MakeShift Reviews, Pricing, Features & Alternatives in 2026
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.
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.
Screenshots & Interface
Dashboard View
Main dashboard with project overview
Kanban Board
Kanban-style task management
Timeline View
Gantt chart timeline view
Automations
Workflow automation builder
Key Features
Stop wasting hours on spreadsheets and paper schedules. MakeShift provides you with a suite of intuitive tools to handle everything from daily shifts to long-term workforce planning. Here is how you can transform your operations:
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.
Integrations
ADP
QuickBooks
Sage
BambooHR
Ceridian Dayforce
TSheets
Xero
Microsoft Teams
Pricing Plans
MakeShift offers straightforward per-user pricing that scales as your team grows. You can start with a 14-day free trial to explore all the features without any upfront commitment. While they don't offer a forever-free plan, the paid tiers are designed to be affordable for businesses of all sizes.
After reviewing feedback from users in healthcare and retail, here is what you can expect when implementing MakeShift in your business:
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
Who Should Use MakeShift?
Perfect for managers in healthcare, hospitality, and retail who need to coordinate shifts for 20-500 employees across multiple locations.
Best for Company Sizes
small-business
mid-market
enterprise
Popular Industries
healthcare
hospitality
retail
Our Verdict
MakeShift is a top-tier choice if you are struggling with messy spreadsheets and constant phone calls about shift changes. The 14-day trial gives you plenty of time to see how much faster you can build schedules when you have employee availability right in front of you.
While it may lack some of the deep enterprise analytics found in more expensive platforms, its ease of use ensures high adoption among your staff. Highly recommended for businesses that prioritize employee work-life balance and need a reliable, mobile-first scheduling solution.
Ready to Try MakeShift?
Start your 14-day free trial today—no credit card required. See why over 0 teams trust MakeShift