Breakroom vs 7shifts
Stop paying for payroll, time clocking, and labor forecasting you don't need. Get scheduling and communication that actually works for $29/month, not $150+/month for bloated features.
Why Teams Switch From 7shifts
"All these other softwares, they would say like, hey, they have all these integrations. They can do everything under the sun. Things that you don't even need. Maybe like 7shifts, they'll say like, hey, they have this and that or time clocking or payroll, maybe even all these things. But of course, when you have so much stuff, it's very complex. It's hard for employees to understand, like, hey, what should they be doing? It makes the software quite bloated. And second, the pricing of their software reflects that they assume you use everything under the sun."
7shifts is built for restaurants that need time clocking, payroll processing, labor forecasting, and POS integration. If you just need scheduling and communication, you're paying for features you don't use. Their pricing tiers (Comp, Entrée, The Works, Gourmet) lock essential features behind higher plans.
Two things done really well: scheduling and communication. No time clocks. No payroll. No bloat. Everything included in one flat price.
Pricing Comparison
Features Comparison
✅ Unlimited schedules
✅ Schedule templates
✅ Copy week-to-week
✅ Recurring shifts
✅ Open shifts
✅ Role-based assignments
✅ Team availability overlay
✅ Time-off requests & approvals
✅ Blackout dates
✅ Shift swapping with manager approval
$25/month
✅ Drag-and-drop scheduling in all plans
✅ Machine learning auto-scheduler (Gourmet tier only)
✅ Schedule templates
✅ Shift swapping
✅ Labor budgeting (Entrée tier and above)
✅ Sales forecasting (higher tiers)
❌ Advanced features locked behind $50-$150/month tiers
❌ Assumes you need time clock and labor forecasting
❌ Built specifically for restaurants only
✅ Group chats & 1:1 messaging
✅ Announcements (read-only broadcasts)
✅ File sharing (unlimited files)
✅ Role-based auto chats
✅ Kudos & recognition
✅ Automated birthday/anniversary messages
✅ Read receipts
✅ SMS backup notifications
$29/month
✅ Team chat in all plans
✅ Create group chats
✅ Announcements
❌ No mention of file sharing limits
❌ No automated birthday/anniversary features
❌ Communication is secondary to time tracking focus
❌ No SMS backup option
✅ Reliable push notifications
✅ Consistent performance
✅ Works on iOS and Android
✅ No internet required (offline mode)
✅ Lightweight, focused app
$29/month
✅ Mobile app available for managers and staff
✅ Sync schedules with Google Calendar
❌ "App is super glitchy. Randomly logs me out" (verified user)
❌ "Sometimes notifications of messages don't alert me" (verified user)
❌ "Doesn't work without internet. App returned connection error" (verified review)
❌ "Lack of a functional offline mode" (verified review)
✅ Unlimited schedules
✅ Schedule templates
✅ Copy week-to-week
✅ Recurring shifts
✅ Open shifts (post for auction)
✅ Team availability overlay
✅ Open shifts (post for auction)
✅ Time-off requests & approvals
✅ Blackout dates
✅ Mobile schedule building
$29/month
❌ Advanced scheduling features (geofencing, breadcrumb tracking) locked to Advanced+ ($49-$99/month)
❌ Some scheduling features only in Expert tier ($99/month)
❌ Need to choose Operations module + tier level
❌ Pay more for features you need
Real Customer Comparison
Christian's Business:
Multi-unit franchise operator
Evaluated 7shifts and HotSchedules
What they needed
7shifts Experience
The Results
All locations
:
$29/month
Everything he needs included
No time clock bloat
No payroll upsells
Entrée plan
(basic features
~$50/month
per location
The Works
(advanced)
~$100/month
per location
Gourmet
(full features)
~$150/month
per location
10 locations
on The Works:
$1000/month
Add payroll
(100 employees)
+$639/month
($39.99 + $600)
Total:
$1,600+/month
What 7shifts Users Actually Say
From Verified User Reviews
Pricing Confusion
"App is super glitchy. Randomly logs me out. Sometimes notifications of messages don't alert me (yes, notifications are set properly). I'm also not a fan of the lack of desktop notifications. It won't alert you if someone messages you."
Verified User Review,
Interface Issues
"Other users find the interface slow or cumbersome, with too many clicks required to perform certain tasks. Issues with printing schedules and the messaging system's responsiveness are also noted as areas needing improvement."
— Verified Review,
Feature Complexity
"Some users feel that the interface could be more intuitive, especially for those who are less tech-savvy."
Verified User Review,
What Breakroom Does Differently
BEING HONEST
When Each is Better
Is Better If You:
Just need scheduling and communication
Don't want to pay for time clock and payroll features
Want one flat price with no tier confusion
Work in non-restaurant industries
Need reliable app that works offline
Value simplicity over feature bloat
Might Be Better If You:
Need built-in time clock with facial recognition and geofencing
Want payroll processing integrated with tips and PTO
Require labor forecasting tied to POS sales data
Need restaurant-specific features (tip pooling, break attestation)
Want machine learning auto-scheduler
Have budget for $100-$150/month per location
What You're Actually Paying For
Focuses On:
Team scheduling
Shift coverage and swapping
Team communication
Announcements and messaging
File sharing
Time-off management
Works for all industries
Focuses On:
Time tracking & time clocks (all plans)
Payroll processing (add-on)
Labor cost management
POS integration for sales forecasting
Tip pooling and distribution
Break attestation and compliance
Restaurant-specific labor lawsth facial recognition and geofencing
If you need time tracking and payroll, 7shifts offers it. If you just need scheduling and communication, Breakroom gives you exactly that for $29/month instead of $100-$150/month.
Switching From Homebase to Breakroom
Most teams fully migrated in under 2 hours
No credit card required
All features unlocked
Import your existing team
No credit card required
Everyone gets the mobile app
Set up manager permissions
Takes 5 minutes
Use templates or copy from existing
Publish to entire team instantly
No time clock setup needed
Templates make it easy
No more glitchy app crashes
No more paying for features you don't use
Save $70-$1,571/month depending on locations
Pricing Breakdown
Breakroom saves you $71-$1,610/month depending on your setup
See why teams are switching from 7shifts' bloated time clock features to Breakroom's simple scheduling and communication.