Homebase
Homebase is an all-in-one team management software designed to help small business owners manage scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and team communication from a single platform.
MakeShift
MakeShift is a cloud-based employee scheduling software that helps you create rotas faster, track time accurately, and communicate with your team through a simple mobile-first interface.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Homebase | MakeShift |
|---|---|---|
| Website | joinhomebase.com | makeshift.ca |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $2.75/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 14 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2014 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Calgary, Canada |
Overview
Homebase
Homebase is a comprehensive team management tool built specifically for local businesses with hourly employees. You can stop juggling paper schedules and messy spreadsheets by moving your entire operations into one digital hub. It allows you to build work schedules in minutes, track employee hours with a GPS-enabled time clock, and communicate with your team through a built-in messenger.
You can also automate your payroll process by syncing timesheets directly to your pay runs, reducing manual data entry and errors. The platform helps you stay compliant with labor laws by tracking breaks, overtime, and certifications automatically. Whether you run a single cafe or multiple retail locations, you can manage your entire workforce from your desktop or mobile device while keeping your labor costs under control.
MakeShift
MakeShift is a people-first scheduling platform designed to eliminate the headaches of manual shift management. You can build complex schedules in minutes using a drag-and-drop interface that accounts for employee availability, qualifications, and labor costs. By moving your rotas to the cloud, you ensure your team always has the most up-to-date information right on their phones.
The platform bridges the gap between management and staff by allowing you to approve time-off requests, manage shift swaps, and track attendance in real-time. It specifically targets industries with fluctuating shifts like healthcare, retail, and hospitality. You can reduce HERO (unnecessary overtime) and ensure your business stays compliant with labor laws while keeping your employees engaged and informed.
Overview
Homebase Features
- Employee Scheduling Build and publish team schedules in minutes using templates and drag-and-drop tools that sync instantly to everyone's phone.
- Time Tracking Turn any device into a smart time clock that tracks hours, breaks, and overtime while preventing early clock-ins.
- Full-Service Payroll Convert your timesheets into paychecks automatically with built-in tax filing and direct deposits for your entire team.
- Team Communication Message your whole team or individual shift workers without exchanging phone numbers using the secure in-app messenger.
- Hiring and Onboarding Post jobs to top boards, track applicants, and send digital onboarding packets to new hires before their first day.
- Compliance Tools Stay ahead of labor laws with automated alerts for missed breaks, overtime limits, and expiring employee certifications.
MakeShift Features
- Drag-and-Drop Scheduling. Create and adjust weekly schedules in seconds by dragging shifts across your screen to the right team members.
- Mobile App for Staff. Give your team the power to view schedules, request time off, and swap shifts directly from their smartphones.
- Photo Radar Time Clock. Prevent buddy punching by having your employees clock in via a tablet that captures a photo for verification.
- Availability Management. Let your employees set their own preferred working hours so you only schedule people who are actually available.
- Shift Exchange. Enable your staff to trade shifts with qualified colleagues, which you can then approve or deny with one click.
- Real-Time Notifications. Send instant alerts to your team's phones whenever a schedule is published or a shift change occurs.
- Labor Cost Tracking. Monitor your labor spend as you build schedules to ensure you stay within budget and avoid costly overtime.
- Automated Reminders. Reduce no-shows by automatically sending your employees reminders before their scheduled shifts begin.
Pricing Comparison
Homebase Pricing
- Up to 20 employees
- One business location
- Employee scheduling
- Time and attendance tracking
- In-app team messaging
- Hiring with job board posting
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Unlimited employees
- Advanced scheduling and auto-scheduling
- Remote clock-in and GPS tracking
- Real-time labor cost tracking
- Performance tracking and shift notes
MakeShift Pricing
- Drag-and-drop scheduling
- Employee mobile app
- Availability management
- Shift exchange & swaps
- Time off requests
- In-app messaging
- Everything in Essentials, plus:
- Photo Radar time clock
- GPS-enabled clock-in
- Payroll exports
- Advanced labor reporting
- Department-level permissions
Pros & Cons
Homebase
Pros
- Generous free version for single-location businesses
- Extremely easy for hourly staff to learn
- Mobile app makes schedule changes simple
- Location-based pricing is cost-effective for large teams
- Seamless integration between timesheets and payroll
Cons
- Payroll features require an additional monthly fee
- Limited customization for complex shift patterns
- GPS tracking can occasionally be imprecise
- Customer support response times vary by tier
MakeShift
Pros
- Extremely intuitive interface for both managers and employees
- Significantly reduces the time spent on weekly schedule creation
- Mobile app is highly reliable for remote shift management
- Excellent customer support team that responds quickly to issues
Cons
- Limited customization options for very complex labor rules
- Reporting tools could be more robust for enterprise needs
- Occasional sync delays between the web and mobile apps