Shift trades are inevitable — even with probably the most well-managed schedules. To tame the chaos of last-minute adjustments, you may contemplate a shift-swapping coverage. However even then, managing it turns into a time-consuming problem involving frantic texts, cellphone calls, and plenty of workforce confusion with regards to maintaining observe of the brand new schedule. 

A shift commerce app may help workers handle schedule adjustments immediately — and make issues extra organized and environment friendly within the course of. How? Supervisors begin by setting customized guidelines to verify all adjustments comply with the coverage. Then, workers coordinate shift trades with their teammates and submit their swaps for approval, which managers approve or deny with a click on. And one of the best half? The device is often constructed into your scheduling or workforce administration platform, so that you don’t have to spend cash on extra software program. 

It’s the sort of device managers can’t reside with out as soon as they fight it. However with so many shift buying and selling platforms obtainable, the place do you start? To avoid wasting you from an awesome Google search, we’ve put collectively a listing of our high six picks for 2023, evaluating every based mostly on finest use case, high options, execs and cons, and pricing. 

Key options to search for in shift commerce apps

Not like different kinds of software program, shift commerce instruments don’t often come as standalone apps. They most frequently belong to a set of merchandise which can be included inside a scheduling platform. Nonetheless, some options stand out when put next with others. Apart from shift swapping capabilities, one of the best software program consists of: 

• Open shift posting — An awesome shift commerce app ought to allow you to share open shifts if you publish your fundamental workforce schedule. That method, workers can declare obtainable shifts, saving you from assigning them to workers who can’t or don’t need to work.
• Constructed-in chat — Discovering a substitute often means monitoring down cellphone numbers and emails so teammates can attain out and coordinate the adjustments they want. Constructed-in messaging helps the workforce talk in a single spot and permits managers to make bulletins, coordinate duties, and maintain employees on the identical web page all through the day.
• Interconnected employees administration instruments — The extra options your app has, like time monitoring, payroll, scheduling, worker happiness, and HR and compliance, the extra versatile it’s. When all of the instruments it’s good to handle your workforce are in a single place, it additionally prevents you from having to pay for separate platforms that don’t cooperate with one another.
• Alerts and notifications — You don’t need shift commerce requests to get misplaced within the shuffle, so be certain your app of selection sends notifications when workers submit swaps to your approval. One other plus is when the platform alerts your whole workforce about schedule updates and adjustments so everybody stays up to the mark.
• Straightforward to make use of and intuitive — You most likely don’t need to add to your to-do listing with coaching, so the simpler the device is to begin utilizing, the higher. It’s ultimate when it solely takes a day (or much less) for workforce members to get comfy with an app. You must also prioritize a system that makes it straightforward for managers to approve or deny commerce requests and retains their involvement to a minimal.
• A variety of integrations — You is likely to be utilizing software program for level of sale (POS) transactions, e-commerce, accounting, budgeting, and reporting. Keep away from repeated information entry and dear errors by checking that your shift commerce app integrates easily with the instruments you already depend on and belief.
• A cell app — You’ll need your workforce to have the ability to verify the schedule and get vital shift updates — whether or not they’re at work, in transit, or on the go. A perfect shift commerce device ought to have a devoted cell app that has the identical functionalities because the desktop model, so your workforce can use it from wherever.
• Free or inexpensive plans — The app that’ll work finest for you depends upon your funds, enterprise wants, and workforce dimension. However ultimate platforms embody a free plan. Homebase’s free account consists of fundamental scheduling and time monitoring instruments for as much as 20 workers at one enterprise location. We additionally supply per-location pricing, so your subscription gained’t change into unmanageable as your workforce grows.

Our high shift commerce app decide for 2023 (+ the remaining in contrast)

Homebase isn’t only a shift commerce app — our platform has all of the instruments it’s good to run a small enterprise workforce in 2023. That’s why it’s our high decide.

With our app, directors can put up open shifts on the high of each schedule and discover cowl shortly. Staff can even ask for substitutes immediately from their schedules on the cell app. And there’s no want for workforce members to textual content coworkers or shift supervisors after they’re sick or have an surprising battle.

On high of that, Homebase has built-in options for time monitoring, full-service payroll, workforce chat, hiring and onboarding, and HR and compliance — all obtainable with our per-location paid plans.

Nonetheless, different apps could have particular options that can be extra helpful to you. For instance, instruments like 7shifts are designed particularly for managing eating places. There are additionally apps like Coast, which is a strong choice for enterprise homeowners who want devoted activity administration and checklists.

That’s why we’ve damaged down our listing based mostly on finest use case:

1. Homebase: Greatest all-in-one resolution
2. Deputy: Greatest for labor compliance
3. Connecteam: Greatest for distant or shifting groups
4. ZoomShift: Greatest for workforce accountability
5. 7shifts: Greatest for the restaurant {industry}
6. Coast: Greatest for assigning duties with shifts

Comparability chart: Prime 6 shift commerce apps in 2023

A breakdown of the 6 finest shift commerce apps

1. Greatest all-in-one resolution: Homebase

Homebase is an all-in-one employees administration and HR app designed for hourly groups. We all know how chaotic coordinating shift trades will be, which is why we’ve made our app tremendous straightforward to make use of from wherever.  Plus, it’s customizable so you’ll be able to arrange controls to keep away from time beyond regulation and make sure the proper roles are staffed, even with trades. 

Along with shift swapping, Homebase makes small enterprise administration extra streamlined with instruments for scheduling, time monitoring, payroll, hiring and onboarding, workforce communication, and HR and compliance. 

Prime options

• Straightforward-to-use shift swapping options
• Customizable shift buying and selling guidelines
• Open shift posting
• Constructed-in workforce messaging so employees can coordinate trades and get in contact with one another
• Automated worker notifications when schedules are printed
• No present, late clock in, and late clock out alerts for managers
• Person-friendly schedule builder with auto-scheduling and template instruments
• Cellular time monitoring, full with geofencing instruments
• Hiring and onboarding templates, dashboards, and workflows
• An intensive library of HR templates, guides, and coaching supplies
• Constructed-in, full-service payroll

Execs and cons

Homebase customers discover our platform user-friendly, which is nice for groups with completely different ranges of tech-savvy. Managers get notified when workers request a change, which implies much less time spent because the intermediary. They merely need to deny or approve all requests, and after they make adjustments to the schedule, their workforce robotically will get alerted through textual content, e-mail, and the Homebase app. 

And though it lacks activity administration instruments, Homebase makes up for that with built-in chat options.

Managers can use the messaging device to get in contact with particular person employees members, particular teams, or the entire workforce with bulletins and updates. However workers can even message one another and coordinate swaps with out having to trace down contact data — permitting for extra effectivity (and privateness!).

Pricing

Homebase’s fundamental scheduling and time monitoring instruments are fully free. However, if you wish to maximize effectivity and get probably the most out of our platform, we provide the next paid plan choices:

• Fundamental — Free for one location and as much as 20 workers. It consists of fundamental scheduling and time monitoring, worker administration instruments like messaging, point-of-sale integrations, and entry to e-mail assist. 
• Necessities — $24.95 monthly per location. Every thing in Fundamental, plus payroll integrations, workforce communication, efficiency monitoring, superior time monitoring and scheduling, and entry to reside assist.
• Plus — $59.95 monthly per location. Every thing in Necessities, plus hiring instruments, retention and efficiency monitoring, break day controls, and departments and permissions.
• All-in-one — $99.95 monthly per location. Every thing in Plus, with HR and compliance, new rent onboarding, labor price controls, and enterprise insights.

Customers can even save 20% on their general price after they join an annual plan.

2. Greatest for labor compliance: Deputy

Deputy combines options for scheduling, time monitoring, and compliance in a single platform. Its shift buying and selling options give managers the choice to ship workers open slots based mostly on the app’s suggestions. Or, they’ll let employees organize protection on their very own.

Prime options

• Shift swapping instruments
• Time monitoring
• Schedule builder
• AI-powered auto-scheduling capabilities
• Worker profiles
• Cellular time clock app
• Labor price dashboards
• Compliance instruments

Execs and cons

Deputy makes use of AI capabilities to assist managers plan schedules based mostly on predicted gross sales, upcoming supply orders, and foot visitors information, which permits them to keep away from overstaffing or understaffing. It additionally lets directors set compliance guidelines for all shift swaps in order that workforce members can’t make trades that’ll end in time beyond regulation, for instance.

Nonetheless, Deputy isn’t a complete workforce administration platform. Committing to a paid plan means you’ll nonetheless want integrations for communication and payroll. 

Pricing

Deputy has a Scheduling plan and a Time & Attendance plan for $3.50 per consumer monthly. Its Premium plan helps you to mix each Scheduling and Time & Attendance for $4.90 per consumer monthly. 

3. Greatest for distant or shifting groups: Connecteam

Connecteam’s platform is right for any workforce that’s at all times on the go. It provides instruments for scheduling, time monitoring, communication, and labor compliance and is designed so you should use all of its options out of your cell machine. 

Prime options

• Shift reminders and self-service shift swapping options
• Schedule builder with shift duplication and template instruments
• Process administration with varieties and checklists
• GPS-enabled time monitoring
• Workforce messaging
• Labor and compliance instruments
• Worker surveys

Execs and cons

Whereas some platforms have hard-to-find shift swapping instruments, Connecteam shift buying and selling is simple to navigate. Customers simply need to go to their shift particulars, click on Discover Substitute, and a listing of potential choices will seem in a drop-down menu. Then, they merely click on on an worker’s title to request a commerce — there’s no have to ship a mass textual content asking for a substitute.

Nonetheless, Connecteam’s pricing mannequin isn’t easy. Relatively than providing easy tiered plans or per-feature pricing, it teams its packages into “hubs,” making it onerous to get all the things you want.

Pricing

Connecteam provides three “hub” packages: Operations, Communications, and HR & Expertise. Connecteam’s Operations hub comes with scheduling, time monitoring, and activity administration options, and the plans embody:

• Small Enterprise — Free for as much as ten customers.
• Fundamental — $29 monthly for as much as 30 customers. Additional customers are $0.50 monthly.
• Superior — Every thing in Fundamental, plus additional options like time monitoring duties. $49 monthly for 30 customers. Additional customers are $1.50 monthly. 
• Knowledgeable — Every thing in Superior, plus GPS options and automation. $99 monthly for 30 customers. Additional customers are $3 monthly.

4. Greatest for workforce accountability: ZoomShift

ZoomShift is a shift planning, scheduling, and time clock software program that makes monitoring worker time extra environment friendly. And since it additionally has timesheet instruments, ZoomShift makes the payroll course of quicker, too.

Prime options

• Open shift posting
• Shift swapping
• Time monitoring with geofencing
• Scheduling with reusable templates
• Day off administration
• Timesheets for payroll

Execs and cons

Though it doesn’t have an in-app chat, ZoomShift permits workers to go away notes explaining why they should commerce shifts. This will increase transparency although your workers will nonetheless have to textual content or name their teammates to coordinate the logistics of the commerce. 

The platform additionally tracks worker time, turns it into timesheets, and takes care of your wage calculations earlier than payday. Then, you’ll be able to merely export the information to a third-party payroll platform.

Sadly, some customers say ZoomShift’s customer support has declined in the previous couple of years, so it may not be the most suitable choice for a small enterprise proprietor who wants additional assist.

Pricing

You may attempt any ZoomShift plan totally free for 14 days. In any other case, paid choices embody:

• Starter — Scheduling, time monitoring, and PTO administration for $2.50 per consumer monthly.

• Premium — Time beyond regulation administration, superior scheduling instruments, geofencing, timesheets, and superior reporting for $5 per consumer monthly.

5. Greatest for the restaurant {industry}: 7shifts

It’s not simply 7shifts’ branding that makes it a very good match for the restaurant {industry} — the platform additionally caters to industry-specific wants with options for scheduling, time monitoring, workforce messaging, hiring and onboarding, coaching, and tip administration. 

Prime options

• Shift buying and selling
• Workers scheduling
• Time monitoring
• Workforce communication
• Hiring and onboarding instruments
• Doc storage
• Coaching and activity administration
• Payroll integrations
• Tip administration and payout instruments

Execs and cons

Shift buying and selling is a frequent incidence within the restaurant {industry}, and 7shifts makes it straightforward for managers to remain on high of it. With the shift pool dashboard, directors can view, approve, or deny all swap requests. 

The platform can be useful for companies with a number of places, roles, and ranges of administration as a result of it prevents workforce members from buying and selling shifts with anybody exterior of their place, division, or job website.

Moreover, 7shifts customers respect how effectively it integrates with high POS techniques, an important function for right this moment’s small eating places and cafes. Nonetheless, 7shifts doesn’t have a built-in payroll product, though it integrates with in style software program like Gusto and QuickBooks.

Pricing

7shifts has a free plan for single-location eating places and provides fundamental scheduling and time monitoring options. In any other case, paid plans embody: 

• Entrée — Labor costing and efficiency administration for $34.99 per location monthly.

• The Works — Shift suggestions, geofencing, buddy punch prevention, and payroll integrations for $76.99 per location monthly.

• Chef’s Selection — Labor compliance instruments for $99.99 per location monthly.

• Gourmand — Superior customization and devoted assist for $150 per location monthly.

6. Greatest for assigning duties with shifts: Coast

With devoted show widgets for fast entry to instruments, Coast is designed to assist maintain employees on activity. Apart from options for shift swapping, scheduling, time monitoring, and chat, Coast offers instruments for delegating assignments to any sort of workforce.

Prime options

• Shift swapping instruments
• Worker scheduling
• Time monitoring
• Recurring duties and checklists
• Workforce chat
• Stock administration
• Upkeep monitoring and duties

Execs and cons

Coast’s shift swapping options work equally to different choices on this listing, making the platform one other viable choice for small enterprise homeowners. One benefit of Coast, nevertheless, is its recurring activity device, which helps you to assign smaller jobs together with shifts. And when workers use Coast’s cell app, they get alerts when duties are pending, so nothing is ever left unfinished.

Like 7shifts, Coast can be a match for the restaurant {industry}, notably these with busy kitchens that want extra upkeep administration instruments. For instance, the app lets managers schedule and delegate duties within the type of work orders to their upkeep or restore crews with built-in notifications and due-date reminders.

The draw back is Coast’s upkeep and work instruments are pricey, so it will not be accessible for small companies with restricted budgets who don’t need to pay on a per-employee foundation.

Pricing

Coast provides two sorts of plans (and every one has a free choice with restricted instruments): 

• The Fundamental plan for workforce scheduling and chat options
• The Premium plan for upkeep work orders

The Fundamental tiers embody:

• Starter — Workforce collaboration instruments for $2 per consumer monthly.
• Professional — Studies and productiveness dashboards for $4 per consumer monthly.

The Premium tiers embody:

• Starter — Workforce collaboration, upkeep, and work order instruments for $22 per consumer monthly.
• Professional — Every thing included in Fundamental Professional, plus upkeep administration for $38 per consumer monthly.

Revolutionize your workforce scheduling with Homebase 

Shift commerce apps are important for any enterprise proprietor who has ever panicked about scheduling. And so they make the work expertise simpler for shift staff as they’ll relaxation straightforward understanding there’s at all times a plan B if they should reschedule. 

However out of all of the choices on the market, Homebase is a transparent frontrunner. Our free plan has fundamental scheduling, time monitoring, and messaging options for as much as 20 workers at one enterprise location. And for bigger groups, our per-location pricing will maintain prices low as you rent extra employees.

Homebase can be probably the most complete choice on this listing — we provide hiring and onboarding, workforce communication, worker happiness, payroll, and HR and compliance instruments, making our platform the only option for unbiased small enterprise homeowners who depend on hourly groups to maneuver their firm ahead. 

Keep in sync and work higher collectively.

Cease chasing down cellphone numbers with our built-in workforce communication device. Message teammates, share updates, and swap shifts — all from the Homebase app.

**The data above relies on our analysis on shift commerce apps. All consumer suggestions referenced within the textual content has been sourced from unbiased software program evaluation platforms, resembling G2 and Capterra, in April 2023.