A compare, not a teardown.
You already know Homebase as the small-business time clock that also builds the week. This page is the structural compare, not a feature contest.
Homebase is good at what it is built for.
Homebase is strong at the SMB time clock — tablet, computer, phone, and POS on their pricing page, with photo clock-in called out on paid plans — and at hiring next to the schedule. Team messaging is bundled on the paid plans, not sold as a separate app you have to remember.
The list prices are public and, on the day we checked, per location. Paid plans say unlimited employees. That is a fair way to sell a scheduler. We are not going to pretend otherwise.
Official page: Homebase pricing · joinhomebase.com
Publish the week. Then coverage, clock, and tips.
Publish the week, coverage and open shifts, the clock, and tips as records. Managers on Cut the Shift web. Crew on Heard.
SMS and payroll are parked. Homebase will sell you both a messaging layer and a payroll add-on. We will not.
After beta, one price per location. Hiring another busser should not raise the software bill.
Structure, not a feature contest.
Older writeups call Homebase per-user. The public pricing page checked on 2026-09-22 bills scheduling per location. The free Basic plan is the headcount cap. Payroll is where a per-employee charge shows up.
Homebase list prices as shown on their pricing page
| Plan | Month-to-month | Annual billing, per month | Headcount on their page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | $0 | 1 location, up to 10 employees |
| Essentials | $30 / location | $24 / location | Unlimited employees |
| Plus | $70 / location | $56 / location | Unlimited employees |
| All-in-One | $120 / location | $96 / location | Unlimited employees |
Basic
Month-to-month$0
Annual billing, per month$0
Headcount on their page1 location, up to 10 employees
Essentials
Month-to-month$30 / location
Annual billing, per month$24 / location
Headcount on their pageUnlimited employees
Plus
Month-to-month$70 / location
Annual billing, per month$56 / location
Headcount on their pageUnlimited employees
All-in-One
Month-to-month$120 / location
Annual billing, per month$96 / location
Headcount on their pageUnlimited employees
Their annual toggle prints Save $72/year on Essentials, Save $168/year on Plus, and Save $288/year on All-in-One.
The monthly Plus card also shows $0 next to a limited-time payroll promotion. The list price beside it is $70 per location per month. We cite $70, not the promotion.
Payroll add-on on that page: first 6 months free (limited time, their terms), then $49 per month base plus $6 per month per employee paid.
Tip Manager add-on: $25 per month per location.
Structural compare with Homebase
| Axis | Homebase | Cut the Shift |
|---|---|---|
| How the bill is built | Per location on the public page, not a per-seat scheduler fee. Basic is free inside a cap of one location and 10 employees. Essentials, Plus, and All-in-One say unlimited employees. | Public beta is free, with no card. After beta, one price per location, not per seat. Post-beta list prices are on /pricing. No private numbers on this page. |
| What happens when you hire | On a paid plan, their page says the scheduler price does not move with headcount. Basic stops at 10 people. Payroll, if you add it, charges $6 per employee paid on top of the base fee. | Hiring another busser should not raise the software bill. That is the philosophy, not a quote. |
| How you start | Their page offers a 14-day All-in-One trial with no card, then Basic if you do not pick a plan and still fit the free caps. | Self-serve free public beta, no card, at /get-started. Multi-unit, a DPA, or a hands-on setup goes through /contact. |
How the bill is built
HomebasePer location on the public page, not a per-seat scheduler fee. Basic is free inside a cap of one location and 10 employees. Essentials, Plus, and All-in-One say unlimited employees.
Cut the ShiftPublic beta is free, with no card. After beta, one price per location, not per seat. Post-beta list prices are on /pricing. No private numbers on this page.
What happens when you hire
HomebaseOn a paid plan, their page says the scheduler price does not move with headcount. Basic stops at 10 people. Payroll, if you add it, charges $6 per employee paid on top of the base fee.
Cut the ShiftHiring another busser should not raise the software bill. That is the philosophy, not a quote.
How you start
HomebaseTheir page offers a 14-day All-in-One trial with no card, then Basic if you do not pick a plan and still fit the free caps.
Cut the ShiftSelf-serve free public beta, no card, at /get-started. Multi-unit, a DPA, or a hands-on setup goes through /contact.
Homebase list prices as of 2026-09-22 (America/New_York) from https://www.joinhomebase.com/pricing. We re-check when we update this page. We do not invent competitor prices.
No card required. Free public beta, not a free trial and not a subscription. Paid per-location plans come later. Cancel via the contact page. No partial refunds unless required by law.
What is actually in the beta.
Short on purpose. A yes on their side is not a concession. A parked row on ours is not a roadmap promise.
Floor-tool compare
| Need | Homebase | Cut the Shift (beta) |
|---|---|---|
| Publish the week | Yes | Yes |
| Coverage / open shifts | Yes — paid plans list trade and claim | Yes |
| Clock | Yes — this is a core Homebase strength | Yes |
| Tips as records | Tip Manager add-on, $25 per location per month | Yes — records, not payroll |
| SMS | Team messaging is on paid plans. We are not calling that an SMS product. | Parked |
| Payroll | Add-on, not included in the scheduling price | Parked |
| Crew phone | Their mobile app | Heard (crew only) |
Publish the week
HomebaseYes
Cut the Shift (beta)Yes
Coverage / open shifts
HomebaseYes — paid plans list trade and claim
Cut the Shift (beta)Yes
Clock
HomebaseYes — this is a core Homebase strength
Cut the Shift (beta)Yes
Tips as records
HomebaseTip Manager add-on, $25 per location per month
Cut the Shift (beta)Yes — records, not payroll
SMS
HomebaseTeam messaging is on paid plans. We are not calling that an SMS product.
Cut the Shift (beta)Parked
Payroll
HomebaseAdd-on, not included in the scheduling price
Cut the Shift (beta)Parked
Crew phone
HomebaseTheir mobile app
Cut the Shift (beta)Heard (crew only)
When to stay on Homebase
- You want their time clock, team messaging, and hiring tools in one SMB bundle, including a free Basic plan that fits under 10 people and one location.
- You already run payroll there and do not want a second system while payroll is parked on our side.
- You need the HR and compliance layer on All-in-One. We do not claim that suite.
When to try Cut the Shift
- You want a dinner-service beta — publish, coverage, clock, tip records — without buying hiring, HR, and payroll on day one.
- You will start free, with no card, and tell us what breaks.
- You want the after-beta price written as one price per location. Homebase's paid plans already say unlimited employees. We are not inventing a per-seat fight they are not having.
Start free
No card required. Free public beta, not a free trial and not a subscription. Paid per-location plans come later. Cancel via the contact page. No partial refunds unless required by law.
Also on this site
Cut the Shift is the company and the manager web app. Heard is the crew app only. No held-for-close prices on this page, and no partnership claims.