Free Restaurant Scheduling Apps for Small Teams (2026)

How we checked

We read each vendor's public pricing page on 17 Oct 2026 and list only what the page says. Free plans change often, so open the pricing page before you sign up. The real difference between free plans is the team-size cap and what's left out, usually the time clock, team chat and payroll.

Quick answer by team size

Up to 10 staff at one location, and you want a free time clock: Homebase Basic.

Up to 15 staff at one restaurant, and scheduling is all you need: 7shifts Comp.

Up to 30 staff, and you want scheduling plus team chat: Sling Free.

More than one location, or a bigger team: you'll pay. Compare per-location pricing (Homebase, 7shifts) against per-user pricing (Sling, When I Work) for your headcount.

Homebase Basic: free scheduling and time clock, up to 10 employees

Homebase's Basic plan is $0 per location per month for 1 location, up to 10 employees (checked Oct 2026). It includes basic scheduling, basic time tracking and a POS integration, and payroll is available as an add-on. Team communication starts on Essentials at $30/location/month with unlimited employees. If you take the 14-day All-in-One trial and don't choose a plan, you drop to Basic (as long as you have one location and 10 or fewer employees). Homebase listing.

7shifts Comp: free, restaurant-specific, up to 15 employees

7shifts' Comp plan is free for a single location, up to 15 employees (checked Oct 2026). It covers basic scheduling, one-way announcements, and availability and time-off requests. Time clocking, team messaging and labor cost controls start on Essentials. Paid plans are priced per location per month, with Essentials up to 30 employees, Pro up to 60 and Premium unlimited. The page showed us prices in CAD, so see vendor pricing for USD. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and after it you can stay on Comp. 7shifts listing.

Sling Free: scheduling for up to 30 users

Sling's core shift scheduling is free for up to 30 users (checked Oct 2026). That covers shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts, long-term scheduling, news sharing and private messaging. Mobile time tracking, labor cost management and group messaging need Premium at $2.00/user/month ($1.70 billed annually). Kiosk time tracking, reports and PTO management are on Business at $4.00/user/month ($3.40 annually). There's a 15-day free trial. Sling is owned by Toast. Sling listing.

When I Work: no free plan, but a 14-day trial

When I Work has no free tier. It offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and its pricing page lists Essentials at $2.50/user/month for single-location teams, Pro at $5 and Premium at $8 per user per month (checked Oct 2026). Worth pricing out if you're small and want auto scheduling and forecast tools from day one. When I Work listing.

What free plans usually leave out

Check these before you commit your team to an app: a time clock (on the free tier only with Homebase Basic), group chat, labor cost compared with sales, tip pooling, PTO tracking and payroll. If you'll outgrow the free cap within a season, compare what the paid tier costs at your expected headcount, not today's. Per-location pricing stays flat as you hire, while per-user pricing grows with every hire.

Related

Side-by-side comparisons: 7shifts vs Sling, Homebase vs Sling, Homebase vs When I Work and 7shifts vs Homebase. Also see best restaurant scheduling software (2026), how to build a restaurant staff schedule, the free labor cost calculator and all Scheduling & Staffing tools.