Shiftbase

Shiftbase is workforce software for organizations running recurring or variable shifts, bringing scheduling, attendance capture, and workforce administration together. It suits managers who need employees to participate in coverage changes while retaining approval control. The main decision is whether its employee, department, and team limits fit your operation as it grows.

Overview

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, Shiftbase targets shift-based work across restaurants, retail, hotels, recreation, production, transport, healthcare, cleaning, and security. Its strongest case is a team that wants schedules, clocked hours, and payroll-ready records in one workflow rather than separate tools.

Key features

Scheduling and coverage changes

Shift templates and copied weeks reduce repetitive schedule construction. Skill-based assignments help managers place qualified employees, while warnings for time-off and other-shift conflicts catch common errors before publication. Employees can claim open shifts and suggest swaps; manager approval keeps final responsibility for coverage with supervisors. Availability collection and time-off management support planning, but the free plan's one-department and five-team ceilings constrain larger or more complex organizations.

Time tracking and labour planning

Staff can clock in and out through the iOS or Android app, a desktop, or a shared tablet. Managers can approve recorded hours and export them for payroll, giving attendance data a clear administrative endpoint. Premium adds labour-cost targets, budget management, and skill-based scheduling. Auto-scheduling is identified as early access, so it should not be treated as the primary justification for paying more.

Integrations, security, and support

The marketplace lists 51 integrations, including AFAS, Lightspeed, Nmbrs, and Connexie, although some require the App Center+ add-on. Shiftbase states that it is ISO/IEC 27001 certified, keeps data on EU servers, encrypts stored and transmitted data, supports MFA and permission groups, and deletes customer data 30 days after cancellation. Weekday email, phone, and chat support runs from 09:00 to 17:00 CET; chat usually responds within a few minutes.

Pricing

Shiftbase uses monthly billing and offers a free-forever tier plus a 14-day trial. The mobile app is included in every plan at no additional cost.

PlanPrice and allowanceWhat it meansFree€0.00 per month, billed monthly; up to 15 employees, 1 department, 5 teamsA sensible starting point for a small single-department operation, but the structural caps arrive quickly for multi-department businesses.Basic€30.00 per month, billed monthly; 6 employees included, €4/month per additional user; 5 departments, unlimited teamsFits a small growing team needing more departments, though the included six employees means per-user charges begin early.Premium€72.00 per month, billed monthly; 12 employees included, €5/month per additional user; unlimited departments and teamsThe practical choice when labour budgets and advanced planning matter, with room for organizational complexity.Enterprise€336.00 per month, billed monthly; 48 employees included, €6/month per additional user; unlimited departments and teams; contact salesDesigned for larger workforces that can use the higher included allowance; additional users cost more than on the lower tiers.Platforms

Shiftbase runs on Android, iOS, the web, and through an API. That combination covers employee mobile clock-ins, desktop administration, shared-tablet use, and connections to other systems.

Who it's for

Choose Shiftbase if your business schedules shift workers, needs conflict-aware planning, and wants approved hours ready for payroll export. Restaurants, retail, hospitality, healthcare, production, transport, cleaning, security, and similar operations are the clearest matches. It is less compelling for a tiny, stable team that needs only basic attendance, or for a growing organization that cannot work within the free plan's single-department limit.

Pros and cons

Pro: Employees can claim open shifts and propose swaps, reducing manager involvement while preserving approval.

Pro: Clock-ins from mobile, desktop, or shared tablet connect directly to approval and payroll export.

Pro: Conflict warnings, templates, copied weeks, and skill-based assignments address recurring scheduling work.

Con: The free tier stops at 15 employees, one department, and five teams, limiting its usefulness beyond a small operation.

Con: Some of the 51 integrations require the paid App Center+ add-on.

Con: Auto-scheduling remains early access, so its availability should not drive a purchase decision.

Alternatives

Browse Time and Attendance Software when attendance is your primary requirement, or Employee Scheduling Software when roster construction matters most. For leave-focused workflows, see Leave Management Software.

Jibble is worth considering if you need broader platform coverage, including desktop operating systems, self-hosting, and an unlimited-user free plan. Connecteam offers a freemium alternative with a cost-free limited tier. TimeTrex suits buyers seeking a paid workforce system with self-hosted and desktop options. Puntual is an Android-and-web freemium option. TimeClock 365 is another freemium choice with Android, iOS, web, API, and extension support. Homebase is a freemium alternative for restaurant labor management. Infor Workforce Management is a paid, broad-platform product with custom sales pricing. OnTheClock focuses on paid time tracking, scheduling, and PTO management.

Verdict

Shiftbase is a strong fit for shift-based businesses that want employee-driven coverage changes, reliable attendance capture, and payroll-ready approvals in one system. Choose it for the combination of scheduling controls and workforce administration; look elsewhere if your organization will quickly outgrow the free limits, needs auto-scheduling as a mature feature, or requires integrations without an additional add-on.