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It's a split decision.
Choose Homebase if you want scheduling, time tracking, hiring and HR under one roof; its Essentials plan is $30 per location monthly, while payroll costs extra. Choose Sling if scheduling is the priority and a lower per-user price matters: Premium is $2 monthly or $1.70 with annual billing. Both have free plans, but Homebase Basic is limited to one location and 10 employees; Sling Free allows up to 30 users. Compare by roster size and required features, not headline price.
01Side by side
| Homebase | Sling | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $30/location/month for Essentials | $1.70/user/month annually; $2 monthly |
| Free plan | Basic: one location, up to 10 employees | Free: up to 30 users |
| Best for | Hourly teams needing scheduling, payroll and HR | Teams prioritizing scheduling and workforce management |
| Core strength | Scheduling, time tracking, payroll, hiring and HR | Scheduling, labor costs, time tracking and tasks |
| Learning curve | Not published on the vendor's site | Not published on the vendor's site |
| Integrations/data | Timesheets stored up to 90 days; integrations not listed | Calendar sync; retention and other integrations not listed |
| Team/seat costs | Per location; Essentials includes unlimited employees | Per user; annual billing saves 15% |
| Support | Review support score: 5 | Review support score: 5 |
Homebase Choose Homebase if
- Choose Homebase if you need scheduling alongside payroll and HR.
- Choose Homebase if hiring and onboarding tools matter.
- Choose Homebase if per-location pricing fits your larger team.
Sling Choose Sling if
- Choose Sling for free scheduling for teams up to 30 users.
- Choose Sling if annual per-user pricing suits your roster.
- Choose Sling if labor-cost controls and task management matter.
02Pricing compared
Homebase Basic is free for one location and up to 10 employees. Paid plans start at $30 per location per month for Essentials, then $70 for Plus and $120 for All-in-One. Annual prices are not published. Payroll is extra: the listed pricing is $49 per month plus $6 per employee paid, with a separate $29 monthly option for teams of up to five and a first-six-months-free offer.
Sling Free supports up to 30 users. Premium costs $2 per user monthly, or $1.70 with annual billing; Business is $4 monthly or $3.40 annually. Sling lists 15% savings for annual billing. Both offer a free trial: 14 days for Homebase and 15 for Sling. Compare the per-location and per-user charges against your roster, and check which features your team needs before choosing by headline price.
03Features and depth
Homebase covers scheduling, time tracking, payroll, hiring, onboarding, HR and team communication. Its Basic plan includes basic scheduling and time tracking, while Essentials adds advanced versions of both and team communication. Plus adds an AI-powered Scheduling Assistant, PTO controls, departments and permissions. All-in-One includes HR and compliance, but payroll remains a separate add-on.
Sling focuses on scheduling and workforce management. Its Free plan includes shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts and private messaging. Premium adds mobile time tracking, labor-cost management and overtime tracking. Business adds kiosk time tracking, reports and PTO management. Sling also lists task management, labor reports, shift trades and optional GPS geofencing among its features.
Choose Homebase when hiring or HR belongs in the same system as scheduling. Choose Sling when the listed scheduling, time and labor tools are the priority. Check plan gates: time tracking is not listed in Sling Free, and reports are listed under Business.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published details do not establish that one product is easier to learn, so we would not pick a winner on usability alone. The practical difference is how each organizes the purchase. Homebase charges per location and spreads features across four plans, with payroll priced separately. Sling charges per user on its paid plans, and time tracking and reports sit on different tiers.
Before switching, list your locations, roster size and must-have features. Then check which plan includes each one and how the billing unit fits your team. Homebase’s free plan caps at 10 employees and one location; Sling Free caps at 30 users.
Questions people ask
How much is Sling scheduling per month?
Sling Free costs $0 and supports up to 30 users. Premium is $2 per user per month, or $1.70 with annual billing. Business is $4 per user monthly, or $3.40 annually. The pricing page lists annual billing as saving 15%.
Is Homebase good for scheduling?
Homebase offers scheduling for hourly teams, including shift building and sharing. Basic includes basic scheduling for one location and up to 10 employees; Essentials, at $30 per location monthly, adds advanced scheduling. Whether it fits depends on your roster and whether you also need its other tools.
How do you submit unavailability on Sling?
Sling lists availability management and time-off requests, but the published information does not give the steps for submitting unavailability. Check Sling’s current help materials for the exact process, and confirm whether the option you need is available on your plan.
Does Toast offer scheduling?
The information available for this comparison does not say whether Toast offers scheduling, so we can’t confirm its features or pricing here. Check Toast’s current product and pricing information before comparing it with Homebase or Sling.