7 Best HR & Payroll Software for Restaurant Owners (2026)
We compared 7 top tools for this category. Toast Payroll is our #1 overall recommendation, boasting a 4.5/5 rating and excelling at toast pos users. If you are looking for an alternative specifically for scheduling & labor, 7shifts is a highly capable runner-up.
Toast Payroll
Deeply integrated with the Toast POS to sync hours and tips automatically for seamless restaurant payroll.
Runner Ups
7shifts
Scheduling & laborPrimarily a scheduling tool with robust payroll integrations specifically for food service labor law compliance.
- Tip pooling
- Compliance alerts
- Employee communication
- Payroll is integrated, not native
- Advanced features cost extra
Starting at
Free version available
Homebase
Local restaurantsSimplifies hiring, scheduling, and payroll for local restaurants with a high focus on mobile-first employee access.
- Mobile clock-in
- Free scheduling
- Tip tracking
- Pay per location
- Reporting can be simple
Starting at
Free / Payroll $39
Push Operations
Multi-unit ownersA holistic HR/Payroll platform designed for multi-unit restaurant owners needing labor cost analytics.
- Labor cost focus
- Integration heavy
- Good support
- Steep learning curve
- Interface is data-heavy
Starting at
Custom pricing
Harri
Hospitality hiringA talent management platform for hospitality that combines recruitment with HR and scheduling.
- Recruitment tools
- Hospitality focus
- Employee branding
- Enterprise focus
- Implementation time
Starting at
Custom pricing
Square Payroll
Cafes & Food TrucksAffordable and easy payroll that syncs with Square POS, perfect for small cafes and food trucks.
- Simple pricing
- POS integration
- Great mobile app
- Limited HR features
- Basic compliance support
Starting at
$35/mo
Gusto
Small boutique diningGreat for smaller restaurants that want a beautiful UI and simple benefit management for their team.
- Modern design
- Excellent support
- Easy onboarding
- No native POS sync
- Less industry specific
Starting at
$40/mo
Related Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about choosing the right software.
Based on our analysis of 7 options, Toast Payroll is the best overall choice for restaurant owners, earning a 4.5/5 rating. Key strengths include Auto tip sync and Restaurant-first. For a different focus, 7shifts (4.8/5) is a strong alternative specializing in scheduling & labor.
Toast Payroll (4.5/5, Custom pricing) is best for toast pos users, while 7shifts (4.8/5, Free version available) excels at scheduling & labor. Toast Payroll takes the top spot overall, but 7shifts is the better pick if your priority is specifically scheduling & labor.
Yes, 2 tool(s) in this comparison offer a free plan or freemium tier: 7shifts, Homebase. Among them, 7shifts stands out for restaurant owners thanks to its focus on scheduling & labor.
Key criteria for restaurant owners include: toast pos users, scheduling & labor, local restaurants. Our #1 pick Toast Payroll leads in toast pos users, while Homebase (4.7/5) is a noteworthy option for local restaurants. Consider your specific workflow needs and budget to narrow down the best fit.
In this comparison of 7 tools, pricing ranges from Custom pricing (Toast Payroll) at the low end to premium enterprise tiers. 2 tool(s) offer free plans. For the best balance of features and value, we recommend Toast Payroll at Custom pricing.