The global workforce management software market is valued at $9.76 billion in 2026 — and yet, most scheduling tools are still built for restaurants, retail floors, and hourly workers clocking in at a physical location. If you’re running a distributed support team that never sleeps, most of that market isn’t actually built for you.
Remote support teams have different needs: distributed time zones, 24-hour coverage windows, multi-region holiday calendars, overtime tracking across async shifts, and the ability to see a full day’s schedule — not just 9 AM to 5 PM. Finding a tool that handles all of that without workarounds is harder than it should be.
We researched and tested 7 employee scheduling software tools used by remote support teams in 2026. This guide covers real pricing, the features that matter for distributed 24/7 operations, and which tool belongs at the top of your shortlist.
| Tool | Free Plan | Paid Starts At | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Manage Roster | Yes — 10 agents | Free (Pro: unlimited) | 24/7 distributed support teams |
| Deputy | No | $4.50/user/mo | Physical location shift scheduling |
| When I Work | 14-day trial | $2.50/user/mo | Single-location teams with basic needs |
| Connecteam | Yes — up to 10 users | $29/mo (30 employees) | Deskless/frontline workforce |
| Homebase | Yes — 1 location | $24.95/location/mo | Brick-and-mortar hourly teams |
| ZoomShift | Yes — up to 20 users | $2/user/mo | Small teams, simple scheduling |
| Sling | Yes — up to 30 users | $2/user/mo | Budget-first teams with basic coverage |
Before diving into the tools, it’s worth being explicit about what “remote support scheduling” actually requires. Many tools in this space were designed for frontline hourly workers — retail clerks, baristas, restaurant staff. That context shapes every design decision, from what the schedule looks like to what gets tracked.
Here’s what actually matters for a remote, distributed, 24/7 support team:
Support operations run around the clock. Your schedule view needs to show midnight to midnight — not 6 AM to 10 PM. A tool that can’t display overnight shifts as a continuous block is going to cause scheduling errors, coverage gaps, and frustrated managers.
A shift that starts at 11 PM and ends at 7 AM crosses midnight. In many tools, this renders as two separate segments — a half-shift on Tuesday and a half-shift on Wednesday. That’s not just visually confusing; it can cause payroll errors and missed handoffs.
A support team in the Philippines, Bangladesh, and UK is working three different time zones with three different public holiday calendars. Your scheduling software needs to handle this without requiring every manager to manually track which agent is on which regional calendar.
When an overnight agent stays late to cover a callout, you need to see that event immediately — not when payroll is processed two weeks later. Real-time OT tracking prevents budget surprises and protects agent wellbeing.
Per-user pricing that scales linearly is the standard in this space. For support teams that grow fast, a pricing model that punishes you for adding agents is a problem. A generous free tier or flat-rate pricing model is far more team-leader-friendly.
A tool designed for a restaurant manager standing at a counter is a different tool from one designed for a remote team lead checking schedules from their laptop in a different timezone. Remote-first scheduling software has clean web interfaces, solid notification systems, and doesn’t require a physical kiosk to function.
We scored each tool on the following criteria:
We didn’t evaluate point-of-sale integrations, biometric time clocks, or compliance features specific to hourly US labor law — those matter for other use cases, not for distributed digital support teams.
| Tool | Free Tier | 24h View | OT Events | Multi-Region Holidays | Overnight Continuity | AI Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Manage Roster | 10 agents | ✅ Native | ✅ Yes | ✅ PH + BD groups | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Deputy | ❌ No | ❌ No | ⚠️ Basic | ❌ No | ⚠️ Workaround | ❌ No |
| When I Work | ❌ Trial only | ❌ No | ⚠️ Basic | ❌ No | ⚠️ Workaround | ❌ No |
| Connecteam | 10 users | ❌ No | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Homebase | 1 location | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| ZoomShift | 20 users | ❌ No | ⚠️ Basic OT warnings | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Sling | 30 users | ❌ No | ⚠️ Premium only | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
Manage Roster is the only tool in this roundup built specifically for distributed, always-on support operations. Where other tools handle 24/7 scheduling as an afterthought or a workaround, Manage Roster treats it as the core use case.
Every feature is designed for teams that never clock out: the day view renders as a full 24-hour timeline, overnight shifts display as continuous blocks, and OT events are first-class objects in the system — not just notes in a timesheet.
Key features for remote support teams:
Who it’s for: Any distributed support team running 24/7 or extended-hours coverage across multiple timezones and regions.
Pricing:
| Plan | Price | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 10 |
| Pro | Contact for pricing | Unlimited |
Verdict: If you’re running a 24/7 support team, Manage Roster is the clear first choice. No other tool in this list handles overnight scheduling, OT events, and multi-region holidays out of the box.
→ Start free at app.manageroster.com
Deputy is one of the most established workforce management platforms in the market, with a strong foothold in hospitality, retail, and healthcare. It’s well-reviewed, feature-rich, and integrates with a wide range of payroll and POS systems.
For remote support teams, though, Deputy is designed for a different world. One user review on SoftwareAdvice describes it clearly: “Deputy is built for operations with physical locations… We learned quickly that our remote workforce across multiple timezones created the need for multiple workarounds.”
Key features:
Limitations for remote support teams:
Pricing:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Scheduling | $4.50/user/month |
| Time & Attendance | $4.50/user/month |
| Premium (both modules) | $6/user/month |
| Enterprise | Custom |
Who it’s for: Multi-location businesses in hospitality, retail, or healthcare that need strong compliance and payroll integration. Not the best fit for fully remote support operations.
When I Work is popular for its clean, approachable UX and competitive pricing. It covers the basics of employee scheduling well and includes time tracking, team messaging, and mobile access in all plans.
For remote support teams, When I Work works best for simpler structures — teams in a single location or region, with relatively standard shift patterns. Its pricing model ($2.50/user/month for single-location, $5/user/month for multi-location) is straightforward and affordable.
Key features:
Limitations for remote support teams:
Pricing:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Single location | $2.50/user/month |
| Multi-location | $5/user/month |
Who it’s for: Small to mid-size teams at a single location or with simple multi-location needs. Good UX, accessible pricing, limited depth for 24/7 distributed operations.
Connecteam takes a different approach from most scheduling tools: it’s an all-in-one workforce management platform that combines scheduling, time tracking, task management, communication, and HR tools under one roof. It’s particularly popular with deskless and frontline workers — construction, field services, logistics.
For remote support teams, Connecteam’s breadth can be an asset (one platform for scheduling and team communication and onboarding checklists) or an overhead (you’re paying for features you won’t use). Its fixed-price-per-team model makes it attractive for growing teams, but the pricing structure is more complex than per-user tools.
Key features:
Limitations for remote support teams:
Pricing:
| Plan | Price | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Free | Up to 10 |
| Basic | $29/month | Up to 30 |
| Advanced | $49/month | Up to 30 |
| Expert | $99/month | Up to 30 |
| Additional users | $3/user/month | Beyond 30 |
Who it’s for: Deskless and frontline teams that need an all-in-one workforce platform. Less focused on 24/7 distributed support scheduling.
Homebase is one of the most popular free scheduling tools in the market, with a genuinely useful free tier for teams operating from a single physical location. It covers scheduling, time tracking, team messaging, and basic HR in one tool — and its free plan is surprisingly full-featured at the entry level.
The catch for remote support teams: Homebase is designed around physical locations. Pricing is per location, not per user — which is great for a café or retail store, but doesn’t map cleanly to a distributed support team that has no “location” in the traditional sense.
Key features:
Limitations for remote support teams:
Pricing:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 (1 location, unlimited employees) |
| Essentials | $24.95/location/month |
| Plus | $59.95/location/month |
| All-in-One | $99.95/location/month |
Who it’s for: Small businesses with a single physical location and hourly workers. Great for restaurants, retail, and service businesses. Not designed for remote or distributed support teams.
ZoomShift positions itself as the simple, no-fuss scheduling tool for small teams. It offers a clean interface, solid core scheduling features, and a free plan that covers up to 20 users — one of the more generous free tiers in the space.
For small support teams (under 20 agents) that don’t need advanced overnight features, ZoomShift is worth considering. The Starter plan at $2/user/month is affordable and includes unlimited locations. The Premium plan at $4/user/month adds auto-scheduling, overtime warnings, and conflict prevention.
Key features:
Limitations for remote support teams:
Pricing:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Essentials (Free) | $0 — up to 20 users, 1 location |
| Starter | $2/user/month |
| Premium | $4/user/month |
| Enterprise | Custom |
Who it’s for: Small teams (under 20 agents) that want simple, clean scheduling without complexity. Good for teams with standard shift patterns; limited for 24/7 overnight operations.
Sling offers one of the most generous free plans in the scheduling software market: full scheduling and communication features for up to 30 users at no cost. It’s a solid option for teams that need basic scheduling without spending anything.
The free plan covers shift scheduling, time-off requests, news sharing, and private messaging. The Premium plan ($2/user/month) adds mobile time tracking, labor cost management, and overtime tracking. The Business plan ($4/user/month) adds kiosk time tracking, reports, and PTO management.
For remote support teams on a tight budget, Sling’s free tier buys you a lot of functionality. The limitations emerge when you need overnight scheduling depth, OT event tracking in real time, or multi-region holiday support.
Key features:
Limitations for remote support teams:
Pricing:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 — up to 30 users |
| Premium | $2/user/month |
| Business | $4/user/month |
Who it’s for: Budget-first teams that need basic scheduling and communication. The free plan is excellent value; the paid plans are competitive. Not purpose-built for 24/7 distributed support.
For remote support teams specifically, Manage Roster is the best free option — it’s the only free tool with a native 24-hour day view, overnight shift continuity, and OT event tracking. It’s free for up to 10 agents with no credit card required.
For pure headcount, Sling has the largest free tier (30 users), but it lacks the overnight scheduling features that support teams need.
Yes. Manage Roster handles multi-region teams natively, including separate holiday group calendars for different countries (e.g., Philippines and Bangladesh in the same workspace). Most other tools in this list treat multi-timezone teams as a secondary use case and require manual workarounds.
Scheduling software focuses on building and publishing work schedules, managing shift swaps, and tracking coverage. Workforce management (WFM) software is broader — it typically includes scheduling plus time & attendance, labor compliance, payroll integration, and sometimes HR features. For most support team leads, scheduling software is sufficient; full WFM suites add cost and complexity.
Yes — actually, remote teams often benefit more from scheduling software than co-located ones. Without a physical presence to anchor the schedule, remote teams depend entirely on digital systems for shift visibility, handoff coordination, and overtime tracking. A tool like Manage Roster makes those invisible processes visible and auditable.
It depends on the tool:
Manage Roster is purpose-built for customer support teams. The features that matter most for support — 24h day view, overnight shift continuity, OT events, night shift gap detection, and multi-region holidays — are all built in, not bolted on.
Other tools work for support teams with workarounds, but none of them were designed with 24/7 support operations as the primary use case.
Most scheduling tools don’t integrate directly with helpdesk platforms out of the box — they’re separate systems. However, tools like Manage Roster can be used alongside your helpdesk: the schedule lives in Manage Roster, and agents reference it when deciding coverage for queues. Direct ticket-volume-aware scheduling (where the tool reads Zendesk data to suggest staffing) is an emerging capability in more advanced WFM platforms.
If you’re running a remote, distributed support team with 24/7 or extended-hours coverage, the honest answer is that most of the tools in this list weren’t designed for you. They were designed for physical locations, hourly workers, and standard shift patterns.
Manage Roster is the exception. It’s the only tool here built from the ground up for the scheduling challenges that 24/7 support teams actually face: overnight visibility, OT event tracking, multi-region holiday management, and gap detection before shifts go live.
Start free at app.manageroster.com →
Free for up to 10 agents. No credit card. The 24-hour view and overnight features are fully available on the free plan.
Want to go deeper on overnight scheduling specifically? Read our guide: How to Manage Night Shifts in a 24/7 Customer Support Team.