HotSchedules vs Sling
HotSchedules
fourth.com
Sling
getsling.comSide by side
| Figure | HotSchedules | Sling |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Restaurant Scheduling Software | 7.9 (#13) | 8.6 (#8) |
| Spec score · Restaurant Labor Management Software | 7.8 (#11) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Scheduling | Managers can build schedules using real sales and labor data, while employees receive mobile access and real-time updates. | The product supports shift scheduling, reusable schedule templates, employee availability, time-off requests, shift offers, and shift swaps. |
| Security | Fourth says it uses secured communication channels, password protection, limited-access systems and per-user least-privilege access controls. | Sling says customer data is stored in Amazon cloud infrastructure and that communication channels are encrypted; its security FAQ also says most data at rest is not encrypted, with passwords hashed and social security numbers encrypted if provided. |
Plans
Sling
- FreeFree
- PremiumPrice not published
- BusinessPrice not published
- Premium$20.40 a year
- Business$40.80 a year
In their own words
HotSchedules
HotSchedules is workforce-management software for restaurant and hospitality operators, covering hiring, payroll, scheduling, compliance and team management. Managers can create schedules using sales and labor data, while employees receive mobile access and real-time updates. Predictive insights help match staffing to demand, with the stated aim of reducing overtime and waste. Compliance tools include predictive scheduling, labor-law alerts and reporting. POS integrations synchronize sales and labor data; named systems include PAR POS, Toast, Oracle Micros and NCR Aloha. Fourth also lists a wider partner set, including Lightspeed U Series, Revel and Simphony. Separate iOS and Android apps are available, each listed at $2.99 in its app store. The HS Team application requires a valid user account provided through the employee’s employer. Fourth’s hospitality pay solutions include instant digital tip payouts and early access to earned wages. HotSchedules runs on web, Android and iOS. Pricing is on request, there is no free plan, and a free trial is listed.
Sling
Sling is an employee scheduling, communication, and workforce management platform for organizing shifts and labor costs. It supports reusable schedule templates, employee availability, time-off requests, shift offers, swaps, open shifts, and auto-scheduling. The Free plan supports up to 30 users and includes shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts, news sharing, long-term scheduling, and private messaging. Premium costs $2 a month per user and adds mobile time tracking, labor cost management, overtime tracking, and group messaging. Business costs $4 a month per user and adds kiosk time tracking, reports, no-show and sick call-out features, and PTO management. Communication options include private and group messages, a Newsfeed, Announcements, and email, push, browser, and some SMS notifications. Sling lists integrations with Toast and other point-of-sale systems; the Toast connection syncs employee data, compares POS sales with labor costs, and exports timesheets to Toast Payroll. Sling runs on Android, iOS, and the web, though some actions require a desktop browser.