Head to head

7shifts vs Planday

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

7shifts

Quote Free tier 14 day free trial

Restaurant shift scheduling with a free Comp plan. Paid Essentials starts at $39.99/location/mo.

Where 7shifts fits

Restaurants and bars running FOH and BOH shifts
Multi-location groups on Toast or similar POS
Operators who want labor cost against sales
Teams that will start on the free Comp plan

Planday is shift workforce management for hourly teams in Europe and the UK. It has been owned by Xero since 2021. Pricing is listed as Starter, Plus, and Pro, with Pro custom. A 30-day trial needs no credit card.

Where Planday fits

UK and EU hospitality, retail, and healthcare teams already in Xero
Managers who need rotas, punch clock, and payroll export in one app
Multi-department shops that will grow from Starter into Plus or Pro
Operators who want a 30-day no-card trial before a demo

At a glance

Detail	7shifts	Planday
Starting price	Quote	Sales-quoted
Free tier	✓Yes	–No
Free trial	14 day free trial	30 day free trial
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	–No	–No
Listed under	Time & attendance, Workforce management	Workforce management
Capterra	4.7 from 1,212 reviews	4.3 from 58 reviews

Where they pull apart

7shifts

Stands out: A kitchen-and-FOH scheduler with POS hooks and a genuine free Comp tier, then location-priced paid plans rather than per-user WFM seats.

Watch out: Time tracking, payroll ($39.99/location/mo plus $6/employee paid), tip management, tasks, and onboarding are add-ons or higher plans. AI course-building is on Pro and Premium only.

Not the right fit for

Non-restaurant hourly work (use Deputy or When I Work)
Enterprises that need a full HRIS
Buyers who thought the free plan included time clocks and payroll

Planday

Stands out: Approved hours export into Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage 50, Paychex, and TriNet. Auto-schedule and planning metrics sit on higher plans.

Watch out: Xero retired Planday in Australia in 2024 and pointed those customers to Deputy. US buyers should treat this as a Europe and UK product rather than a public USD rate card.

Not the right fit for

Australian employers (product retired there in 2024)
US enterprises that need UKG-class forecasting and union rules

Pros and cons

7shifts

Real free Comp plan
Restaurant-specific labor versus sales
Public location pricing from $39.99/month

Time clocks and payroll are not in Comp
Per-location pricing gets expensive across many sites
Wrong product outside food service

Planday

30-day trial with no credit card
Named payroll exports: Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage, Paychex, TriNet
Owned by Xero since 2021, with a native hours-to-payroll path

No USD amounts on the public pricing page. Pro is custom
Retired in Australia in 2024
Europe/UK core. Weaker default for US enterprise WFM

What each one costs

7shifts

Quote

Permanent free tier covers scheduling only. Time tracking is paid. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 12 Sep 2026

Planday

Sales-quoted

Planday lists Starter, Plus, and Pro on the pricing page. Pro is custom (book a demo). A 30-day trial is available with no credit card, cancel any time. The vendor does not publish USD plan amounts. Payroll connections include Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage, Paychex, and TriNet. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try 7shifts or Planday for free?

7shifts carries a free tier on our listing. 7shifts offers a 14 day free trial. Planday offers a 30 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 12 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?