Yes, for up to 10 users. The Small Business plan includes basic versions of all three hubs (Operations, Communications, HR). But key features like geofencing, advanced reporting, and custom forms require paid plans starting at $29/month.
If you only need scheduling and time tracking (Operations Hub, Basic), it's $29/month. But most teams also want chat and HR features. All three hubs at Basic cost $87/month. At Advanced, $147/month. That's $1,764/year before you even add extra users beyond 30.
The most common complaints from real users: hub-based pricing that adds up fast, limited offline functionality for field workers, admin backend complexity, and fewer native integrations than competitors like Deputy or When I Work.
The free plan works for under 10 users. Between 10-30 users, the $29/month flat fee per hub means you're paying $2.90-5.80 per user for Operations alone. Focused tools like Turnozo Essential/Pro can be cheaper at this size; Homebase Basic is free only for one location with up to 10 employees.
Yes. GPS location stamps on every clock-in/out, plus geofencing on the Advanced plan ($49/month for first 30 users). Basic plan includes GPS stamps but not geofencing.
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Connecteam has over 36,000 companies using it. It shows up in almost every "best scheduling app" list. And there's a reason: it genuinely tries to be everything in one app. Scheduling, time tracking, chat, forms, courses, HR documents, recognition. All mobile-first.
But "everything in one app" comes with a pricing model that catches people off guard.
Connecteam splits its features into three separate hubs. Operations (scheduling + time tracking), Communications (chat + updates), and HR (time off + training). Each hub has its own price. Want all three? You're paying three times.
This review covers what Connecteam actually does well, where it falls short, what it really costs, and who should (and shouldn't) use it.
Connecteam vs Alternatives: Annual Cost
See what you'd actually pay across Connecteam's plans and how it compares.
Turnozo (Essential + Pro)Best value
$897/year
Save $147 vs most expensive
Connecteam Free (max 10 users)
$348
Connecteam (3 hubs)
$1,044
Connecteam 3 Hubs Basic ($87/mo)Most expensive
$1,044
At 25 employees, Connecteam Operations Basic costs $29/mo regardless of team size. That's $13.92/user/year. Turnozo Pro costs €2.99/employee/month from employee 11 or the second location, billed across the whole workforce with every feature included.
Connecteam homepage showing the all-in-one employee app for deskless teams
The mobile app is genuinely good. 4.8 stars on iOS with over 36,000 ratings. Employees who've never used scheduling software before can clock in, check shifts, and message their team without training. For deskless teams where the phone is the primary device, this matters more than anything.
GPS time tracking is solid. Every clock-in gets stamped with GPS coordinates. Managers see a real-time map of where everyone is. On the Advanced plan, you get geofencing that automatically prompts clock-in when employees arrive at a location. This is arguably Connecteam's strongest feature.
The free plan is real. Up to 10 users get basic versions of all three hubs. That's scheduling, time tracking, chat, and HR features for free. Not a 14-day trial. Actual free. For a team of 6-8, it's a genuinely useful starting point.
Forms and checklists fill a real gap. Opening procedures, safety checks, inspection reports. You build them in the app and attach them to shifts. Most scheduling tools ignore this entirely. If your team needs to complete daily checklists, Connecteam handles it without a separate tool.
Communication is built in. Team chat, company feed, surveys, event announcements. No more WhatsApp groups where work messages get buried between memes. For distributed teams that don't share an office, this replaces 2-3 separate tools.
One cleaning company owner on Reddit summed it up: "Connecteam was great for getting everyone on the same page. Clock-ins, checklists, messaging. My team actually uses it."
Where Connecteam falls short
Hub-based pricing adds up fast. This is the biggest issue. Most teams need more than one hub. Scheduling alone (Operations) costs $29/month. Add chat (Communications) and time-off tracking (HR) and you're at $87/month on Basic alone. It looks affordable per hub until you realize you need two or three of them.
One G2 reviewer put it bluntly: "We thought we were getting one product, but ended up needing to buy three hubs." Another on Capterra noted that "the cost does increase quite rapidly when catering to larger organisations."
Admin setup is complex. The backend has a lot of options. Great for 200-person companies with dedicated HR. Overwhelming for a restaurant owner who just wants to post next week's shifts. As one G2 user wrote: "Setting up the admin side was painful. The employee app is easy, but configuring everything behind the scenes took way longer than expected."
Cancellation can be messy. On r/Connecteam, one user described being told they were downgraded to the free plan, then continuing to get billed multiple times. They had to go through the cancellation process repeatedly with no guaranteed refund.
Limited offline functionality. Field workers on construction sites, delivery drivers in areas with poor reception, cleaning crews in basements. If the app needs internet to function, those workers can't clock in reliably. Competitors like Deputy handle offline clock-ins better.
Fewer native integrations. Connecteam connects to some payroll tools (Gusto, Xero, QuickBooks) but the list is shorter than When I Work or Deputy. No POS integrations. If you need your scheduling data to flow into other business tools, check the integration list before committing.
The 10-user free cap is limiting. Sling gives you 30 free users for scheduling. Homebase Basic also stops at 10 employees at one location. Connecteam's 10-user limit means most growing teams hit the paywall quickly.
Pricing breakdown
Connecteam pricing page showing hub-based plans
Operations Hub (Scheduling + Time Tracking)
Basic
Advanced
Expert
Monthly (annual billing)
$29/mo
$49/mo
$99/mo
Extra users (beyond 30)
$0.80/user
$2.50/user
$4.20/user
Scheduling
Basic + open shifts
Templates + repeating
Auto-assign + 12 schedules
Time clock
Single, GPS stamps
Up to 3, geofencing (10 sites)
Up to 6, unlimited geofencing
Forms/checklists
Unlimited
Conditional fields
Auto-reports
Payroll integration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Communications Hub
Basic
Advanced
Expert
Monthly (annual billing)
$29/mo
$49/mo
$99/mo
Extra users (beyond 30)
$0.50/user
$1.50/user
$3.00/user
HR & Skills Hub
Basic
Advanced
Expert
Monthly (annual billing)
$29/mo
$49/mo
$99/mo
Extra users (beyond 30)
$0.50/user
$1.50/user
$3.00/user
What you'll actually pay
Here's the math nobody shows you. A 25-person team that wants scheduling, chat, and time-off management:
Combo
Monthly
Annual
Operations Basic only
$29
$348
Ops + Comms (both Basic)
$58
$696
All 3 hubs (Basic)
$87
$1,044
All 3 hubs (Advanced)
$147
$1,764
All 3 hubs (Expert)
$297
$3,564
Compare that to per-user pricing: Turnozo Pro for 25 employees costs €897/year with every feature included. No hubs.
Teams of 20-50+ employees where the flat-fee model becomes cost-effective
Deskless teams that need communication, scheduling, and HR in one app
Businesses that rely heavily on forms, checklists, and compliance documentation
Companies willing to invest time in setup for a feature-rich platform
Teams already on the free plan that genuinely use all three hubs
Not a good fit:
Small teams under 15 where per-user pricing makes more sense
Businesses that only need scheduling and time tracking (one hub isn't worth the complexity)
Teams needing strong offline support for field workers
Restaurants or retail shops that need POS integrations
Budget-conscious teams that don't want to pay for three separate subscriptions
How Connecteam compares to Turnozo
Connecteam (Ops Basic)
Turnozo
Price (25 employees)
$29/mo flat
€74.75/mo Pro (€2.99/employee)
Price (10 employees)
$29/mo ($2.90/user)
€9.99/month Essential
Time tracking
Yes
Yes
GPS clock-in
Yes
Yes
Geofencing
Advanced plan ($49/mo)
Included
Scheduling
Yes
Yes
Shift swaps
Yes
Yes
Team messaging
Separate hub ($29/mo+)
No (use WhatsApp/Slack)
Forms/checklists
Yes
No
Essential/Pro split
No (3 separate hubs)
Essential includes every feature
Free plan
10 users
No
Connecteam wins on breadth. If you need chat, forms, courses, and HR docs alongside scheduling, it's genuinely hard to beat as an all-in-one platform. The per-user math works in Connecteam's favor once you're past 25-30 employees using multiple hubs.
Turnozo wins on simplicity and cost for teams that need scheduling and time tracking without the extras. No hub decisions. Essential is €9.99/month for up to 10 employees and one location (centro), with every feature included. Pro keeps the same feature set for larger teams.
Switching from Connecteam?
If you're already on Connecteam and the hub pricing isn't working out, here's what to look for in a replacement:
Export your data first. Download timesheets, schedules, and employee records before you cancel. Connecteam lets you export time tracking data to CSV from the admin dashboard.
Check your billing cycle. Connecteam bills annually by default. If you're mid-contract, check whether you can downgrade to the free plan (10 users) while you transition rather than paying for unused months.
What to prioritize in an alternative:
Per-user pricing (no hub surprises)
The specific features you actually used (most teams only used 2-3 Connecteam features regularly)
Mobile app quality (your team is already used to clocking in from their phone)
Simpler admin setup (if Connecteam's backend was overkill for you)
The bottom line
Connecteam is a powerful platform. The mobile app is excellent, the feature set is broad, and for teams of 30+ employees who genuinely use scheduling, communication, and HR features, the hub pricing can actually work out cheaper than buying three separate tools.
But for smaller teams? The math doesn't always add up. A 10-person restaurant paying $29/month just for scheduling when per-user tools start at $15-25/month for the same team. A team that only needs two features but has to buy the whole hub. An owner who spends hours setting up a platform their 8-person crew finds overwhelming.
Know what you actually need before you sign up. If you need one thing done well (scheduling + time tracking), a focused tool might serve you better. If you genuinely need the whole suite, Connecteam delivers.
