What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for workforce scheduling software (small businesses) on 2026-10-18

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-18

Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

The question asked, verbatim: best workforce scheduling software for small businesses

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. Homebase recommended
   Homebase - my default recommendation for a small hourly team (retail, café, salon, small restaurant).
2. Connecteam recommended
   Connecteam - best for deskless and field crews (cleaning, construction, landscaping, security).
3. G2 mentioned
   Highest user satisfaction of this group on G2 at 4.6/5.
4. 7shifts mentioned
   7shifts - the clear choice if you run a restaurant.
5. Deputy mentioned
   Deputy - worth the higher price ($4.50-$9/user/month) specifically if you have multiple locations or operate where break and overtime compliance is legally fussy (California, Australia, UK).
6. UK mentioned
   Deputy - worth the higher price ($4.50-$9/user/month) specifically if you have multiple locations or operate where break and overtime compliance is legally fussy (California, Australia, UK).
7. Sling mentioned
   Sling - the budget play.

Sources the engine cited

The answer, as recorded

The honest answer depends mostly on your industry, but here's who I'd actually name, in order: **1. Homebase** - my default recommendation for a small hourly team (retail, café, salon, small restaurant). Free tier covers scheduling and time clock for one location, and it bundles payroll, hiring, and basic HR so you're not stitching three tools together. Pricing runs $0-$120/month per location rather than per user, which is a real advantage once you're past ~15 people. Weak spot: multi-location gets expensive, and the free plan is genuinely bare. ([pricing comparison](https://www.costbench.com/compare/deputy-vs-homebase/)) **2. When I Work** - pick this if you want scheduling and nothing else, done cleanly. Roughly $2.50-$5/user/month, among the cheapest credible paid options, and the mobile app is the one employees complain about least. Best for retail, clinics, and any team without complex break/overtime rules. ([Capterra comparison](https://capterra.com/compare/121248-167811/When-I-Work-vs-Deputy)) **3. Connecteam** - best for deskless and field crews (cleaning, construction, landscaping, security). GPS clock-in, task assignment, and team chat in one app, free for up to 10 users. Highest user satisfaction of this group on G2 at 4.6/5. ([G2](https://www.g2.com/compare/7shifts-vs-connecteam)) **4. 7shifts** - the clear choice if you run a restaurant. Front-of-house/back-of-house scheduling, tip pooling, POS integration, and sales-vs-labor reporting are built in rather than bolted on. 4.5/5 on G2, free tier available. Don't buy it for anything other than food service. **5. Deputy** - worth the higher price ($4.50-$9/user/month) specifically if you have multiple locations or operate where break and overtime compliance is legally fussy (California, Australia, UK). Its award-interpretation and compliance engine is the best in this tier. Overkill for a single shop. ([Deputy vs When I Work pricing](https://costbench.com/compare/deputy-vs-when-i-work/)) **6. Sling** - the budget play. Free plan reportedly covers up to 30 users with scheduling, time-off requests, and messaging; paid starts around $2/user/month. Real-time labor cost shown right in the schedule view is a nice touch. Thinner on HR and support than the others. ([G2 reviews](https://www.g2.com/products/sling/reviews)) One caveat on sourcing: a large share of the "best scheduling software 2026" articles ranking in search are published by Homebase's own marketing blog, so I weighted G2 and Capterra review data over those listicles. My ranking above is my own. If you tell me your headcount and industry I'd narrow it to one, but absent that: **Homebase if you want one tool for scheduling + payroll, When I Work if you only want scheduling, 7shifts if it's a restaurant.**

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-16, 2026-10-14, 2026-10-12, 2026-10-11, 2026-10-09, 2026-10-06, 2026-10-03, 2026-10-01, 2026-09-29, 2026-09-27, 2026-09-25.

workforce scheduling software, asked for other audiences: remote teams (asked 2026-10-18).

Other categories with a recorded answer: applicant tracking systems, background check services, benefits administration software, contractor management platforms.

Markdown edition · JSON record · the question page, with every recording · Answer Watch · AEO Watch

Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.