Sling Review, Pricing & Features

See how Sling's employee scheduling and time tracking software works, what the Premium and Business plans cost, and who it is built for in 2026.

Category
Scheduling
Pricing
Freemium per-user subscription, from Free (up to 30 users); paid plans from $2/user/month
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2015
Headquarters
New York, New York, United States (subsidiary of Toast, Inc.)
Free PlanWeb AppiOSAndroidFreemium

What Is Sling

Sling is scheduling, time tracking, and team communication software built for businesses that manage hourly, shift-based employees. It was founded in 2015 by CEO Helgi Hermannsson, starting in Reykjavik, Iceland, before the company established a base in New York City to serve the US market.

In July 2022, Sling was acquired by Toast, the publicly traded restaurant technology company known for its point-of-sale platform, and Sling now operates as part of Toast's broader operations suite while still serving customers across healthcare, retail, fitness, hospitality, and other shift-based industries beyond restaurants.

Sling is positioned primarily for small businesses, though it scales into midsize and some enterprise use cases; roughly 81 percent of its G2 reviewers come from small companies, with health, wellness, and fitness businesses representing one of its largest customer segments.

Key Features

Managers build schedules with a drag-and-drop calendar and reusable templates, which speeds up building recurring weekly schedules for shift-based teams.

Employees can view schedules, request time off, set availability, and swap shifts with coworkers directly in the app, reducing the back-and-forth managers typically handle by text or phone.

Time tracking includes clock-in and clock-out with geofencing, so managers can confirm staff are clocking in from the correct work location, along with timesheets that feed into payroll and labor cost reports.

Built-in team messaging and task management let managers assign to-dos and communicate directly with staff, and labor cost forecasting tools help managers build schedules that stay within budget in real time as shifts are assigned.

Pricing

Sling's core scheduling features are free for businesses with up to 30 users, covering schedule building, time-off requests, availability management, and basic messaging.

The Premium plan costs $2 per user per month and adds features like advanced time tracking, task management, and additional reporting for teams that have outgrown the free tier.

The Business plan costs $4 per user per month and adds the most advanced labor cost management, forecasting, and reporting tools for larger or more complex shift-based operations. A free trial is available before committing to either paid tier.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Free tier supports up to 30 users, generous compared to most scheduling competitors
  • Drag-and-drop scheduling and shift swapping are widely praised for ease of use
  • Time tracking with geofencing adds accountability for on-site clock-ins
  • Built-in messaging removes the need for a separate team communication tool
  • Now backed by Toast, giving it more resources following the 2022 acquisition

Cons

  • Deeper payroll and HR features generally require external integrations
  • Some advanced reporting is reserved for the Business tier rather than Premium
  • Company size and standalone revenue are not disclosed separately from parent company Toast
  • Primarily optimized for shift-based hourly work, less suited to salaried or project-based teams
  • Since the Toast acquisition, some users report a stronger product focus on food service and hospitality

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sling used for

Sling is used for employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication for businesses that manage hourly, shift-based staff.

How much does Sling cost

Sling's core scheduling features are free for up to 30 users; the Premium plan costs $2 per user per month and the Business plan costs $4 per user per month.

Who owns Sling

Sling was founded in 2015 by Helgi Hermannsson and was acquired by Toast, the restaurant technology company, in July 2022.

Does Sling track employee time

Yes, Sling includes time tracking with clock-in and clock-out and geofencing to confirm employees are at the correct work location.

Can employees swap shifts in Sling

Yes, employees can request time off, set availability, and swap shifts with coworkers directly in the app, subject to manager approval.

Is Sling only for restaurants

No, Sling serves a range of shift-based industries including healthcare, retail, fitness, and hospitality, though it is now owned by restaurant technology company Toast.

Does Sling have a mobile app

Yes, Sling has iOS and Android apps for managers and employees to manage schedules and time tracking on the go.

Does Sling integrate with payroll systems

Yes, tracked hours and timesheets can be exported or integrated with external payroll systems.

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