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AI restaurant scheduling: Toast IQ vs Homebase vs 7shifts
Homebase is the cheapest way to try AI scheduling: its AI Scheduling Assistant comes with the Plus plan at $70 per location a month, and a free plan covers one location with up to 10 staff (Homebase pricing, checked Oct 2026).
Toast's new Scheduling Agent works only on Toast and is in beta. 7shifts builds schedules from POS sales forecasts on any major POS. Scheduling is also where restaurant AI meets the least pushback from staff, so it is a safe first step.
What each tool's AI actually does
| What the AI does (vendor's words) | Uses sales forecast | POS | Price | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebasescheduling, time clock, payroll | "AI builds an optimized schedule in seconds." The Scheduling Assistant also turns a photo of a paper schedule into a digital one. | Yes, "Labor cost and sales forecasting" | Square, Clover, Toast | Basic $0 (1 location, up to 10 staff). Essentials $30, Plus $70 (AI Scheduling Assistant), All-in-One $120, per location a month | Live |
| Toast IQ TeamScheduling Agent | Builds a schedule from availability, expected sales and overtime risk. Toast says beta users averaged 41% fewer overtime hours per employee. | Yes, AI sales forecasts | Toast only | Reported at $60 a month plus $9 per employee | Beta |
| 7shiftsrestaurant team management | "Auto-fill shifts based on past schedules and availability" and "Sales-driven labor forecasting." | Yes, from your POS | "Connect your POS"; check your POS on its integrations list | Its last price notice: The Works $89.99 a month, or $79.99 billed yearly, per location | Live |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Sources, all checked Oct 2026: Homebase pricing, Homebase scheduling, NRN on Toast IQ, Oct 7, 2026 (Toast's own page blocked automated reading), 7shifts scheduling, 7shifts The Works price notice. 7shifts' pricing page loads its prices in the browser only, so confirm the current figure there.
One location, 20 staff: the monthly bill
Homebase Plus, the first plan with the AI Scheduling Assistant. Flat per location.
Toast IQ Team at the reported $60 plus $9 for each of 20 employees.
7shifts The Works on monthly billing, from its last published notice.
Our arithmetic from the published or reported prices above. Payroll, tip pooling and hiring add-ons cost extra on every tool.
Which one fits your restaurant
Under 10 staff, one location
Start on Homebase's free plan. Move to Plus only when building the schedule by hand takes you more than an hour a week.
Already on Toast
Ask for the Scheduling Agent beta. Per-employee pricing grows with your crew, so compare it with Homebase Plus at your headcount before you commit.
Overtime is the problem
Pick the tool that schedules from a sales forecast and warns before a shift tips into overtime. All three claim forecasting; ask each for a trial on your own sales history.
On Clover or Square
Toast IQ is out. Homebase lists both; check 7shifts' integration list for your POS before you sign.
The AI your staff and guests will not fight
Guest-facing AI gets the headlines and the backlash. A Temple University researcher told Restaurant Dive that demand forecasting and inventory tools have drawn the least pushback, and that AI has worked well for scheduling (Restaurant Dive, Oct 7, 2026, checked Oct 2026). Guests never see the schedule, and a manager reviews every draft before it goes out.
The catch: a forecast is only as good as the sales data behind it. If phone orders are written on paper or catering is invoiced outside the POS, the forecast misses the rush. Get every order into one system first.
Where AZ fits, and where it does not
What we do not do
- We do not sell scheduling software. Homebase, 7shifts and Toast already do it well.
- We take no vendor commission, so we have no reason to push one of them.
What we do
- Get every order into one system, phone, table, website and catering, so the forecast sees the real rush.
- Set up the scheduler that fits your POS and check the first schedules against your actual order times.
- Cut the work behind the shifts. At our proof restaurant in Houston, every direct order is now placed by the guest themselves, up from 17% in mid-August.
More on labor: cut labor costs without hurting service, labor cost benchmarks for small restaurants and what back-office automation costs.
Where these facts come from
- Homebase pricing - checked Oct 2026
- Homebase scheduling features - checked Oct 2026
- Nation's Restaurant News: Toast unveils an array of new AI agents (Oct 7, 2026) - checked Oct 2026
- 7shifts scheduling features - checked Oct 2026
- 7shifts The Works pricing notice - checked Oct 2026
- 7shifts pricing page - prices load in the browser only, Oct 2026
- Restaurant Dive: Why restaurants face pushback, risk when integrating AI tools (Oct 7, 2026) - checked Oct 2026
Questions owners ask
What is the best AI scheduling app for a small restaurant?
For one location on a budget, Homebase: its AI Scheduling Assistant comes with the Plus plan at $70 per location a month, and a free plan covers up to 10 staff. On Toast, try Toast's Scheduling Agent beta. If you want POS sales forecasting across several locations, look at 7shifts.
Is there free restaurant scheduling software?
Yes. Homebase lists a free Basic plan for one location with up to 10 employees, checked October 2026. The AI Scheduling Assistant starts on the paid Plus plan.
How much does Toast IQ Team cost?
Nation's Restaurant News reported on October 7, 2026 that Toast IQ Team starts at $60 a month plus $9 per employee a month. Confirm with Toast, since its own page could not be read automatically.
Does AI scheduling work with Clover?
Homebase lists a Clover integration that syncs employees and sales and tracks labor cost against sales. Toast IQ does not work on Clover. Check 7shifts' integration list for Clover before you sign.
Does AI scheduling actually reduce overtime?
Toast says restaurants in its Scheduling Agent beta averaged 41% fewer overtime hours per employee than those not using it. That is Toast's own figure. Measure your overtime hours for a month before you start so you can check the result yourself.
Tell us where the hours go. We show you the fix on your numbers.
Same-day reply. We set up whichever scheduler fits your POS and connect it to every order you take.
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