1. clockin – the strongest combination for mobile teams
Anyone running a business where employees have different assignments every day – whether in care, in retail, in hospitality or in care – knows the problem: the schedule is set, but who is off sick, on vacation or double-booked often only comes to light at the last moment.
This is exactly where clockin comes in. Workforce scheduling shows at a glance who is actually available on which day. Absences, vacation requests and sick leave notifications feed into the plan automatically. Shifts can be filled by drag & drop, and the system warns you automatically about conflicts before the wrong person is scheduled.
What sets clockin apart from simple workforce scheduling tools: the plan is linked directly to time tracking, the employee app and documentation. Employees see their personal schedule in the app, receive push notifications when something changes and no longer have to wait for WhatsApp messages. If you run several locations or branches, you can plan them separately and still keep the full picture.
The key features:
- Scheduling by drag & drop, including automatic warnings about double bookings or exceeded hours
- Absences and vacation feed into the plan automatically
- Employee app with a personal schedule and push notifications
- Planned vs. actual comparison between the scheduled and the actual assignment
- Several locations and areas can be planned separately
Price: time tracking from €3.59/user/month; shift planning as an ad-on from €24/month.
Suitable for: businesses with mobile or changing teams – care, retail, hospitality, commercial cleaning, services and every other industry where not all employees sit at a desk.
Workforce scheduling with clockin
Who, when, where – always in view
With clockin you plan your workforce digitally: fill shifts, allow for absences and keep your team informed via app – all in one system.
- Absences & vacation built into the plan automatically
- Push notifications when the plan changes
- Planned vs. actual comparison with time tracking
What customers say
2. Aplano – a cheap way in, with limitations
Aplano is a cloud-based solution for shift scheduling and time tracking. The entry price is low. If you need vacation, shift swaps, templates or automatic shift scheduling, though, you quickly end up on a higher plan. It is therefore worth checking the right price plan closely before you start.
The key features:
- Shifts by drag & drop
- Employee app
- Vacation and absences on higher plans
- Shift swaps
- Automatic shift scheduling on the Pro plan
Price: from €0.50/employee/month.
Suitable for: small to mid-sized companies with simple planning needs.
3. gastromatic – specialised in hospitality
gastromatic is clearly aimed at restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels. The tool supports businesses with a lot of part-time staff, changing shifts and seasonal swings – the typical challenges of the industry.
The key features:
- Shift scheduling with team sharing
- On-site time tracking via tablet
- Employee app
- Digital employee file
- Advanced hospitality features on higher plans
Price: from €6.96/employee/month.
Suitable for: hospitality, the hotel industry and businesses with typical hospitality shift patterns.
4. Shiftbase – shifts, hours and costs at a glance
Shiftbase combines shift scheduling, time tracking and team administration. If you want to keep an eye on availability and labour costs alongside shift planning, you will find a solid tool here. For small teams there is a permanently free plan.
The key features:
- Shifts by drag & drop
- Digital time tracking
- Availability requests
- Shift swaps
- Cost control while planning
- Planning warnings when there are conflicts
Price: free plan for up to 15 users; Basic from €30/month for 6 users, each additional user €4/month.
Suitable for: SMEs with regular shift work.
5. Ordio – location logic instead of mental arithmetic
Ordio does not bill per employee but per location. That can pay off quickly with larger teams at one site. Alongside shift planning, the tool also offers employee files, document management and vacation planning.
The key features:
- Location-based shift planning
- Digital employee file
- Absence planning
- Employee app
- Time tracking and checklists depending on the plan
Price: from €89/location/month with annual billing
Suitable for: multi-branch businesses, hospitality, retail and service providers with a lot of part-time staff.
6. Papershift – modular, from time tracking to shift scheduling
Papershift is built in modules: the cheapest plan covers time tracking and vacation planning. Shift scheduling only comes with the next package up. If you have more complex requirements, the Professional package also includes automatic planning.
The key features:
- Time tracking via app, tablet or browser
- Vacation planning
- Digital employee file
- Shift scheduling from the higher packages
- Automatic planning in the Professional package
Price: shift scheduling from €6/employee/month.
Suitable for: growing teams that want to digitalise time tracking and shift scheduling step by step.
7. Crewmeister – shift scheduling and time tracking for small teams
Crewmeister combines digital shift scheduling with time tracking and vacation planning. The shift planner is linked directly to time tracking, so planned shifts and hours actually worked can be compared side by side.
The key features:
- Online shift planner for PC, tablet and smartphone
- Digital time tracking with a shift schedule comparison
- Vacation planning
- Employee app
- Planned vs. actual comparison
Price: from €1.05/user/month, vacation planner from €1.40/user/month; Pro package from €2.10/user/month.
Suitable for: small companies, hospitality and the skilled trades.
Conclusion: which tool suits which business?
The market is broad – from lean shift scheduling apps to integrated operating systems for mobile teams. The decisive question is not which tool has the most features, but which one fits your own day-to-day work.
Businesses whose employees work at different sites every day need more than a digital shift schedule. When shifts, working hours and job documentation do not come together, the result is follow-up questions, disconnected systems and extra work in the office. For these businesses, clockin offers the most comprehensive approach: planning, time tracking, documentation and team communication in one system.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for simple shift planning for a small team with fixed working hours, cheaper solutions such as Crewmeister or Aplano will serve you well. Hospitality businesses will find a tool tailored to their industry in gastromatic.
In the end, one thing holds: a good tool saves time when planning and makes sure everyone on the team knows when they are needed and where.
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