The 8 Best Employee Scheduling Apps in 2025

Employee scheduling often feels like solving a Rubik’s cube blindfolded.

Every move you make to cover one shift scrambles the rest of the week. Just when you think you’ve cracked the pattern, someone calls in sick or needs to swap.

The difference is that a Rubik’s cube can sit half-solved on your desk without costing you anything. A bad schedule, on the other hand, racks up real money in overtime, turnover, and lost productivity.

The answer to the puzzle is an employee scheduling app. 

The best employee scheduling tools take the chaos out of staffing by giving managers drag-and-drop shift builders, automated notifications, and guardrails that prevent accidental overtime.

They also sync with payroll, track time accurately, and let employees manage their own availability, swaps, and PTO so you can ditch the incessant text chains and convoluted spreadsheets.

Every company is unique, so we want to help you find the employee scheduling software that fits your workflow, cuts labor waste, reduces no-shows, and makes your managers’ lives saner.

Overview of the best employee shift scheduling apps

Here’s a brief overview of our favorite employee scheduling apps. To learn more about a specific tool, click its link to jump down to our full review.

• Buddy Punch: Buddy Punch combines drag-and-drop scheduling with built-in time tracking, PTO management, and payroll integrations. It’s ideal for businesses that want scheduling and paychecks flowing through the same simple, affordable platform.
• 7Shifts: Designed for restaurants, 7Shifts offers role-based scheduling, labor cost forecasting, and POS integrations. It helps managers balance shifts across servers, hosts, and kitchen staff while keeping labor budgets in check.
• Square Shifts: Square Shifts connects scheduling directly to Square’s POS and payroll ecosystem. It’s a natural fit for retail and food-service businesses already running on Square.
• Deputy: Deputy excels at large-scale scheduling with department, role, and location filters. It’s built to manage complex retail operations where multiple teams and stores need clear, compliant coverage.
• Sling: Sling combines scheduling with built-in messaging and announcements. That means managers can create schedules and instantly push updates, reminders, or group chats without juggling separate apps.
• When I Work: When I Work simplifies shift creation, shift swapping, and availability tracking for hotels, resorts, and event venues. Its hospitality-specific features help managers handle last-minute changes without disrupting service.
• ZoomShift: ZoomShift offers a generous free plan with scheduling, time tracking, and shift swap functionality. It’s a strong option for small businesses of fewer than 20 employees that want structure without the subscription fees.
• Connecteam: Built with mobile in mind, Connecteam lets employees check schedules, clock in, and request changes right from their phones. It’s great for distributed or deskless teams who need everything on the go.

What is an employee scheduling app?

An employee scheduling app is software designed to help managers build and share work schedules. Instead of manually piecing shifts together from the detritus of various spreadsheets, sticky notes, and text chains, these tools let you assign, adjust, and publish schedules in minutes.

Scheduling apps ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time. Employees get a clear view of their shifts right from their phones, while managers can prevent conflicts, track availability, and cover last-minute changes with less stress or late nights.

The benefits of using an employee scheduling app

Switching to an employee scheduling app will transform the way your team operates.

• Less time building, more time leading: Drag-and-drop scheduling apps and employee schedule templates cut hours off the scheduling process. Instead of wrestling with a calendar every week, managers can focus on coaching staff, improving service, and handling the bigger priorities that actually move the business forward
• Fewer no-shows and miscommunications: Automatic notifications and real-time updates mean employees always know when and where they’re working. No more last-minute texts wondering, “Am I on today?”
• Smoother shift swaps and coverage: Life happens. Someone gets sick, someone else needs to leave early. Scheduling apps let employees request shift trades or covers within the system, while still giving managers final approval.
• Better control of labor costs: Accidental overtime and overstaffing can quietly drain your budget. Good scheduling apps flag when shifts push someone into overtime, or when too many people are scheduled for the same time slot.
• Improved employee satisfaction: When staff can set availability, request time off, and see their schedules from their phones, employees feel more in control of their work-life balance. That feeling leads to higher morale and lower turnover.

Features to look for in an employee scheduling app

You want to choose an employee scheduling app with features that help your managers stay organized, keep costs in check, and give employees the tools to manage their own schedules.

• Drag-and-drop shift builder: Quickly create, copy, and move shifts without fighting your calendar.
• Employee availability tools: Let staff set when they can and can’t work, preventing scheduling conflicts before they happen.
• Shift swap and cover requests: Give employees the ability to trade or cover shifts with built-in manager approvals.
• Automatic notifications: Send instant alerts when a new schedule is published or shifts change, so no one’s left guessing.
• Mobile access: Ensure staff can check schedules, request time off, and respond to changes right from their phone.
• Overtime and labor cost alerts: Flag shifts that push employees into overtime or create overstaffing, helping you control labor spend.
• Multi-location and role scheduling: Assign shifts by department, location, or job role to keep larger or more complex operations organized.
• PTO and leave management: Track time-off requests and balances directly within the app, syncing them with future schedules.
• Payroll and time tracking integration: Connect schedules with payroll so approved hours flow automatically, reducing manual work and errors.
• Compliance safeguards: Enforce labor laws, mandated breaks, and maximum hour rules automatically to avoid fines and disputes.

The 8 best employee scheduling apps

There’s no shortage of employee scheduling apps out there, but the best ones balance ease of use with features that reduce labor waste, prevent compliance headaches, and give employees more control over their schedules.

Tool	Best For	What Makes It Unique	Starting Price
Buddy Punch	Employee scheduling and payroll	Drag-and-drop scheduling with built-in time tracking, PTO management, and payroll integrations in one simple platform.	$4.49/user/month + $19 base fee
7Shifts	Restaurants	Restaurant-focused features like role-based scheduling, labor cost forecasting, and POS integrations.	Free plan available; paid plans start at $29.99/month
Square Shifts	Businesses using Square	Directly syncs schedules with Square POS and payroll, ideal for retail and food service already on Square.	Free (with Square Payroll); paid from $4/user/month
Deputy	Multi-department retail stores	Advanced scheduling filters for roles, departments, and locations; built for managing large, complex retail teams.	$4.50/user/month
Sling	Communication-heavy teams	Combines scheduling with built-in messaging, announcements, and reminders so managers can keep teams aligned.	Free plan available; paid from $1.70/user/month
When I Work	Hospitality	Hospitality-specific scheduling with shift swaps, availability tracking, and fast schedule adjustments for hotels and events.	Free for up to 75 users; paid from $2.50/user/month
ZoomShift	Free scheduling	A generous free plan with scheduling, time tracking, and shift swaps; great for small businesses on a budget.	Free plan; paid from $2/user/month
Connecteam	Mobile-first teams	A mobile-first platform that lets employees check schedules, clock in, and request changes directly from their phones.	Free for up to 10 users; paid from $29/month for 30 users

1. Buddy Punch – Best employee scheduling and payroll app

Buddy Punch stands out on this list because it manages to be both easy to learn and powerful enough to handle complex scheduling in everything from the construction industry to healthcare.

For managers, the app strips away the busywork of building schedules. For employees, it offers flexibility and transparency that makes swapping shifts and planning time off simple.

The platform’s scheduling interface is built for speed. Managers can click and drag shifts into place, set repeating patterns, and instantly see coverage by day, department, or location. What might have taken hours to do manually can now be done in minutes.

Buddy Punch lets your staff set availability, request covers, and receive real-time notifications whenever changes are published. That leads to fewer frantic texts and last-minute phone calls to managers.

Buddy Punch is designed to make it easy to schedule based on role, department, or location, so teams spread across different sites can still be managed from one central platform. Color-coded schedules and intuitive filters make it easy to see who’s working where at a glance.

This all adds up to a system of accountability, efficiency, and flexibility that keeps operations running smoothly.

Build schedules in minutes with drag-and-drop

With Buddy Punch’s drag-and-drop scheduler, managers can add new shifts with a click, adjust start and end times by dragging the edges of a block, and copy shifts across days or weeks.

The visual calendar view makes it easy to see exactly who is working when so you never lose track of coverage.

This simple interface cuts the time it takes to build schedules down to a fraction of the old spreadsheet method. Instead of hours of manual data entry, managers can create complete weekly or monthly schedules in minutes — leaving more time for managing people, not paperwork.

Save time with repeating shifts

Most workplaces rely on at least some predictable scheduling. Buddy Punch removes the need to re-create the same shifts over and over with its repeating shifts feature. 

You can set schedules to recur daily, weekly, monthly, or on a completely custom cadence. Whether you have a barista who always works the morning shift or a technician who takes the first Tuesday of each month, Buddy Punch lets you lock those patterns in place.

Put shift swaps in employees’ hands

Last-minute changes are inevitable. Instead of leaving managers scrambling to fill gaps, Buddy Punch empowers employees to handle shift trades themselves. 

Team members can request a cover or trade directly in the app, and if a colleague accepts, the request can be routed to a manager for quick approval.

Once approved, the system updates the schedule automatically. The process is fairer for employees and less stressful for managers, creating a smoother scheduling flow that adapts to real-world changes.

Manage multiple locations and roles with ease

For businesses with multiple worksites or staff who wear different hats, scheduling can get complicated fast. 

Buddy Punch solves this by letting managers assign shifts not just by employee but also by location, department, or role. You can color-code locations for easy visibility, filter schedules by site, and make sure staff always know not just when they’re working, but where and in what capacity.

This flexibility is especially valuable for multi-location businesses, retail stores with multiple departments, or restaurants balancing servers, bartenders, and hosts. Instead of juggling multiple tools or separate calendars, managers can keep everything centralized in Buddy Punch.

Eliminate conflicts with PTO-aware scheduling

Nothing derails a schedule faster than assigning someone to a shift they can’t work. Buddy Punch prevents those conflicts by tying PTO requests directly into the scheduler. Employees can submit vacation or sick day requests through the platform, and once approved, those days are automatically blocked off in the calendar.

Managers don’t have to cross-reference paper forms or email threads to avoid conflicts. The system does it for them. 

Pricing

Buddy Punch keeps its pricing straightforward and affordable, especially compared to all-in-one workforce management platforms that tack on hidden costs. 

Buddy Punch plans that include scheduling start at $5.99 per user per month plus a $19/month base fee that covers the cost of all admin users

Businesses can also bundle in Buddy Punch’s time tracking and payroll features if they want to handle scheduling, attendance, and payroll from one system. A free trial is available so teams can test the platform before committing.

2. 7Shifts – Best restaurant employee scheduling app

7shifts is purpose-built for restaurants. It’s designed to handle unpredictable traffic, compliance with labor laws, and a high percentage of part-time staff.

Managers can build schedules in minutes using drag-and-drop tools and customizable templates. The system automatically factors in employee availability, approved time-off, labor budgets, and compliance rules as you schedule. 

Real-time alerts flag costly issues like overtime or missed breaks before they’re published, which helps restaurants stay compliant with local labor laws and avoid expensive violations.

Team members can submit time-off requests, mark their availability, or use the Shift Pool to swap or claim open shifts. Every change flows back to the schedule automatically, with managers maintaining final approval. This keeps schedules accurate without the endless back-and-forth of texts and calls.

7shifts also ties scheduling to the bottom line. It integrates with your POS and pulls in historical sales data to help managers forecast demand and staff accordingly. That means fewer slow shifts where you’re overstaffed and less risk of being short-handed during peak hours. Over time, those adjustments add up to thousands saved in labor costs and happier customers. 

Unfortunately, many of these advanced scheduling features are hidden behind higher tier plans.

Communication is built right into the app, too. Secure team chat, announcements, and even digital “shout-outs” help keep staff engaged without sharing phone numbers or juggling group texts.

For multi-location operators, 7shifts centralizes labor data and reporting across restaurants, making it easier to see which locations are hitting labor goals and where improvements can be made.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop scheduling with templates for roles, seasons, and locations
• Automatic labor compliance checks (breaks, overtime, minors, fair workweek laws)
• Availability and time-off management built into the scheduler
• Shift Pool for employee shift swaps and covers
• Sales forecasting tied to POS data for smarter staffing
• Team chat, announcements, and recognition features
• Multi-location reporting and oversight

Pricing

7shifts has four tiers:

• Comp (Free) — Basic scheduling, announcements, availability, and time-off requests for up to 15 employees at one location.
  Essentials ($44.99/month per location, up to 30 employees) — Adds advanced scheduling, team messaging, and basic time clocking.
• Pro ($89.99/month per location, unlimited employees) — Includes PTO tracking, wage-setting, labor compliance, and advanced time clocking.
• Premium ($149.99/month per location + $6/employee) — Full suite with payroll, tip management, task management, and advanced labor forecasting.

3. Square Shifts – Best employee scheduling app that syncs with Square

Square Shifts is a natural choice for businesses already using Square POS or Payroll. It brings scheduling, time tracking, and labor management into the same ecosystem you’re already running sales and payments on. That integration makes it especially appealing for small businesses that don’t want to juggle multiple systems for payroll, scheduling, and tip management.

The scheduling tool itself is simple but effective. Managers can create and publish schedules in minutes, assign shifts by role or employee, and send instant notifications through the Square Team App. Employees see their upcoming shifts, request time off, and even swap or cover shifts (on the paid tier) without back-and-forth text chains. For businesses where schedules change frequently, this keeps everyone aligned and accountable.

Square Shifts also shines when it comes to cost control. With built-in labor cost and labor-versus-sales reports, managers can see how staffing levels compare to revenue. Break and overtime tracking help prevent budget creep, while clock-in protections stop employees from punching in early or outside approved locations. Together, those guardrails keep labor costs predictable and prevent costly compliance mistakes.

The Square Team App empowers employees with more than just schedule visibility. Team members can clock in and out from their phones (with geofencing enabled if needed), track tips, view estimated pay, and manage their own time-off requests. That transparency builds trust while cutting down on manager busywork.

And because Square Shifts connects directly with Square Payroll, timecards flow seamlessly into pay runs, tip pooling is automated, and even cash tips can be tracked digitally. For restaurants, salons, and other service businesses where tips are part of compensation, this is a major advantage.

Key features

• Native integration with Square POS and Payroll
• Simple shift creation and publishing with instant notifications
• Employee self-service for time off, swaps, and covers
• Labor cost and labor-versus-sales reporting
• Overtime and break tracking with compliance safeguards
• Geofenced punch-ins to prevent off-site clocking
• Tip pooling and cash tip tracking
• Employee-facing Square Team App for schedules, pay, and timecards

Pricing

• Free — Basic scheduling and time tracking for up to 5 team members
• Plus (Starts at $4 per user/month for up to 10 team members, with per-user cost decreasing as team size increases) — Includes shift swaps and covers, time-off management, advanced reporting, overtime and break tracking, geofenced punches

4. Deputy – Best employee scheduling app for multi-department retail stores

Deputy is designed for businesses with lots of moving parts. 

Where simpler apps stumble once headcount grows, Deputy stays organized even across dozens or hundreds of employees working shifts in multiple roles, departments, and locations.

Managers can drag and drop shifts, assign roles, and view employee availability in real time. The system automatically flags conflicts, like scheduling someone during unavailable hours or violating labor laws around breaks, overtime, or minors. Those built-in safeguards save managers from mistakes that can quickly turn into compliance headaches or expensive penalties.

Employees also get a better experience. With the mobile app, staff can submit availability, request time off, and handle shift swaps themselves. Managers still have final say, but because workers can take the first steps, last-minute coverage changes don’t always mean hours of back-and-forth calls or texts.

Forecasting is another key strength. Deputy uses historical sales, foot traffic, and seasonal patterns to suggest optimal staffing levels by department or store. That means fewer instances of overstaffing that waste budget, and fewer understaffed shifts that leave customers frustrated.

And because scheduling is only half the battle, Deputy folds in attendance tracking and compliance. Employees clock in via mobile, browser, or tablet kiosks, with geofencing to ensure punches happen on site. Automated break rules and overtime alerts keep labor costs visible and manageable in real time.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop scheduling across departments, roles, and locations
• Real-time conflict detection for availability and labor law compliance
• Employee self-service for availability, time off, and shift swaps
• Demand forecasting powered by historical sales and foot traffic data
• Mobile clock-ins with geofencing and kiosk options
• Automated break rules and overtime alerts
• Attendance tracking and labor cost reporting
• Integrations with payroll and POS systems

Pricing

• Lite ($5.50/user/month) — Includes basic scheduling features, timesheets and time clock, basic reporting
• Core ($7.25/user/month) — Adds advanced scheduling features, biometrics, demand forecasting
• Pro ($10/user/month) — Provides some advanced features and additional customer support

5. Sling – Best employee scheduling app with communication features

Sling is part scheduling tool, part communication hub.

Sling adds messaging, announcements, and task management so your team stays aligned before, during, and after each shift. Managers and employees can coordinate last-minute coverage, post updates, or check shift tasks without leaving the app.

On the scheduling side, Sling gives you robust tools for controlling labor costs. 

As you assign shifts, you can see labor cost projections in real time and set budget alerts to avoid overspending. It also flags potential overtime before schedules are published, helping managers make cost-conscious decisions upfront. 

For multi-location businesses, Sling makes it easy to filter by site, compare labor costs across locations, and even apply geofencing so employees can only clock in where they’re supposed to.

Where Sling really shines, though, is team communication. Instead of relying on texts or outside messaging apps, employees can chat directly in Sling, either one-on-one, in groups, or through a company-wide newsfeed. Managers can send announcements that employees can’t miss, and teammates can recognize each other’s contributions with shout-outs. 

The built-in task management system also helps clarify responsibilities, reduce confusion, and ensure key shift duties get completed.

These communication features give Sling a unique edge for businesses that need to keep dispersed or shift-based teams in sync. 

Key features

• Drag-and-drop scheduling with labor cost controls
• Overtime and budget alerts
• Multi-location management with geofencing
• Integrated time tracking and payroll sync
• Built-in chat, announcements, and newsfeed
• Task assignment with checklists
• Personnel file storage and document expiration alerts

Pricing

Free — Basic scheduling and communication for up to 30 users.

Premium ($2/user/month) — Adds mobile time tracking, labor cost management, and overtime tracking.

Business ($4/user/month) — Includes kiosk time tracking, PTO management, no-show tracking, and advanced reporting.

6. When I Work – Best employee scheduling app for hospitality

Hospitality businesses live and die by coverage. A single no-show can throw off a restaurant’s service, delay an event setup, or leave a hotel front desk scrambling. 

When I Work is built for this environment, giving managers the tools to keep schedules full, compliant, and adaptable when the unexpected happens.

The platform’s scheduling view makes it simple to see who’s available, who’s already booked, and where coverage gaps exist. Instead of relying on guesswork, managers get a real-time view of conflicts like double-bookings or unavailable staff before schedules are ever published. Employees can also submit time-off requests directly in the app, making approvals and adjustments painless.

Hospitality demand often fluctuates, and When I Work helps managers keep labor costs in check with forecasting features. By using historical trends, the system suggests staffing levels for busy periods like weddings, banquets, or holidays, while helping prevent costly overstaffing during slower shifts.

Communication is also built in at the schedule level. Managers can share shift notes, send automatic reminders, and push schedule updates through the app, so staff have the right details before they arrive. That keeps everyone aligned without managers having to chase people down.

For businesses already running on POS and payroll platforms, When I Work offers integrations that sync scheduled shifts, tracked hours, and wages. That keeps records accurate, reduces manual entry, and makes payroll smoother.

Key features

• Conflict-free scheduling with availability and compliance checks
• Time-off requests, shift swaps, and employee self-service
• Forecasting to align staffing with fluctuating demand
• In-app messaging, shift notes, and automated reminders
• Integrations with payroll and POS systems

Pricing

• Single Location or Schedule ($2.50/user/month) — Includes labor forecasting, budgeting, task management, geofencing
• Multiple Locations & Schedules ($5 /user/month) — Offers unlimited schedules and job sites along with expanded reporting

7. ZoomShift – Best free employee scheduling app

ZoomShift is a smart pick for very small businesses that need straightforward scheduling without paying for features they may never use. Its free plan covers up to 20 users at a single location, which makes it especially attractive for mom-and-pop shops, small cafés, or local service businesses just starting to move away from spreadsheets.

On the free tier, you get the essentials: schedule creation for one location, basic team communication, automatic shift reminders, and the ability to assign unlimited positions. Managers can add notes, employees can confirm their shifts, and everyone can see schedules up to two weeks in advance. 

For a small team, those basics can be enough to bring order to weekly staffing.

The limitations show up as your needs grow. 

Advanced functions like scheduling templates, availability and time-off tracking, shift swaps, PTO accruals, and timesheets all require a paid subscription. That means if you need payroll reporting, break tracking, or calendar sync, you’ll have to move beyond the free plan. Still, ZoomShift makes it easy to scale up as your business expands.

What ZoomShift does well, even at the free level, is accountability. 

Employees get reminders before their shifts, managers can attach private notes, and confirmations ensure no one can say “I didn’t see the schedule.” For teams that struggle with late arrivals or missed shifts, these features help create consistency without adding extra administrative work.

For businesses under 20 employees, ZoomShift’s free plan is one of the best ways to test-drive employee scheduling software without committing to a monthly fee. But if your team grows or you want deeper control over time tracking and payroll, expect to budget for an upgrade.

Key features

• Free scheduling for up to 20 employees at one location
• Team communication with shift notes, private manager notes, and confirmations
• Automatic reminders before shifts to reduce no-shows
• Unlimited positions and role assignments
• Paid tiers add scheduling templates, shift swaps, PTO tracking, timesheets, payroll reports, and geofenced clock-ins

Pricing

• Essentials (free for up to 20 users) — one location, and core scheduling and communication tools
• Starter ($2/user/month) — adds unlimited users, shift swaps, PTO tracking, time clock, timesheets, and payroll reporting
• Premium ($4/user/month) — includes auto-scheduling, overtime warnings, geofenced time clocks, advanced reporting, and role permissions

8. Connecteam – Best mobile employee scheduling app

Connecteam is built for a mobile-first workforce. 

For managers, building a schedule takes just a few minutes. You can create shifts from scratch, reuse templates, or even lean on auto-scheduling to fill recurring patterns. Once a schedule is published, employees get an instant notification, so there’s no question about who’s working where. No calls, no texts, no excuses.

The app also gives employees a voice in the process. They can set availability, request time off, and handle shift swaps directly from their phone. Managers stay in control with final approval, but the workflow is smooth and self-service by design. That means last-minute coverage issues can often be solved without managers scrambling.

Accountability features are baked in as well. Employees clock in with a GPS-enabled time clock, and optional geofencing ensures they can only punch in from the right location. This is especially valuable for industries with dispersed teams, like construction or delivery services, where location accuracy matters.

But scheduling is only part of the picture. Connecteam also doubles as a communication and task management hub. Managers can post announcements, chat with staff, and attach notes to specific shifts, while employees can access checklists and confirm completed tasks. By tying scheduling to communication and task execution, Connecteam reduces the need for juggling multiple apps.

Key features

• Mobile-first scheduling with templates and auto-scheduling
• Employee self-service for availability, PTO, and shift swaps
• GPS-enabled time clock with geofencing
• In-app communication via chat, announcements, and shift notes
• Task and checklist management connected to shifts
• Payroll and reporting integrations

Pricing

• Small Business Plan (Free for up to 10 users) — includes basic scheduling and communication
• Basic ($29/month for the first 30 users, then $0.50 per additional user) — includes scheduling, time tracking, and chat
• Advanced ($49/month for the first 30 users, then $1.50 per additional user) — adds geofencing, advanced reporting, and PTO management
• Expert ($99/month for the first 30 users, then $3 per additional user) — includes advanced automation, custom roles, and API access

Choosing the best employee scheduling app for your business

The best employee scheduling app for your company depends less on flashy features and more on your day-to-day reality. 

Start by mapping out your pain points: Do you struggle most with last-minute shift coverage, rising overtime costs, or managing multiple locations? The right tool should solve your biggest scheduling challenges first.

Next, consider your team size and industry. A small café may get by with a free or low-cost solution like ZoomShift, while a multi-department retailer may need a more robust platform like Buddy Punch or Deputy. Hospitality teams benefit from apps with compliance guardrails, while restaurants lean on tools like 7shifts that tie schedules to sales forecasts.

Don’t overlook how well the software integrates with what you already use. If payroll and time tracking are handled in one system, syncing schedules directly saves hours of manual work and reduces costly errors.

Finally, keep usability in mind. Even the most feature-rich app falls flat if employees don’t adopt it. Look for mobile-friendly scheduling apps that make it simple for staff to view shifts, swap when needed, and request time off. The easier it is for your team to use, the less time managers spend untangling scheduling problems.

In the end, the right app should free managers from spreadsheet headaches, give employees clarity and flexibility, and help your business control labor costs. Choose the one that checks those boxes for your team and you’ll finally feel like the scheduling puzzle has been solved.