MakeShift vs NurseGrid Comparison: Reviews, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2026

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right solution for your team

Updated May 2026 8 min read

MakeShift

0.0 (0 reviews)

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.

Starting at $2.75/mo
Free Trial 14 days
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NurseGrid

0.0 (0 reviews)

NurseGrid is a specialized scheduling and communication platform designed for nurses and healthcare managers to coordinate shifts, manage credentials, and streamline department-wide staffing workflows in real-time.

Starting at Free
Free Trial NO FREE TRIAL

Quick Comparison

Feature MakeShift NurseGrid
Website makeshift.ca nursegrid.com
Pricing Model Subscription Freemium
Starting Price $2.75/month Free
FREE Trial ✓ 14 days free trial ✘ No free trial
Free Plan ✘ No free plan ✓ Has free plan
Product Demo ✓ Request demo here ✓ Request demo here
Deployment saas mobile cloud mobile
Integrations ADP QuickBooks Sage BambooHR Ceridian Dayforce TSheets Xero Microsoft Teams Google Calendar Outlook Apple Calendar
Target Users small-business mid-market enterprise small-business mid-market enterprise
Target Industries healthcare hospitality retail healthcare
Customer Count 0 0
Founded Year 2013 2013
Headquarters Calgary, Canada Portland, USA

Overview

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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.

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NurseGrid

NurseGrid provides you with a digital ecosystem to manage the complexities of healthcare staffing. As a bedside nurse, you can use the mobile app to track your shifts, swap hours with colleagues, and store your professional credentials in one secure place. It eliminates the need for paper schedules and endless group texts by putting your entire work calendar in your pocket.

For nurse managers and hospital administrators, the platform offers a centralized portal to distribute schedules and fill open shifts instantly. You can see live department coverage, approve requests with a click, and send mass notifications to your team. Whether you are managing a single unit or an entire facility, the software helps reduce burnout by giving your staff more control over their professional lives.

Overview

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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.
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NurseGrid Features

  • Personal Shift Tracking. Add your shifts in seconds and view your entire work month at a glance from any mobile device.
  • Instant Shift Swapping. Send swap requests to qualified colleagues and get manager approval without making a single phone call.
  • Credential Management. Store digital copies of your licenses and certifications and receive automated alerts before they expire.
  • Department Messaging. Communicate with your entire team or specific colleagues through secure, HIPAA-compliant private messaging.
  • Live Roster Access. See exactly who you are working with on every shift to better coordinate patient care and tasks.
  • Open Shift Recruitment. View available department shifts and pick up extra hours instantly to boost your take-home pay.

Pricing Comparison

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MakeShift Pricing

Essentials
$2.75
  • Drag-and-drop scheduling
  • Employee mobile app
  • Availability management
  • Shift exchange & swaps
  • Time off requests
  • In-app messaging
N

NurseGrid Pricing

NurseGrid Mobile
$0
  • Personal shift calendar
  • Shift swapping tools
  • Credential storage
  • Colleague connections
  • Private messaging
  • Works on iOS and Android

Pros & Cons

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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
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NurseGrid

Pros

  • Completely free for individual bedside nurses
  • Intuitive interface designed specifically for healthcare
  • Simplifies the complex process of shift swapping
  • Helpful automated reminders for license renewals

Cons

  • Requires manager participation for full department sync
  • Occasional sync delays with external calendars
  • Limited desktop functionality for the free version
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