Shifty

Free Restaurant Scheduling App

The #1 Free Restaurant Scheduling App for Cafes, Bars & Small Teams

Stop wasting hours on complex spreadsheets and expensive software. Shifty is the free to get started, easy-to-use **restaurant scheduling app** built specifically for your hourly staff.

Free trial available — free trial available, no credit card required.

Transform Your Shift Management with Shifty

Managing staff schedules in a busy cafe, bustling restaurant, or lively bar can feel like a full-time job. You’re juggling employee availability, last-minute changes, shift swap requests, and trying to avoid costly overtime – all while keeping your team happy and your business running smoothly. Traditional methods like paper rotas or clunky spreadsheets often lead to miscommunication, missed shifts, and endless headaches.

That’s where Shifty comes in. We offer a robust, intuitive **free restaurant scheduling app** that takes the pain out of managing your hourly workforce. Built by hospitality veterans, for hospitality managers, Shifty helps you create, share, and manage schedules with unprecedented ease and zero cost.

Key Benefits: Stop Stressing, Start Scheduling

Save Time Every Week

Imagine building a complete weekly schedule for your team of 15 employees in under 10 minutes. Shifty’s drag-and-drop interface and reusable templates make schedule creation lightning fast. Spend less time on admin and more time focusing on your customers and business growth. One manager reported saving 3-5 hours every week on scheduling alone!

Eliminate Software Costs

Competitors charge $2-5 per employee per month, adding up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually. Shifty is free to try, with no card required. No hidden fees, no tiers, no ‘premium’ features locked behind a paywall. Get powerful employee shift management without impacting your bottom line.

Boost Team Communication & Morale

Clear communication is key to a happy team. Shifty instantly notifies employees of new schedules, changes, and approved shift swaps via push notifications. Employees can easily submit availability and swap requests directly through the app, reducing phone calls, texts, and miscommunications. Happy employees mean less turnover!

Schedule Anywhere, Anytime

Whether you’re on the floor, at home, or grabbing a coffee, manage your team’s shifts from any device. Shifty is available on iOS, Android, and Web, offering seamless synchronization across all platforms. Create, adjust, and publish schedules on the go, giving you ultimate flexibility.

How Shifty Works in 3 Simple Steps

Getting started with Shifty, your ultimate **free staff scheduling app**, is incredibly easy. You’ll be building and sharing schedules in minutes, not hours.

  1. 1. Create Your Team & Add Employees

    Sign up for free (no credit card needed!), then set up your restaurant, cafe, or bar’s profile. Quickly add your employees, assign their roles, and invite them to download the Shifty app. It’s intuitive and designed for speed.

  2. 2. Build Your Weekly Schedule

    Use our user-friendly drag-and-drop interface to create shifts for each role and employee. Shifty automatically highlights conflicts and allows you to factor in employee availability. Craft a full week’s schedule for 10-20 staff members in as little as 5-10 minutes.

  3. 3. Publish & Communicate

    Once your schedule is ready, publish it with a single tap. All your employees receive instant push notifications on their phones, giving them immediate access to their latest shifts. Employees can then request swaps, set availability, and communicate directly through the app, keeping everyone in the loop.

Who Is Shifty For?

Shifty is designed with the unique demands of hospitality and small teams in mind. If you manage hourly staff and need a reliable, easy-to-use, and free to get started solution for shift organization, Shifty is for you.

  • Cafes & Coffee Shops

    From opening shifts to weekend rushes, manage your baristas and kitchen staff effortlessly. Handle rotating shifts, part-time availability, and busy seasonal periods with ease using our intuitive cafe scheduling features.

  • Restaurants (Dine-in & Takeout)

    Coordinate front-of-house (waitstaff, hosts) and back-of-house (chefs, line cooks, dishwashers) without missing a beat. Shifty helps you optimize coverage for peak hours and ensure smooth operations.

  • Bars & Pubs

    Keep your bartenders, servers, and security staff synchronized across different shifts and busy nights. Simplify shift swaps and manage last-minute changes efficiently.

  • Small Hourly Teams (5-50 Employees)

    Whether you run a retail store, a small catering company, or a boutique hotel, Shifty provides the essential tools for effective employee scheduling without the enterprise price tag.

If you’re looking for a dedicated **free employee scheduling app** that understands the nuances of your business, Shifty is your answer.

Powerful Features, Zero Cost

Shifty packs all the essential tools you need for efficient staff management into a streamlined, user-friendly interface. And the best part? It’s all free to get started, making it the smartest choice for a **free restaurant scheduling app** on the market.

  • Intuitive Weekly Schedule Builder

    Visually build your weekly rota with a simple drag-and-drop interface. See your entire team’s schedule at a glance, identify overlaps, and ensure optimal staffing levels for every shift.

  • Seamless Shift Swap Requests

    Empower your team! Employees can initiate shift swap requests directly in the app. Managers receive notifications, can easily review and approve/deny requests, and the schedule updates automatically. No more frantic group texts!

  • Employee Availability Tracking

    Let employees submit their preferred availability and time-off requests within the app. Shifty provides a clear overview, helping you build schedules that respect personal commitments and reduce scheduling conflicts.

  • Instant Push Notifications

    Keep everyone informed. New schedules, shift changes, approved swaps, and important announcements are instantly delivered to your team’s phones via push notifications. Reduce «I didn’t see it» excuses.

  • Multi-Location Support

    Manage multiple venues or departments from a single Shifty account. Easily toggle between your cafe and your bar, or different sections of your restaurant, and schedule staff accordingly. Perfect for growing businesses.

  • Web, iOS & Android Accessibility

    Access Shifty wherever you are. Use our robust web application for detailed planning or manage on the go with our dedicated mobile apps for Apple and Android devices. Your schedule is always synced and up-to-date.

Why is Shifty free to get started?

It’s natural to be skeptical when a powerful tool like Shifty is offered free to get started, especially when competitors charge significantly. We understand that. Our mission at Shifty is to empower small businesses and hospitality teams by removing the financial barriers to efficient staff management.

We believe that every cafe, restaurant, and bar, regardless of size or budget, deserves access to modern, reliable scheduling tools. While other companies prioritize profit per employee, Shifty is focused on creating a widely adopted, indispensable tool that genuinely helps businesses thrive.

We’re committed to keeping Shifty free to get started plan available. There are no hidden costs, no premium tiers you’ll eventually be forced into, and no credit card required to get started. Just a powerful, free staff scheduling solution built for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shifty

Is Shifty truly free to get started, or are there hidden costs?

Yes, Shifty is free to try, with no card required. There are free trial available, and absolutely no credit card required to sign up or use any of its features. We are committed to providing a robust, free restaurant scheduling app to the hospitality industry.

How does Shifty compare to paid scheduling apps like When I Work or Homebase?

Shifty offers core scheduling and communication features essential for cafes, restaurants, and bars, similar to what you’d find in the basic tiers of paid apps. The primary difference is our price – free to get started. Competitors typically charge $2-5 per employee per month. Shifty provides powerful weekly schedule building, shift swaps, availability tracking, push notifications, and multi-location support without the recurring expense, making it the most cost-effective employee shift management solution available.

What platforms is Shifty available on?

Shifty is accessible wherever you need it. You can use our comprehensive web application at app.shifty-app.com. We also offer dedicated mobile apps for both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store), ensuring you can manage your staff schedules from any device.

Is Shifty suitable for a small cafe with only 5 employees, or a larger restaurant with 40 staff?

Absolutely! Shifty is specifically designed for small to medium-sized hourly teams, typically ranging from 5 to 50 employees. Its intuitive interface and powerful features scale perfectly whether you’re managing a handful of baristas or a full restaurant staff across multiple roles and locations. It’s the ideal free staff scheduling app for growing businesses.

How do employees get their schedules and communicate changes?

Once you publish a schedule, employees receive an instant push notification on their mobile device (if they have the app installed). They can view their shifts, submit availability preferences, and request shift swaps directly through the Shifty app. This streamlined communication flow reduces calls, texts, and miscommunications, making it easier for everyone to stay informed about their shifts and any updates.

Does Shifty integrate with POS systems or payroll?

Currently, Shifty is focused on providing the best possible free employee scheduling experience. While direct integrations with POS systems or payroll software are not yet available, we are constantly evaluating new features and partnerships to enhance the app’s functionality in the future. Our priority is to keep Shifty fast, reliable, and free to get started for scheduling needs.

Ready to Simplify Your Staff Scheduling?

Join thousands of cafes, restaurants, and bars already using Shifty to streamline their operations and save valuable time and money. Experience the easiest, most reliable **restaurant scheduling app** without spending a single dollar.

No credit card required. Free trial available.