Restaurant payroll coordination
Best scheduling apps for restaurants (2026)
By Dan MurphyUpdated 4 min read
What is the best scheduling app for a restaurant?
7shifts and HotSchedules are built specifically for restaurants. Homebase, Sling by Toast and When I Work are simpler and suit small teams. Deputy adds predictive-scheduling compliance, and SpotOn and TouchBistro schedule inside their own POS. Choose by your POS first, then by team size and whether predictive scheduling laws apply to you.
A restaurant schedule decides labor cost, and it also decides whether staff stay. In 7shifts' 2026 worker survey, 75% of restaurant staff wanted one to two weeks' schedule notice. These are the scheduling apps restaurants most often choose between.
How we chose
- Scheduling apps currently sold to restaurants, checked on their own sites.
- How each one connects to your POS and payroll, as the vendor states it.
- No pricing or ratings. Most price per location or per user, so compare on your own headcount.
The list at a glance
| # | Name | Type | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7shifts | Restaurant-only scheduling | Restaurants of any size |
| 2 | Homebase | Small-business scheduling | Small independents |
| 3 | Sling by Toast | Scheduling app | Toast and other POS users |
| 4 | When I Work | General shift scheduling | Small hourly teams |
| 5 | HotSchedules (Fourth) | Enterprise restaurant scheduling | Multi-unit and enterprise |
| 6 | Deputy | Scheduling and workforce management | Multi-site hospitality |
| 7 | SpotOn Teamwork | POS-linked scheduling | SpotOn POS users |
| 8 | TouchBistro Labor Management | POS-linked scheduling | TouchBistro POS users |
1.7shifts
Restaurant-only scheduling · Restaurants of any size
Scheduling built only for restaurants, connected to leading POS and payroll providers including Toast, with tip and payroll tools on higher plans.
Best for: restaurant operators who want scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll to come from one vendor over time.
Worth knowing: tip and payroll features are only on the higher plans.
2.Homebase
Small-business scheduling · Small independents
Scheduling that can use real-time sales data from your POS, with integrations for Square, Clover, Shopify and QuickBooks.
Best for: small independents starting out with scheduling software.
Worth knowing: the more useful features are in the paid tiers.
3.Sling by Toast
Scheduling app · Toast and other POS users
A scheduling app now owned by Toast, with integrations for Toast, Square, Shopify and other POS systems.
Best for: Toast restaurants and budget-minded teams.
Worth knowing: being part of Toast may shape where the product goes next if you use a different POS.
4.When I Work
General shift scheduling · Small hourly teams
Shift scheduling for hourly teams with a restaurant offer, including open shifts that staff can pick up to cover gaps.
Best for: simple scheduling for a small team.
Worth knowing: not restaurant-only, and its site describes no tip tools.
5.HotSchedules (Fourth)
Enterprise restaurant scheduling · Multi-unit and enterprise
Long-standing restaurant scheduling, now part of Fourth, that builds schedules from sales and labor data and integrates with POS systems such as Toast, PAR, Oracle Micros and NCR Aloha.
Best for: multi-unit and enterprise operators.
Worth knowing: positioned for enterprise, so more than a single independent needs.
6.Deputy
Scheduling and workforce management · Multi-site hospitality
Scheduling with demand forecasting and predictive-scheduling compliance tools for rules such as Fair Workweek.
Best for: multi-site operators in cities with predictive scheduling laws.
Worth knowing: it serves many industries, so restaurant-specific features are thinner.
7.SpotOn Teamwork
POS-linked scheduling · SpotOn POS users
Scheduling and labor tools that connect directly to SpotOn's restaurant POS.
Best for: restaurants on SpotOn POS.
Worth knowing: it is designed around SpotOn's POS.
8.TouchBistro Labor Management
POS-linked scheduling · TouchBistro POS users
Scheduling that draws sales, guest and shift data from the TouchBistro POS through the day.
Best for: restaurants on TouchBistro POS.
Worth knowing: designed for TouchBistro users.
How to choose
If your POS offers its own scheduling, try that first. Otherwise, pick 7shifts or HotSchedules for restaurant depth, Homebase or When I Work for simplicity, or Deputy if predictive scheduling laws apply to you.
Whichever you use, the timecards it produces feed payroll. The payroll approval checklist covers what to check before they do.
Where to go next
- Best tip pooling and tip payout tools: often bought alongside scheduling
- Best ways to reduce restaurant turnover: why schedule notice matters
- Restaurant payroll coordination: turning timecards into an approved run
Keep reading
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Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel.