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Restaurants · head to head

Sling vs Upserve

Sling logo

Sling

Restaurants

Free employee scheduling software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Upserve logo

Upserve

Restaurants

Restaurant management platform with insights

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sling has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Sling the free plan is limited to 30 users; Upserve offline terminals can only store credit card payment data for 48 hours before requiring internet connection
  • They diverge on capability: Sling covers Employee scheduling, Upserve covers Cloud POS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sling and Upserve actually diverge.

Attributes where Sling and Upserve differ
AttributeSlingUpserve
Starting priceFree$59/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iPad, Android, Custom POS terminals
Founded20152013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Sling

  • Employee scheduling
  • Time tracking
  • Team messaging
  • Task management
  • Shift swapping
  • Labor cost tracking
  • Toast
  • Square

Only in Upserve

  • Cloud POS
  • Guest insights
  • Menu intelligence
  • Server performance
  • Reputation management
  • Inventory tracking
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Sling

  • Building and publishing shift schedules for hourly staffnot Upserve
  • Tracking clock in and clock out and labour costnot Upserve
  • Messaging and announcements across a shift based teamnot Upserve

Upserve

  • Point of Salenot Sling
  • Order Managementnot Sling
  • Inventory Controlnot Sling
  • Staff Schedulingnot Sling

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Sling

  • The free plan is limited to 30 users
  • Time tracking on mobile, labour cost tracking and overtime analysis require the Premium plan
  • Kiosk time clock, hours and wages reporting, no show tracking, sick leave and PTO tracking require the Business plan
  • The lowest advertised per user rates of $1.70 and $3.40 require annual billing

Upserve

  • Offline terminals can only store credit card payment data for 48 hours before requiring internet connection
  • Customers cannot add tips when the system operates in offline mode
  • $400 monthly penalty for using alternative payment processors instead of Lightspeed
  • No global ability to change menu items across all locations at once, requiring per-location updates
  • Mandatory 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction payment processing fee with Lightspeed

Pricing, plan by plan

Sling

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 30 users
    • Shift scheduling
    • Time-off requests
  • Premium$2/month
    • Mobile time tracking
    • Labor cost management
    • Overtime tracking
  • Business$4/month
    • Kiosk time tracking
    • Comprehensive reports
    • No-show tracking

Upserve

$59/month
  • Core$59/month
    • Cloud-based point of sale
    • Basic reporting
    • Guest insights
  • Pro$199/month
    • All Core features
    • Inventory management
    • Online ordering

Which should you pick?

Choose Sling if

  • You need employee scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time tracking.
Sling review

Choose Upserve if

  • You need cloud pos.
  • You work on Web, iPad, Android, Custom POS terminals.
  • You also want guest insights.
Upserve review

Questions people ask

Is Sling or Upserve better?
Neither clearly leads. Sling starts at Free and Upserve at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sling or Upserve?
Sling has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Sling and $59/month for Upserve.
Does Sling or Upserve run on more platforms?
Sling runs on Web, Ios, Android. Upserve runs on Web, iPad, Android, Custom POS terminals.
Can I use Sling for free?
Yes. Sling has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Upserve starts at $59/month.
What is Sling best used for?
Sling is most often used for building and publishing shift schedules for hourly staff, tracking clock in and clock out and labour cost, messaging and announcements across a shift based team. Of those, building and publishing shift schedules for hourly staff and tracking clock in and clock out and labour cost are not what Upserve is typically brought in for.
What can Sling do that Upserve cannot?
Sling covers Employee scheduling, Time tracking, Team messaging, Task management. Upserve covers Cloud POS, Guest insights, Menu intelligence, Server performance. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sling: How much does Sling cost?

Sling offers a free tier supporting up to 30 users. Premium plans start at $2.00 per user per month (or $1.70 with annual billing), and Business plans cost $4.00 per user per month (or $3.40 with annual billing). Both paid tiers offer a 15% discount for annual billing.

Source
Upserve: Does Upserve support offline mode?

Yes. Upserve is a hybrid cloud-based system where reporting data is stored in the cloud but offline mode allows the software to store important data locally on your device in case the internet goes down, allowing transactions to continue.

Source
Sling: Does Sling offer a free trial?

Yes, Sling offers a free plan supporting unlimited scheduling features for up to 30 users. Additionally, Premium and Business plans include 15-day free trials with no credit card required to start.

Source
Upserve: What is Upserve's pricing structure?

Upserve offers three plans: Core at $59/month, Pro at $199/month with advanced features like inventory management and loyalty programs, and Pro+ with custom pricing for enterprise customers. Hardware is sold separately.

Source
Sling: What does Sling's Business plan include?

Sling's Business plan, marked as recommended, costs $4.00 per user per month (or $3.40 with annual billing). It includes kiosk time tracking, comprehensive reports, no-show tracking, sick call-out management, and PTO management. Users only pay for active team members with prorated charges when employees are deactivated.

Source
Upserve: Does Upserve offer a free trial?

Yes, Upserve offers a 14-day free trial for new users to test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Source
Upserve: What delivery platforms does Upserve integrate with?

Upserve integrates with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub through partner middleware services like Chowly and Deliverect, which provide real-time menu syncing and order management.

Source
Upserve: What are the payment processing requirements?

Upserve requires using Lightspeed payment processing at 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction. Using alternative payment processors incurs a $400 monthly fee, making Lightspeed the mandatory choice for most restaurants.

Source
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