Comparison · verified 2026-11-02
ExpoShift vs Homebase
Homebase is built for hourly, shift-based small businesses such as restaurants, retail, beauty and wellness, medical and home services and prices per location per month, four plans; Basic is free for one location with up to 10 employees, and payroll, tip pooling and tasks are add-ons. 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.
- Homebase
- Essentials $30, Plus $70, All-in-One $120 per location per month, unlimited employees. Basic is free for one location with up to 10 employees. Payroll ($49 a month plus $6 per employee paid), Tip Manager ($25) and Task Manager ($13) are add-ons.
Built for
- ExpoShift
- Independent full-service restaurants, roughly 20–100 staff, owner still in the building.
- Homebase
- Hourly, shift-based small businesses such as restaurants, retail, beauty and wellness, medical and home services.
Platforms
- ExpoShift
- IOS, Android and web.
- Homebase
- IOS, Android and web.
Side by side
Feature by feature
ExpoShift's column comes from the ExpoShift FAQ, pricing page and release notes. Homebase's column comes from Homebase's own pricing page, product pages and help center, read on November 2, 2026. Where Homebase doesn't publish something, the cell says "Not listed", not "no".
| Feature | ExpoShift | Homebase |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Per location per month. Basic (free, 1 location, up to 10 employees), Essentials, Plus, All-in-One. Payroll, Tip Manager, Task Manager, background checks and hiring tools are add-ons. |
| Published monthly price for scheduling + time clock | $49 per location per month, billed monthly. | Essentials $30 per location per month, unlimited employees. Plus $70, All-in-One $120. |
| Free trial | 30 days, every feature. | 14 days of All-in-One. |
| Credit card to start | No. | No credit card required. |
| Contract or commitment | None. Month-to-month, cancel anytime. | Change plan or cancel anytime. |
| Add-ons that cost extra | None. Every feature shipped next is included. | Payroll $49 a month + $6 per employee paid; Tip Manager $25 and Task Manager $13 per location per month; background checks $30 each; job post boosts from $50; Hiring Assistant from $99 a month. |
| Free plan | No free plan; 30-day free trial. | Basic: free for one location, up to 10 employees. |
| Built for | ||
| Restaurant-specific | IncludedBuilt for independent full-service restaurants, by people who run one. | PartialBuilt for hourly small businesses of several kinds, with a food & beverage page. |
| Tip handling included | IncludedTip pools, declared and POS tips, included. | Add-onTip Manager add-on, $25 per location per month. |
| Position / station scheduling | IncludedEvery shift carries a position; swap rules, pay and tip pools follow the position. | IncludedRole-based scheduling; labor costs by role or department. |
| Scheduling & availability | ||
| Schedule builder with auto-draft | IncludedAuto Draft fills the week from availability, school calendars and fair hours; conflicts flagged before publish. | IncludedDrag-and-drop with templates; AI Scheduling Assistant on Plus. |
| 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. | PartialAvailability approvals on Essentials and up; blackout dates and advance notice apply to time off (Plus), not availability; no cutoff or deadline reminder described. |
| Time-off requests | IncludedStaff mark dates unavailable from the Work tab. | IncludedTime-off requests on Essentials; blackout dates, advance notice and PTO accruals on Plus. |
| Open-shift claims | IncludedPut a shift up for grabs; qualified teammates are notified, first to claim takes it. | Included'Trade, cover and claim open shifts' on Essentials and up. |
| Shift hand-offs to a teammate | IncludedHand a shift to one qualified teammate. | IncludedTrade and cover shifts with manager approval, on Essentials and up. |
| Partial shift swaps | IncludedOffer just part of a shift, say the second half. | Not listedNot found on Homebase's site. |
| Manager approval option for swaps | IncludedInstant or approval required, set per position group. | PartialManagers are notified to approve trades; turning approval off is not described. |
| Labor cost preview while scheduling | IncludedThe Labor tab shows what the week will cost before you publish. | Higher planLabor cost management, overtime alerts and scheduling to forecasted sales on All-in-One. |
| 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 Homebase'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. | IncludedTime clock on tablets, computers and POS devices on every plan; mobile clock-in on Essentials. |
| Missed clock-out fix | IncludedOne tap: 'I left at my scheduled end' or the real time; the manager approves. | Higher planAutomatic clock-out at the end of a shift on All-in-One; clock-out reminders and missed-punch alerts. |
| Punch corrections with approval | IncludedStaff flag a punch; managers approve corrections. | PartialManagers edit and resolve timesheet conflicts; employee correction requests not described. |
| Timecard split by position | IncludedServer → Expo → Server on one timecard. | Not listedNot found on Homebase's site. |
| Geofence on punches | IncludedOptional geofence around the building; location is checked on the phone, not stored. | IncludedLocation-based mobile clock-in on Essentials and up; photo capture on tablets and POS devices. |
| Exception-only timesheet review | IncludedTimesheets show only what needs a look: missing punches, corrections, big variances. | PartialAlerts for late, early or missed clock-ins and outs; attendance reporting and late alerts on Plus. |
| Tips, payroll & comp | ||
| Tip pools from real punches | IncludedSplit by the hours each person actually worked on the receiving position. | Add-onTip Manager ($25 per location per month) pools by hours on the time clock and tips from the POS. |
| Pay periods that lock | IncludedBuilt from real hours, locked once reviewed. | Not listedTimesheets sync to payroll or export; 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 integrations on Essentials and up with ten named providers; native Homebase Payroll as an add-on. |
| Per-position wages | IncludedRates by position, admin-only; each employee sees only their own. | Higher planMultiple wage rates on All-in-One; wages per role are not described. |
| Raises and bonuses recorded in-app | IncludedGive a raise in two taps; bonus budget and reasons on the Team tab. | PartialBonus and commission payments through the Payroll add-on; raises not described. |
| POS & insights | ||
| POS sales pull | IncludedConnect once; sales and tips pull in nightly where the POS offers an API; manual entry in the meantime. | IncludedPOS integration on every plan (Basic: one location, 10 employees); seven named POS systems. |
| Labor % vs sales | IncludedLabor % next to each day's sales. | Higher planLabor against sales with a POS; sales and labor cost reports on All-in-One. |
| Sales, kitchen and team reports | IncludedTop items, server rankings, ticket times by hour, station pace, on-time clock-ins. | Higher plan'Detailed reports on activity, sales, and labor costs' on All-in-One. |
| Team communication & culture | ||
| Direct messages, groups, broadcasts | IncludedDMs, group chats by position, broadcasts, daily schedule notes. | IncludedMessaging on every plan; channels, announcements and read confirmations on Essentials. |
| Scheduled messages | IncludedWrite now, send later. | Not listedNot found on Homebase's site. |
| Polls and quizzes | IncludedPolls, surveys and quizzes in the News tab. | PartialEmployee surveys mentioned; polls not listed. |
| Recognition and rewards | IncludedShoutouts, points for the things you want, monthly winners pick a reward you set. Off until you turn it on. | PartialShout-outs between teammates; milestones and birthdays on Plus; rewards not listed. |
| Monthly team newsletter | IncludedDrafts itself each month. | Not listedNot found on Homebase's site. |
| Staff records & compliance | ||
| Certifications with photos and expiry reminders | IncludedA photo of the card on file; reminders before it lapses. | Higher planCertification tracking with expiry alerts on Plus; a photo of the card is not listed. |
| Documents with acknowledgements | IncludedDocument Center tracks who has acknowledged each handbook or policy. | Higher planE-sign and document storage on All-in-One; read confirmation on messages. |
| Staff profiles | IncludedPositions, contact and emergency info, school calendars for minors. | IncludedEmployee info, emergency contacts, payroll details and performance notes. |
| Offboarding and rehire record | IncludedHow they left, notice given, eligible for rehire, last day worked. | Not listedNot found on Homebase's site. |
| Ops tools | ||
| Food & supplies order guide | IncludedVendors, storage areas, pars, count walk, shop by vendor; works offline. | Not listedNot found on Homebase's site. |
| Equipment maintenance calendar | IncludedAn example maintenance calendar you customize for your restaurant, plus an equipment registry and service log. | Not listedThe manager log can hold maintenance notes; no maintenance calendar described. |
| Red Book / shift notes | IncludedRed Book entries and daily schedule notes, included. | IncludedShift notes on Essentials and up; a manager logbook for incidents and notes. |
| Tasks | IncludedTask completions that managers verify from the Manager Hub. | Add-onTask Manager add-on, $13 per location per month. |
| Platforms & support | ||
| iOS, Android, web | IncludedApp Store and Google Play; web browser for admin work. | IncludediOS and Android apps; web app for admin work. |
| Support | IncludedEmail support@exposhift.com; a human who has run a shift answers. | Included24/7 AI chat on every plan; live chat and phone on Essentials and up (7am–7pm CT on the payroll page). |
| Data ownership | IncludedYour restaurant's data belongs to your restaurant; never sold or used for marketing. | Not listedNot checked on Homebase's terms (page could not be read). |
Included on the plan named
Partial some of the row, as described
Add-on priced separately
Higher plan on a Homebase plan above Essentials
Not listed not found on Homebase's site or help center
Homebase prices and features as published on https://www.joinhomebase.com/pricing and Homebase's help center on 2026-11-02. The pricing page shows the same price under its Monthly and Annual toggles; monthly was selected when read. "Essentials" is the lowest Homebase plan without the 10-employee cap. Homebase is a trademark of Pioneer Works, Inc.; ExpoShift is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pioneer Works, Inc.
Where Homebase may be the better fit
- You have 10 or fewer employees in one location: Basic is free, with scheduling, a time clock, messaging and a POS connection.
- You want payroll run inside the same product (US): the Payroll add-on is $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid, on any plan.
- You hire often: job posts, applicant tracking, background checks and a Hiring Assistant are built in or available as add-ons.
- You want HR advisors on call and a custom employee handbook: both are on the All-in-One plan.
- Your POS or payroll provider is on their published partner list: seven named POS systems and ten named payroll providers.
Where ExpoShift is the better fit
- One price, every feature: $49 a month per location, any team size. On Homebase, tip pooling and tasks are add-ons, and labor cost management, auto clock-out and reports sit on the $120 All-in-One plan.
- 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.
- 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: shoutouts, points and monthly rewards, polls and quizzes, a monthly newsletter, certifications with a photo of the card and expiry reminders, documents with acknowledgements.
- Ops tools included: a food and supplies order guide, an example maintenance calendar you customize for your restaurant, the Red Book, and tasks.
Switching
Moving from Homebase 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 Homebase: 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. Homebase has a free plan: Basic: free for one location with up to 10 employees, with basic scheduling, basic time tracking, messaging and a POS connection.
Do I pay per employee?
No. ExpoShift is $49 a month per location, any team size, every feature included. Homebase prices per location per month, four plans; Basic is free for one location with up to 10 employees, and payroll, tip pooling and tasks are add-ons.
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 Homebase?
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?
Homebase's prices and features were read from Homebase'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.