Comparison
RosterShare vs RosterElf: an honest comparison
Full disclosure before anything else: we build RosterShare, so this is not a neutral review and we will not pretend otherwise. What we can do is compare accurately, state the cases where RosterElf is the better choice, and let you decide. Prices and features below were checked in July 2026 against RosterElf's public pricing page.
The short version
These are different products wearing the same category label. RosterElf is an Australian workforce management platform: award interpretation, a verified time clock, Xero and MYOB payroll exports, native apps, priced from $8 AUD per staff member per month. RosterShare is a simple rostering tool: build the roster fast, publish it, make sure staff see it, collect actual hours with a PIN time clock kiosk and approved timesheets, priced from $3.99 AUD per staff member per month on annual billing with a free plan for up to 5 staff.
The honest one-line verdict: if your pay rules need an award engine or you need photo and GPS verified clock-ins, buy RosterElf. If your problem is the roster itself and your rates are simple, RosterElf is more machine than you need, and you can pay around a third less for the part you actually use.
Side by side
| RosterShare | RosterElf | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, up to 5 staff, 2 locations, 5 positions | No free plan, 15-day trial |
| Paid pricing | From $3.99 AUD per staff/month on annual billing ($4.99 monthly), no minimum | Core from $8 AUD per staff/month billed monthly ($6 annual), ex GST |
| Minimum spend | None | 3 active staff on monthly billing, 10 seats on annual |
| Roster building | Drag-and-drop grid, presets, templates, copy week, AI drafts | Drag-and-drop with templates and suggested matching |
| Publish and notify | Draft to publish with change tracking, email and SMS, read-only link, PDF | Publish with app notifications, email and SMS |
| Staff self-service | Availability, time off, open shift claims, cover requests | Availability, leave, shift swaps |
| Time and attendance | Time clock with self clock-in and tablet kiosk (PIN); punches become timesheets for approval | Tablet kiosk time clock with PIN, photo and GPS verification |
| Award interpretation | No, flat hourly rate times paid hours | Yes, built in |
| Payroll | CSV export of approved timesheets | Payroll-ready exports to Xero and MYOB |
| Apps | Browser only, works on any phone or tablet (kiosk included), nothing to install | iOS and Android apps plus tablet kiosk |
RosterElf details from rosterelf.com, checked July 2026. RosterElf also sells a Full Suite tier ($10 AUD monthly, $7 annual) adding an HR hub, onboarding, and contracts, which has no RosterShare equivalent and is out of scope here.
What the price difference buys, in both directions
Take a 12-person cafe. On RosterElf Core billed monthly that is $96 AUD per month plus GST. On RosterShare Pro it is $59.88 AUD per month, or $47.88 AUD per month on annual billing. Over a year the gap runs to several hundred dollars.
That gap is not RosterElf overcharging. It funds real machinery: an award engine that knows what a Sunday costs under your award, a kiosk that photographs clock-ins, exports that land in Xero already interpreted. If you use that machinery, it is worth the money and you should pay for it. The mistake we see is small teams paying for it unused: flat-rate staff, no kiosk on the counter, payroll done by a bookkeeper who reapplies the award anyway. Then the per-head premium buys nothing, and the extra setup is pure friction.
Note the minimums as well. RosterElf's monthly billing requires 3 active staff and its annual discount requires 10 seats. RosterShare has no minimum, and below 6 staff it is free, which for a very small team is not a discount but the whole bill.
Which should you pick?
Choose RosterElf if
- Your staff are on award conditions with penalty rates and overtime you want calculated automatically.
- You want clock-ins verified with photo capture or GPS because time theft is a real cost for you. Our kiosk verifies with PINs only.
- You run payroll through Xero or MYOB and want rostering data flowing straight into it.
- Your team expects a native app and push notifications.
Choose RosterShare if
- You have a small team, roughly 5 to 30 people, and pay flat or simple rates.
- Your actual problem is building the roster fast and making sure staff see it, not award math.
- You want staff onboard with zero installs: a link, an email, or an SMS is the whole rollout.
- You want to start free with a real roster for up to 5 staff, and pay only per head after that with no minimum.
If you are still weighing the category itself, our guides to rostering software and rostering software in Australia cover how to decide what tier of tool you need before comparing vendors within it. If neither of us fits, our RosterElf alternatives page covers the wider field, and our best rostering software in Australia shortlist compares eight products with verified pricing.
Common questions
Is RosterShare cheaper than RosterElf?
For small teams, yes. RosterShare is $3.99 AUD per staff member per month on annual billing (or $4.99 AUD billed monthly) with a free plan for up to 5 staff and no minimum spend. RosterElf's Core plan is $8 AUD per staff member per month billed monthly (or $6 AUD on annual billing), excluding GST, with a 3-staff minimum on monthly billing and no free plan. Like for like, a 10-person team pays around a third less on RosterShare. The price difference buys RosterElf's award interpretation and time clock, so the right question is whether you need those.
Does RosterShare have award interpretation like RosterElf?
No. RosterShare calculates labor cost as hourly rate times paid hours and exports approved timesheets as CSV for your payroll system to apply awards. RosterElf interprets awards inside the product. If your staff are on complex award conditions and you want the rostering tool doing that math, RosterElf is the better fit.
Does RosterShare have a time clock?
Yes. Staff clock in and out from their own account, or from a shared tablet kiosk using a personal PIN, and each punch becomes a timesheet entry for manager approval. Staff can also submit timesheets manually. The difference is verification: RosterElf's kiosk adds photo capture and GPS checks on top of the PIN, and ours does not. For small teams where trust is high, a PIN kiosk covers it; if photo or GPS proof matters to you, that is a point to RosterElf.
Can staff use RosterShare without installing an app?
Yes, that is the design. Staff get the roster by email, SMS, or a read-only link, and manage availability, claims, and timesheets in the browser on any phone. RosterElf uses native iOS and Android apps. Which is better depends on your team: apps bring push notifications, no-install brings zero rollout friction.
RosterElf is a trademark of its owner, which is not affiliated with RosterShare. Details above reflect public information as of July 2026; check rosterelf.com for their current pricing before deciding.
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