Buy 7shifts if…
8.7/10Full-service restaurants that weight tips by role with points and pay tips out through payroll.
From US$49.99/location/mo (Tip Management add-on)
Check 7shifts pricingChoose Homebase if…
8.3/10Counter-service and small venues on Square or Clover that pool by hours or role percentage.
From US$25/location/mo (Tip Manager add-on)
Check Homebase pricingSpec comparison
| Feature | 7shifts | Homebase | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tip add-on price | US$49.99/location/mo (included in Premium) | US$25/location/mo | 85% |
| Distribution methods | Equal by hours, percentage by role, points weighting | Hours worked, percentage by role | 90% |
| Base plan (annual billing) | Pro US$79.99 / Premium US$134.99 per location | Essentials US$24 / Plus US$56 / All-in-One US$96 | 70% |
| Instant tip payouts | US$1 per transaction | Not priced on pricing page | 50% |
If you need to weight tips by role (bartender 1.0, busser 0.5) and you run a full-service floor, buy 7shifts with Tip Management: it is the only one of the two with points weighting. If you pool by hours or a fixed role percentage on Square or Clover, Homebase Tip Manager does the job for about half the add-on price.
How we compared them
We read both vendors’ pricing pages, 7shifts’ knowledge base on tip pooling, Homebase’s tip pooling product page, and the US Department of Labor fact sheets on 4 November 2026. We have not processed a live tip run in either product. The worked example below is our own arithmetic using the methods each vendor documents, not output captured from the software.
The legal ground rules (federal)
- Tip credit taken? The pool can only include employees who customarily and regularly receive tips. Cooks and dishwashers are out.
- No tip credit (full minimum wage paid)? Back-of-house staff may be included.
- Managers and supervisors may not receive pooled tips in either case.
- Several states are stricter. California, for example, does not allow a tip credit at all. Check your state labor department.
One Friday pool, three ways
Pool: US$1,200. Staff: 4 servers × 6h, 2 bussers × 5h, 1 bartender × 7h. Total hours: 41.
| Method | Per server | Per busser | Bartender | Available in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equal by hours (US$29.27/h) | 175.61 | 146.34 | 204.88 | 7shifts, Homebase |
| Points: server 1.0, bar 1.0, busser 0.5 (US$33.33/point-hour) | 200.00 | 83.33 | 233.33 | 7shifts |
| Percentage: servers 70%, bussers 15%, bar 15% | 210.00 | 90.00 | 180.00 | 7shifts, Homebase |
Points maths: point-hours are 24×1.0 + 7×1.0 + 10×0.5 = 36, so each point-hour is worth 1,200 ÷ 36 = 33.33. A busser gets 5 × 0.5 × 33.33 = 83.33. Percentage maths: each role’s share is divided by hours within the role, which is how 7shifts’ knowledge base describes it.
The spread between methods for one busser is US$63 on a single night. That is why you write the policy down before you pick the software.
7shifts Tip Management
7shifts lists three methods in its knowledge base: equal distribution by hours, percentage by role or department (must total 100%), and points weighting. It has POS-specific tip pooling guides for Toast, Square and others. On the pricing page Tip Management is a US$49.99/location add-on, included in Premium; instant payouts are US$1 per transaction and tips can be sent to payroll.
| 7shifts setup, 1 location, annual billing | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Pro + Tip Management add-on | US$129.98 |
| Premium (tips + tasks included) | US$134.99 |
Homebase Tip Manager
Homebase’s tip pooling page says it pulls hours and tips from Square or Clover, distributes by hours worked or by percentage per role, adds cash tips before payroll, and factors card fees into tip-outs. Tip Manager is US$25/location/month. Base plans are per location with unlimited employees: Essentials US$24, Plus US$56, All-in-One US$96 on annual billing. Payroll is US$49 + US$6/employee/month.
Essentials plus Tip Manager comes to US$49/month for one location, annual billing.
Who should buy which
- 7shifts if your policy weights roles with points, you run Toast, or you want instant tip payouts.
- Homebase if you pool by hours or a flat percentage, run Square or Clover, and want the lowest add-on cost.
- California operator? Read our 7shifts California meal break setup next.
Sources
- 7shifts, Plans & Pricing, read 4 Nov 2026.
- 7shifts Knowledge Base, Tip Pooling with Manual Contribution and Tip Pooling for Toast POS.
- Homebase, Pricing and Restaurant tip pooling, read 4 Nov 2026.
- US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #15 and Fact Sheet #15B; 29 CFR 531.54.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
FAQ
Can cooks and dishwashers share in a tip pool?+
Under the federal FLSA, as the Department of Labor explains in Fact Sheet 15, back-of-house staff can be included in a tip pool only if the employer pays full minimum wage and takes no tip credit. If you take a tip credit, the pool is limited to employees who customarily and regularly receive tips. State law may be stricter.
Can a manager take part in the tip pool?+
No. DOL Fact Sheet 15B says managers and supervisors may not keep any portion of employees' tips, whether or not the employer takes a tip credit. They can keep only tips they receive directly for service they solely provide.
How much does 7shifts tip pooling cost?+
7shifts' pricing page, read 4 November 2026, lists Tip Management as a US$49.99 per location per month add-on, included in the Premium plan (US$134.99 per location monthly on annual billing). Instant payouts cost US$1 per transaction.
How much is Homebase Tip Manager?+
Homebase's pricing page lists Tip Manager as a US$25 per location per month add-on. Its base plans are Essentials US$30, Plus US$70 and All-in-One US$120 per location per month billed monthly, or US$24, US$56 and US$96 on annual billing.