15 Best Free Online Employee Schedulers in 2024

As a business owner, you want to save money and reduce overhead while making sure you have a streamlined workflow. However, if the cost of implementing an employee scheduling software worries you, then go for the best free online employee schedulers. They get the work done without breaking the bank.

The best employee scheduling solutions help with shift scheduling, staffing, labor cost management, shift swapping, schedule changes, and schedule distribution. This article lists 15 free online employee scheduling software to help you manage your teams and avoid work overload. Compare them to find the best match for your business needs.

The Great Resignation remains a concern, though it’s starting to settle down. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 11.2 million job openings on the last business day of July 2022. Hires and layoffs remained stable at 6.4 million and 5.9 million, respectively. Quits (4.2 million) were flat, as were layoffs and discharges (1.4 million).  These figures beg the question: What do employees want and what can employers do?

A joint study of Paychex and Future Workplace found that six in ten employees consider well-being benefits the key criterion when applying for a new job. This preference is significantly higher among Gen-Z (67% agree or strongly agree). Also, a third of the respondents cited financial wellness as their biggest challenge, and nearly a quarter said mental and emotional health.

Alongside well-being concern is the preference for hybrid work. Over 80% of Accenture’s polled workers prefer a hybrid work model. Companies are complying, with 63% of high-growth ones adopting a “productivity anywhere” workforce model. However, employee engagement, though important, is difficult for remote workers. Employee schedulers and collaboration platforms, therefore, help. How companies manage employee well-being, productivity anywhere, and engagement will affect retention and output.

These two major trends are not surprising, given people’s worries post-pandemic. In another study from Paychex and Future Workforce, employees worry about infecting their loved ones at home, especially with reports of COVID-19 variants. This worry is most significant among single working parents with children living at home (40%). Clearly, the best free employee scheduling online helps these employees rest assured that they can continue working while ensuring they keep their loved ones safe.

Best Free Online Employee Schedulers in 2025

1. monday.com

monday.com is an all-in-one digital workspace for teams. It syncs all information in a single, accessible location, empowering agents and team members to make data-driven decisions. The platform analyzes and displays work in a logical, intuitive way, so team members can easily track project statuses. monday.com helps schedule every member’s work and ensures everyone knows their current tasks and assignments.

This online employee scheduling frees you from manual monitoring and updating of tasks. With its user-friendly interface, you can customize automation. The software prevents manual entry errors, so you can focus on growth-driving work instead of repetitive tasks.  Plus, You can update your team or move tasks through a workflow and train them quickly as well.

monday.com

Try out monday.com with their free trial

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As a communication hub, monday.com integrates with Slack, Zoom, email, Microsoft Teams, and some other 30-plus tools. Your team can share files, feedback, and ideas, helping you assign tasks, get progress updates, and see everyone’s activities in one place.

Individuals can use monday.com for free. The vendor does offer paid options, with monthly rates for three users starting at $8 per seat. The plans increase from there based on the size of your team and the features you need. For an enterprise plan, you must speak with the seller. Here are five reasons you should get a monday.com free trial.

2. Connecteam

Connecteam is an all-in-one, user-friendly, and highly scalable personnel management solution. It includes robust time tracking and task scheduling tools. Operations, communication, and training are its three primary business functions. Modules for employee communication and scheduling, time tracking, checklists and forms, task management, and people management are among its main features.

The program offers sophisticated communication capabilities including live poll updates, pre-scheduled posts, and filesharing. These are on top of its communication tools like a team chat, direct chat, and automatic updates. Connecteam also provides an event management module for internal events like HR appointments, team meetings, and training or onboarding programs.

Connecteam

Try out Connecteam with their free trial

Connecteam’s mobile applications for Android and iOS devices provide users access anywhere, anytime. It integrates with other business solutions like Google Calendar and QuickBooks Online.

The platform is free for 50 users, and that is not time-limited. However, if you want more robust functionalities, the vendor also offers paid plans, starting at $39 a month. For an Enterprise plan, contact the vendor.

3. 7Shifts

7Shifts is a restaurant scheduling software intended to increase staff turnout, distribute work equally, and cut labor expenditures. This tool makes scheduling, employee communication, labor costs, and overtime simple. Employees can use 7Shifts to work efficiently and seek time off and trade shifts. Since this is a free employee scheduling software online, employees can access their schedules on the go.

7Shift’s instant notifications keep managers and employees informed of shift schedule updates and changes. They can submit leave requests within the system and receive instant notifications. The tool also includes in-app chat, so employees and management can chat individually or in groups. Management can send one-way or all-call messages via chat, push notification, or email.

7shifts

Try out 7shifts with their free trial

The tool also helps businesses analyze their budgets and projected expenses, helping them operate efficiently and on budget with its forecast and budget analysis. Besides, 7Shift connects with Toast POS, Breadcrumb POS, Heartland Dineware, Micros 3700, Cake, and others, allowing for extended functionalities.

Try this tool for free and continue with a free plan for a single location. The vendor offers three paid plans: Entree, The Works, and Gourmet. Price starts at $29.99 per month per location, but for Gourmet, you need to contact the vendor for a quote.

4. Homebase

Homebase is a cost-effective business platform that helps create employee schedules. It covers all shifts, allowing for accurate employee payments. This scalable software is ideal for restaurants, bars, coffee shops, gyms, spas, salons, and retail stores. The platform has time tracking to boot. Easily calculate hours, overtime, and errors.

Everything is in the cloud, so employees can access the system from their smartphones to view their schedules, shifts, and earnings, and communicate with their team. Managers can instantly approve or decline requests to trade shifts, and the schedule updates immediately.

Homebase’s app integrations streamline organization and administration. This software is compatible with many programs like payroll, POS, job boards, and analytics. It works well with Toast, Clover, Square, ADP, QuickBooks, and more.

You can try this tool for free. If you like it, then you can continue with the free Basic plan. Meanwhile, the pricing of paid plans is based on locations, not employees. Paid plans with advanced features start at $16/month.

5. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a management, collaboration, and communication software that also covers employee scheduling online, free of hassles. Simply create an account and invite co-workers to use the platform. Through Activity Stream, your team can track tasks and work together to advance the project.

Social networks, tasks and projects, CRM, document management, file sharing, calendar and planning, sales team management, email, phone, and HR management are Bitrix24’s main solutions. It works on Android, iPhone, and iPad smartphones and tablets.

Since Bitrix24 has an open API, you can easily customize and integrate it with other business solutions like Zapier, QuickBooks, Facebook, Freshbooks, Xero, Dropbox, Box, GSuite, Microsoft Office 365, Asana, Zoho, and Pipedrive.

Free plans include 12 users, online storage, and collaboration tools. There are three plans available, starting at $39 per month. Try the tool first for free to check its features.

6. Findmyshift

Findmyshift is a free online employee scheduler that creates rosters, manages shift requests, and tracks labor costs. It is easy to install and uses a web browser to manage employees, so no need for special hardware. Besides, since it is cloud-based, managers and staff can access the system from anywhere with an internet connection.

Simple drag-and-drop scheduling keeps users focused on who they’re scheduling, not how. The day before a shift, employees can receive automated reminders so they know when and where to report. They can also request, cancel, and swap shifts online, pending manager approval. Meanwhile, built-in time clocks and automated reports help with cost reporting and payroll.

Findmyshift can be set up to pay employees based on hourly rates, days of the week, employee age, and other factors. Document storage and a private built-in noticeboard are also available. The software also integrates with various business systems and applications like G Suite, Facebook, Zapier, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, and more.

After you try this tool for free, get the free Personal plan for five employees or less. For a bigger team, paid plans are available starting at $26.25 per month.

7. NCheck Bio Attendance

NCheck Bio Attendance is a time and attendance tracking software that uses biometric facial, fingerprint, and iris recognition. It prevents buddy punching and time and attendance recording and reporting errors.  It works well with fingerprint readers, iris scanners, IP cameras. This accurate, flexible software automates HR processes, improves employee productivity and satisfaction, and reduces costs.

The software also includes an online employee scheduler free of inconvenience. It allows for the easy production and sharing of detailed reports on working hours, overtime, vacations, and sick leaves. Since it is cloud-based, users can manage employee details anywhere while employees can also clock in and out remotely. More importantly, apart from convenience, the tool helps make attendance monitoring hygienic, preventing the spread of disease.

The tool also helps reduce salary disputes and boost employee satisfaction. You can further extend its functions by integrating it with payroll systems.

A free plan is available for up to 2o users. For bigger groups, there are paid plans starting at €20 per month or you may request a custom plan from the vendor. Try the tool first for free.

8. Leave Dates

Leave Dates helps SMBs manage remote teams across different time zones. As such, it makes employee scheduling easy. Besides, the centralized holiday booking system gives users a powerful and intuitive tool for managing leaves. Its visual wall chart gives managers a quick overview of available resources and staff during certain periods.

Leave Date lets users record available resources and absent staff. Workflow requests and approvals are automated, and users are notified immediately. If a staff member requests leave, users receive a notification on their dashboard. They can add in lieu time to employees’ pay.

This software connects with Google Calendar or Outlook using Zapier to consolidate schedules. Open API lets you create your own integrations. Leave Dates lets you set national holidays, and it lists holidays for your chosen country.

Try the tool for free. For teams of five, Leave Dates is available for free. For larger groups, paid plans start at £0.80 per month per user.

9. Sling

Sling is a scheduling and communication platform with four modules: shift management, task management, messages, and newsfeed. The software helps schedule employees and delegate tasks easily and seamlessly while providing information and communication for better understanding and collaboration. Sling’s Android and iOS mobile apps and web functionality keep everyone on the same page.

Sling simplifies creating and implementing employee schedules and ensures clear communication between you and your employees. You can drag-and-drop shifts between days and weeks. You need not create a schedule template from scratch. It also eliminates overlapping shifts and double-booking. More importantly, you can quickly see your employees’ availability and vacation requests.

This tool also helps lets you monitor employees’ actual work hours by letting them clock in and out from their phones. Accurate timekeeping means accurate payroll. This tool, therefore, helps estimate and optimize labor spending, and it limits overtime spending.

Try the tool for free, The basic plan is also free, but if you want more functions, then go for the paid plan that starts at $1.75 per user per month. For Enterprise plan pricing, contact the vendor.

10. OnTheClock

OnTheClock manages employee time cards and punches. It allows employee scheduling online free from the limitation of location. Drag-and-dropping employees into their time slots, makes it much easier than typing information. You can share staff schedules in minutes. This scalable solution and its features can boost business productivity.

On top of scheduling, this tool makes timekeeping easy. You can set the type of punching: biometric, device-based punching, or GPS punching. As such, employees can punch from their desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Updating of time cards is instant. The dashboard shows employee punches and activity. You see all timing parameters and which employees are present or absent.

Payroll shouldn’t be a problem. You can import data from payroll providers and synchronize all data to avoid discrepancies. OnTheClock offers integration with QuickBooks, making finance management even easier.

You can use OnTheClock for free for up to two employees. For a bigger team, this full-featured platform offers employee-based pricing, starting at $3 per employee per month. There’s no contract lock-in, monthly fee, or complex plans. Try it for free.

11. OpenSimSim

OpenSimSim is an SMB employee scheduler. Designed for retail, restaurant, and hospitality businesses, this product helps manage staff schedules with a view of employee availability, allowing for shifts assignments and day-off request approval. Keep track of staff schedules and adjust them with a click. Send instant messages to employees about schedule changes using customizable templates and see who has seen them in real time.

OpenSimSim lets you edit and publish shift templates. It has a logbook for communicating with managers and sharing customer feedback and employee issues. This app lets employees request shifts, time off, and swap shifts even on the go.

More importantly, you can run your business anywhere, anytime, on any device. So you save time and boost productivity with improved workforce management.

OpenSimSim is an entirely free employee scheduler application. It does not charge any enterprise pricing fees.

12. Shift Agent

Shift Agent is an employee scheduling platform that helps managers assign people to shifts. It helps avoid overlaps and considers preferred shifts. Employers and managers can accept requests with this tool and modify details on a computer or mobile device.

Shift Agent ensures team members know each other’s schedules with a public team calendar. When planning leaves and shift changes, employees can consider others’ schedules. The manager can easily review schedule-change requests with software recommendations. Shift scheduling can be done in minutes. As such, managers and staff alike save time.

The software also eliminates the need for spreadsheets and informs employees of their schedules so they do not need to call their team leader. It also helps teams communicate. Leaders can send reminders and other notices.

Shift Agent has a free plan, but for more features, you can choose from two paid plans. Price starts at $27.00 per month. Try it for free first.

13. StaffJoy

StaffJoy is available on the vendor’s GitHub page. The app lets you create and publish staff shifts online and inform team members of upcoming events. It aims to simplify staff and schedule communication for small businesses, especially in the service and retail industries. The app works for delivery, restaurants, QSR, support teams, and warehouses.

As an open-source app, you must provide a server or cloud setup to store and access your data and publish your app. The vendor has a network of Staffjoy developers you can hire to ship code for tasks like setting up Google Cloud hosting, configuring Docker Swarm, and changing logos.

Once the app is set up, you can run automated workforce scheduling for hundreds of employees. You can also upload an online calendar that sends text messages to the team. Employees can use this simple tool on their smartphones.

StaffJoy is absolutely free, meriting its place in this list of the best free online employee schedulers. You need not worry about any enterprise pricing plans to consider. However, its tech assistance via its network of developers comes with a fee.

14. stayhome.ai

stayhome.ai is an AI-powered scheduling tool that helps manage hybrid teams. Companies can save on office-related expenses, streamline shift distribution, and increase productivity by helping remote teams stay organized and in touch. The smart auto-scheduling tool analyzes parameters such as employees’ work location preferences. With that, the tool generates an optimized schedule for the selected duration.

stayhome.ai optimizes employee schedules based on many factors. Apart from employees’ work location, the tool considers their date preferences, tasks, and leaves. The generated schedule is sent to managers for final approval after processing. The mobile app lets employees track their work hours, view their schedules, and request time off. Managers have extra features like report generation and KPI management to help them manage their teams.

stayhome.ai also has a time tracker and manager tool to monitor employee attendance. Employees can clock in and out on their smartphones and other devices with the Android and iOS apps. Users enjoy on-the-go solutions for staying in touch with teams.

The vendor offers a free-forever plan for teams of up to 10 members. For larger teams, paid plans are available starting at $5 per user per month. For companies with over 100 employees, reach out to the vendor for pricing.

15. TimeWellScheduled

TimeWellScheduled is designed to monitor and manage employee time and attendance in the restaurant, retail, healthcare, and professional services industries. The easy-to-use, cloud-based tool lets users create and edit employee schedules from desktops or mobile phones.

The tool allows for shift swapping, real-time employee monitoring, and schedule changes. Employees can clock in and out using barcode or swipe cards, Yubikey, biometrics, and facial recognition. Managers and employees can get time-and-attendance alerts via text, email, or push notifications. Users can download, print, and export payroll data and implement an employee portal with schedules, messages, files, and notes.

The tool works with payroll systems and other business applications like Sage50, Quickbooks, Nethris, Simply Accounting, MYOB, PeachTree, and more.

TimeWellScheduled offers free and paid plans. The free plan has Time clock options shift scheduling, messaging, a news board, time cards, and support. For more features, the paid plan starts at $3 per employee per month.

Find the Best Free Online Employee Schedulers

With the work-from-home model still preferred by many, free online employee scheduling software becomes vital for employers to help maintain employee well-being.  Online employee scheduling frees you from worries over your workflow getting disrupted or your employees getting burnt out.

Employee scheduling online frees you also from challenges in productivity, staff accountability, and bandwidth insights. Just make sure to get the software that automates schedule development and maintenance, manages and provides visibility into staff duties, and allows employees self-service access to schedules with tools like messaging and shift swapping.

Topping this list of best free online employee schedulers is monday.com. If you are wondering why, here are 10 reasons why monday.com will work great for your company.

By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.