8 Best Sling Scheduling Alternatives (2026)
Outgrowing Sling's free plan or frustrated with sync delays? Compare 8 Sling alternatives honestly, from free tiers to verified time clocks and clear pricing.
Diego Cárdenas
Founder of Turnozo
In this article
Sling gets a lot of things right. The free plan is generous (up to 30 users), the scheduling interface is clean, and for a small team that only needs to build and share a weekly schedule, it works. (I cover the full picture in my Sling review.)
But there's a pattern in the complaints.
The mobile app shows different shift data than the desktop version. Notifications arrive late or not at all. A 2024 update silently changed how shift swap requests work, and admins who used to approve time-off requests suddenly couldn't see them. If you're on the free plan and hit 30 users, the jump to paid kicks in with no middle ground.
If you've already decided to leave, follow the Sling cancellation steps before rebuilding your schedule elsewhere; downgrading and deleting are not the same thing.
If any of that sounds familiar, here are 8 alternatives worth considering. I build Turnozo, so I'm biased. I'll be upfront about where each competitor does something better than us.
Real Cost: Scheduling + Time Tracking
Annual USD comparison for equivalent features. Turnozo's EUR prices are converted at €1=$1.14; other prices are listed in USD.
Save $177 vs most expensive
Compare the converted annual totals for 25 employees, then check which plan includes the features your team needs.
Compare simpler scheduling optionsWhat to look for when switching from Sling
Before comparing tools, think about what actually pushed you to look elsewhere. Common reasons:
Mobile reliability. If you've dealt with sync issues between Sling's desktop and mobile apps, prioritize tools with a reputation for solid mobile experiences. Your staff shouldn't have to refresh the app three times to see updated shifts.
Time tracking included. Sling's free plan doesn't include time tracking. If that's a feature you need, look for tools that bundle scheduling and time tracking without charging extra for each.
Pricing structure. Sling charges per user on paid plans ($2-4/user/month). Some alternatives charge per location. The cheapest option depends on your team size and how many locations you run.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Starting price | Free plan | Time tracking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnozo | €9.99/mo or €2.99/active employee/mo | Paid after 14-day Pro trial | Yes (GPS) | Small teams wanting simplicity |
| Homebase | $30/location/mo | Yes (1 location, 10 employees) | Yes | Single-location businesses |
| Buddy Punch | $5.99/user/mo + $19 base; scheduling +$1/user/mo | No (14-day trial, no card) | Yes (GPS) | Field teams needing verified punches |
| When I Work | $2.50/user/mo | No | Yes (add-on) | Multi-location teams |
| Connecteam | $29/mo (min) | Yes (10 users) | Yes | Teams needing comms tools |
| Deputy | $5/user/mo annual Lite | No | Yes | Businesses with complex compliance |
| 7shifts | $44.99/location/mo | Yes (1 location, 15 employees) | Yes | Restaurants specifically |
| Planday | £2.99/user/mo (5-user minimum) | No (30-day trial, no card) | Yes | European teams |
1. Turnozo
Price: Essential is €9.99/month for up to 10 employees and one location, with every feature included. Pro is €2.99/active employee/month from employee 11 or the second location, billed across the whole workforce. Prices exclude VAT. The 14-day Pro trial requires no card.
Turnozo was built for small teams that want scheduling, time tracking, and availability management without the complexity. You drag shifts onto a weekly calendar, employees see them on their phone, and you're done.
Where it beats Sling:
- Time tracking with GPS is included at the base price (Sling charges $2/user extra for it)
- One flat price for everything. No Premium vs. Business confusion
- Geofencing ensures employees clock in from the right location
- Availability management is built in, not a workaround
Where Sling beats Turnozo:
- Sling has a permanent free plan for up to 30 users. Turnozo is paid after its 14-day Pro trial
- Sling has built-in messaging and a news feed. Turnozo sticks to scheduling
- Sling has labor cost tracking on paid plans
Best for: Teams of 5-50 that need scheduling + time tracking in one tool without paying per feature.
2. Homebase
Price: Free for 1 location with up to 10 employees. Paid plans start at $30/location/month, or $24 on annual billing.
Homebase is a single-location option. The free plan includes scheduling and basic time tracking up to 10 employees, then paid plans charge per location.
Where it beats Sling:
- Free plan includes time tracking (Sling's doesn't)
- Hiring and onboarding tools built in
- Better integration ecosystem (POS systems, payroll)
Where Sling beats Homebase:
- Sling's free plan covers 30 users. Homebase free covers 10 employees at 1 location
- Per-user pricing on Sling's paid plans can be cheaper for large single-location teams
Watch out for: Cancellation headaches. Multiple Reddit threads describe being billed months after requesting cancellation. If you're trying to leave, see our step-by-step guide to cancelling Homebase.
Best for: Single-location businesses (restaurants, retail, cafes) with 10 or fewer employees if they want the free plan.
3. Buddy Punch
Price: Starter is $5.99/user/month plus a $19 base fee on monthly billing. Employee Scheduling adds $1/user/month on Starter, so a scheduling setup starts at $6.99/user/month plus the base fee. The 14-day free trial requires no credit card.
Buddy Punch approaches scheduling from the time-clock side. It combines drag-and-drop shifts, reusable templates, recurring schedules, availability, and shift-cover requests with mobile, browser, and kiosk punching.
Where it beats Sling:
- More ways to verify a punch, including GPS, photos, facial recognition, geofencing, and QR codes
- Job and location tracking can connect worked hours to specific projects or sites
- Optional payroll keeps time data and W-2 or 1099 processing in the same system
Where Sling beats Buddy Punch:
- Sling's free plan covers up to 30 users. Buddy Punch is paid after its trial
- Sling's paid scheduling starts at a lower per-user price and has no monthly base fee
- Sling includes scheduling in its free and paid plans. Buddy Punch charges $1/user/month for the Starter scheduling add-on
- Sling includes team messaging, while Buddy Punch focuses on time tracking, scheduling, and payroll
Watch out for: The $19 monthly base fee. For a five-person team paying monthly, Starter works out to $9.79 per user each month, or $10.79 with scheduling, before any payroll add-on.
Best for: Field crews and multi-site hourly teams that care more about verified, GPS-stamped punches than built-in chat.
4. When I Work
Price: Starts at $2.50/user/month. Time tracking is a separate add-on.
When I Work is probably the most widely used scheduling tool after Homebase. It's reliable, the mobile app works well, and it handles multi-location scheduling without charging extra per location.
Where it beats Sling:
- More reliable mobile app (a consistent theme in reviews)
- Better multi-location support
- Larger integration ecosystem
Where Sling beats When I Work:
- Sling has a free plan. When I Work doesn't
- Sling includes messaging for free
Watch out for: The $2.50/user Essentials price is scheduling-only. With time tracking, Essentials is $4/user/month. The total cost adds up quickly for teams that need both.
Best for: Multi-location teams that prioritize mobile reliability and don't mind paying per user.
5. Connecteam
Price: Free for up to 10 users. Paid plans start at $29/month minimum per hub.
Connecteam is more than scheduling. It bundles operations, communications, and HR into one app. For small teams under 10 employees, the free plan is arguably the best free option available.
Where it beats Sling:
- Free plan includes time tracking, scheduling, and communication
- More comprehensive feature set (training, forms, checklists)
- Works offline (Sling requires an active internet connection)
Where Sling beats Connecteam:
- Sling's free plan covers 30 users. Connecteam's free plan caps at 10
- Simpler interface if you only need scheduling
- Cheaper per-user on paid plans for teams that only need scheduling
Watch out for: The hub pricing model. Operations, Communications, and HR are billed separately. A team that wants all three can easily hit $87/month before per-user charges.
Best for: Teams under 10 who want an all-in-one tool. Gets expensive fast for larger teams.
6. Deputy
Price: Lite $5/user/month annual or $5.50 monthly. Core $6.50 annual or $7.25 monthly. Pro $9 annual or $10 monthly.
Deputy is the premium option on this list. It's built for businesses with complex compliance needs (healthcare, aged care, hospitality with award interpretation). The scheduling is solid, but you're paying for the compliance layer.
Where it beats Sling:
- Advanced compliance and labor law features
- Better reporting and analytics
- Auto-scheduling suggestions based on availability and qualifications
Where Sling beats Deputy:
- Significantly cheaper ($2/user vs. Deputy Core at $6.50 annual or $7.25 monthly)
- Sling has a free plan
- Simpler for teams that don't need compliance tools
Best for: Teams in regulated industries (healthcare, aged care) where labor compliance is critical.
7. 7shifts
Price: Free for 1 location (up to 15 employees). Paid from $44.99/location/month.
7shifts is built for restaurants. If that's your industry, the feature set is hard to beat. Tip pooling, labor forecasting against sales, POS integrations with Toast/Square/Clover. It's the standard in food service.
Where it beats Sling:
- Restaurant-specific features (tip pooling, sales-to-labor)
- POS integrations
- Built-in task management for pre-shift checklists
Where Sling beats 7shifts:
- Works for any industry (7shifts is restaurant-only)
- Cheaper for multi-location operations ($2-4/user vs. $44.99/location)
- Simpler if you don't need restaurant-specific tools
Watch out for: The company laid off 19% of staff in January 2024. Product development may slow.
Best for: Restaurants. Period. If you're not in food service, look elsewhere.
8. Planday
Price: Public UK pricing starts at £2.99/user/month with a five-user minimum. Planday offers a 30-day trial with no card required.
Planday is a Danish company owned by Xero. It's popular across Europe and particularly strong in hospitality. The Xero integration makes it a natural fit for businesses already using Xero for accounting.
Where it beats Sling:
- Stronger in the European market (GDPR-compliant by design, multi-currency)
- Direct Xero integration
- Revenue forecasting against scheduled labor
Where Sling beats Planday:
- Sling has a free plan. Planday doesn't
- Sling is simpler to set up
Best for: European hospitality businesses already using Xero for accounting.
The bottom line
Sling is a solid tool. The free plan is among the most generous in the market, and for basic scheduling, it gets the job done. The issues tend to show up around mobile reliability, the jump to paid plans, and the limits of the free tier.
If you need time tracking included from day one without paying extra, Turnozo or Homebase are your best bets. If verified field punches matter more than built-in chat, Buddy Punch is the stronger fit. If you need restaurant-specific features, 7shifts is the obvious choice. If you need an all-in-one platform for under 10 employees, Connecteam's free plan is hard to beat.
The right answer depends on your team size, your industry, and what specifically isn't working with Sling.
Trying to figure out the right scheduling tool for your team? Get started with Turnozo and see if simpler scheduling is what you've been looking for. Set up takes about 10 minutes.
You might also find these useful:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Sling's free plan covers shift scheduling for up to 30 users. But it doesn't include time tracking, overtime monitoring, or labor cost tools. Those require the Premium plan at $2/user/month or Business at $4/user/month. Most teams that need more than basic scheduling end up paying.
Connecteam offers a free plan for up to 10 users, and Homebase has a free tier for one location with up to 10 employees. Turnozo is paid after its 14-day Pro trial: Essential is €9.99/month for up to 10 employees and one location, while Pro is €2.99/active employee/month from employee 11 or the second location, billed across the whole workforce. Prices exclude VAT.
The most common complaints are mobile app sync delays (shifts showing differently on phone vs desktop), the 30-user cap on the free plan, limited reporting, and a 2024 change that restricted shift swap visibility to managers only. Some admins lost the ability to see time-off requests entirely.
Sling doesn't have a direct export-to-competitor feature, but you can export your employee list and rebuild schedules in most tools within 15-20 minutes for a small team. The bigger value is usually in starting fresh with cleaner availability data.
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