the essentials; the gap shows up in forecasting depth, policy enforcement, analytics, and ecosystem breadth.

Our pick for dedicated restaurants: 7shifts

Our pick for small teams & simplicity: Homebase

Use the scenarios below to match your operation.

Who Each Is Best For

7shifts

Restaurants that want tight POS forecasting, labor % guardrails, coverage rules, and robust multi-location controls.

  • Full-service with volatile peaks
  • Multi-unit groups
  • Teams already using 7shifts time clock or POS integrations

Homebase

Smaller restaurants, cafés, and food trucks wanting straightforward scheduling + time tracking with a gentle learning curve.

  • Single-location teams
  • First scheduling app (moving off spreadsheets)
  • Light HR needs bundled together

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Category 7shifts Homebase
Scheduling Restaurant-focused templates, coverage rules, conflicts surfaced during build. Clean builder, templates, availability; easy for new managers.
Labor Forecasting POS-linked forecasts; labor % color-coding as you add shifts. Useful sales estimates; lighter for complex multi-unit needs.
Time & Attendance App/kiosk clock-ins, photo/geo, break attestations, OT flags. App/kiosk clock-ins, approvals, export to payroll.
Team Comms Announcements, shift chat, acknowledgments, read receipts. Messaging and broadcasts integrated with the schedule.
Compliance Fair-work, minors, break enforcement, audit trails. Core policies and records for SMBs.
Analytics Coverage heatmaps, labor vs sales, OT risk, rollups. Scheduling/time summaries and attendance basics.
Integrations Broad POS & payroll ecosystem; strong restaurant focus. Popular SMB POS/payroll integrations.
Learning Curve Powerful, more configuration at start. Very approachable for first-time users.
Pricing Approach Tiered + add-ons; value grows with complexity. Tiered, friendly to small teams; bundled basics.

Scheduling & Shift Ops

7shifts excels with station coverage rules (e.g., 1 expo, 2 grill, 1 fryer), skill tags,
and conflict surfacing. Templates/copy-week speed builds. Homebase keeps the builder super approachable
for single-location teams—great first step off spreadsheets.

Time Tracking, Breaks & Payroll Flow

Both support app/kiosk clock-ins and payroll exports. 7shifts goes deeper on break attestations,
minors’ hours, and OT risk/audit trails. Homebase covers essentials cleanly for SMB needs.

Forecasting & Labor Control

7shifts is built around POS-driven sales forecasts and labor % targets—the schedule turns red/green as you add shifts.
Homebase offers handy estimates but is generally lighter for complex multi-unit forecasting.

Team Communication & Engagement

Both offer messaging, announcements, and shift notes. 7shifts adds acknowledgments/read receipts to ensure critical
updates are seen, helpful for bigger teams. Homebase keeps comms simple and integrated with the rota view.

Compliance & Audits

Restaurants juggle fair-work, minors’ rules, overtime, and breaks. 7shifts typically provides more configurable rule-sets and reports.
Homebase surfaces the basics managers need to stay out of trouble.

Plans & Cost Considerations

Pricing changes often. Both sell tiered plans and optional add-ons. Final cost depends on features, locations, and headcount—verify on the vendor sites.

  • 7shifts: value increases with POS forecasting, labor % guardrails, and multi-unit oversight.
  • Homebase: approachable bundles for small teams (scheduling + time clock + basic HR).

Migration Guide (Either Direction)

  1. Export staff CSV (name, contact, role, rate, location).
  2. Recreate roles/stations and skill tags.
  3. Import staff; invite to the app; collect availability.
  4. Build three templates: weekday, weekend, holiday.
  5. Connect POS & payroll; verify forecast and export totals.
  6. Run week-1 in parallel; compare labor % and attendance, then switch fully.

FAQ

Do both integrate with my POS/payroll? Both have wide integrations; check your exact stack and region.

Which is better for tips & payroll detail? Both export time and tips; 7shifts usually offers finer policy controls.

Can I switch later? Yes. Keep clean staff CSVs and rebuild three templates to make moving painless.

Try Them Yourself

Try 7shifts →
Try Homebase →

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you purchase via our links—at no extra cost to you.

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