Breakroom vs. Square Team Communication
Square bought Crew and changed everything. Get the simple team communication and scheduling you need without being locked into the Square ecosystem.
Why former Crew users are leaving Square
"We used Crew for many years and that worked great for us. But then Crew was bought out by Square and it changed. They didn't just buy Crew, they actually absorbed it and said, okay, we bought Crew, we're discontinuing that. You got to use Square, and Square did not work the same way, and we didn't like it."
Square acquired Crew in 2021 and shut it down. Former Crew users were forced to migrate to Square Team Communication, which requires a Square ecosystem. The pricing changed from flat-rate to per-user. The features work differently. Many customers left after trying it for just a few months.
We're not part of any ecosystem. No POS system required. No payment processing needed. Just communication and scheduling that works independently. $29/month flat, just like Crew used to be.
Pricing Comparison
Crew's history & what happened
What happened to Crew
2014-2021
Crew App Era
Crew was simple and effective. Location-based messaging, announcements, scheduling. Loved by restaurants, retail, and healthcare teams. Flat-rate pricing around $30/month.
2021
Square Acquisition
Square acquired Crew and announced shutdown. All users forced to migrate to Square Team Communication within the Square ecosystem.
Post-2021
The Migration
"Square did not work the same way, and we didn't like it."
"When it went to Square, that price increased."
"We used it two months and we're like, okay, screw this."
Many Crew customers left to find alternatives.
2024-Present
App Stability Issues
Google Play reviews report consistent crashes, lost messages, blank screens. "Every new update breaks the app more."
Features Comparison
✅ Built-in shift scheduling
✅ Schedule templates
✅ Copy week-to-week
✅ Recurring shifts
✅ Open shifts
✅ Role-based assignments
✅ Time-off requests & approvals
✅ Schedule upload (photo or spreadsheet)
✅ Mobile-first creation
✅ Everything included in $29/month
❌ No scheduling features
❌ Must purchase Square Shifts separately ($35+/month)
✅ Integrates with Square Shifts if you have it
❌ Additional $35+/month cost
❌ Requires Square ecosystem
✅ Announcements (read-only broadcasts)
✅ Location-based messaging
✅ File sharing
✅ Role-based channels
✅ Kudos & recognition
✅ Automated birthday/anniversary messages
✅ Read receipts & reminders
✅ No phone numbers shared
✅ Works independently
$29/month
✅ Team messaging
✅ Announcements
✅ File sharing
✅ Emoji reactions
✅ Read receipts
❌ Requires Square account
❌ Per-user pricing ($2.50/user)
❌ App crashes reported (2024-2025)
❌ Lost messages reported
❌ Part of Square ecosystem
✅ 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
✅ 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
Former Crew Customers
Melissa's Experience:
6 locations, 135 employees
Used Crew for many years
What She Loved About Crew:
What happened with Square:
After Crew:
Organization-wide announcements: Included
Read-only announcements: Included
No Square ecosystem required: Included
Dennis's Experience
Multiple locations
Former Crew user
The Square experience:
Finding Breakroom:
Why they chose Breakroom:
What Square Team users actually said
From Verified User Reviews
App crashes:
"When I first loaded this app in Jan 2024, it worked fine. For the past couple of months, it has consistently been crashing. I lose messages and announcements every couple of weeks. I have to uninstall then reinstall, and even then, the only part that comes back is the announcements. I lose messages back to February!"
— Google Play Store Review, 2024
App doesn't work:
"Plain and simple, this app does not work. I've used it for going on 3 years now, and I never had any problems with it until this year. Every new update that is pushed breaks the app more. If you're lucky enough to get a page that isn't a blank screen, you get the loading wheel that never stops spinning or an error message."
— Google Play Store Review, 2024
Not the same as Crew:
"Square did not work the same way [as Crew], and we didn't like it."
— Former Crew User
User friendliness lost:
"The user friendliness was just not there and the support was not there."
— Former Crew User
Price increase:
"When it went to Square, that price increased. We used it two months and we're like, okay, screw this."
— Former Crew User
What Breakroom Does Differently
BEING HONEST
The Square ecosystem
What Square Team Communication is:
Part of the Square ecosystem
Designed for businesses using Square POS
Per-user pricing model
Communication only (scheduling costs extra)
Requires Square account
Works with Square Shifts, Square Payroll
What Breakroom is:
Standalone platform
Works for any business (no POS required)
Flat-rate pricing
Communication + scheduling included
No account dependencies
Works independently
When Square makes sense:
You already use Square POS
You're already paying for Square Shifts
You want everything in Square Dashboard
You have very small team (under 10 people)
What Breakroom is:
You don't use Square POS
You want standalone communication + scheduling
You have 15+ employees per location
You want flat-rate, predictable pricing
You're a former Crew user
Everything you loved about Crew (before Square)
Communications Features:
✅ Location-based messaging
✅ Organization-wide broadcasts
✅ Announcements (read-only)
✅ 1:1 and group messaging
✅ No phone number sharing
✅ File sharing
✅ Employee recognition
Scheduling Features:
✅ Shift scheduling
✅ Shift coverage requests
✅ Open shifts
✅ Time-off management
✅ Schedule notifications
Team Features:
✅ Birthday celebrations
✅ Work anniversaries
✅ Kudos and recognition
✅ Mobile-first design
What Breakroom Adds:
✅ Schedule templates
✅ Copy-paste schedules
✅ Schedule upload (photo)
✅ SMS backup notifications
✅ Read receipts with reminders
✅ Manager content moderation
What Square Team Communication lacks:
❌ Scheduling (costs extra with Square Shifts)
❌ Independent operation (requires Square)
❌ Flat-rate pricing (per-user model)
❌ Reliable app (crash reports 2024-2025)
Moving from Square to Breakroom
Most teams fully set up in under 5 minutes
No credit card required
All features unlocked
See if it feels like Crew used to
QR code, link, or phone invite
Team downloads Breakroom app
No Square account needed
Same as Crew's location system
Message by location or organization-wide
Manager permissions
Send first message
Create first schedule
You're done
What you lose:
Message history from Square (different platforms)
Square Dashboard integration
What you gain:
✅ Scheduling included (no extra $35/month)
✅ Flat-rate pricing (saves $50-200/month for most teams)
✅ Independent platform (no ecosystem lock-in)
✅ Reliable app (no crash reports)
✅ What Crew used to be
Pricing Breakdown
Simple pricing (not like Square)
Built for teams who loved Crew before Square bought it. Communication and scheduling in one platform. No ecosystem required.