Restaurant365 is probably something you will have heard of if you run a restaurant.
It’s the go-to software for everything from accounting to inventory and workforce management.
And let’s face it, just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s perfect for everybody.
Or maybe you don’t really need all the fancy features and the monthly fees aren’t covering the cost so to speak.
Or perhaps you get stuck on the complexity of the software, and you just wish for something easier, right?
Hey, if you’ve ever been stuck in the middle of a busy day during a system crash or waiting on customer support that’s taking too damn long, you know what I mean.
So many of us are bogged down with these little (or big!) issues that we start looking for alternatives.
Either we want something that fits (our) needs better—say, better pricing, more reliable support or just a smoother experience.
So, let’s dig into why Restaurant365 may not be the one-size-fits-all solution and some better alternatives for your restaurant.
About Restaurant365
Restaurant365 is a comprehensive, cloud-based restaurant management platform that includes accounting, inventory management, and scheduling tools.
The bundle is an excellent option for tiny eateries, both newly opened and established. Restaurant owners with industry knowledge will find it extremely useful since they can fully utilize its cost-control features.
Even though Restaurant365 costs more than competing accounting software, it is exceptional in its capacity to centralize restaurant data from numerous sources.
The technology facilitates seamless data transmission between front-of-house and back-of-house by integrating with over 70 common point-of-sale systems. Payroll and HR features are also addable to any plan.
A setup assistant will walk restaurant owners through the first setup process when they sign in to Restaurant365.
They will be able to build location groups, interface with the POS system, set up vendor information, and import their general ledger.
Administrators can then grant managers and accountants access to various dashboards and data according to their roles and locations. Charts on average daily sales comparisons, menu mixtures, cash over or short, and other information are included in the administrator view.
Together with tabs for transactions, fixed assets, accounts due and receivable, and accounting information, the sidebar menu on the left side of the screen functions as a virtual filing cabinet.
To log new items, use the menu that runs across the top of the dashboard. To add a new employee or vendor to the system, for instance, you can use it.
Access to scheduling, waste records, reports, inventory management, and billing is available on the general manager page. For various users, the display can be tailored. Scheduling managers can, for instance, have their login take them straight to the scheduler.
Restaurant365 Best Features
- Menu Engineering: The inventory management software of the system produces graphs that enable managers to make comparative analyses of certain menu items based on their profitability and popularity. Restaurants can use this data to rank higher-margin goods higher.
- Sharing with Accountants: Accountants have the ability to automate reports by logging into the same system as the administrator. Administrators create certain user roles and permissions to control what information accountants can access.
- Scalability: R365 allows customers to purchase a range of add-ons, including as payroll and HR software, and can support numerous locations.
- Ease of Use: The administrator dashboard in R365 serves as a one-stop resource for data on accounts payable, reports, transactions, banking, and other topics. However, at first glance, the busy sidebar menu—also referred to as the digital filing cabinet—seems daunting. The UI of the dashboard is more user-friendly for general managers and operators.
- Time-saving Features: Month-end reconciliations involving balance, which usually take hours to perform by hand, can now be finished in minutes thanks to automated features.
Restaurant365 Weaknesses
- Complex Learning Curve: The sophistication of the software can make it seem complicated and challenging to set up. Its technical documentation will probably take a lot of time and patience to go through.
- Limited Customer Service: Unexpectedly, there are no restaurant-specific support choices for the software. Only during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, can you receive assistance. If you contact us outside of this window, your problem is recorded as a service ticket and won't be addressed until the following week.
- Cost: With monthly fees beginning at $469, Restaurant365 is pricey. These accounting software programs aren't designed with the restaurant business in mind, but restaurants can still use more affordable options like QuickBooks Online or Xero, which cap base plan pricing at $200 per month and $65 per month, respectively.
- Inventory Management Limitations: Users have complained that maintaining multiple locations or tracking complex stock items might be difficult when using the inventory management tool.
- Limited Mobile Functionality: The mobile app has been regarded as lacking certain functionality included in the desktop version, which can restrict managers' and employees' access to key features when on the go.
Standout Features of R365
The platform stuns with its industry-specific perks. Here are some marquee attractions for Restaurant365.
1. Accounting Module: Restaurant365 provides a specific accounting module that connects seamlessly with POS systems, food and beverage vendors, payroll providers, and banks.
This integration centralizes financial data, giving restaurant organizations a full perspective of their operations and profitability.
The software's automated accounts payable processes simplify financial administration, making it easier for small business owners to stay on top of their finances.
Restaurant365 also supports franchise businesses by providing automated franchisee billing and royalty administration services. This specialization makes it an excellent choice for multi-location restaurant organizations.
2. Inventory Management: Restaurant365's inventory management solution is designed to assist businesses in successfully controlling costs. It includes digital accounts, ordering tools, and associated invoicing, all of which make inventory management easier.
The system's smart ordering feature predicts order quantities based on previous data and can even generate buy orders automatically, saving time and reducing errors.
Furthermore, the recipe pricing tool monitors the utilization of ingredients in menu items. This automatic food tracking capability assists in identifying possibilities to improve efficiency and reduce food waste.
This level of control and automation in inventory management is critical for small firms because it helps them stay profitable by avoiding unnecessary expenses.
3. Labor and Scheduling: Restaurant365's labor and scheduling solutions are intended to improve employee management. The employee scheduling tool allows restaurant operators to set staff schedules based on sales estimates, which helps them reduce labor expenditures.
Meanwhile, the manager logbook tool acts as a single repository for daily sales statistics, employee tasks, and critical restaurant papers.
This integration of scheduling and operational data ensures that labor expenditures are optimized. This benefit is especially essential for cash-strapped small enterprises that need to manage their resources effectively.
Restaurant365 assists businesses in maintaining operations with fewer resources by improving scheduling and labor management.
Restaurant365 Positive Reviews
- “The inter-connectivity and flow of data. Our team really appreciates have a single system to log on for all things accounting and operations. We are excited that R365 is growing and can one day consolidate other pieces of our business (HR & Payroll, Scheduling, Reporting, etc.)” - Kevin O., VP of Finance
- “One of the few tech platforms restaurants/food businesses can use to fully integrate their accounting with inventory mgmt and recipe costing.” - Amy y., chef/owner
- “I like how easily it integrates with our POS (Toast) and provides both real and theoretical inventory counts, accurate food costs, and reporting tools that make periodic menu reviews a cinch. It also integrates with our food service provider (US Foods) so that it keeps food costs up to date.’’ - Katie B., Accounting Admin
Restaurant365 Negative Reviews
- “The learning curve can be large especially if it is your first experience with a full service suite like this versus Quickbooks or similar accounting programs that are not necessarily restaurant-centric.” - Dan H., Manager of IT
- “The customization of the system is hard to come by. There are several times where we have wanted to tweak the software to how we do business and operate but the dev team or support tells us it simply cannot be done. Its a hard balance to strike but more flexibility in the system would be preferred.” - Kevin O., VP of Finance
- “The inventory needs to be completed and a bit more user friendly. Same with the recipes, we had to use a 3rd party to import our recipes because of the complexity in R365. They also need to give some attention to the commissary module which is like using an unfinished product.” - Katie B., Accounting Admin
Restaurant365 Pricing
The platform is pricey. Monthly rates for all-in-one packages begin at $469.
Instead of a package, you can select individual services, but the cost of those is not disclosed. To talk about such alternatives up front, you will need to first chat with a sales representative.
In contrast, a lot of rivals, such 7shifts and QuickBooks Online, hardly make $100 in a 30-day period. Certain substitutes, such as Toast, also offer free plans.
Yes, Restaurant365 is all-inclusive and costs as such. However, given that there are competitors at considerably lower prices, it's difficult to defend the platform's exorbitant price tag.
Best Alternatives to Restaurant365 for Streamlined Restaurant Management
Xenia - #1 Restaurant365 Alternative
Xenia is a great, full featured alternative to Restaurant365 that simply makes life easier.
Restaurant365 does okay overall, but Xenia stands out when it comes to the particular concerns of managing shifts and stock in high speed operations such as restaurants.
Xenia’s shift scheduling feature is no doubt a game-changer. Speed is all about making things simple and efficient.
With built in AI you can set up schedules so that you will not be overstaffing or understaffing by using a tool to know how much is demanded.
They love it too because employees can swap shifts, request time off, and now see their schedules right on their phones (no more sticky notes, no walking into the manager’s office to check next week’s hours).
This is where Xenia has really set themselves apart from Restaurant365, which can often feel a bit more cumbersome.
Just like inventory management, Xenia adds real time tracking.
If it’s monitoring food stocks or other necessary supplies, Xenia can help you keep tabs on how many are on hand, what you’re allowed to keep, and when you’re running low. You can actually do all of this on your phone.
For restaurant managers who are always busy, this is the perfect solution for them.
Xenia’s mobile-first design is far less clunky for mobile use and allows you to make fast, on-the-fly adjustments, unlike Restaurant365, which feels more like you’re moving furniture around. In that case, you can reorder ingredients or update stock quantities from the kitchen or wherever you are.
It’s this adaptability to your existing workflows that makes Xenia stand out. You don’t need to flip your entire process upside down — Xenia can integrate with what you already have.
This helps you create custom checklists and reminders, and track progress and easy task allocation. Xenia comes with this kind of real-time reporting and flexibility because you never know what will happen in the restaurant.
Restaurant365 has a lot of ground it covers, while Xenia does it quickly, efficiently, and simply for those who do not require full-blown restaurant management software.
One great feature is how easily you can track everything in one place. Xenia shows you inventory levels, has it, and keeps an eye on employee tasks in one dashboard.
You’ll always know who’s working, what they’re working on, and where your stock stands, all in real-time.
Restaurant365 basically works in the same manner but doesn't offer the same level of intuitive, user friendly design that you can rely on when you have to make quick decisions on the go.
Ultimately, Xenia is exactly what people who just want to simplify shift scheduling and inventory management will be looking for.
You get more flexibility, a bit easier to use, and it’s better for restaurants that rapidly switch around staffing or stock. Xenia is perfect if you’ve already gotten frustrated with frivolous complexity and simply would like something that’s better tuned to your needs.
Why Use Xenia for Complete Restaurant Management?
- Task Management: Xenia enables you to set tasks, allocate them, and monitor progress within your team. Whether there are typical days and tasks, or particular processes and activities, the managers will be able to make certain that all of those will be accomplished exactly on schedule. It is possible to specify many response types (text, number, temperature, etc.) for tasks, so the results are gathered and tracked correctly.
- Inventory Management: Xenia also provides detailed inventory control solutions including the ability to record stock quantities, set stock low-level alerts, and manage inventories via a mobile device. This feature assists in minimizing wastage, and improving the proper stocking and overall running of the system.
- Digital Checklists and Inspections: Xenia has checklists and inspection forms that are flexible and assist in creating standard operating procedures that can easily be followed by the employees. This is especially valuable for compliance, safety, and operations.
- Mobile Access: To ensure that Xenia complements the mobile workplace, the platform is optimized for use on a phone or tablet. From using the mobile feature to monitor the progress of the tasks that have been assigned and the number of products in stock, using the feature to go through reports among others the functionality enables tasks related to business operations to be easily done from a mobile device.
- Automated Reporting and Alerts: Xenia generates reports and alert notifications that will keep managers updated frequently and be notified of various important messages, for instance low stocks or overdue activities. It also means different problems are addressed before they escalate and become worse.
Xenia Positive Reviews
- “Powerful user interface with simple views for frontline team members to adopt task lists and training content with ease. AI capabilities are also well developed for streamlined creation of net new task checklists.” - Hoor J., Quality Safety
- “Xenia provided better value and many of the other products have been in the market for a long time and haven't changed much or have bulky and complicated interfaces. Xenia has a very sleek interface and in a short amount of time Xenia has become very competitive or better than similar solutions.” - Tammy C., AGM
- “It is simple and easy to use, especially for those who aren't super tech-savvy. I can also tailor it to exactly what I need which creates a really bespoke user experience for my team. Also, everyone on the team has been super accessible to answer my questions when I have them.” - Maxwell I., General Manager
Xenia Negative Reivews
- “I cannot think of anything that I don't really like about this software.” - Sara B., General Manager
Xenia Pricing
- Free Forever: Free for up to 5 users with access to task & work orders, parent assets, internal chats, template builder, etc.
- Starter: $99 / month for 15 users and comes with a work calendar view, work and template reports, sub-assessments, and sub-locations.
- Premium: $199 / month for 15 users and offers unbound access to all the core features.
- Custom: Need something tailored to your organization?
Available for up to 5 users
Premium for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Available on iOS, Android and Web
7shifts
7shifts is a labor management and staff scheduling software designed specifically for the restaurant sector.
The app's scheduling feature throughout my testing could account for labor projections and predicted revenue. In the actual world, this keeps costs under control to optimize profit while guaranteeing appropriate staffing. Even more amazing is the machine-learning auto-scheduler.
The fundamental reason that restaurant scheduling is difficult is the unpredictable flow of customers.
To generate labor-optimal schedules for varying seasonality, the auto-scheduler learns from your scheduling habits. In addition, 7shifts monitors worker time, breaks, and overtime, offering instantaneous labor cost insights and labor cost snapshots for flexible scheduling.
To reduce payroll leakage and increase profitability, 7shifts also uses auto punch-out and geofencing. There are a few minor issues, but they don't seriously affect usage.
For instance, it's inconvenient for employees to not be able to track time on 7shifts.
Furthermore, 7shifts offline mode fails to operate, although we imagine that may cause problems when staff members are outside the restaurant. So how do they compare?
If your primary need is focused on efficient employee scheduling and labor management, 7shifts is the better choice. Its user-friendly design, advanced scheduling capabilities, and lower cost make it ideal for restaurants looking to optimize workforce management without overwhelming complexity.
On the other hand, if you require a comprehensive solution that integrates accounting, inventory management, and multi-location capabilities alongside scheduling, then Restaurant365
Key Features of 7shifts
- Scheduling: Creating and maintaining schedules using 7Shifts is a fairly simple process once you become accustomed to the UI. Just a few fast clicks will allow you to organize a shift and include breaks. You can apply shifts to many days in a week or move and drop them across the calendar.
- Time Clocking: Users of 7Shifts have two options for entering their time and attendance: through their time-clocking app, 7Punches, or their point-of-sale system. Both options are acceptable, albeit the latter's mobile functionality provides provide additional flexibility.
- Team Engagement: This tool makes it simple to keep an eye on and raise employee engagement levels. You can get useful information by automating shift feedback questionnaires, which can assist you in resolving problems, improving coaching, and improving operations.
7shifts Positive Reviews
- “I love the app, it gives us a lot of flexibility when logging import notes between managers, checking sales and labor %, and making announcements to staff. I also love how easily it is for my staff to trade shifts and communicate among each other since their contact info is in the app.” - Claudia K., Small-Business
- “It makes communication with the team easy, everyone knows what assignments they have as well as many tools to trade, ask for time off, review shifts, etc. 7shifts has massively saved time with scheduling and also is a great form of communication with staff.” - Ricky L., Mid-Market
- “Easy to use and the futures, I like the fact that with the app all my employees can communicate easily, also having notifications about availability changes or requested days off is a plus, no longer have to write it down and lose important information.” - Verified User in Restaurants., Mid-Market
7shifts Negative Reviews
- “The schedule print out is very confusing. Especially if you have someone doing multiple roles i.e. there a Bartender/server so they appear in weird field sometimes and it's not as in to Dave as a general excel calendar.” - Verified User in Hospitality., Small-Business
- “There have been technical difficulties in the past, where we get logged out and have trouble logging back in. I also regularly need to change my notification settings back and forth to get them working again. All downsides are tech-related.” - Leah J., Operations Assistant
- “It doesn't have request off rules. Staff can request to pick up a shift even if they are scheduled that day so every time I need to check if they are actually scheduled or not. When the staff requests off it shows the date of the request off but not the day of the week.” - Verified User in Restaurants., Small-Business
7shifts Pricing
- Comp: For restaurants with one location and up to thirty employees, a free plan is perfect. The plan provides restaurant owners with a great set of tools to help them manage time off and availability, set up employee schedules, hire more people, and collaborate with teams.
- Entree: The most affordable paid plan is ideal for small and medium-sized restaurants with up to 50 locations and 30 staff each. Aside from the Comp plan features, Entree provides performance monitoring and labor cost management capabilities.
- The Works: A premium package best suited for eateries with up to 50 locations and over 30 employees a location. The Works provides restaurant owners and managers with communication capabilities in addition to Entree features to assist them in efficiently managing and engaging staff.
- Gourmet: The best-paid plan is for mid-market and enterprise restaurants with over 50 locations and over 30 staff members per location. Gourmet includes a machine learning auto-scheduler and extensive customization possibilities in addition to the capabilities included in The Works plan.
HotSchedules
HotSchedules is a workforce management and employee scheduling software that is mainly intended for use by businesses in the hospitality sector.
Manage your staff availability and handle the challenges of scheduling using HotSchedules if you own a hotel, restaurant, or other hospitality business.
With the drag-and-drop scheduling feature and the option to copy and paste shifts, managers can quickly construct well-planned plans.
The auto pickup and release option is also something we appreciate because it allows workers to choose their own schedules and relieves managers of the tiresome manual shift-swapping duties.
It should come as no surprise that a large portion of HotSchedules' offerings are geared toward the restaurant industry given its history.
However other industries can also use the platform because of its flexibility. It offers good scheduling tools and a Reports function that are on par with most of its competitors if you can live without a free trial and free mobile apps.
HotSchedules does, however, come with some significant drawbacks, like an outdated user interface, unresponsive live chat and ticket assistance, and a mobile app that lacks time-tracking features.
When you compare the two on the scheduling front, HotSchedules is a better option with more advanced functionalities.
However, if you need a comprehensive all-in-one restaurant management solution that integrates accounting, inventory management, payroll, and scheduling then you might one to consider a different option.
HotSchedules is better for large, multi-state chains requiring robust labor management and compliance tools. Its advanced scheduling features, predictive labor forecasting, and geo-fencing capabilities help ensure profitability while adhering to complex labor laws.
Key Features of HotSchedules
- Employee Scheduling: HotSchedules streamlines employee scheduling with features including a drag-and-drop scheduler, copy-and-paste shifts, and auto-population of schedules.
- Auto Pickup and Release: Employees can automatically release and take up shifts based on their preferences with HotSchedules. To make the shift switch happen, though, each transaction needs to be approved by the manager.
- Availability and Time-off Management: Employees can use HotSchedules on their mobile devices to request time off and specify their availability. Requests can be approved by managers using a mobile app or the web.
HotSchedules Positives
- “Most helpful is ease of use! The program is intuitive, easy to use, and very user friendly for staff. I also love the effortless shift swap, approval, and roster features!” - Lyn M., Small-Business
- “It's so easy to send in my availability and message with my boss and colleagues. I also like how you can get text notifications when your shift has been assigned. I also like how you can see what other employees are working with you at the same time, as well as their contact information. Makes it very easy for shifts and communicating with other workers.” - Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness., Mid-Market
- “There isn't really one specific feature that I liked best about this program. It doesn't come with any bells or whistles so in that regard its pretty easy to use. As a manager and administrator you are very limited in scheduling and communication abilities.” - Lauren C., Regional Talent Development Manager
HotSchedules Negatives
- “I don't like that you have to purchase this app when its on your phone. I don't like how much the logbook lags when you're using it and takes a while to check off tasks you've completed. Other than that, I love HotSchedules.” - Verified User in Food & Beverages., Enterprise
- “I'm still working on figuring out the hours for employees as there seems to be a discrepancy, and I'm sure it's an easy fix that I haven't been able to dig into yet.” - Lyn M., Small-Business
- “I don't like that the app costs money because it's inconvenient having to go on my laptop. Also the mobile interface could be better. There is also definitely a learning curve to the website and I wish it were more intuitive. I also wish you could receive notifications when someone drops their shift and there is one for pick up.” - Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness., Mid-Market
HotSchedules Pricing
- HotSchedules Essentials: Perfect for small companies aiming to improve team communication and scheduling that employ 30 people or fewer.
- HotSchedules Plus: Small teams with little more than thirty workers are trying to manage team communication, schedule workers, track time more effectively, and expedite payroll processing.
- HotSchedules Quote-Based plan: Ideal for large teams that require payroll processing, staff scheduling, time tracking, and communication. Advanced features of the plan include labor cost forecasting and POS integration.
Connecteam
With the use of Connecteam's restaurant scheduling tool, you can efficiently manage your staff's shifts, save time and money, and provide them with a knowledge base that helps in their work.
You never have to question if you're covered for a rush at lunch or dinner. Using checklists and training that demonstrates to staff how to be compliant, stay on top of inspectionsYou can quickly design your schedule using Connecteam's templates.
Employees can indicate days they are unavailable for work and even days they would prefer to be at work using Connecteam's Job Schedule.
To find out if someone can cover a shift, you never need to follow them up. Open shifts are also available for anyone to take.
Add any specifics regarding events (like a customer's birthday celebration) or menu specials, as well as any other information the staff needs to know for their shift.
By directly connecting a shift note or other attachments to the shift calendar, you can accomplish this with ease. Your crew has easy access to their schedule, can stay in constant communication with you, and arrives at work prepared to work.
Employees can also readily view the documentation on menu allergies, safety and clean-up checklists, and other topics via Connecteam. Yet, the absence of an offline mode in Connecteam renders it unsuitable for teams operating in areas with limited connectivity.
Additionally, especially on mobile devices, it frequently crashes and has bugs. Even the web app's excruciatingly slow loading times detract from the otherwise well-thought-out software's user experience.The UI can be quite challenging to use, which adds to these concerning problems.
The various feature tabs' colored icons are useless. Simply put, it strains the eyes. These problems cause users ongoing annoyance, which accomplishes the reverse of Connecteam's goal of simplifying job management.
Key Features of Connecteam
- Task Management and Scheduling: With Connecteam's auto-scheduling feature, administrators can easily build employee schedules that optimize resource utilization without experiencing any stress.
- Highly-Detailed Reports: Using precisely recorded data from the employee time clock, GPS tracking, expense monitoring, and project documentation, Connecteam makes reporting simple. All of the data is arranged by the software into information that is logical and simple to understand.
- Robust Attendance Management: Keeping track of schedules and enforcing attendance standards can be made simple and simplified to a few clicks using Connecteam's attendance, break, time off, and overtime management tools.
Connecteam Positive Reviews
- “I've been using Connecteam, and it's awesome! The app is super easy to use. I'm on the website daily while working. We primarily use it for Job Scheduling, the Time Clock and communicating. We haven’t begun to take full advantage of it. We use the knowledge base and forms, but we need to make better use of them.” - Michelle W.,Owner
- “Connecteam has and continues to be extremely helpful for my small cleaning business. I can easily schedule jobs, save reoccurring details, set up reoccurring schedules, do shift swaps, and see workers' unavailability all at the glance of an eye! Training and scheduling can all be done in one place and remotely. Workers can add proof of service photos directly to their shift.” - Alicia B., Home Care Provider
- “The application offers a variety of impressive features, but the efficient job scheduling system and convenient clock-in and clock-out options are particularly noteworthy. These features greatly facilitate the management of geographically dispersed teams.” - Verified User in Arts and Crafts., Small-Business
Connecteam Negative Reviews
- “For the purpose that I have, Connecteam is a fairly solid offering. However, one thing that would make my job a lot easier was if there was a way to format irregular meetings rather than those that happened on a set schedule - i.e., scheduling a shift/program and being able to select the dates it should be placed on rather than just days out of the week.” - Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management., Small-Business
- “It would be really useful if the job schedule was followed through in some way to the timesheets so we can check off the jobs that are done. It would also be useful to have easy reports on what level of productivity and billing compared to down time we are at for each team member.” - Heather G., Small-Business
- “The job scheduling feature could be improved by adding templates or allowing users to select a specific time range (e.g., Monday to Friday with the same specific time) so users won't have to put their working hours manually. Another enhancement is to make token system available for purchase via the mobile app.” - Verified User in Marketing and Advertising., Small-Business
Connecteam Pricing
- The Small Business Plan: The Connecteam Small Business Plan offers everything a small business needs to manage employees, with seats for up to 10 users and access to all hubs and features at no cost to businesses, for life.
- Basic Plan: The Connecteam Basic Plans have a fixed price of $29 per month with grouped seats for 30 users plus $0.50 per month for each additional user when billed annually, or a fixed price of $35 per month with grouped seats for 30 users plus $0.60 for each additional user when billed monthly.
- Advanced Plan: The Connecteam Advanced Plans have a fixed price of $49 per month with grouped seats for 30 users plus $1.50 per month for each additional user when billed annually, or a fixed price of $59 per month with grouped seats for 30 users plus $1.80 for each additional user when billed monthly.
- Expert Plan: The Connecteam Expert Plans have a fixed price of $99 per month with grouped seats for 30 users plus $3 per month for each additional user when billed annually, or a fixed price of $119 per month with grouped seats for 30 users plus $3.60 for each additional user when billed monthly.
Homebase
Being a one-stop app for small businesses that does payroll, scheduling, and time tracking is something that Homebase takes great pride in.
It also provides useful features for team communication, HR and compliance, employee feedback, hiring and onboarding, and team management.
Homebase has apps for iOS and Android smartphones. The iOS app is user-friendly, based on my exploration and download.
Nevertheless, the apps and the online version are not offline compatible. Because of this, businesses that frequently operate from remote locations without internet connectivity are unable to use the platform.
Your staff can clock in and out using nearly any device with Homebase's time clock, including desktop computers, tablets, cellphones, and even point-of-sale (POS) systems. Either manually construct a time entry later on, or use the timer to clock in.
They are also able to clock in and record any breaks. They have the option to manually construct a time entry later or use the timer to clock in. In addition, they have the ability to record their breaks and clock out at the end of a shift.
You can also have your team members use their personal PIN numbers to clock in from a central computer or tablet instead of their own devices.
Additionally, Homebase keeps track of your employees' availability so you can plan ahead when setting schedules, and they may seek leaves using the app.
In order to save time, this platform makes it simple to generate schedules from scratch, duplicate existing plans, and even create templates for repeating shifts.
While Connecteam is a better option compared to restaurant365, especially for companies with frontline and deskless workers, Homebase provides a good platform for staff scheduling and time monitoring.
The versatile staff management software from Xenia offers an all-inclusive solution that is intended to improve efficiency in a range of sectors by streamlining crucial work processes.
Key Features of Homebase
- Scheduling: Based on labor budgets and worker availability, create and assign shifts. Allow employees to choose or switch between available shifts.
- Time Clock: Make any desktop, tablet, or smartphone into a time clock so employees can effortlessly enter and exit shifts, even when working remotely. During work hours, record employees' GPS positions to make sure they are where they should be.
- Payroll: Payroll reports are generated from timesheets by Homebase, which also includes overtime, breaks, and paid time off (PTO). Payroll can be processed manually or automatically.
Homebase Positive Reviews
- “What I liked about Homebase was how easy it was to minitor timesheets and coordinate with scheduling. There were subsections at the bottom of the app that took you right to these which was helpful. There was also a section for communication where you could create groups or message individually with coworkers.” - Verified User in Oil & Energy., Small-Business
- “There's a lot to love about homebase. The website and app are extremely user-friendly. Perhaps my two favorite parts about the app are the ability for my staff to request time off via the app, and to trade or cover shifts. I was getting several texts the day, and this is much less invasive.” - Paris P., Small-Business
- “Free timekeeping and scheduling option for a small business on a budget. I love that it sends emails and text notifications when a new schedule or a change has been created. We also just discovered the texting feature within the app, which makes communication between employees really convenient!” - Katie M., Small-Business
Homebase Negative Reviews
- “Clock in is very pinpointed so it makes it hard sometimes. Also it doesn't always allow them to clock in if not schedule inspite of having it as an option.” - Clara T., Small-Business
- “They keep increasing the price, their print checks options do not include any info such as business name, account info etc. They also keep spamming new employees with their cash out program and several of them were "forced" to enroll, believing they had to in order to get paid. Homebase needs to stop this practice.” - Andrew V., Small-Business
- “It's pretty limited compared to other platforms. It's difficult to toggle between different employees, and at least our version requires managers to input all time, make changes, and add PTO manually - things that ideally employees can manage and managers only need to approve. (again, could be the way we are using it)” - Verified User in Consumer Services., Small-Business
Homebase Pricing
- Homebase Basic Plan: A free plan with email support, time tracking, scheduling, messaging, hiring tools, employee satisfaction measurements, and integrations with payroll and point-of-sale systems is ideal for managers starting a new team. It supports one location and up to 20 workers.
- Homebase Essentials Plan: This package, which costs $20 per site each month, is designed for managers of expanding teams. It offers all the capabilities of the Basic plan plus better team communication, performance tracking, and live chat and phone assistance. Unlimited employees are allowed.
- Homebase Plus Plan: This package, which costs $48 per location per month, includes all the features of the Basic and Essentials plans plus tools for field and remote teams, labor cost controls, time-off management, and departmental permissions. It is designed to increase team productivity and communication for expanding businesses.
- Homebase All-in-One Plan: The all-inclusive package, which costs $80 per site per month and includes all services from earlier tiers as well as limitless staff support, comes with extra perks including HR and compliance support, employee paperwork management, and onboarding for new hires, all of which help to reduce labor expenses and streamline operations.