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Stratum Shifts vs Connecteam
Connecteam is an all-in-one app for teams that work away from a desk: scheduling, a time clock, chat, forms, training and HR, sold as three hubs. Stratum Shifts does one of those jobs, building and sharing the week, from a chat with an AI assistant, for one flat price.
Prices checked 29 October 2026 on Connecteam’s own pages, listed under Sources.
The short answer
For up to 10 users, both are free, and Connecteam’s free plan includes far more: a time clock, chat and an app for staff.
From 11 to 30 people, Connecteam’s scheduler costs US$35 a month on monthly billing (US$29 billed yearly), unless its free Limited plan, with one schedule and five jobs, is enough. Stratum Shifts Team is US$12 a month for up to 75 staff in each of 5 workplaces.
Pick Connecteam for one app that runs the whole working day. Pick Stratum Shifts to have the week built in a chat and shared as one link, with no logins for staff.
Side by side
| Topic | Stratum Shifts | Connecteam |
|---|---|---|
| How it charges | One flat price for the account, not per user or per location. | By hub and plan: a flat price for the first 30 users, then a price per extra user. |
| Free plan | One workplace with up to 10 active staff: auto-fill, every check, cover lists, pay estimates, the team link and time-off requests. | Up to 10 users, archived ones included, with all hubs, one schedule and one time clock. |
| Paid plans | Team: US$12 a month or US$120 a year, for up to 5 workplaces with up to 75 active staff in each. | Operations Hub (scheduler and time clock): Basic US$35, Advanced US$59 and Expert US$119 a month billed monthly, or US$29, US$49 and US$99 billed yearly, for the first 30 users; then US$0.80 to US$5 a month for each extra user. |
| Where the week is built | In a chat with Claude. The ChatGPT plugin is waiting for OpenAI’s review. | Connecteam’s app and web dashboard. |
| What staff use | A team link in any phone browser and a calendar feed for each person. No account or app. | The Connecteam app or website, signing in with a code sent to their phone. A view-only link that needs no login comes with the free plan and with Advanced and up. |
| Time clock and timesheets | None. | Yes, with GPS stamps and a kiosk app, and geofences from Advanced; one time clock on the free plan. |
| Payroll | None. It estimates hours, overtime and pay before you publish. | Sends hours to payroll services such as QuickBooks Online, Gusto, Xero, Paychex and ADP, from Basic. |
| Team messaging | None. On Team, you can have each scheduled person with an email address on file emailed their shifts when you publish. | Yes, personal and group chats. |
| Shift swaps and open shifts | No swaps. Staff ask for time off from their own page, and you reassign shifts in the chat from a list of who can cover. | Staff claim open shifts on the free plan and from Basic, swap them from Advanced, and ask coworkers to replace them. |
| AI | Runs inside Claude, with the ChatGPT plugin in review: you describe the team and ask for the week in plain words. | AI auto scheduling inside its own app, on Expert and on the free plan. Its MCP server is a developer tool for its API, which tools such as Claude Desktop can use; API access needs Expert. |
Who each one suits
Connecteam
Teams that work away from a desk (cleaning, construction, healthcare, food and drink, retail, field service, security) that want the schedule, clocking in, chat, forms, training and HR in one app every employee signs in to.
Stratum Shifts
A manager of a small hourly team who builds the week by hand today and wants it done in a chat: filled within availability and hour limits, checked, and shared as one link, without asking staff to install or sign in to anything.
The real differences
What staff need
Every Connecteam employee is a user with a phone number who signs in to the app or website; a view-only link that needs no login comes with the free plan and with Advanced and up, made by the account owner. Stratum Shifts staff never sign in: they open one team link and can add a calendar feed.
How the price grows
Connecteam’s Operations Hub is a flat price for the first 30 users, then per user, and its free plan stops at 10 users, archived ones included. Stratum Shifts Team stays US$12 a month up to 75 active staff in each of 5 workplaces.
How much it does
Connecteam adds the time clock, timesheets for payroll services, chat, forms, training and hiring. Stratum Shifts does none of those; it builds, checks and shares the week.
Where the AI sits
Connecteam’s AI auto scheduling runs inside its own app, and its MCP server is for developers working with its API. Stratum Shifts is used from the chat itself: you ask Claude for next week, and it fills, checks and publishes it.
When to pick Connecteam
Staff clock in and out
Connecteam’s time clock has GPS stamps, a kiosk and geofences, and sends hours to QuickBooks Online, Gusto, Xero, Paychex or ADP.
You want one app for the whole working day
Chat, updates, forms, training, time off and hiring live in the same app as the schedule.
Staff swap and claim shifts themselves
Open shifts staff claim, swaps between coworkers and replacement requests, with approvals.
You have 10 or fewer people and want more than a schedule
Its free plan covers all three hubs for up to 10 users.
Sources
Read on 29 October 2026.
- Connecteam pricing
- Connecteam Small Business Plan
- Connecteam help: Operations Hub, the Limited plan
- Connecteam help: sharing the schedule outside the app
- Connecteam help: payroll integrations
- Connecteam developer docs: MCP server
Connecteam is a trademark of its owner. Stratum Shifts is not affiliated with or endorsed by Connecteam.
Other comparisons
- Stratum Shifts vs Homebase
Homebase charges per location (Essentials US$30 a month, US$24 billed annually) and is free for one location with up to 10 employees; it adds a time clock, messaging, hiring and a paid US payroll add-on.
- Stratum Shifts vs Sling
Sling (owned by Toast) charges per user (Premium US$2 a user a month, US$1.70 billed annually) and is free for up to 30 users with messaging; paid plans add time clocks and shift swaps.
- Stratum Shifts vs 7shifts
7shifts is built for restaurants and charges per location (Essentials $44.99 a month, $39.99 billed annually, for up to 30 employees); its free Comp plan covers one location and up to 15 employees.
- Stratum Shifts vs When I Work
When I Work charges per user, managers included (US$2.50 per user per month for one location and US$5 for several, as shown on its pricing page) and has no free plan; every plan has a time clock, messaging and shift swaps.
See the plans, or how it works inside ChatGPT and Claude.