9 Best Event Staff Scheduling Software Tools for 2024

The 9 Best Event Staff Scheduling Softwares of 2024

1. Connecteam — Best for: All-in-one solution
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   Start for free

   Key Features

   • Powerful, intuitive scheduling

   • Time clock with geofencing

   • Chat with groups and attachments

   • Training and onboarding

   • Tasks and to-do lists

   • Advanced reporting

   Pros

   • All-in-one event staff management

   • Simple and intuitive for managers and workers

   • Easily schedule temp and seasonal staff

   • Training, knowledge base, and quizzes

   Cons

   • No in-app video calls

   We spoke to dozens of industry experts to help design Connecteam’s features. This helped us create an event staff scheduling solution we believe ticks all the boxes. 

   Starting with event scheduling, Connecteam features powerful yet simple shift scheduling. It looks great on mobile and web, and is super easy to use with drag-and-drop capabilities.

   You’ll get tons of useful information at a glance, like:

   • Which shifts haven’t been covered 
   • Timeslots with limited availability
   • Progress on shift tasks, letting you quickly see where everybody’s at with setting up for event day—a lifesaver! 

   It’s also super intuitive for staff, so seasonal and new staff alike will take to it quickly. They also get helpful reminders and the ability to swap shifts (with your approval). Plus, you can add shift attachments—documents, task lists, and more—so everybody knows what needs to get done, even if it’s their first time working with you. 

   The knowledge base feature helps here, too. Upload documents, images, videos, and more, and share with the whole team or specific groups. Connecteam’s training features make it easy to onboard new staff and up-skill existing workers. This is especially great for temp workers who need a structured way to learn the job efficiently. 

   Communication is super important before and during an event, which is why we put a lot of thought into Connecteam’s chat. First, it’s highly secure. You can manage who sees what, either on an individual level or using smart groups. No media is ever kept on the user’s phone, and when a staff member is removed, they immediately lose access. 

   The chat feature includes numerous ways to communicate effectively. You can:

   • Send group or company-wide updates with read status
   • Get quick feedback with comments and reactions
   • Set up private and team conversations to keep things organized
   • Attach documents, videos, surveys, and more 

    Did You Know?

   Connecteam integrates with Google Calendar so your employees can transfer their shifts right from the app into their personal calendars.

   Finally, the Company Directory feature makes it easy to manage all kinds of workers in real time. This is true whether for temporary or permanent workers, part- or full-time, seasonal or year-round. 

   When it comes to event day, Connecteam features a robust time clock. It’s accurate right down to the second, with GPS localization to help eliminate time theft. Geofencing ensures everybody’s at the right location for the right event.

   Task lists are one of Conneteam’s best features for event managers. Use templates to quickly create essential task lists for different events, then assign them to individuals, groups, or a timeslot in the event schedule. You can see progress in real-time and ensure planning and execution run smoothly. 

   Post-event, Connecteam’s powerful payroll features make it simple to manage payments for all types of workers. 

   Finally, all the above features feed into advanced reports and analytics. Understand how people are spending their time, which workflows may need tweaking, save on labor costs, and create custom reports per event, location, team, and more.

   These are some of the most important Connecteam features for event managers, and we’ve added many others to make event management as easy as possible. These include:

   • Forms and surveys
   • Uniform order forms
   • Evereal-timer job reports
   • Equipment maintenance reports
   • Work contracts
   • Recognition and rewards 

   Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Join Connecteam!

   Pricing

   Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

   14-day free trial, no credit card required

   Start your free trial
2. 

   Clockify — Good for: Advanced reporting

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   Key Features

   • Mobile and desktop time tracker
   • Labor dashboard and reporting
   • Time off, expenses, and invoicing
   • Timesheet with templates and approvals

   Pros

   • Robust labor and expense reporting
   • Simple time tracking on all devices

   Cons

   • No way to share files or exchange messages
   • Imperfect task management

   Clockify is simple to use for both managers and employees, with native apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, plus a web version. It also comes as an add-on for browsers, which is a nice feature for fixed-desk users.

   Managers can create user groups, projects, and tasks to help keep labor organized. Users can track time, see assignments and milestones, and request time off. It also integrates with the likes of Asana, QuickBooks, and Trello. 

   Clockify has good reporting capabilities, with both detailed and summarized reports. You can also filter by project, task, client, and user, and assignment and expense reports. 

   In terms of event management, though, it lacks many important features, like:

   • Quick to-do list creation
   • Internal communications features
   • Document and training information sharing
   • Scheduling templates
   • Clear conflict highlighting 

   Learn more about Clockify

   Pricing

   Starts at $3.99/user/month Trial: Yes — For PRO features Free Plan: Yes

3. 

   Nowsta — Good for: Quickly paying hourly workers
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Key Features

   • AI-powered scheduling
   • Simple messaging & updates
   • Comprehensive labor reporting & analytics
   • iOS and Android apps for staff

   Pros

   • Instant wages for hourly workers
   • Built-in hiring marketplace

   Cons

   • No knowledge base or training modules
   • No task management for shifts or events

   Nowsta features an AI-powered scheduling solution, which helps eliminate much of the manual work involved in scheduling. You also get access to a built-in marketplace of temporary and seasonal workers, which is a useful feature for event planning. 

   It offers quick and simple payments for hourly workers. Employees can benefit from instant wages, digital paychecks, and even a savings account. It also has robust reporting and analytics for making data-driven decisions.

   The app has limited communications features. Managers can’t send updates within the app—instead, they’re sent to workers’ phones or emails. 

   Employees can manage their schedules easily enough—but there’s no simple way to access key resources or view and complete shift tasks. For regular staff, this may not be a problem. New workers, however, may struggle to find everything they need in one place. 

   Learn more about Nowsta

   Pricing

   Starts at $3/user/month (minimum $125/month) Trial: No Free Plan: No

4. 

   Buddy Punch — Good for: Super quick employee scheduling

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Key Features

   • Time tracking with mobile apps
   • Integrated payroll
   • Quick drag-and-drop scheduling
   • Time and location punch control

   Pros

   • Very quick to set up new schedules
   • Robust time tracking for staff and managers

   Cons

   • Limited, one-way in-app messaging
   • No checklists or task management

   BuddyPunch offers simple and powerful scheduling software, similar in nature to Connecteam. You can create and update schedules with drag-and-drop functionality. This makes creating new schedules for recurring or standardized events quick and easy. 

   You also get a lot of control over staff schedules. For example, you can:

   • Limit when and where workers can punch in
   • Create automatic breaks and punch-outs
   • Verify staff via webcam as they punch in 

   BuddyPunch offers very basic messaging for sending updates to individuals, departments, or your entire workforce. For all other aspects of internal communications, including messaging and documents, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Ditto task management.

   Learn more about Buddy Punch

   Pricing

   Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

5. 

   RotaCloud — Good for: Simple, cost-effective employee scheduling

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Key Features

   • Shift planning
   • Labor and expense reporting
   • HR tools
   • Payroll and integrations

   Pros

   • Cover shifts fast with availability tools and open shifts
   • User-friendly employee app

   Cons

   • No to-do lists or task management
   • Time and attendance features cost extra

   RotaCloud prides itself on being a simple, “no-nonsense” solution for scheduling shifts, tracking time and attendance, and managing leave and PTO. And it hits this mark in many ways. Its scheduling features are very user-friendly and simple to use. Information is organized well, so you can see important things like availability, conflicts, and open shifts at a glance. 

   RotaCloud also features decent internal communications. For example, you can add notes to shifts and days, so staff have quick access to the information they need. Unfortunately, though, there’s no way for staff to leave notes or add comments to managers’ notes. 

   That said, the employee app is comprehensive. Staff can:

   • Quickly see their schedule
   • See open shifts 
   • Request holidays
   • Swap shifts (with your approval)
   • Set their availability
   • Punch in and out, with GPS and IP restriction

   Overall, RotaCloud is a solid event staff scheduling platform. It lacks a few communications features, and there’s no module for training or task management. That said, it’s simple to use and has good support for holidays, absence management, and reporting.

   Learn more about RotaCloud

   Pricing

   Starts at $2.40 (£2) /user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

6. 

   ClockShark — Good for: Managing lots of recurring events
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Key Features

   • Powerful drag-and-drop scheduling
   • Mobile time-tracking
   • Event management (statuses, comments, and attachments)
   • In-app conversations

   Pros

   • View schedules by staff or jobs/events
   • Event management and costing

   Cons

   • No schedule templates
   • No onboarding or training modules

   ClockShark has a number of useful features that make it a good option for event planners. In particular, there’s a big focus on project management. This includes built-in customer management and job costing, as well as some solid communications tools.

   The JobFlow™ view shows active jobs or events by staff, job, or client. This makes it very easy to manage multiple upcoming events and a large number of seasonal, temporary, and part- and full-time staff. 

   ClockShark is also one of the few apps on this list, alongside Connecteam, to offer two-way, in-app conversations. Plus, you can add notes and attachments to events and share files, and staff can add comments to request more detail or ask questions. Unfortunately, there are no to-do lists or task management (staff can only update jobs with basic statuses like In Progress and On Hold).

   The basics are done well, though, including:

   • Mobile time tracking with geofencing
   • Time off
   • Reports
   • Quotes
   • Invoices
   • On-site payments for clients 

   Learn more about ClockShark

   Pricing

   Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No

7. 

   QuickBooks Time — Good for: Finance-focused staff management

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   Key Features

   • Compare actual vs. budgeted hours
   • Track project and task completion
   • Mobile schedules and timesheets
   • Schedule by shift, job, or employee

   Pros

   • Integrates perfectly with other QuickBooks apps
   • Finance-focused for better margins

   Cons

   • No in-app chat or secure messaging
   • More expensive than competitors

   Unsurprisingly, this staff scheduling solution from QuickBooks is very finance-focused. You can, of course, create and organize schedules by shift, event, or job. Employees can clock in and out via mobile app, with GPS and geofencing, or via a physical device.

   Where QuickBooks Time excels, though, is in project management. You can:

   • Compare budgeted hours to actual hours worked
   • Assign milestones and deadlines
   • Track hours on a per-job or per-task basis

   Each project or event gets its own “activity feed,” where you can publish updates and notes. Team members can add comments and questions to the feed, too. This is a good start to communications, although there’s no two-way or group messaging with attachments and threads.

   Learn more about QuickBooks Time

   Pricing

   Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: No

8. Event Staff App

   Event Staff App — Good for: Large teams with limited needs

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Key Features

   • Detailed event pages
   • Scheduling and time tracking
   • Mobile apps for managers and staff
   • Rate workers based on performance

   Pros

   • All plans offer unlimited events
   • Pricing starts at just $1 per user

   Cons

   • Limited internal communications
   • Limited reporting

   Event Staff App is a straightforward event staff scheduling software. It’s relatively cheap, starting at just $1 per user, which has contributed to its success. It’s also very easy to use and boasts high ratings for customer service. 

   Scheduling includes all the basics, like the ability to move shifts around or see gaps in coverage. You can also rate workers based on performance and prioritize high performers for more difficult assignments. 

   Staff can view their schedule from the mobile app and receive notifications by SMS and email when shifts are assigned. 

   Messaging works via text, so there are limitations (no attachments, for example). You can add notes and information to an event page, although it’s not possible for staff to add comments or questions. Nor is there any task management to speak of. That said, Event Staff App has been quick to implement feature requests in the past, so these missing features may appear in the future. 

   Learn more about Event Staff App

   Pricing

   Starts at $1/user/month Trial: No Free Plan: No

9. 

   Quickstaff — Good for: Regular or recurrent events

   Available on

   • Web

   

   Key Features

   • Create events with notes and files
   • Dashboard with event staffing
   • Mobile app for workers

   Pros

   • Duplicate past jobs for recurring events
   • Quickly see required, invited, and confirmed staff

   Cons

   • No time-tracking functionality
   • Limited in-app communication

   The Quickstaff app has some good features for event management, starting with scheduling and availability. The workflow is straightforward: create an event, invite staff, and watch responses come in. It’s particularly well-suited to event companies that work with regular staff members, like caterers. 

   The main dashboard gives you a quick view of all your events and their staffing coverage. For each event, you can:

   • Add location details, notes, and files
   • Assign multiple managers
   • Add staff
   • Set reminders

   One useful feature is that you can duplicate existing events, including their notes. This makes it easier to organize recurring or similar event types. 

   The staff app allows workers to:

   • See their schedule
   • Set their availability
   • Receive reminders and directions

   Quickstaff doesn’t include time-tracking, however. This is an unfortunate and important gap in an otherwise effective app.

   Learn more about Quickstaff

   Pricing

   Starts at $49/per month Trial: No Free Plan: No