# HotSchedules Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is HotSchedules the right Workforce Management solution for you? Explore 461 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/52611/HotSchedules/reviews --- HotSchedules 4.4 (461) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/52611/HotSchedules/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of HotSchedules Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews LW Leahya W Assistant ManagerFood & Beverages, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The best part about HotSchedules is the ability to block out certain dates from being requested off by employees.“ January 9, 2026 AH Andrea H Front office managerMedical Practice, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “employees have to pay for the app - there is no way around it, wish i could color coordinate that would help“ July 1, 2025 Mallory T Executive chefFood & Beverages, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I miss working with it and I usually don’t say that about software but it really made scheduling so much easier.“ March 12, 2026 NW Nathaniel W ChefFood & Beverages, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The immediate deconstruction of your account is kind of scary.“ January 2, 2026 DP Daniel P Human ResourcesHospitality, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “This is the best for employment scheduling I’ve used, simple design makes it easy to see exactly what shifts, date and times“ November 26, 2024 Derick C VP of FinanceHospitality, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The forecasting models are static.“ December 19, 2025 DP Daniel P Human ResourcesHospitality, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “After using many scheduling tools this one is the best, allows interaction for other apps and platforms as well“ November 26, 2024 KC Kaitlyn C DirectorFood & Beverages, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I wish there was a way to set reminders for upcoming shifts but thats really my only complaint“ May 2, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 461 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Eldridge G. Operations Director Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Your Schedule On The Go!" October 6, 2020 5.0 Wonderful! I can easily access using the app from my phone a comprehensive view of todays roster and more! Helping me as a director plan a shift before I even get to work. Especially important to plan in my business because surprises arise frequently and daily. I can also easily request time off needed through the app, call, text, or even email my staff if needed to. Hot Schedules saves me and my company time, money, and helps our business to stay productive! Pros I really enjoy the convenience of being able to view your work schedule remotely and anywhere for that matter! Set up an email or a Gmail account and it's delivered right to your inbox! Gone are the days of having to call your employer or having to drive to your place of employment to view it on paper. "Your" time is valuable and let's be honest, none of us want to go to work on our days off for any reason! Cons I really and truthfully speaking have nothing negative to include with Hot Schedules. It's been a great software addition to our store and team! If someone did tell me that I had to pick out one feature that I don't care for, I guess it'd be the "How was your shift?" feature that pops up when logging on. That said, it's such a minor dislike and isn't really worth mentioning. Reason for choosing HotSchedules A former operator of mine had implemented this software into his store about a year before we did ours. He gave me insights into how much his store had improved in production and in other time and money saving ways. After learning about it through him, I approached my superior and we then ended up making the much needed switch. Review Source paulina S. Costumer service Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Much better then paper schedule " May 25, 2020 5.0 Very positive experience. Made my schedule less chaotic and gives me options to control my work days and days off much better without having to deal with manger directly lol Pros Having a restaurant job means cheotic schedule. It's never the same. Impossible to keep up with and memorize. My last job had hot schedules but my new job doesn't:/ it's a nightmare without it. I miss it so much. It is so convenient to pick up and realise shifts whenever I please. No need to call or txt my co workers. Everything is done thru the app. App is not free but cheap and worth every single penny. I love that I can request days off and my ability. Super convenient. You have to wait for manager to approve or not of your request. I can see who my co workers will be for the shift. I can see all phone numbers and emails of my co workers. Every restaurant should have this app. It's very easy as well so even my 70 year old co worker knows how to use it. Very well done . Cons Sometimes I get loged out and have trouble logging back in. It froze few times. Could use more color and some fun options like emoji me lol make work schedule more fun Review Source JT Jack T. HR & Operations Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful" November 3, 2022 3.0 I miss using it in many respects, it feels very HR orientated which I enjoyed - I don't miss the slow and clunky loading and saving of data though. Pros A lot of really useful templates in terms of recording personnel records, plus a lot of really powerful automation ie. sick pay and holiday calculation - employee checklists etc - The payroll integration was excellent also. Cons unfortunately we found it to be very slow and glitchy, often having to refresh the webpage, or being unable to load properly. Switched from [Opsyte](https://www.capterra.com/p/231521/Opsyte/)[Bright](https://www.capterra.com/p/126242/BrightPay/) Other team members found Fourth difficult to use and not very user friendly - we went for a more modern product that was able to customise the user experience for us and our team. Review Source Heidi V. Event coordinator Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Hotschedules is so easy to use" November 4, 2021 5.0 Pros Hotschedules changed the restaurant industry when it came out. I have worked in the industry for over 10 years, so when this software came out. It really changed the industry. Before we would have to wait for a photo of our schedules and sometimes we would miss our shifts or getting our shifts covered was so difficult. When hotschedules came out , you never wondered when your shift was. You are reminded when you have a shift and if you need a shift covered you simply post it up. It is a secure way to have everyone feel accountable and be accountable for work. Cons The only thing I had a trouble with when I first started using hotschedules was understanding how to update my availability for work but once someone showed me its a no brainer. Review Source Sean D. SEO Digital Marketing Analyst (Remote) Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for scheduling staff in the restaurant industry" January 14, 2019 5.0 I used this app to schedule a full restaurant staff including FOH BOH and Managers. This tool is incredible useful and negates the need to figure out scheduling most weeks. All employees can submit their availability and I can schedule them badsed off of this availability without thinking to check because it bars me from scheudling people outside of their approved availability. No more scheduling issues! Pros Intuitive User interface Easy to add new users Great scheduling utility incredible for contacting staff on a large scale Has a mobile app that users can use Cons The mobile app costs money so most of my staff refuses to download this app which sends them push notifications in the event I need to contact them all. I believe that since we are already paying to use the software this app should be free to download. Without a login the application is useless so the fact you need to pay to download the app is very ridiculous. Review Source DO David O. President Retail Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Disappointed with HotSchedules" December 2, 2019 1.0 We are not using HotSchedules and the overall experience has been horrible. Basically as soon as I signed the contract they have my money and didn't care if we were not happy with the product. The UI is outdated and cumbersome, with options tucked away in various places in the program that were not readily apparent. Team members have to pay for the mobile app on top of the monthly subscription fee, which is not standard in other scheduling programs. Pros Management "Red Book" log Logging of Employee and Store incidents/issues. Cons Cumbersome and non-intuitive UI Poor employee sharing between locations Weather Widget did not function in Canada as promised Training/Learning Center feature was not included in cost of Hotschedules as promised. When I had issue to be addressed, I was ignored by their staff for months until I stopped paying. We were not allowed to cancel the contract as promised by our sales person. The program is centered on the desk top program with the mobile app being an after thought. Alternatives considered [Deputy](https://www.capterra.com/p/167811/Deputy/)[Homebase](https://www.capterra.com/p/153076/Homebase/) Reason for choosing HotSchedules In the end I have gone with WhenIWork as they are affordable, are always introducing new features which are included and are intuitive and easy to use for my crew. Review Source Tiara H. Server Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "All in one scheduler and social exchange" November 13, 2019 5.0 Pros Users can be grouped into categories based on department, allowing for effective communication without clutter. Also users' title and contact information is kept in a master directory readily available to other users. Another great feature is push notifications regarding company announcements, published schedules, and schedule changes. No need to constantly check the app for changes. Cons There is no free version of the app, which could be problematic for some employees. Although not expensive, some users don't like to pay for an app to view their schedule. Review Source Brittany H. Server Food & Beverages Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "HotSchedules made life easier" November 6, 2022 5.0 Pros I used this software when I worked at Cheddars Scratch Kitchen as a server, made it much easier to keep up with my schedule and trade,drop,or pick up shifts. And really easy to use and understand! Cons Sometimes there was a bit of a time delay on the app that made me to late to drop or pick up shifts but only sometimes. Review Source Rebecca P. Bartender Food & Beverages Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "The best way to post work schedules " August 28, 2018 5.0 I have thoroughly enjoyed using the app, and it has allowed me to take opportunities that have made me additional money I otherwise would not have known about. I recommend the app to my other coworkers, as it is only a dollar or two one time and you never have to worry about losing your schedule or wondering when all your shifts are. Pros I can access my work schedule whenever I want because it is both a website and an app. It not only tells you what your schedule is, but allows you to see who else you are working with. This is beneficial if you are trying to adjust your schedule for time off so you know exactly who is available and who is not, which saves a lot of time. Cons If you have marked yourself as unavailable it should flag someone from being able to add you to the schedule in that slot so that the person creating the schedule realizes they have made an error. Review Source Russ H. Restaurant Manager Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very reliable " February 27, 2018 5.0 Ease of use. Available any time and anywhere with smartphone. Pros I love the features that hotschedules offers to maintain and publish accurate schedules. As a business operator, it is imperative that they are done accurately and while within our forecasted budgets. Hotschedules is easy for associates to access and navigate. Cons I often wish that alerts involving team members accruing overtime was more prominent, but overall like the ability to run overtime reports when necessary. Review Source DP Daniel P. Human Resources Hospitality Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best scheduling system " November 26, 2024 5.0 After using many scheduling tools this one is the best, allows interaction for other apps and platforms as well Pros This is the best for employment scheduling I’ve used, simple design makes it easy to see exactly what shifts, date and times Cons No cons what so ever only one it the price could be a little lower Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Waitress Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Software That Changed Scheduling " June 22, 2021 4.0 HotSchedules is so much more than just a mere scheduling software for companies. It is a way to empower your employees by giving them the ability to switch their shifts around in the event that something happens abruptly in life and you can’t help but miss a shift. It has eliminated the anxious feeling you get wondering if the person you asked to cover your shift is going to follow through or not by opening the shift up to all employees to pick up for themselves if it fits their schedules. Pros This software was game changing from the very first moment I used it in the restaurant industry. In the past, I had found myself in situations at work where I had thought I had another teammate’s spoken word that they would switch shifts with me and that would be enough to clear my name in the event that something went wrong and they didn’t end up showing up. Little did I know that would not be the case and I am going to be held responsible instead of getting into a petty battle of he/said she/said with my coworker. Enter HotSchedules, a software aimed at eliminating that prospect from happening in your workplace again. Not only does this software put the power of controlling your schedule if you have a last minute emergency, it also carries that message of the switching of shifts to the highest form of management. It’s an intuitive and life changing software that I wish every company would implement for its employees. Cons I honestly am trying to rack my brain for anything I felt was negative throughout my experience using HotSchedules and I can truthfully say that not once did this software let me down. People picked up shifts because they actually wanted the extra work and it eliminates the need to single out a coworker and put the pressure on them and opens the shift up for the possibility of any team member to pick it up. Review Source JS John S. Host Food & Beverages Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "My Review Of HotSchedules" December 13, 2022 5.0 It's been a very pleasant experience. Ease of use contributes to most of that. Pros Being able to see when you work, the ability to request time off, the ability to message coworkers/managers, switching shifts with someone else is awesome to me too. It's a very simplistic layout too, very easy to navigate the website/app. Cons I wish that the app didn't have a paywall behind it. That's the only complaint I have. Review Source Response from Fourth December 21, 2022 Thanks for the feedback, John! So glad you're enjoying the simplicity of HotSchedules and finding it a great way to manage your schedule. RM Rachel M. General Manager Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Ease of Hotschedules" June 15, 2021 5.0 Overall has been a wonderful scheduling format for a large staff. It is used every day, regularly, by all staff members from executive to employee. Would recommend to any business owner, as it saves time with many different features provided. Pros The mobile app is very user friendly, with it being easy to navigate for all individuals that are tech savvy AND those who are not. The quick access of information, ability to contact employees, and daily use in operations allow for high volume and fast paced environments to continue to be productive without the day being hindered in time and productivity. Cons The updates on occasion can result in removal of features that can sometimes be very helpful after being regularly used. Would like to see a communication piece from Hotschedules asking about latest updates and whether they are well liked by users. Review Source KC Katherine C. Regional manager Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Hotschedules for restaurants" July 21, 2022 4.0 Great software. Not sure about the business model, we eventually paid more for a different software that has better customer service for issues. Pros Hotschedules was our go-to scheduling software for years in multiple restaurants, even as many more options came on the market. It was easy to use as a manager/scheduler & also for our staff Cons Hotschedules customer service was not quick to address issues but The price kept going up even as fixes weren’t betting put in place. Alternatives considered [7shifts](https://www.capterra.com/p/123038/7shifts-Restaurant-Scheduling/) Reason for choosing HotSchedules I didn’t Review Source RP Rick P. General Manager Restaurants Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Takes too long to sync new employees from Aloha." January 19, 2018 3.0 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. Review Source GB Garret B. Operations Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good Scheduler" September 13, 2018 4.0 Overall its very good. I don't have much issue with it, but the UI could be definitely be better. Pros Hotschedules won our business by having the best Aloha POS integration of all the companies we spoke with. Employees that are added to our system are automatically synced with Hotschedules so you can quickly begin adding them to the schedule. The integration also allows us to restrict employees from clocking in too early or late with saves labor and allows you to quickly identify the less punctual employees. Finally, the integration also pulls historical sales data from our POS and uses it to establish a good sales forecast that you can use to budget your labor accurately. Cons The app and website are just not as intuitive and streamline as I would like. Previously we had used PeopleMatter schedule, which had a much less cluttered and more user friendly interface. Hotschedules also starts to think it knows how to schedule better than the manager and will start adding "House Shifts" to your schedule that employees can pick up, which frustrates me when I really don't need that shift covered. Review Source CD Carisa D. General Manager/ Partner Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "General Manager and partner" February 3, 2017 4.0 It is very difficult to get responses from customer support. It will take a day and up to 3 to hear anything back and that is in several different support groups. Also, the fact that you get shuffled from one type of support to another is quite frustrating. When you start you have 1 person that owns the majority of the experience.She was great! But once you get passed on to customer support it feels like you are lost. I also have an issue with the scheduling functionality. It is impossible to view an entire day of a schedule either in the schedule or the template. There used to be a button at the top of the schedule that allowed you to see the entire day, who was scheduled in each station, all at a glance. The new functionality makes it incredibly difficult to manage the level of staff on a shift. Pros The logbook feature, the advanced floor maps (which are an additional cost..), and the messaging feature. Cons Again the scheduling software is not very user friendly. Clearly there were some adjustments made that helped with writing a schedule, but not being able to view it as easily is frustrating. Review Source Response from Fourth February 9, 2017 Hey Carisa! Thank you for the feedback. We apologize for the frustration you've been experiencing with our product and customer support services. Here is an article to an overview of the new scheduler that might be helpful. https://help.hotschedules.com/hc/en-us/articles/218408118-HS-New-Scheduler-Overview Please reach out if you are continuing to experience difficulty with the software. JH Jess H. Executive Administrator Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Extremely helpful!" September 29, 2020 5.0 I would highly recommend. It is easy to set up and is user friendly for all ages. Since it helps with scheduling, dropping shifts and picking up shifts, our Managers are able to focus more of their time on other aspects of the business. Pros The ability to save a template for a weekly schedule. At our job we put a schedule out on a weekly basis and we don't have to start from scratch every week. It used to take use 5 hours to do the schedule and now it takes us 1 hour. A huge lifesaver! Cons The look of the software feels a tad outdate. Though that is not a huge deal, it tends to have unnecessary pop-ups or "menu" buttons. However, not enough of a con to ever have me consider using a different product. Reason for choosing HotSchedules N/A. Review Source RL Ryan L. Operations Manager Facilities Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best in the business!!!" November 14, 2022 5.0 Pay the money, reap the rewards, save time and be on the floor with your team where you should be! Pros RELIABILITY!!!It never goes down, support is always helpfulBest scheduler features in the gameTemplates for quick entry are great weekly startersColor coding makes my life so much easierTransparency, every stroke documented Cons Takes getting used to and learning as it is complex software but get hot keys down and you've got it! Make sure you have a fairly beastly computer...it's a lot of real time processing. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Assistant Event Coordinator Food & Beverages Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "We utilize this program for our Catering company as a means to schedule & interact " February 21, 2018 4.0 Pros Ability to not only schedule/message in-house full time staff, but keep a running log of single event staffing as well. As a catering company you have many bodies you must manage, especially when an individual only works one event for you and that's it. With HotSchedules we're able to tabulate this into our weekly labor costs and it gives the functionality to forecast. Cons It's sometimes very complicated to use. You don't always know where to go for what you need and the customer service can be a little tricky to navigate- you don't always hear back from them or they're tough to reach. That being said when you do get a human- they're very knowledgeable and can help you out 100%. Review Source JS Jeffrey S. Service Manager Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good product" December 27, 2022 5.0 no issues. Pros We used this for scheduling for a 6-story, 24hr restaurant/bar concept 1 block off of the main tourist area of downtown Nashville. It worked well in pretty much all areas of concern. Cons We did not run into any issues of note with this software. Alternatives considered [ScheduleBase](https://www.capterra.com/p/140103/ScheduleBase/)[Schedulefly](https://www.capterra.com/p/76735/Schedulefly/) Reason for choosing HotSchedules more well-known and tried/tested Review Source CT Courtney T. HR Assistant Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy" July 16, 2022 5.0 Overall it's a great scheduling platform for all. Very easy to use and it's great for communicating with employees as well as logging disciplinary issues. Pros The best thing about this product is the ease of use. It's easy for managers and also for our employees. They give you step by step instructions on how to first create your account and utilization from there moving forward. Cons The worst thing about this product is customer service. It can be very hard to get ahold of someone and it takes days if not weeks for service tickets to be received. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Trainer Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not so stressful scheduling " March 10, 2020 5.0 Everything is in one spot which makes my day a little easier and my desk less cluttered. Easy to address questions and concerns from employee's. Pros This app makes it very easy to check your schedule at anytime. Makes requesting time off or switching a shift with another employee easy as well. Far from time consuming and easy navigation around the app. Your schedule is with you where ever you go! Cons Having to pay $2.99 for the app is pretty much everyone's only dislike about this app. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Server Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "App for my work schedule" January 15, 2020 5.0 Love this app and have used it with my job at Chilis and Buffalo Wild Wings and Bagger Daves. Pros The fact I can access my schedule for work whenever I need to. And I don't have to remember all the shifts I am scheduled. Cons How messages sent or recieved don't recieve notifications for it. WIsh I would get a alert when someone sends me a message or notification on tab showing I have a message. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.