# Staff rotas and time clock

> “Plan staff shifts and let them clock in”. Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

A rota app is worth it when shift swaps, clock-ins and payroll hours stop living in group chats. Deputy and Planday cover the UK and much of Europe, with clock-ins that fill timesheets for payroll. Connecteam's free plan covers up to 10 users who clock in from their phones. Sesame fits Spanish rules on recording hours, Combo builds French collective agreements into rotas, and 7shifts plans restaurant shifts from forecast sales.

Last checked: 2026-10-12

## Ranking

1. **[Homebase](https://suiteintent.com/t/homebase?m=GB)**: Staff scheduling and time clock for hourly teams. · Best for: US shops and cafés with hourly staff · Free plan
2. **[Deputy](https://suiteintent.com/t/deputy?m=GB)**: Rotas, clock-ins and timesheets for shift teams. · Best for: Rotas that change every week · From $5/mo
3. **[Connecteam](https://suiteintent.com/t/connecteam?m=GB)**: Shift scheduling, time clock and team chat for staff on the move. · Best for: Teams that work in shifts or in the field · Free plan
4. **[7shifts](https://suiteintent.com/t/7shifts?m=GB)**: Staff scheduling and labour costs for restaurants. · Best for: Matching staff numbers to forecast sales · Free plan
5. **[Combo](https://suiteintent.com/t/combo?m=GB)**: Staff rotas, time clock and payroll for French restaurants and shops. · Best for: Restaurants and shops with shift teams in France · From €68/mo
6. **[When I Work](https://suiteintent.com/t/when-i-work?m=GB)**: Shift scheduling and time clock for hourly staff. · Best for: Rotas with frequent shift swaps · From $3/mo

## Side by side

| Tool | Price | Ease of use (1-5) | Team size |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homebase | Free plan | 5 | solo, small team |
| Deputy | From $5/mo | 4 | small team, growing team, large team |
| Connecteam | Free plan | 4 | small team, growing team |
| 7shifts | Free plan | 4 | small team, growing team |
| Combo | From €68/mo | 4 | small team, growing team |
| When I Work | From $3/mo | 5 | small team, growing team |

## Why these picks

- Independent reviews: [Zapier](https://zapier.com/blog/best-employee-scheduling-software/), [Fit Small Business](https://fitsmallbusiness.com/employee-scheduling-software/), [TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/best/best-employee-scheduling-software) (Last checked: 2026-10-03)
- Prices last checked: 2026-10-12
- Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

## Questions

### Deputy or Planday for a café in the UK?

Both build weekly rotas, let staff clock in and export hours to payroll. Planday starts at £2.99 a month and is owned by Xero, which helps if your books already run there. Deputy starts at $5 a month and shows labour costs against each shift as you plan. Run next week's rota in both trials and keep the one your staff find easier on their phones.

### Is there a free rota app for a small team?

Connecteam is free for up to 10 users, with shift schedules, GPS clock-ins and team chat. 7shifts has a free plan for restaurants in the US and UK. Homebase is free for one location in the US. Deputy, Planday, Sesame, When I Work and Combo have paid plans only, so compare their entry price with the hours you save each week.

### How do staff clock in: phone, tablet or kiosk?

Deputy and Sesame offer a shared kiosk device at the door, which suits a shop or kitchen. Connecteam has staff clock in from their own phones with GPS, which fits cleaning and field teams. Combo uses a tablet on site, and Planday has a built-in punch clock in its app. Pick the method that matches where your staff start their shift.

### Which apps fit the rules on recording hours in Spain or France?

Sesame is built to meet Spanish rules on recording working hours, with clock-ins from mobile, web or a kiosk. Combo, made by French restaurant owners, builds French collective agreements into rotas and payroll hours. Both serve France and Spain in our data. Ask your payroll provider which export format they need before you choose.

### Can a rota app plan shifts from how busy we will be?

7shifts builds restaurant rotas from your sales forecasts, so busy evenings get more staff and quiet ones fewer. It connects to the major restaurant POS systems to read those sales. Deputy shows labour costs against each shift as you plan, which helps you spot an overstaffed day. Combo plans against your labour ratios, priced per location so busy seasons cost the same.