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HotSchedules Logo

Conquer Every Shift with HotSchedules, Powered by Fourth

HotSchedules Pricing, Features, Reviews and Alternatives

HotSchedules FAQs

How do I find pay stubs on HotSchedules?

You can find your estimated pay and timecard history under the "Time and Attendance" feature on both the web and mobile app. However, to receive your paystubs or paychecks, you will need to contact your payroll department or manager.


Is HotSchedules free?

No, HotSchedules is not free, but it offers a 14-day free trial. For further pricing information, please contact HotSchedules directly and request a demo.


How do I block days on HotSchedules?

To block days, navigate to the "Home" tab. Select "Manage Time Off," and then select "Blocked Days." This option will allow you to choose and save the day or time frame you wish to block.


How do I request time off on the HotSchedules app?

To request time off on the HotSchedules app, select "Time Off & Requests" from the overall menu. Select the "add" icon, then select the type of time off needed and the date range.


How do I change my availability on the HotSchedules app?

To change your availability on the HotSchedules app, select "My Availability." Click the "add" icon to create a new availability date request. This new date can be edited by choosing the following options: "Available," "Unavailable," and "Partially Available." Once saved, these requests are sent to your manager for approval.


How do I make a HotSchedules account?

To make a HotSchedules account, select "Start Your Free Trial." Enter your first name, last name, and email address.


How much is HotSchedules?

HotSchedules offers a free trial and requires you to contact them directly for pricing information.

HotSchedules product overview

Price starts from

40

/user

Per month

What is HotSchedules?

HotSchedules is an employee scheduling and workforce management application designed for use within restaurants, retail and hospitality industries, and other customer-facing businesses. The HotSchedules platform automates operational tasks such as scheduling, shift communication, reporting, forecasting, recruiting and training.

Key benefits of using HotSchedules

  • Create 100% compliant schedules with optimal labor mixes based on demand forecasting

  • Give your team flexibility with easy trade and shift swapping from HotSchedules app, rated the #1 business app for + years

  • Out-of-the-box dashboards slice and dice aggregated labor data for regional or corporate analysis while store-level reporting helps managers keep track of KPIs from shift-to-shift.

  • Prevent time theft, overtime, and missed breaks with HotSchedules' Time & Attendance capabilities

  • Completely avoid sub-minimum wage payouts and other payroll missteps

  • Ensure operational and brand standards across all your locations with HotSchedules' digital Logbook, complete with task management lists, store logs, staff journals, and food safety compliance monitoring.

  • Provide your employees access to on-demand pay (free for businesses and their employees)
  • Typical customers

    Freelancers
    Small businesses
    Mid size businesses
    Large enterprises

    Platforms supported

    Web
    Android
    iPhone/iPad

    Support options

    FAQs/Forum
    24/7 (Live rep)
    Email/Help Desk
    Phone Support
    Knowledge Base
    Chat

    Training options

    Documentation
    In Person
    Live Online
    Webinars
    Videos

    Not sure about HotSchedules? Compare it with a popular alternative

    HotSchedules logo

    HotSchedules

    4.4
    (455)
    When I Work logo
    4.5
    (1.1K)

    Starting from

    40

    /user

    Per month

    Free plan
    Free trial
    Pricing range

    Starting from

    1.50

    /user

    Per month

    Free plan
    Free trial
    Pricing range
    Ease of use
    Value for money
    Customer support
    Ease of use
    Value for money
    Customer support
    Why am I seeing this?

    HotSchedules pricing information

    Value for money

    4.1

    /5

    455

    Starting from

    40

    /user

    Per month

    Pricing options

    Free plan
    Subscription
    Free trial
    Pricing range

    Value for money contenders

    HotSchedules features

    Functionality

    4.3

    /5

    455

    Total features

    71

    8 categories

    Most valued features by users

    Reporting/Analytics
    Activity Dashboard
    Third-Party Integrations
    Alerts/Notifications
    Reporting & Statistics
    API
    Customizable Reports
    Data Import/Export

    HotSchedules users reviews

    Overall Rating

    4.4

    /5

    455

    Positive reviews

    88

    %

    Rating breakdown
    • Value for money
    • Ease of use
    • Features
    • Customer support
    • Likelihood to recommend8.53/10
    Rating distribution

    5

    4

    3

    2

    1

    254

    147

    40

    5

    9

    Pros
    Overall, I really loved my experience with HotSchedules. It was a great program for me to know when and what shifts I was working.
    Hotschedules won our business by having the best Aloha POS integration of all the companies we spoke with.
    It's a great way to communicate between coworkers, on top of scheduling, time off, etc. It's well organized and easy to navigate.
    Cons
    Customer service is terrible. I have emailed and called about 3 open tickets and no one will call me back or respond.
    The most annoying thing about is the notifications. I think everyone gets all the notifications.
    Overall, every restaurant should seriously look into an app like HotSchedules. It saves time and stress on all, avoiding hand written notes that get lost.

    Overall rating contenders

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    Sean D.

    Marketing Assistant

    Computer Software, 51-200 employees

    Review source

    Overall Rating

    Great for scheduling staff in the restaurant industry

    Reviewed 2 years ago

    Transcript

    Sean: Hi, I'm Sean. I'm a lead bartender reviewing HotSchedules, and I give it a five stars out of five....

    TL
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    Tina L.

    Director of Events

    Food & Beverages, 51-200 employees

    Review source

    Overall Rating

    HotSchedules

    Reviewed 3 years ago

    Transcript

    Tina L.: Hi, my name is Tina and I'm the Director of Events. I give HotSchedules a two out of five. For...

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    Amy M.

    Government Administration, 5,001-10,000 employees

    Used other for 2+ years

    Review source

    Overall Rating
    • Value for money
    • Ease of use
    • Features
    • Customer support
    • Likelihood to recommend10/10

    Share this review:

    Helpful in emergencies

    Reviewed 6 years ago

    This was a great software to use. After having to call-in shift changes and wait on hold for managers for years in restaurant work, this software and its app is a great gift. I also don't have to physically go to the restaurant to see my new schedule when it comes out!

    Pros

    I liked most how "shift-swapping" at my restaurant became very simple. I could easily release my shift on my phone app and people would pick it up or if I needed it quick I could message people on the app or call them on my phone. They could easily pick up the shift through their phone app and no need bothering a manager as a go-between. The manager does need to approve the shift, but it is simply done and after I've already got it covered :) I liked how I can change my settings to receive email alerts or not.

    Cons

    I did not have any problems with this software.

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    Michael R.

    Food & Beverages, 51-200 employees

    Used daily for 2+ years

    Review source

    Overall Rating
    • Value for money
    • Ease of use
    • Features
    • Customer support
    • Likelihood to recommend10/10

    Share this review:

    So awesome!!

    Reviewed 6 years ago

    Overall experience is amazing! This company does amazing work!

    Pros

    Love Hotschedules!! They are amazing at what they do and make my life so easy when it comes to scheduling my staff and letting them switch and pick up work shifts. This is definitely something that employers with many employees need to use to make their schedule!

    Cons

    Non at all. This software does exactly what it says and it is amazing!

    RP
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    Rick P.

    Restaurants, 11-50 employees

    Used daily for 1-2 years

    Review source

    Overall Rating
    • Value for money
    • Ease of use
    • Features
    • Customer support
    • Likelihood to recommend7/10

    Share this review:

    Takes too long to sync new employees from Aloha.

    Reviewed 7 years ago

    Making scheduling a less of an headache. Being able to focus on other aspects of managing my restaurant.

    Pros

    Makes scheduling easier. I've never had an issues when it comes to scheduling with HS. It's a great platform especially when you operate a high volume restaurant. Hotschedules has allowed me to focus on other aspects of managing my restaurant. Scheduling literally takes about 15 minutes every week. Employees past and present have also had positive things to say about hot-schedules. Employees like the fact that you can download the app and be able to see any updates made to the schedule. Go-Hire has also been a great tool for my company. Onboarding new employees is made so much easier now with eliminating paper appplications and documents. Go hire easily let's you conduct background checks on new hires with a click of a button.

    Cons

    As I stated above in the describe your experience section. The fact that getting a new employee synced in hotschedules after they have been entered into Aloha takes 24 hours is really a big inconvenience. For me personally, this has resulted in delaying the start date for new hires. I have documented about twelve different support requests to the support team to help get a new hire synced faster. I suggest maybe allowing admins to manually add employees to the staff list to help resolve this issues. Operating a restaurant with high turnover, it's crucial that new hire are able to start right away with no delay. This by far the biggest and only con that I can think of with this platform.

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    Ayaz M.

    Restaurants, 5,001-10,000 employees

    Used daily for 2+ years

    Review source

    Overall Rating
    • Value for money
    • Ease of use
    • Features
    • Customer support
    • Likelihood to recommend9/10

    Share this review:

    One of best Scheduling Systems on the Market

    Reviewed 6 years ago

    Worked with it for several years. They are constantly evolving to meet the industry needs. Love the fact that I do not have to have several calls just to approve a shift change. It's all done on line and just a click away. A real time saver.

    Pros

    The variety of options available and the ease of multiple users accessibility. Also very user friendly for the staff.

    Cons

    A bit complicated for entry level managers

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    Sarah A.

    Hospitality, 10,001+ employees

    Used daily for 2+ years

    Review source

    Overall Rating
    • Value for money
    • Ease of use
    • Features
    • Customer support
    • Likelihood to recommend10/10

    Share this review:

    HotSchedules is great for those in hospitality!

    Reviewed 6 years ago

    I have used HotSchedules while working for Red Lobster for 3 years, it has made my life so much easier!

    Pros

    This product easily allows me to pick up or post shifts for work so that other employees can pick up, release, or trade shifts.

    Cons

    The only thing that is a little tricky with this software, is setting up availability requests/schedules.

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