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

## In short

On 2026-10-18, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best workforce scheduling software for small businesses". It named 7 brands, in this order: Homebase, Connecteam, G2, 7shifts, Deputy, UK and Sling.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best workforce scheduling software for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-10-18 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 7 |
| Sources cited | 5 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-18 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/workforce-scheduling-software-small-businesses-2026-10-18
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-18 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> 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 use

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homebase | recommended |
| 2 | Connecteam | recommended |
| 3 | G2 | mentioned |
| 4 | 7shifts | mentioned |
| 5 | Deputy | mentioned |
| 6 | UK | mentioned |
| 7 | Sling | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.costbench.com/compare/deputy-vs-homebase/ (other)
- https://capterra.com/compare/121248-167811/When-I-Work-vs-Deputy (review)
- https://www.g2.com/compare/7shifts-vs-connecteam (review)
- https://costbench.com/compare/deputy-vs-when-i-work/ (other)
- https://www.g2.com/products/sling/reviews (review)

The question page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/workforce-scheduling-software/small-businesses

Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection.

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.