What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for workforce scheduling software (small businesses) on 2026-10-26

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-26

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 mentioned
   Most of the "best of" listicles that surface for this query are published by vendors themselves (several above are Homebase's own blog), so treat the rankings there skeptically.
2. 7shifts mentioned
   7shifts - Only if you're a restaurant, in which case it's the right answer over everything else.
3. Connecteam recommended
   Connecteam - Best for deskless/field crews - cleaning, landscaping, construction, home services.
4. Deputy mentioned
   Deputy - Worth it mainly for multi-location operations needing one cross-site dashboard and solid award/overtime rule handling (notably strong in AU/UK compliance).
5. UK mentioned
   Deputy - Worth it mainly for multi-location operations needing one cross-site dashboard and solid award/overtime rule handling (notably strong in AU/UK compliance).
6. Sling mentioned
   Sling - The budget pick with genuinely good real-time labor-cost display inside the schedule builder, so you see the dollar impact as you drag shifts.
7. Pebb mentioned
   - Pebb - Deputy alternatives (https://pebb.io/insights/deputy-alternatives)

Sources the engine cited

Is one of these your site? Its page lists every recorded answer that cited it, with the questions, the pages and the dates, and carries the alert for the next citation.

The answer, as recorded

Most of the "best of" listicles that surface for this query are published by vendors themselves (several above are Homebase's own blog), so treat the rankings there skeptically. Here's how I'd actually line them up: **1. Homebase** - My default recommendation for a small hourly team (retail, café, salon, small clinic). Scheduling, time clock, team messaging, hiring, and payroll in one place, and critically it prices **per location, not per employee**: free for one location up to 10 employees, then ~$24-$96/location/month annually. If you're growing headcount, your bill doesn't move. ([pricing comparison](https://www.joinhomebase.com/comparison/deputy)) **2. When I Work** - The one I'd pick if you want scheduling and nothing else. Clean, fast, employees actually use the app, shift swaps and availability handled well. ~$2.50-$5/user/month, so it's cheapest for very small teams and gets expensive past ~20 people compared to Homebase's flat model. **3. 7shifts** - Only if you're a restaurant, in which case it's the right answer over everything else. FOH/BOH scheduling, tip pooling, POS-driven sales-vs-labor forecasting. Free tier exists; paid starts around $40/month and scales by location. ([Capterra comparison](https://capterra.com/compare/123038-167811/7shifts-Restaurant-Scheduling-vs-Deputy)) **4. Connecteam** - Best for deskless/field crews - cleaning, landscaping, construction, home services. GPS-stamped clock-in, job assignment, forms and checklists, broadcast messaging. Strong free tier (small teams) and the highest small-business review volume on SelectHub. ([SelectHub](https://selecthub.com/employee-scheduling/employee-scheduling-small-business)) **5. Deputy** - Worth it mainly for multi-location operations needing one cross-site dashboard and solid award/overtime rule handling (notably strong in AU/UK compliance). ~$5-$9/user/month, and opaque pricing tiers are the most common user complaint. ([Deputy alternatives overview](https://pebb.io/insights/deputy-alternatives)) **6. Sling** - The budget pick with genuinely good real-time labor-cost display inside the schedule builder, so you see the dollar impact as you drag shifts. Free tier is usable. Short version: **Homebase** unless you're a restaurant (**7shifts**) or a field/mobile crew (**Connecteam**). If you just want a schedule and no HR stack, **When I Work**. Sources: - [Capterra - Best Employee Scheduling Software for Small Business (2026)](https://www.capterra.com/resources/best-employee-scheduling-software-for-small-business/) - [SelectHub - Employee scheduling for small business](https://selecthub.com/employee-scheduling/employee-scheduling-small-business) - [G2 - 7shifts vs Deputy](https://www.g2.com/compare/7shifts-vs-deputy) - [Capterra - 7shifts vs Deputy](https://capterra.com/compare/123038-167811/7shifts-Restaurant-Scheduling-vs-Deputy) - [Homebase vs Deputy comparison (vendor)](https://www.joinhomebase.com/comparison/deputy) - [Pebb - Deputy alternatives](https://pebb.io/insights/deputy-alternatives)

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-24, 2026-10-21, 2026-10-19, 2026-10-18, 2026-10-16, 2026-10-14, 2026-10-12, 2026-10-11, 2026-10-09, 2026-10-06, 2026-10-03.

workforce scheduling software, asked for other audiences: remote teams (asked 2026-10-26).

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

Play this answer: which brand was named first?

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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.