7shifts pricing: what restaurant operators pay by location and plan
7shifts publishes its plan prices with exact per-location costs, which is useful in a market where many workforce management platforms require a sales call for a quote. But the per-location model means restaurant operators need to do the math carefully. A single location on Essentials pays $39.99 per month billed annually; a ten-location group on the same plan pays $399.90. The model rewards locations with many employees, since everyone pays the same regardless of staff size, but it punishes multi-unit growth.
This pricing breakdown uses 7shifts' published plan prices as reported in September 2026, supplemented by multi-location cost modeling and competitor comparisons. It walks through what each tier includes, where the value jumps occur between plans, the per-location costs that add up for restaurant groups, and how 7shifts compares to Sling, Homebase and Deputy on the restaurant features that matter most.
7shifts pricing overview: what buyers pay and when each tier makes sense
How much does 7shifts cost?
7shifts costs $0 to $149.99 per location per month, or $39.99 to $134.99 per location billed annually. The free Comp plan covers one location with up to 15 employees. Pricing is per location, not per employee, but payroll adds $39.99 per location plus $6 per employee paid.
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: 7shifts pricing page (JS-rendered, not readable by fetch), Connecteam: 7shifts review (updated Jul 2, 2026), monthly vs annual prices, AI Made For: 7shifts pricing 2026 (verified Sep 1, 2026), Costbench: 7shifts pricing (updated Jul 30, 2026), Workstream: 7shifts pricing (Aug 1, 2026).
7shifts structures pricing around four tiers (Comp, Essentials, Pro and Premium) with a per-location, per-month billing model. The free Comp plan covers one location with up to 15 employees and includes scheduling, team messaging and availability management. That makes 7shifts easy for independent restaurants to try before paying, and useful for very small operators who only need to digitize the schedule.
Essentials at $39.99 per location per month billed annually ($44.99 monthly) is the entry paid plan. It adds time clocking, labor budget tools, scheduling templates and overtime alerts, and raises the cap to 30 employees. Pro at $79.99 ($89.99 monthly) is where the restaurant-specific differentiators start: POS integration connects scheduling to real-time sales data, sales-based forecasting informs staffing, and task management and advanced reporting round it out. For most full-service restaurants, Pro is the plan that justifies choosing 7shifts over cheaper tools.
The jump from Essentials ($39.99) to Pro ($79.99) doubles the per-location cost. The added POS integration and forecasting are the features most restaurants buy 7shifts for, but a small café that only needs a schedule and a time clock may be fine on Essentials. Watch the Essentials 30-employee cap: many full-service restaurants pass it and must move up regardless of features.
Premium at $134.99 per location per month billed annually ($149.99 monthly) adds tip management, labor compliance automation, payroll integration and priority support. This is the plan for restaurants with tip pools and complex labor rules, and for groups that treat labor cost as a strategic metric. Because tip management costs about $49.99 per location as an add-on to lower plans, Premium is often close in price to Pro plus the add-on. For smaller operations without tip pooling, the premium rarely pays off.
| Plan | Price | Billing unit | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comp | $0 | 1 location, up to 15 employees | Scheduling, team messaging, availability and time-off requests, shift offers and the mobile app. |
| Essentials | $44.99/location/mo monthly, or $39.99/location/mo billed annually | per location per month, up to 30 employees | Adds time clocking, labor budget tools, scheduling templates and overtime alerts. |
| Pro | $89.99/location/mo monthly, or $79.99/location/mo billed annually | per location per month | Adds POS integration, sales-based forecasting, task management and advanced reporting. |
| Premium | $149.99/location/mo monthly, or $134.99/location/mo billed annually | per location per month, unlimited employees | Adds tip management, labor compliance automation and payroll integration, plus priority support. |
| Payroll add-on | $39.99/location/mo + $6 per employee paid | per location per month plus per employee paid | Payroll run from 7shifts timesheets and tips. |
What 7shifts costs for 10, 50 and 200 employees
| Plan | 10 employees | 50 employees | 200 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro, 1 location (annual billing) | $79.99 | $79.99 | $79.99 |
| Pro + payroll, 1 location (annual) | $179.98 | $419.98 | $1,319.98 |
| Premium, 1 location (annual billing) | $134.99 | $134.99 | $134.99 |
Monthly cost for one location in USD; multiply by location count. Essentials caps at 30 employees; check Pro's employee cap for 200-person locations.
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: 7shifts pricing page (JS-rendered, not readable by fetch), Connecteam: 7shifts review (updated Jul 2, 2026), monthly vs annual prices, AI Made For: 7shifts pricing 2026 (verified Sep 1, 2026), Costbench: 7shifts pricing (updated Jul 30, 2026), Workstream: 7shifts pricing (Aug 1, 2026).
7shifts pricing breakdown: Comp vs Essentials vs Pro vs Premium
For single-location restaurants with 15 or fewer employees, start on the free Comp plan. If you need a time clock and labor budgets, Essentials at $39.99 per month billed annually covers teams up to 30. If you need POS-linked labor tracking and forecasting, Pro at $79.99 is the right plan. If tip pooling is central to your operation, compare Pro plus the tip management add-on with Premium at $134.99.
For multi-location restaurant groups, multiply per-location costs across your footprint. A five-location group on Pro pays $399.95 per month billed annually ($4,799.40 a year). On Premium, the same group pays $674.95 per month ($8,099.40 a year). Pro is the sweet spot for most multi-location groups. Reserve Premium for locations where tip management and compliance automation save enough labor and risk to cover the difference.
7shifts Comp — what it includes and who it fits
Comp is 7shifts' free tier, covering one location with up to 15 employees. It includes scheduling, team messaging, availability and time-off requests, shift offers and the mobile app. The plan is free with no time limit.Comp fits small cafés, food trucks and very small restaurants with fewer than 15 staff. The 15-employee cap is the main limit, and most full-service restaurants exceed it, which forces an upgrade. It also lacks a time clock. The single-location restriction rules Comp out for any multi-unit operator. Think of Comp as a capable free scheduling tool with a low ceiling.
7shifts Essentials and Pro — what changes and why it matters
Essentials at $39.99 per location per month billed annually ($44.99 monthly) adds time clocking, labor budget tools, scheduling templates and overtime alerts for up to 30 employees. Pro at $79.99 ($89.99 monthly) adds POS integration, sales-based forecasting, task management and advanced reporting. POS integration pulls sales data from systems such as Toast, Square and Clover for real-time labor cost tracking.For most restaurant operators, Pro is the plan that justifies choosing 7shifts over cheaper alternatives, because the POS integration turns labor cost from a lagging metric into a live number. A 50-person restaurant on Pro pays $79.99 per month billed annually, about $1.60 per employee, for features that save managers hours each week. Restaurants under 30 staff that only need scheduling and a time clock can stay on Essentials.
7shifts payroll and add-ons — what costs extra
Several features are sold on top of the plans. Payroll costs $39.99 per location per month plus $6 per employee paid. Third-party pricing reviews also list tip management at about $49.99 per location per month on plans below Premium and an employee onboarding fee of about $2.99 per package.For a single location with 50 employees on Pro billed annually, adding payroll brings the monthly total to $79.99 plus $39.99 plus $300, or $419.98. Add-ons can change which plan is cheapest, so price your full setup, not just the base plan, before choosing a tier.
7shifts Premium — when tip management and compliance are worth it
Premium at $134.99 per location per month billed annually ($149.99 monthly) adds tip management, labor compliance automation, payroll integration and priority support. Tip management calculates tip distribution based on configurable rules, such as percentage by role or hours worked, and produces reports you can audit.On annual billing, Premium costs $55 more per location per month than Pro, or $1,619.88 a year per location in total. The value depends on tip pooling and compliance needs. Since the tip management add-on alone costs about $49.99 per location per month on lower plans, restaurants that need tip pooling pay nearly the same for Pro plus the add-on as for Premium. Restaurants without tip pools or complex labor rules rarely need Premium.
7shifts pricing breakdown: Comp vs Essentials vs Pro vs Premium
7shifts vs Sling on price
Sling by Toast uses per-user pricing: free for up to 30 users, then Premium at $2 and Business at $4 per user per month on monthly billing ($1.70 and $3.40 billed annually). A 30-person restaurant on Sling Business costs $120 per month versus $39.99 for 7shifts Essentials billed annually, so 7shifts is cheaper for single locations with larger staffs. For a 10-location group averaging 30 employees each, Sling Business costs $1,200 per month versus $799.90 for 7shifts Pro. Sling does not offer tip management, a manager log or POS-based forecasting, so the comparison only holds for basic scheduling.
7shifts vs Homebase on price
Homebase offers a free plan with basic scheduling and time tracking for one location with up to 10 employees. Paid plans are $30, $70 and $120 per location per month on monthly billing, or $24, $56 and $96 billed annually. Homebase's per-location pricing is directly comparable to 7shifts, and its entry tier is cheaper: Homebase Essentials at $24 versus 7shifts Essentials at $39.99, both billed annually. However, Homebase's restaurant-specific features, such as tip management and POS-based forecasting, are shallower than 7shifts'. For restaurants where tip pooling is essential, 7shifts is the stronger choice.
What the pricing gap means for restaurant operators
7shifts is more expensive than Sling and Homebase for basic scheduling but includes restaurant-specific features that neither competitor offers. The pricing premium is justified when you need tip pooling, manager log, demand forecasting, or the depth of POS integrations that 7shifts provides. For single-location restaurants that just need a digital schedule, Sling's free plan or Homebase's free plan deliver the basics at zero cost. For multi-location restaurant groups that treat labor cost management as a strategic capability, 7shifts' per-location pricing buys features that cheaper alternatives cannot match.
7shifts pricing buyer checklist: what to verify before signing
Calculate total annual cost at each plan tier for your full location count
Multiply the per-location monthly price by your total location count and by 12 months. On annual billing, a five-location group pays $2,399.40 a year on Essentials, $4,799.40 on Pro and $8,099.40 on Premium. Compare these totals against Sling and Homebase to see the premium you pay for restaurant-specific features. Ask the 7shifts sales team about volume discounts for five or more locations, since the published rates may not be the best available price.
Start with the Comp plan or the Pro trial before committing to a paid tier
If your location has 15 or fewer employees, start on the free Comp plan and test scheduling over a full pay period. For larger teams, start the 14-day Pro trial and run at least two weeks of real shifts, time punches and labor reports through the system. If you need tip pooling, confirm how tip management would be priced for your plan before you sign. Do not commit to an annual plan based on a demo alone.
Test POS integration with your specific system before signing
7shifts integrates with 30+ POS systems, but integration depth varies. Toast and Square offer the deepest data flow with item-level sales data. Legacy POS systems may only provide daily sales totals, which limits the accuracy of labor cost tracking and demand forecasting. During the trial, verify that your POS integration delivers the data granularity you need for scheduling optimization.
Check whether Premium's tip and compliance tools fit your operation
If you are considering Premium, list the specific jobs you need it for: tip pooling, labor compliance alerts or payroll integration. Price Pro plus the tip management add-on against Premium for your location count. Ask 7shifts to demonstrate the tip rules and compliance alerts with your own staff roster and state rules before paying the $134.99 per location Premium rate.
Negotiate volume pricing for five or more locations
The published per-location rates may not be final for restaurant groups with many locations. Contact the 7shifts sales team and ask for multi-location pricing. Multi-year commitments, annual prepayment and location count commitments may all help you get lower per-location rates. Even a 15% discount saves a ten-location group about $120 per month on Pro billed annually.
7shifts pricing should be evaluated in the context of team size, operating complexity, and the commercial metric that makes cost rise over time.
Buyers should use this page to understand more than the headline price. The real decision usually depends on implementation scope, support level, add-on exposure, and whether the pricing model still makes sense once the team grows.
- Clarify whether cost scales by employee count, recruiter seats, payroll runs, locations, or another metric.
- Confirm what implementation, premium support, compliance, or service add-ons do to total spend.
- Model pricing against the actual team size and operating complexity expected over the next 12 months.
Is 7shifts worth the price?
7shifts pricing is published and well structured for the restaurant market. The per-location model rewards locations with many employees and keeps single-location restaurants relatively cheap. Multi-location groups should calculate total costs carefully and negotiate volume pricing directly. Pro at $79.99 per location per month billed annually is the value sweet spot, because POS integration and forecasting justify the price for most full-service restaurants. Essentials at $39.99 suits smaller teams under 30 staff, and Premium at $134.99 makes sense mainly when tip management and compliance automation are needed. Start with the free Comp plan or the 14-day Pro trial and test with real shifts before signing a paid contract.
Frequently asked questions about 7shifts pricing
How much does 7shifts cost per location per month?
7shifts uses per-location pricing with four tiers. Comp is free for one location with up to 15 employees. Essentials costs $39.99, Pro $79.99 and Premium $134.99 per location per month billed annually, or $44.99, $89.99 and $149.99 billed monthly. A five-location restaurant group on annual billing pays $199.95 per month on Essentials, $399.95 on Pro or $674.95 on Premium. The per-location model suits locations with many employees but gets expensive quickly for multi-unit operators.
Is the 7shifts free plan actually useful for a restaurant?
The free Comp plan covers scheduling, team messaging, availability and time-off requests, and shift offers for one location with up to 15 employees. It works for small cafés, food trucks and very small restaurants that need to replace paper schedules. The 15-employee ceiling excludes most full-service restaurants. Time clocking, POS integration and tip management are not included. For most restaurants, Comp is a starting point that leads to Essentials or Pro.
Does 7shifts offer a free trial on paid plans?
Yes. 7shifts advertises a 14-day free trial of its Pro plan, and the free Comp plan has no time limit. After the trial you can upgrade to a paid plan or drop back to Comp. Use the trial to run real shifts through the system: test time clocking and labor reporting over at least one pay period, and confirm POS integration works with your specific system before committing.
What is the cheapest 7shifts plan that includes tip pooling?
Full tip management is included in the Premium plan at $134.99 per location per month billed annually ($149.99 monthly). On lower plans it is sold as an add-on at about $49.99 per location per month, according to third-party pricing reviews. The free Comp plan does not include it. For restaurants where tip pooling is a primary need, compare Pro plus the add-on with Premium; at roughly $130 a month either way, Premium often makes more sense because it also adds labor compliance tools. Automated tip calculation can save 30 to 60 minutes per shift of manual work.
How does 7shifts pricing compare to Sling for restaurants?
Sling charges per user: Premium is $2 and Business is $4 per user per month on monthly billing ($1.70 and $3.40 billed annually). 7shifts charges per location, starting at $39.99 per location per month billed annually. For a 30-person restaurant, Sling Business costs $120 per month versus $39.99 for 7shifts Essentials, so 7shifts is cheaper for single locations with larger staffs. For a 10-location group with 30 employees each, Sling Business costs $1,200 per month versus $399.90 for 7shifts Essentials. 7shifts also offers deeper restaurant features such as tip management, a manager log and forecasting. Sling is cheaper mainly for groups with very small staffs per location.
Does 7shifts offer volume discounts for multi-location restaurant groups?
7shifts does not publicly advertise volume discounts on its pricing page. However, restaurant groups with five or more locations should negotiate directly with the 7shifts sales team, as enterprise and multi-location pricing is typically available for larger deployments. Multi-year commitments may also unlock discounted per-location rates. The per-location model means the total cost scales linearly with location count, so negotiating even a small per-location discount has a meaningful impact on the annual bill for groups with 10 or more locations.
Is the 7shifts Premium plan worth the price?
Premium at $134.99 per location per month billed annually ($149.99 monthly) is worth it mainly for restaurants that need tip management and labor compliance automation, or groups where labor cost is a strategic priority. It bundles tip management, which costs about $49.99 per location as an add-on to lower plans, along with compliance tools and payroll integration. For a single location, Premium costs $55 more per month than Pro on annual billing. If you would buy the tip add-on anyway, Premium is close to the same price. For operators without tip pooling or complex labor rules, Pro is usually enough.