Homebase is scheduling, time clock and hiring software for businesses with hourly staff, such as restaurants, shops and cafes. The free plan is genuinely useful for one small location, and the paid AI tools are worth it if you build schedules or hire often.
What Homebase is
Homebase is a team app for hourly workers. It covers scheduling, time tracking, team messaging, hiring, onboarding and payroll in one place Homebase pricing ↗. Restaurants, retail and hospitality businesses are its core users Homebase scheduling ↗.
Two AI features matter most. The AI Scheduling Assistant builds a schedule for you, and the AI Hiring Assistant screens job applicants and books interviews Homebase pricing ↗ Homebase hiring ↗. The first comes with the Plus plan, and the second is a paid add on Homebase pricing ↗.
Hands on testing is in progress, and we will update this review with our results.
What it does well
Scheduling is the starting point. Homebase's AI auto scheduling builds a schedule in seconds, which you review and send to the team in one click Homebase scheduling ↗. It can also turn a photo or upload of your paper schedule into a digital one Homebase scheduling ↗. It connects to Square, Clover, Toast and Shopify, so you can staff more heavily when sales are highest, and it warns you about overtime before you publish Homebase scheduling ↗.
Hiring is built in. You can post a job to Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Google, Facebook and Craigslist in one click, or share it with a link or QR code Homebase hiring ↗. Homebase can write the job description from a short summary and suggest pay based on local rates Homebase hiring ↗. Must have requirements and screening questions filter applicants as they apply, and all of them sit in one dashboard Homebase hiring ↗.
The AI Hiring Assistant acts as a first round screener. It asks questions you pick from its suggestions, highlights top matches and lets them book interviews on your calendar Homebase hiring ↗. It sends email or text alerts as people apply Homebase hiring ↗.
The best part is the hand off. When you mark someone hired, they move into your team roster for onboarding documents and payroll Homebase hiring ↗.
Where it falls short
The AI costs extra. AI scheduling needs the $70 Plus plan, and the Hiring Assistant starts at $99 a month on top of any plan Homebase pricing ↗. Job post boosts start at $50 a post Homebase pricing ↗.
It is built for hourly roles. For salaried or specialist hiring, a full applicant tracking system gives you more control.
It is not restaurant specific. Restaurant groups that want features built only for kitchens and front of house may prefer a dedicated tool.
Payroll adds a separate fee after the free period, and pricing is per location, so costs grow with each site you open Homebase pricing ↗.
Pricing and plans
Basic is free for one location with up to 10 employees. It includes basic scheduling, basic time tracking and a POS integration, and needs no credit card Homebase pricing ↗.
Essentials costs $30 per location a month with unlimited employees, and adds advanced scheduling, time tracking and team communication Homebase pricing ↗.
Plus costs $70 per location a month and adds the AI Scheduling Assistant, time off controls, departments and permissions Homebase pricing ↗. When we checked, Homebase showed Plus at $0 as part of an offer that bundles 6 months of free payroll Homebase pricing ↗.
All in One costs $120 per location a month and adds onboarding, labor cost management and HR and compliance tools Homebase pricing ↗. The page shows a 20% saving for annual billing but did not list the annual prices Homebase pricing ↗.
Add ons: payroll is free for 6 months, then $49 a month plus $6 per paid employee. The Hiring Assistant starts at $99 a month with the first month free. Tip Manager is $25 per location a month, Task Manager is $13, and background checks are $30 each Homebase pricing ↗.
There is a 14 day free trial of All in One with no card, and the account drops to Basic if you do not choose a plan Homebase pricing ↗. The hiring page also mentions a 30 day free trial of hiring features Homebase hiring ↗.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: restaurants, cafes and shops that build the staff schedule by hand every week.
- Good fit: businesses that hire hourly staff often and want hiring, scheduling and payroll in one app.
- Good fit: a single small location that can run on the free Basic plan.
- Skip it if: you mostly hire salaried or specialist roles.
- Skip it if: you only need hiring and already use another scheduling app.
Alternatives worth a look
- 7shifts: scheduling software made for restaurants, worth a look for multi location groups, though its pricing page did not show prices when checked 7shifts pricing ↗.
- Breezy HR: a free plan for one active position, with AI as a pay as you go add on Breezy pricing ↗.
- Manatal: an applicant tracker with AI scoring included on every plan, from $15 per user a month billed yearly Manatal pricing ↗.
- Workable: a full recruiting platform with an AI agent that sources and screens candidates, from $299 a month Workable pricing ↗.
- Indeed: some jobs can still be posted free, with screening questions and candidate messaging Indeed pricing ↗.
Where it appears
Best for hourly hiringThe Best AI Recruiting Tools for Small BusinessesBudget pickThe Best AI Tools for RestaurantsWhat’s good
- Free plan for small teams
- Hiring tied to scheduling and payroll
- Multi board posting
What to know
- Hiring Assistant from $99/month
- Not for salaried roles
Key features
- One click posting to Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Google, Facebook and Craigslist
- Applicant tracking with screening questions
- AI Hiring Assistant screens and books interviews
- Hires flow into onboarding and payroll
- AI Scheduling Assistant on Plus
Works with
Questions people ask
Is Homebase free?
Yes. The Basic plan is free for one location with up to 10 employees and includes basic scheduling and time tracking Homebase pricing ↗.
How much does Homebase cost?
Paid plans are $30, $70 and $120 per location a month for Essentials, Plus and All in One. The Hiring Assistant starts at $99 a month extra Homebase pricing ↗.
Can Homebase make a staff schedule with AI?
Yes. Its AI auto scheduling builds a schedule in seconds that you review before sending, and it is part of the Plus plan Homebase pricing ↗ Homebase scheduling ↗.
Is Homebase worth it?
It is worth it if you schedule hourly staff every week or hire often, since hires flow straight into scheduling and payroll Homebase hiring ↗. Start on the free plan or the 14 day trial Homebase pricing ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
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