Why EZShift?
Built Around the Hard Parts of Scheduling
Most scheduling tools are glorified calendars. EZShift was built to handle the complexity that makes shift management actually difficult.
Configurable rules engine
Define mandatory and preferred constraints. The system enforces them - a schedule that breaks a mandatory rule cannot be published
Labor law
compliance
Rest periods, overtime limits, and labor agreements built directly into the scheduling engine - not bolted on afterward
Constraint-based auto-scheduling
Transparent, deterministic scheduling logic. You see exactly why each employee was assigned each shift - no black-box decisions
Integrated time & attendance
EZClock shows planned vs. actual in real time, with configurable alerts. Included in the platform - not a paid add-on
Feature Comparison
EZShift vs. Leading Competitors
We've tried to be fair. Where competitors genuinely lead - in pricing transparency, industry specialization, or free plans - we say so.
|
EZShift
Our product
|
Deputy |
7shifts |
When I Work |
Planday |
UKG (Kronos) |
| Mandatory scheduling rules
Constraints the system must enforce
|
✓ |
~Limited configuration |
~Availability & role limits |
~Basic availability rules |
~Basic constraints only |
✓ |
| Preferred scheduling rules
Soft constraints the system optimizes toward
|
✓ |
~Limited options |
✗ |
✗ |
✗ |
~ |
| Permission-based rule enforcement
Each rule defines who can override it
|
✓ |
~Partial validation |
✗ |
✗ |
~Basic warnings only |
✓ |
| Transparent scheduling logic
No black-box decisions
|
✓ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
| Constraint-based auto-scheduling |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
~ |
✓ |
| Recurring shift patterns |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
~Limited automation |
✓ |
| Multi-department / cross-branch scheduling |
✓ |
~Pro plan only |
~ |
~Price doubles |
~ |
✓ |
| Demand / labor forecasting |
~Via third-party integration |
✓ |
✓ |
~ |
~ |
✓ |
| Labor law rules in scheduling engine |
✓ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
✓ |
| Overtime prevention / limits |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
~ |
✓ |
| Rest period enforcement |
✓ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
✓ |
| Integrated time & attendance
Included in core platform
|
✓ |
✓ |
~Via the 7punches companion app |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Real-time planned vs. actual alerts |
✓ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
| Mobile clock-in / out |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Geofence / location-based clock-in |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Drag-and-drop schedule builder |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Offline schedule viewing (mobile) |
✗ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
~ |
| Shift self-service (swaps, pickups) |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Reporting & analytics |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
~ |
~ |
✓ |
| Ideal for |
Complex scheduling environments — multi-site, regulated industries, labor agreements |
SMB & mid-market, broad platform needs |
Restaurants & food & beverage |
Small single-location businesses |
Small service businesses needing POS integration |
Large enterprises (1,000+ employees) with union contracts |
| Published pricing |
See pricing page → |
$5–9/user/mo |
$0–70+/location/mo |
$2.50–5/user/mo |
£2.99+/user/mo |
Custom quote |
| Free plan available |
✗ |
✗ |
✓ |
✗ |
~Trial only |
✗ |
How it works in practice
Scheduling Rules That Actually Stick
Most tools let you see the schedule. EZShift lets you govern it.
Define the rules once: maximum hours, required rest periods, who's due a weekend off. The system remembers - and enforces. If an employee worked last Saturday, the engine knows. It'll prioritize someone else this week, automatically, without a manager having to track it manually. Mandatory rules can't be broken without the right permission level. Preferred rules get honored when possible.
The result: a schedule that's compliant, fair, and explainable.
Detailed Breakdowns
How EZShift Compares, One by One
We're not pretending each competitor has nothing to offer. Here's an honest look at where they're strong, where they fall short, and when EZShift is the better fit.
Deputy
All-in-one workforce management for shift teams.
Where They’re Strong
- Broad feature set: HR, tasks, messaging, analytics
- AI-powered auto-scheduler with demand forecasting
- Biometric facial recognition clock-in
- Available in US, UK, and Australia
Where They Fall Short
- Scheduling rule configuration is basic compared to dedicated schedulers
- Attention is divided across many product areas
- No offline mode
Good general-purpose tool. If your scheduling constraints are simple, Deputy may be enough. If you manage complex shift patterns, labor agreements, or need rule enforcement before a schedule is published - EZShift goes deeper.
7shifts
Scheduling and workforce management for restaurants.
Where They’re Strong
- ML auto-scheduler that improves over time
- Tip pooling and POS integrations
- Labor forecasting tied to projected revenue
- Free plan for small restaurants
Where They Fall Short
- Restaurants only - not applicable to other industries
- Time tracking requires a separate app (7Punches)
- No configurable constraint rules engine
- No offline mode
An excellent product - if you run restaurants. For any other industry, or any business that needs constraint-based scheduling, it's not the right fit.
When I Work
Simple scheduling for small shift-based teams.
Where They’re Strong
- Very intuitive - widely praised for ease of adoption
- Affordable for single-location businesses
- Photo verification and geofencing included
Where They Fall Short
- No scheduling rules engine
- Pricing doubles for multi-location teams
- No live GPS tracking
- Limited integrations
- Stability issues reported by users
Works well for a single, simple location. Once you add complexity - multiple sites, labor rules, or compliance requirements - it doesn't scale with you.
Planday
Intuitive scheduling with strong integration support.
Where They’re Strong
- Large integration library: POS, payroll, HR
- GPS punch clock included in all plans
- Real-time payroll cost vs. revenue comparison
- Clean, intuitive interface
Where They Fall Short
- Basic scheduling constraints only - no configurable rules engine
- Limited recurring shift automation
- Timesheets not auto-generated - manual approval required
- Very limited reporting
Strong integration ecosystem makes it attractive for teams already using POS or payroll software. But the lack of a rules engine means it can't encode or enforce labor agreements.
UKG (formerly Kronos)
Enterprise workforce management for large, complex organizations.
Where They're Strong
- Deep compliance and union rules management - decades of Kronos heritage
- AI-driven demand forecasting and labor analytics
- Full HCM suite: payroll, HR, benefits, and WFM in one platform
- Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader (2025) for workforce management
Where They Fall Short
- Built for 1,000+ employee enterprises - significant overkill for most businesses
- Implementation costs often 40–70% of first-year software fees
- Steep learning curve; most deployments activate only 30–40% of available functionality
- No published pricing - complex custom contracts required
- Support quality inconsistency reported by users
The industry heavyweight. Genuinely powerful for enterprises with 1,000+ employees, union contracts, and multi-country compliance needs. For everyone else, you're paying enterprise complexity for mid-market problems. EZShift delivers advanced scheduling capabilities with significantly lower implementation complexity.
