Different businesses require scheduling programs for different reasons. From scheduling appointments with clients to employee scheduling, check out the following list to determine which scheduling program will help you schedule the way you need to.
More likely than not, you are wasting way too much time on employee scheduling. In fact, you are probably spending somewhere between 2 to 12 hours per week scheduling your employees’ shifts, jobs, and tasks.
It doesn’t matter if you’re distributing shifts to employees or booking clients. A scheduling program can stop scheduling from taking up hours of your day-to-day.
Scheduling programs vary in both their pricing and capabilities. The question is: which solution is the best fit for your business model?
For example, do you need this kind of software to schedule meetings with team members? Do you need payment software integrations or time-tracking capabilities? Do you need to send out reminders to clients?
The following list answers all these questions, and much more. Check out what each scheduling program includes so you can make the best-informed decision for your scheduling needs.
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Our Top Picks
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Best all-in-one scheduling program
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Good for remote teams
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Good for healthcare workers
What to Look For in a Scheduling Program
When choosing your ideal scheduling program, there are some key features and qualities to look out for. These are:
- Relevant scheduling features: Your scheduling program should include all the scheduling features you need. These could be for setting appointments with clients, scheduling meetings with groups, or scheduling employees for specific jobs and shifts.
- Ease of use: You should have a scheduling program with visually attractive tools that both managers and employees can easily use.
- Employee collaboration: The more interactive your schedules are, the better prepared your business will be. Users should be able to add comments and confirm availability.
- Third-party integrations: Your scheduling program should be able to integrate with software solutions that handle other areas of business. These include payroll software and internal communication apps, amongst others.
- Scalability: Your scheduling program should provide only what you need at this stage of your business’s journey. As you grow, the software should grow with you, so you can upgrade to plans with more advanced capabilities.
With this information in mind, let’s take a look at the best scheduling programs that include these features and qualities, including other employee management features that could positively impact your business.
The 8 Best Scheduling Programs of 2023
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Connecteam — Best all-in-one scheduling program
Connecteam is an all-in-one online scheduling program that ensures both you and your employees alike are always aware of when and where they are working, saving you time, stress and money in the process.
- You’ll have 100% shift coverage with easy planning, allocating and monitoring of your employees’ work schedules in just a few clicks. You’ll even be able to send automatic and push notification alerts and reminders to keep employees in the loop, especially if things change.
- With just a couple of clicks, you’ll save so much time and effort. Create various types of shifts – including ongoing shifts, recurring shifts, and even templates.
- The app’s online time clock automatically syncs with your schedule, allowing your employees to easily clock in and out directly from their shift at just the click of a button!
- Enjoy much more efficient and seamless team communication, especially when it comes to shift scheduling. Employees can chat directly with you from their shift schedule, in order to ask questions and clear up anything shift-related.
- Employees have easy access to all of their required shift information, including dates, times, locations, important documents, read-and-sign forms, and even attachments like images and videos.
- Employees can accept, reject and claim shifts depending on availability. That massively cuts down your time on chasing people and reorganizing the entire schedule whenever something changes!
Gone are the days of creating shifts with pen and paper (and then having to redo these every time edits are needed!). No longer do you need to chase your employees via call, text and email. And your employees can access their schedule information and updates wherever they are, at any time. It’s the holistic, connected solution your business has been searching for.
Connecteam is the ultimate online scheduling program for businesses (small, medium and large), deskless workers and remote teams, to name a few. Businesses from over 90 industries benefit from this all-in-online app – including security, cleaning, construction, hospitality, retail, and homecare.
Did You Know?Connecteam integrates with Google Calendar so your employees can transfer their shifts right from the app into their personal calendars on their phones.
Key Features
Real-time scheduling overview
Create, drag & drop templates
Recurring, ongoing and duplicate shifts
Open shift claiming
Intuitive scheduler
Internal chat, updates & employee directory
Pros
All-in-one scheduling program
Easy to use
Quickly access all schedule information
Easily schedule all employees
Cons
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 -
Wrike — Good for remote teams
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Wrike is an online scheduling program that allows managers to easily customize schedules and for employees to quickly access. This app makes it simple for employees to request vacations, sick leave and PTO. It’s easy to see when and where workers are supposed to clock in and out and they can easily set their availability. It integrates well with apps such as MediaValet and Gmail, making this all sound like a top choice… but if you’re looking for a cheap or even a free scheduling program, this is not the solution for you.
Wrike is an ideal scheduling program solution for businesses of all sizes, and especially teams with 20 employees or more. Remote teams will also benefit from its features.
Learn more about WrikeKey Features
- Calendar management
- Real-time chat
- Create shift templates
- Employee directory
Pros
- Easy to use
- Quick to set up
Cons
- Expensive online scheduling program
- Poor customer service
Pricing
Starts at $9.80/user/month, for 2-25 users Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes
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Humanity — Good for healthcare workers
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Humanity is a scheduling program that makes it easy for managers to check their employee’s availability (reducing absenteeism in the workplace) and to manage their schedules. They can also manage overtime and employees can trade shifts, directly from their phone, and even chat about it due to the team communication feature. Humanity integrates with many apps, including QuickBooks and Oracle.
Humanity is an ideal healthcare staff scheduling software solution. It is also used by companies of various sizes, from other industries such as hospitality and transportation.
Learn more about HumanityKey Features
- Drag & drop shift templates
- Manage attendance and availability
- Internal messaging
- Shift notifications and reminders
Pros
- Attractive and easy to use
Cons
- Shift trading is prone to crashes
- Settings can be overwhelming
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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7shifts — Good for restaurant managers
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
An employee scheduling software that improves multiple areas of shift-making, 7shifts helps managers with employee availability and time tracking, amongst other things. Edit and monitor shift schedules on the go and easily access schedules from the safety of a mobile device.
7shifts is an effective employee scheduling software for businesses that involve shift-based work. It is specifically designed for restaurant owners to make shift scheduling more efficient (especially important when it comes to preventing expensive payroll mistakes).
Learn more about 7shiftsKey Features
- Notifications and reminders
- Automated scheduling
- Employee database
- Group scheduling
Pros
- Good customer service
- Easy to use
Cons
- Slow loading times
- Unable to show shifts across departments
Pricing
Starts at $29.99/month/location, up to 30 employees Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — Up to 1 location & 30 employees
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Paycor — Good for retail stores
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Paycor scheduling is a useful employee scheduling software that helps owners save money and increase workplace productivity. They can accept sick leave, vacation and PTO from workers, create shift templates and get useful shift hour insights from the app’s reporting feature.
Paycor is a useful scheduling tool from SMBs and large enterprises. It is also an ideal for scheduling retail staff, manufacturers and healthcare workers.
Learn more about PaycorKey Features
- Automated scheduling
- Automated reporting forecasts expenses
- Set real-time availability updates
- Manage PTO
Pros
- Quick training
- Easy to use
Cons
- Poor customer service
- Lack of pricing transparency
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Google Calendar — Good for freelancers
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
While other schedule maker apps on this list are specifically designed to help managers schedule shifts more efficiently, Google Calendar still qualifies as an effective online scheduling program. Managers can easily create employee shift calendars, add events and reminders and share with their team. Users can also view their schedules in various formats (daily, weekly, monthly and yearly).
Google Calendar is a useful scheduling program for remote employees, freelancers, companies and even households. It works especially well for businesses where scheduling meetings is a big part of daily operations.
Learn more about Google CalendarKey Features
- Task management options
- Event reminders
- Address book
- Sync with contacts/events
Pros
- Calendar easily shareable with other users
- Compatible with iOS and Android
Cons
- Not user-friendly
- Limited integrations with other calendars
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: Yes
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Skedulo — Good for security guards
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Skedulo makes scheduling more efficient, and helps employees get to the right location at the right times. Managers can dispatch shifts with SMS and push notifications and manage their teams’ availability and various kinds of leave (sick, vacation, paid time off, etc). Skedulo also allows managers to collaborate with members of all departments in real-time.
Skedulo is used by security guards, healthcare companies, real estate agents, nonprofit organizations and large enterprises. It is also a popular scheduling option for deskless workers and frontline workers.
Learn more about SkeduloKey Features
- Customizable schedules
- Shift reminders and notifications
- Availability management
- Data & productivity tracker
Pros
- Attractive and easy to use
- Integrates with multiple apps
Cons
- Pricing lacks transparency
- Poor customer service
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Homebase — Good for hospitality businesses
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Homebase has a range of useful staff scheduling features, allowing managers to stay organized from all devices, stay on top of employee availability and track time off. Some of the most relevant features include its drag & drop tool, shift trading, and automated scheduling. Homebase can be integrated with various solutions such as Toast, Clover, Square and Upserve, to name a few.
Homebase is an ideal app for small business owners, especially for those companies in the retail and hospitality industries.
Learn more about HomebaseKey Features
- Drag & drop tool
- Shift trading
- Schedule templates
- Overtime notifications
Pros
- Track employee hours easily
- Easy to use
Cons
- Setting availability can be complicated
- Takes time to train employees
Pricing
Starts at $20/location/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For a single location & up to 20 employees
Compare the Best Scheduling Programs
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Start for free
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| Reviews |
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| Pricing |
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
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Starts at $9.80/user/month, for 2-25 users
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Contact vendor for price
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Starts at $29.99/month/location, up to 30 employees
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Contact vendor for price
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Contact vendor for price
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Contact vendor for price
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Starts at $20/location/month
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| Free Trial |
yes
14-day
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yes
14-day
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yes
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yes
14-day
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no
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no
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no
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yes
14-day
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| Free Plan |
yes
Free Up to 10 users
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yes
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no
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yes
Up to 1 location & 30 employees
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no
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yes
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no
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yes
For a single location & up to 20 employees
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What are scheduling programs?
A scheduling program is a type of software that helps companies build schedules for their employees, distribute shifts, as well as manage appointments, tasks, and bookings. Typically speaking, these solutions include time tracking capabilities, integrations with other employee management software, cloud backups, and more.
Scheduling programs help to automate the scheduling process, while also managing other areas of business such as online payment management, booking cancellations, and internal communication, among others.
How does a scheduling program work?
Scheduling programs allow admins to create schedules for any purpose, typically in a calendar view. Through this format, admins can click on their date and time of choice, and fill in the details of their scheduled appointment, shift, meeting, or any other event. Also, these programs usually allow admins to intuitively move events around in a drag-and-drop motion.
Scheduling programs can be both web-based and mobile-based. Meaning that admins can create their schedules from desktop and users can access their schedules from desktop or mobile, making schedules easy to manage from any location.
The benefits of scheduling programs
There are many benefits that come with using a scheduling program for business matters. Such as:
- It improves collaboration and reduces conflicts: Scheduling programs put all calendars and schedules in one centralized place, where admins and users can make changes in real time, to keep all parties on the same page. With this type of software, users can collaborate better (and from any place) to ensure that scheduling conflicts are kept to a minimum.
- It boosts productivity: Managers and employees alike can waste a lot of time simply making sure that their schedules are taken care of. With a scheduling program, you eliminate the need for late-night, last-minute phone calls, and the need to completely rewrite paper-based schedules. This means that everyone in the business can spend more time on their actual jobs, boosting productivity in the process.
- It prevents miscommunication: With scheduling programs, you can instantly notify employees about any last-minute changes to the calendar. This prevents the likelihood of two employees showing up for the same shift, or no one showing up to a shift at all.
How much do scheduling programs cost?
Many scheduling programs provide a free trial or plan that offers a limited range of features and capabilities. With that said, they may also include more expensive plans that offer more advanced features to help you scale your business.
One of the cheaper options on this list is Humanity. While it does include a free trial and plan, its starter plan costs $3.50 per user/month, albeit with a minimum required payment of $100 per month.
Other solutions on this list are more expensive and can be priced by location. An example of this is 7Shifts, whose Appetizer plan costs $19.99 per location/month for up to 20 employees.
We recommend choosing a scheduling program with the most affordable pricing and the widest range of features. Connecteam ticks both of these boxes and provides rich value for businesses with a Basic pricing plan of just $29 per month for the first 30 users.
FAQs
Will an online scheduling program take up storage space on my employees' phones?
Many online scheduling programs use cloud-based technology to use up minimal storage space on users’ devices. Unlike other apps that save information, using up tons of memory and wasting huge amounts of data in the process, Connecteam continues to run quickly and barely affects storage on phones and desktops.
Are there free schedling programs?
As you can see from many of the listed examples, there are plenty of free business tools available to schedule your team. Connecteam happens to be the most effective free option on the market. And here’s why. After the 14-day free trial is over, users have the option to either use Connecteam’s free plan or subscribe to one of the premium plans. The free plan doesn’t include all of the features experienced in the free trial, but it’s still an option worth considering.
What does an employee scheduling program do?
An employee scheduling program allows business owners and managers to easily create schedules, manage them and add multiple employees to them depending on their needs. Connecteam is an ideal employee scheduling program that saves business owners time and money, while also giving employees all of the information they need in one place.
The Bottom Line On Scheduling Program
We are confident that at least one of these online scheduling programs is going to tick the boxes that meet your company’s needs. Whether you already use a scheduling program (but it’s too expensive), or you have been manually creating schedules and are considering going digital, one of these scheduling programs is bound to solve your problems either way.
As previously mentioned, we believe that Connecteam is the very best option on this list, and for a variety of reasons. This all-in-one scheduling program is the logical alternative to pen and paper planning, eradicating needless scheduling problems and errors in the process. Going back and forth with employees about availability will be a long distant memory.
Also, Connecteam boasts many other essential features for your business, improving time management, task management and internal communication in the process.
Before you make your choice, we recommend that you play around with some of these scheduling programs. If they have a free trial, try them out. This will help you narrow down the very best candidates for your business.