PeopleMuster

Best HR and shift software for retail and restaurants

PeopleMuster ranks first for shops and restaurants that want the whole staff record on one bill: $3 per person a month covers named shifts, clock-in, late minutes, leave and staff records. Homebase ranks second for a free Basic plan at one location with up to ten employees.

How this was judged

Ranked on how much of an hourly team's shifts, clock-in, leave and records one per-person price covers, then on entry price.

Six products were compared on 24 September 2026, each price read from the vendor's own pricing page that day. The product whose one price covers the most of that list ranks first. The rest are ordered by entry price for a single site of about ten staff, with free plans first. Disclosure: PeopleMuster is our product, and it sits where the method puts it.

The ranking

01

PeopleMuster

$3 per person a month, every module included, no tiers. $30 per person a year on annual billing, which is two months free.
Who it suits
A shop, cafe or restaurant group that wants shifts, attendance, leave and staff records in one system on one bill.
Where it wins
Named shifts such as a morning and a closing window, assigned per person with a history. Staff check in at a ZKTeco terminal or on a browser card inside their shift window, and each day shows late minutes. Set each store up as a department and every attendance filter splits by it.
02

Homebase

Per location per month: Basic free for 1 location and up to 10 employees, Essentials $30, Plus $70, All-in-One $120. 14-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A single small shop or cafe that wants to start free.
Where it wins
A free Basic plan for one location of up to ten employees, and flat per-location prices above it.
Where it falls short
Priced per location, so a second store adds a second location fee.
03

Connecteam

Free for up to 10 users. Per hub: Basic $29 a month billed yearly ($35 monthly) for the first 30 users, then $0.50 to $1.00 per extra user. Advanced $49 ($59), Expert $99 ($119). Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A team of ten or fewer hourly staff that wants a free plan.
Where it wins
Free up to ten users, and paid hubs that cover the first 30 users in the base.
Where it falls short
Each hub is priced on its own, so a business on several hubs pays for each.
04

Timetastic

Business $1.50, Pro $2.50, Rota & Time Clock $5.50 per user a month (£1.20, £2.00, £4.00 in GBP). 30-day trial, month to month. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A shop that wants a low per-user price and a named rota and time clock plan.
Where it wins
The lowest published per-user entry price here, month to month, with a 30-day trial.
Where it falls short
The rota and time clock plan is $5.50 per user, above the $1.50 entry plan.
05

When I Work

Essentials $2.50, Pro $5, Premium $8 per user a month. 14-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A restaurant that wants per-user shift plans with published tiers.
Where it wins
Three published per-user plans from $2.50.
Where it falls short
Three tiers, so each feature above Essentials raises the per-user price.
06

Deputy

Lite $5, Core $6.50, Pro $9 per user a month. 10% off on annual billing. HR add-on $2 per user a month. Trial up to 31 days. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A multi-site operator that wants per-user shift plans and adds HR separately.
Where it wins
The longest free trial in this set, at up to 31 days, and an annual discount.
Where it falls short
HR is sold as an add-on at $2 per user a month on top of the plan.

Questions people ask

Can restaurant staff on a closing shift check out late from a browser?

Yes. PeopleMuster's browser check-out opens 30 minutes before the shift ends and stays open for 240 minutes after, by default. Check-in opens 60 minutes before the shift starts and closes 120 minutes after. An admin sets all four edges.

How do I see attendance for each store in PeopleMuster?

Set each store up as a department. Attendance then filters by department, period, status and working hours, and Late Arrivals Only narrows it to the people who came in late. The list exports to CSV.

What does PeopleMuster cost for a restaurant with 25 staff?

$3 per person a month, so twenty-five staff pay seventy-five dollars a month with every module included. There's no seat minimum, no base fee and no setup fee, and every new customer gets 14 days free with no card.

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