Comparison · verified 2026-11-02
ExpoShift vs Connecteam
Connecteam is built for frontline and non-desk teams in any industry, from small teams to enterprises, with a food & beverage page and prices per hub: three hubs (Operations, Communications, HR & Skills) sold separately, each with Basic, Advanced, Expert and Enterprise plans at a flat monthly fee for the first 30 users plus a per-user fee beyond, with a free Small Business Plan for up to 10 users. ExpoShift is built for independent full-service restaurants and is $49 a month per location, every feature included, any team size.
Pricing model
- ExpoShift
- $49 per location per month. One plan, every feature, any team size. 30 days free, no credit card.
- Connecteam
- Operations Hub (time clock and scheduling): Basic $35, Advanced $59, Expert $119 a month for the first 30 users, billed monthly ($29 / $49 / $99 yearly), plus $1.00 / $3.00 / $5.00 per extra user. Chat and recognition are in two other hubs priced the same way. Free Small Business Plan up to 10 users.
Built for
- ExpoShift
- Independent full-service restaurants, roughly 20–100 staff, owner still in the building.
- Connecteam
- Frontline and non-desk teams in any industry, from small teams to enterprises, with a food & beverage page.
Platforms
- ExpoShift
- IOS, Android and web.
- Connecteam
- IOS and Android apps, a tablet kiosk app, and a web admin dashboard.
Side by side
Feature by feature
ExpoShift's column comes from the ExpoShift FAQ, pricing page and release notes. Connecteam's column comes from Connecteam's own pricing page, product pages and help center, read on November 2, 2026. Where Connecteam doesn't publish something, the cell says "Not listed", not "no".
| Feature | ExpoShift | Connecteam |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
| Pricing model | One plan: $49 per location per month, every feature included, any team size. No tiers, no per-seat fees, no add-ons. | Three hubs priced separately. Each: Basic, Advanced, Expert at a flat monthly fee for the first 30 users plus a per-user fee beyond; Enterprise quoted. Small Business Plan free up to 10 users. |
| Published monthly price for scheduling + time clock | $49 per location per month, billed monthly. | Operations Hub Basic $35 a month for the first 30 users plus $1.00 per extra user, billed monthly ($29 and $0.80 yearly). Advanced $59, Expert $119. Chat and recognition need a second and third hub. |
| Free trial | 30 days, every feature. | 14 days with everything (the Expert plan). |
| Credit card to start | No. | No credit card needed. |
| Contract or commitment | None. Month-to-month, cancel anytime. | Monthly, cancel any time (no refunds on prepaid amounts), or annual with a prorated refund within 30 days. |
| Add-ons that cost extra | None. Every feature shipped next is included. | None as such; the Communications Hub and the HR & Skills Hub are each priced like the Operations Hub ($35 / $59 / $119 a month for 30 users, billed monthly). |
| Free plan | No free plan; 30-day free trial. | Small Business Plan: free for up to 10 users with every hub. Limited plan: free essentials for up to 30 users. |
| Built for | ||
| Restaurant-specific | IncludedBuilt for independent full-service restaurants, by people who run one. | PartialA frontline-workforce app for any industry, with a restaurant page. |
| Tip handling included | IncludedTip pools, declared and POS tips, included. | Not listedNo tip features found on Connecteam's site. |
| Position / station scheduling | IncludedEvery shift carries a position; swap rules, pay and tip pools follow the position. | IncludedShifts assigned by role and qualification; auto-scheduling considers roles. |
| Scheduling & availability | ||
| Schedule builder with auto-draft | IncludedAuto Draft fills the week from availability, school calendars and fair hours; conflicts flagged before publish. | IncludedBasic scheduling with open shifts on Operations Basic; templates and repeating shifts on Advanced; AI auto-assign on Expert. |
| Availability rules (cutoff, blackout dates, advance window, reminders) | IncludedYou set how far ahead staff submit, the weekly cutoff and blackout dates; staff get a reminder before the window closes; weeks lock at the deadline. | PartialStaff mark unavailable and preferred days, including repeating ones; no cutoff, blackout dates, advance window or deadline reminder described. |
| Time-off requests | IncludedStaff mark dates unavailable from the Work tab. | Add-onTime Off is in the HR & Skills Hub, priced separately; limiting the request time-frame is on that hub's Expert plan. |
| Open-shift claims | IncludedPut a shift up for grabs; qualified teammates are notified, first to claim takes it. | IncludedOpen shifts for qualified employees to claim, with approval, on Operations Basic. |
| Shift hand-offs to a teammate | IncludedHand a shift to one qualified teammate. | IncludedEmployees request replacements and trade shifts, with admin approval. |
| Partial shift swaps | IncludedOffer just part of a shift, say the second half. | Not listedNot found on Connecteam's site or help center. |
| Manager approval option for swaps | IncludedInstant or approval required, set per position group. | IncludedClaimed shifts can be set to require management approval; 'you control approval settings and eligibility'. |
| Labor cost preview while scheduling | IncludedThe Labor tab shows what the week will cost before you publish. | PartialLabor cost tracked in real time by job or location, overtime alerts before scheduling; a cost figure on the schedule while building is not described. |
| Minor labor guardrails | IncludedUnder-16 school-calendar limits flagged before publish; school calendars on each minor's record. | Not listedNo minor or youth labor rules found on Connecteam's site. |
| Time clock & timesheets | ||
| Built-in time clock | IncludedStaff clock in and out from their Home screen; turn it on when you're ready. | IncludedClock in and out with GPS on Operations Basic; kiosk app for a shared tablet. |
| Missed clock-out fix | IncludedOne tap: 'I left at my scheduled end' or the real time; the manager approves. | Higher planAuto clock-out by GPS when leaving the site, on Operations Advanced. |
| Punch corrections with approval | IncludedStaff flag a punch; managers approve corrections. | PartialEmployees confirm timesheets and managers approve; full edit history; employee correction requests not described. |
| Timecard split by position | IncludedServer → Expo → Server on one timecard. | Not listedTime is tracked by job, project or client; splitting a timecard by position is not described. |
| Geofence on punches | IncludedOptional geofence around the building; location is checked on the phone, not stored. | Higher planGPS stamps on Operations Basic; geofenced sites (up to 10) on Advanced, unlimited on Expert. |
| Exception-only timesheet review | IncludedTimesheets show only what needs a look: missing punches, corrections, big variances. | PartialAlerts for missed breaks, overtime limits and discrepancies; audit-ready records. |
| Tips, payroll & comp | ||
| Tip pools from real punches | IncludedSplit by the hours each person actually worked on the receiving position. | Not listedNo tip pooling found on Connecteam's site. |
| Pay periods that lock | IncludedBuilt from real hours, locked once reviewed. | Not listedEmployees confirm and managers approve timesheets; locking a period is not described. |
| Payroll export file | IncludedExports a file your payroll provider imports, plus a generic CSV; more formats added as customers need them. | IncludedPayroll integration on Operations Basic; export to PDF or XLS; eight named providers. |
| Per-position wages | IncludedRates by position, admin-only; each employee sees only their own. | Not listedPay rates can be set in bulk; wages per position are not described. |
| Raises and bonuses recorded in-app | IncludedGive a raise in two taps; bonus budget and reasons on the Team tab. | PartialBulk wage updates with an effective date; bonuses not listed. |
| POS & insights | ||
| POS sales pull | IncludedConnect once; sales and tips pull in nightly where the POS offers an API; manual entry in the meantime. | IncludedFour named POS integrations with live sales data. |
| Labor % vs sales | IncludedLabor % next to each day's sales. | Included'Calculate future labor percentages' with a POS sync. |
| Sales, kitchen and team reports | IncludedTop items, server rankings, ticket times by hour, station pace, on-time clock-ins. | PartialHours-worked reports per job and per location; auto-reports on Expert; sales, kitchen or team reports not described. |
| Team communication & culture | ||
| Direct messages, groups, broadcasts | IncludedDMs, group chats by position, broadcasts, daily schedule notes. | Add-onChat and the updates feed are in the Communications Hub, priced separately ($35 a month for 30 users, billed monthly). |
| Scheduled messages | IncludedWrite now, send later. | Add-on'Schedule chat messages for later' on Communications Advanced. |
| Polls and quizzes | IncludedPolls, surveys and quizzes in the News tab. | Add-onSurveys in the Communications Hub; live polls on its Advanced plan. |
| Recognition and rewards | IncludedShoutouts, points for the things you want, monthly winners pick a reward you set. Off until you turn it on. | Add-onRecognition and rewards in the HR & Skills Hub, priced separately; 5 custom badges on its Basic plan. |
| Monthly team newsletter | IncludedDrafts itself each month. | Not listedNot found on Connecteam's site. |
| Staff records & compliance | ||
| Certifications with photos and expiry reminders | IncludedA photo of the card on file; reminders before it lapses. | Add-onExpiry alerts for documents, licenses and certifications in the HR & Skills Hub, priced separately. |
| Documents with acknowledgements | IncludedDocument Center tracks who has acknowledged each handbook or policy. | Add-onE-sign documents in the HR & Skills Hub: up to 2 on Advanced, 10 on Expert; read-and-sign forms in Operations. |
| Staff profiles | IncludedPositions, contact and emergency info, school calendars for minors. | IncludedUser profiles with custom fields; a directory in the Communications Hub. |
| Offboarding and rehire record | IncludedHow they left, notice given, eligible for rehire, last day worked. | PartialUsers can be archived; a leaving reason or rehire status is not described. |
| Ops tools | ||
| Food & supplies order guide | IncludedVendors, storage areas, pars, count walk, shop by vendor; works offline. | Not listedNo ordering or order guide found on Connecteam's site. |
| Equipment maintenance calendar | IncludedAn example maintenance calendar you customize for your restaurant, plus an equipment registry and service log. | Not listedForms can be built as equipment maintenance logs; no maintenance calendar described. |
| Red Book / shift notes | IncludedRed Book entries and daily schedule notes, included. | PartialShift notes with tasks, location and photos; no manager log book described. |
| Tasks | IncludedTask completions that managers verify from the Manager Hub. | IncludedQuick tasks and checklists on Operations Basic; unlimited shift tasks on Expert. |
| Platforms & support | ||
| iOS, Android, web | IncludedApp Store and Google Play; web browser for admin work. | IncludediOS and Android apps, a tablet kiosk app, web admin dashboard. |
| Support | IncludedEmail support@exposhift.com; a human who has run a shift answers. | IncludedLive chat from the dashboard; the home page says 24/7. |
| Data ownership | IncludedYour restaurant's data belongs to your restaurant; never sold or used for marketing. | Not listedNot checked on Connecteam's terms. |
Included on the plan named
Partial some of the row, as described
Add-on priced separately
Higher plan on a Connecteam plan above Operations Basic
Not listed not found on Connecteam's site or help center
Connecteam prices and features as published on https://connecteam.com/pricing/ and Connecteam's help center on 2026-11-02. Monthly billing shown; Connecteam's pricing page lists yearly prices beside them, about 18% less. "Operations Basic" is the Connecteam hub and plan that holds scheduling and the time clock; chat, time off and recognition are in separately priced hubs. Connecteam is a trademark of Mobilesson Ltd. d/b/a Connecteam; ExpoShift is not affiliated with or endorsed by Mobilesson Ltd. d/b/a Connecteam.
Where Connecteam may be the better fit
- You have 10 or fewer employees: the Small Business Plan is free for life with every hub.
- You run deskless teams beyond a restaurant (cleaning, construction, field service, retail): forms, checklists, a knowledge base, a help desk and training courses are built in.
- You only want one piece: each hub is priced on its own, at a flat fee for the first 30 users, so you can buy scheduling and the time clock without chat or HR.
- You want training and onboarding in the same app: courses, quizzes, e-sign documents and onboarding live in the HR & Skills Hub.
Where ExpoShift is the better fit
- One price, every feature: $49 a month per location, any team size. Matching ExpoShift's set on Connecteam means three hubs; the three Basic plans together are $105 a month for 30 users at the published monthly rates.
- Built for full-service: tip pools split by the hours each person actually worked on the receiving position, from real punches; per-position wages; raises recorded in-app. Connecteam's site does not mention tips.
- Availability rules you set once: how far ahead staff submit, the weekly cutoff, blackout dates, and a reminder before the window closes. Managers see a 7-day grid split by lunch and dinner.
- Staff cover themselves: hand a shift to a qualified teammate, put it up for grabs, or give away just part of it, instant or with approval per position group.
- Team culture and staff info in the same app and the same price: shoutouts, points and monthly rewards, polls and quizzes, a monthly newsletter, certifications with a photo of the card, documents with acknowledgements.
- Ops tools built for a kitchen: a food and supplies order guide, an example maintenance calendar you customize for your restaurant, the Red Book, and tasks.
Switching
Moving from Connecteam to ExpoShift
- 1Export your teamAny staff list in CSV or Excel works.
- 2Import it hereTeam tab → Import. One row per person, positions comma-separated; there's a one-tap template.
- 3Publish the same dayAdd your positions, build the first week, publish. Staff get an email invite, no codes.
- 4Decide in 30 daysFree for 30 days, no credit card, cancel anytime. A human who has run a shift answers at support@exposhift.com.
Questions
ExpoShift vs Connecteam: common questions
Is there a free plan?
No. ExpoShift is free for 30 days with every feature, no credit card, then $49 a month per location. Connecteam has a free plan: Small Business Plan, free for life for up to 10 users with every hub; a free Limited plan with the essentials for up to 30 users.
Do I pay per employee?
No. ExpoShift is $49 a month per location, any team size, every feature included. Connecteam prices per hub: three hubs (Operations, Communications, HR & Skills) sold separately, each with Basic, Advanced, Expert and Enterprise plans at a flat monthly fee for the first 30 users plus a per-user fee beyond, with a free Small Business Plan for up to 10 users.
Does ExpoShift connect to my POS and payroll?
POS: connect once; sales and tips pull in nightly where the POS offers an API, with manual entry in the meantime. They fill your tip pools and feed the sales, kitchen, team and labor insights. Payroll: pay periods build from real hours, lock once reviewed, and export a file your payroll provider imports, plus a generic CSV.
Can I bring my team over from Connecteam?
Yes. import the roster into ExpoShift from CSV or Excel (there's a one-tap template), add your positions, and publish your first schedule the same day. 30 days free, no credit card, cancel anytime. Questions: support@exposhift.com.
How current is this page?
Connecteam's prices and features were read from Connecteam's own pricing page and help center on November 2, 2026. This page is re-checked quarterly. If something here is out of date, email support@exposhift.com and we'll fix it.