7shifts vs. OnTheClock: Which Time Tracking Software Is Right for Your Business? (Clone)

Choosing between 7shifts and OnTheClock often comes down to one question: Are you running a restaurant or managing a broader workforce?

Both solutions allow employees to clock in via mobile apps or web browsers, while managers can review timecards, track attendance, and prepare hours for payroll. Where they begin to differ is in how they handle scheduling, labor management, reporting, integrations, and their ability to scale with your business.

7shifts is built specifically for hospitality and excels at scheduling and labor forecasting. But businesses outside that space, or those trying to manage time tracking, payroll, and operations in one place, often need more than restaurant-focused tools can provide.

In this comparison, we’ll break down each key difference to help you decide which platform aligns best with your needs.

Key Takeaways

• ✔Choose 7shifts if you run a restaurant and need scheduling, team messaging, and labor forecasting tied to sales.
• ✔Choose OnTheClock if you want one system for time tracking, scheduling, PTO, reporting, and payroll across different industries.
• ✔7shifts works best for hospitality, but its higher-tier plans and add-ons can raise costs as your needs grow.
• ✔OnTheClock includes more core features at the base level, such as GPS tracking, PTO tools, and live support for all users.
• ✔The main decision is specialization versus simplicity, because 7shifts is built for restaurants while OnTheClock is made for broader workforce management.

Quick Comparison: 7shifts vs. OnTheClock

What Is 7shifts?

7shifts is a workforce management platform built specifically for restaurants and hospitality businesses. It focuses heavily on scheduling, team communication, and labor cost control within fast-paced, shift-based environments.

Managers can create schedules, track labor against sales forecasts, and communicate with staff through built-in messaging tools. Employees can swap shifts, request time off, and receive updates directly through the mobile app.

One of 7shifts’ biggest strengths is its restaurant-specific functionality, including tip management, sales integrations (POS systems), and labor forecasting tools.

However, its industry-specific design can be limiting for businesses outside the hospitality industry. Additionally, many features are locked behind higher-tier plans or add-ons, which can increase overall costs.

Best for: Restaurants and hospitality businesses that need advanced scheduling and labor forecasting tied to sales.

What Is OnTheClock?

OnTheClock is built to streamline workforce management by centralizing time tracking, scheduling, PTO, reporting, and payroll into one easy-to-use platform.

Employees can clock in from their phones, desktops, or shared devices, while managers gain real-time insight into hours worked, attendance patterns, and upcoming schedules, all from a single dashboard. There’s no need to juggle multiple systems or rely on spreadsheets — everything is organized in one place.

One of OnTheClock’s biggest advantages is how much functionality is included right out of the box. Features like GPS tracking, PTO accruals, and reporting are part of the core platform, not hidden behind higher-tier plans. When it’s time to run payroll, you can process it directly within OnTheClock or sync seamlessly with providers like QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, and Gusto.

Customer support is another standout. Every user has access to live, U.S.-based phone, chat, and email support, ensuring help is always available when you need it.

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses looking for a simple, all-in-one solution to manage their workforce without relying on multiple tools.

Setup and Ease of Use

Both platforms are designed to help teams get up and running quickly, but they prioritize different workflows.

7shifts

7shifts is highly intuitive for restaurant scheduling. Managers can build shifts, assign roles, and manage availability with minimal effort. Its interface is tailored to hospitality operations, making it easy for restaurant teams to adopt.

Employees benefit from mobile scheduling, shift swapping, and team messaging features that reduce communication gaps.

However, businesses outside of restaurants may find the interface overly specialized and less flexible for broader workforce management needs.

OnTheClock

OnTheClock also offers a quick setup but expands further into full workforce management. During onboarding, administrators can configure overtime rules, PTO policies, and employee permissions.

The dashboard provides a clear view of hours worked, schedules, and pending approvals. Employees can clock in, review timecards, and track PTO from a single system.

While both platforms are user-friendly, OnTheClock offers greater flexibility across industries.

What Are Users Saying?

Customer reviews provide insight into how each platform performs in real-world business environments.

7shifts

7shifts is frequently praised for its scheduling tools and restaurant-specific features. Users appreciate its ability to manage shifts, track labor costs, and streamline communication. However, some reviews mention limitations outside of hospitality, as well as rising costs when additional features are added.

OnTheClock

OnTheClock consistently receives strong ratings for reliability, ease of use, and responsive customer support.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Both platforms cover the basics of time tracking and scheduling. The difference comes down to focus. 7shifts is built for scheduling and communication, while OnTheClock is designed to manage your entire workforce, from time tracking to payroll, in one system.

7shifts: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Built specifically for restaurants and hospitality. 7shifts is designed with restaurants' unique needs in mind, including role-based scheduling, shift coverage, and fast-paced team coordination. This industry focus makes it especially effective for managing front- and back-of-house staff.

• Strong scheduling and shift management tools. The platform makes it easy to build schedules, assign shifts, and adjust staffing in real time. Features like shift swapping, availability tracking, and automated notifications help reduce scheduling conflicts and keep teams aligned.

• Integrated team messaging and communication. Managers and employees can communicate directly within the app, eliminating the need for separate messaging tools. Notifications for schedule changes, shift reminders, and announcements help ensure everyone stays informed.

• Labor forecasting tied to sales data. 7shifts integrates with POS systems to compare labor costs against sales, helping managers make informed staffing decisions. This allows businesses to optimize schedules based on demand and control labor expenses more effectively.

• POS integrations for restaurant operations. Seamless integrations with popular restaurant POS systems enable real-time data syncing, making it easier to track performance, manage labor, and streamline operations from a single place.

Cons

• Limited flexibility outside the restaurant industry. Because 7shifts is built specifically for hospitality, businesses in other industries may find its features less relevant or overly specialized for their needs.

• Many features require higher-tier plans or add-ons. While the platform offers strong functionality, key features, such as advanced reporting, integrations, or labor tools, may only be available on higher-priced plans, increasing total costs.

• No built-in payroll processing. 7shifts relies on third-party payroll integrations, which means businesses may need to export data or connect additional systems to complete payroll tasks.

• GPS tracking is not a core feature. Unlike some workforce management platforms, GPS-based clock-in verification and location tracking are not central to the platform’s functionality.

• Pricing can increase as features are added. As businesses grow and require more advanced tools, costs can rise due to the platform’s tiered pricing model and add-ons.

OnTheClock: Pros and Cons

Pros

• All-in-one workforce management platform. OnTheClock combines time tracking, scheduling, PTO management, reporting, and payroll options into a single system, reducing the need to manage multiple tools or platforms.

• Transparent pricing with core features included. Essential features, like GPS tracking, reporting, and PTO management, are included in the base plan, helping businesses avoid unexpected costs as they scale.

• Built-in GPS tracking, PTO, and reporting. Managers can verify employee locations at clock-in, track time-off balances, and generate detailed labor reports without needing additional add-ons or integrations.

• Optional in-house payroll plus integrations. Businesses can run payroll directly in OnTheClock or connect with providers, such as QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, and Gusto for added flexibility.

• Multiple clock-in options (mobile, desktop, kiosk). Employees can clock in using the method that fits their work environment, whether they’re in the field, in the office, or using a shared device.

• Live U.S.-based support for all users. Every customer has access to phone, chat, and email support, ensuring quick assistance whenever questions or issues arise.

Cons

• Advanced enterprise analytics may be limited. While reporting is robust for small and mid-sized businesses, companies with complex forecasting or enterprise-level analytics needs may require additional tools.

• Payroll is an add-on feature. Although payroll is available within the platform, it is not included in the base subscription and requires an additional cost.

• Some automation requires initial setup. During onboarding, businesses may need to spend time configuring overtime rules, PTO policies, and alerts to fully automate workflows.

Final Verdict

7shifts is a strong option for restaurants and hospitality businesses that need advanced scheduling, team communication, and labor forecasting tied closely to sales. Its industry-specific features make it especially effective for managing fast-paced, shift-based environments.

OnTheClock is the better choice for businesses seeking a more comprehensive workforce management solution. By combining time tracking, scheduling, PTO management, reporting, and payroll into one platform, it eliminates the need for multiple systems and simplifies day-to-day operations.

For most businesses, the difference comes down to simplicity vs. specialization. If your primary focus is managing restaurant schedules and optimizing labor based on sales, 7shifts may be the right fit. If you want to streamline payroll, reduce manual processes, and manage your entire workforce in one place, OnTheClock is the stronger long-term solution.

Choose 7shifts if:

• You run a restaurant or hospitality business

• You need scheduling tools tied to labor forecasting and sales data

Choose OnTheClock if:

• You want time tracking, scheduling, and payroll in one system

• You need a solution that works across multiple industries

• You’re looking to reduce manual work and payroll errors

Frequently Asked Questions