The best security guard scheduling software in 2026
Seven scheduling tools used by security companies, from guard-specific platforms to general shift apps, compared on open shifts, swaps, warnings, clock-in and price. Guardix wrote this page and is one of the tools.
By the Guardix team. Facts checked November 3, 2026.
Guardix wrote this page, and Guardix is one of the products on it, so read it as a vendor's guide, not independent research. We did not test the other products hands-on. Everything about them comes from their own public websites, read on November 3, 2026, with a link next to each statement.
Quick answer
Pick a scheduler that ties shifts to the site: clock-in limited to the post, license reminders, and warnings before you publish. Guardix (ours) and Belfry are built for security and do this in the same system as patrols and reports. Celayix is a strong rules engine for larger teams, with published prices from $400 a month. Connecteam, Deputy and When I Work are cheaper, polished general shift apps; they are not made for security, so patrols and client reporting are thinner or missing.
Top three, for different needs
- 1. Best for scheduling tied to patrols, reports and clients
Guardix
Open shifts with manager approval, swaps the other officer accepts first, auto-assign, clash and overtime warnings, and a preview before you publish.source
- 2. Best for large teams with complex rules
Celayix
Published prices of $400 to $800 a month for up to 100 employees; it says it suits organizations with 50 or more.source
- 3. Best for small teams on a budget
Connecteam
Free for up to 10 users, and from $29 a month for larger teams.source
Features and pricing compared
What each company's own website says today. “Not published” means we could not find it on their site, not that the product lacks it. Guardix's column comes from our own fact sheet.
| Guardix | Belfry | Celayix | TrackTik | Connecteam | Deputy | When I Work | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made for security companies | Yes. Built for security guard companies and their clients.source | Yes. Says it was built for the security industry, not adapted from retail tools.source | No. One platform for many industries, with a security edition.source | Yes. For security firms and in-house security teams.source | No. Made for many industries; security is one of its industry pages.source | No. Made for shift work in many industries.source | No. Built for every shift-based workplace.source |
| Scheduling | One-off, recurring and template shifts, with a preview that warns about gaps before you publish.source | Shows overtime as you build, before the schedule goes out.source | Rules-based schedules covering overtime, union rules and qualifications.source | AI-assisted scheduling with live attendance across every site.source | Recurring schedules and templates; each client site is set up as a job.source | Multi-location scheduling; shifts can be split into segments for patrols or events.source | Multi-location and multi-week scheduling with templates.source |
| Open shifts officers can pick up | Officers claim open shifts in the app; a manager approves or declines.source | Shift offers go to officers, who confirm by text; admins are told when it is picked up.source | Employees pick or bid on open shifts in the app.source | Lists open shift requests.source | Guards claim open shifts in the app.source | Sends open shifts to the right staff.source | Open shifts and shift swapping.source |
| Shift swaps | The other officer accepts first, then a manager approves.source | Not published. Shift swaps are not described. | Employees swap shifts in the mobile app.source | Not published. Not described on the two pages we could open. | Guards request swaps; you set approval rules.source | Guards swap shifts; you choose whether a manager approves.source | Employees swap or pick up shifts; you keep final approval.source |
| Automatic shift filling or suggestions | Auto-assign fills empty shifts using distance, availability, skills and cost.source | Suggests the best available officers for an open shift (certified, not on overtime); a person picks.source | Autofill fills every shift in a schedule.source | Auto-fill for no-shows.source | Auto-scheduling that weighs availability, roles, labor laws and costs.source | Auto-fills shifts from availability and training.source | Fills shifts from availability and qualifications.source |
| Clash and overtime warnings | Flags clashing shifts and approved time off, and warns when a shift goes over an officer's set weekly hours.source | Flags any assignment that puts an officer over 40 hours, before publishing.source | Alerts you when an assignment results in overtime.source | Alerts before overtime and no-shows.source | Alerts before you schedule overtime.source | Can block swaps that would cause overtime or break training rules.source | Warns about overtime while you build the schedule and during the week.source |
| Clock-in tied to the site (GPS or geofence) | By default an officer outside the site's geofence cannot clock in. You can relax this, and outside clock-ins are flagged.source | Geofenced clock-ins tie each punch to the job site.source | Employees must be inside the site's geofence to sign in and out.source | Clock-ins GPS-verified, NFC-confirmed and timestamped from the phone.source | A geofence per site, so guards clock in only on location.source | Geofencing can stop clock-ins away from the site.source | GPS location on each punch, with geofencing.source |
| License and certificate tracking | Licenses and certificates with expiry dates, and reminders before they expire.source | License compliance tracking and alerts.source | Notifications for expiring qualifications.source | Not published. Not described on the two pages we could open. | Licenses and certifications stored, with expiry alerts.source | Certifications and documents kept in one place.source | Not published. License tracking is not described. |
| Mobile app for officers | One app for officers, managers and clients, on iPhone and Android.source | An officer mobile app; the pages we read do not name iPhone or Android.source | iOS and Android apps.source | Guard app on iOS and Android.source | A mobile app for guards; iPhone and Android are not named on the pages we read.source | iOS and Android apps.source | iOS, Android and web.source |
| Pricing | Published on the Guardix pricing page, per user per month.source | Not published. Belfry charges per employee per month, billed for active employees only, and gives prices on a demo call.source | Published ranges: up to 100 employees $400 to $800 a month; up to 1,000 employees $1k to $8k a month; larger by quote. Minimum of 25 employees on an annual term.source | Not published. TrackTik is quoted for each operation; a specialist follows up on a pricing request.source | Published for its Operations hub: $29, $49 or $99 a month for the first 30 users on yearly billing, plus $0.80, $2.50 or $4.20 a month for each extra user.source | Published: Lite $5, Core $6.50 and Pro $9 per user per month billed annually; monthly plans have a $30 minimum spend. Payroll by Paycor is $8 per user plus $49 a month, in the US.source | Published: from $2.50 per user per month for single-location teams; Pro $5 and Premium $8. Time tracking is a switch on each plan, and its price is not in the page text.source |
| How we score | 9 of 9 documented | 8 of 9 documented | 8 of 9 documented | 7 of 9 documented | 8 of 9 documented | 8 of 9 documented | 7 of 9 documented |
How we score
- Each guide picks the features that matter for one need, the rows of its table.
- A product scores one point for each row its own website documents, with a link you can open. The score is counted from the table, cell by cell; nobody typed it in.
- “Not published” scores nothing. It may mean the website does not say, not that the product lacks it: ask the company.
- Guardix's points come from our own fact sheet, checked against the Guardix app. A “No” in Guardix's column is something it does not do today.
- The score shows what is documented, not how well a product works. We did not test the other products hands-on, and we do not rank them by quality.
- Prices are shown as each company publishes them and are not scored.
Short reviews
Guardix
Guardix is software for security guard companies: a web app for managers, a client portal, and one mobile app for officers, managers and clients on iPhone and Android.source
Best when the schedule must connect to the site: clock-in limits, tours, reports and the client.
What it does well
Limits
- Schedules export as PDF or CSV, but shifts and employees cannot be imported from another system.source
Pricing: Published on the Guardix pricing page, per user per month.source
Belfry
Belfry describes itself as security guard management software that puts scheduling, payroll, field activity and billing in one system.source
A security-specific scheduler that shows overtime as you build and offers shifts only to certified officers.
What it does well
Limits
- No published prices.source
- Shift swaps are not described on its site.
Pricing: Not published. Belfry charges per employee per month, billed for active employees only, and gives prices on a demo call.source
Celayix
Celayix brings scheduling, time and attendance, shift operations, payroll and billing data together. Security, healthcare, hospitality and facilities teams use it.source
A powerful rules engine for mid-size and large employers, security included.
What it does well
Limits
- Minimum of 25 employees on an annual term.source
- Not made only for security: a client portal and daily activity reports are not described.
Pricing: Published ranges: up to 100 employees $400 to $800 a month; up to 1,000 employees $1k to $8k a month; larger by quote. Minimum of 25 employees on an annual term.source
TrackTik
TrackTik is Trackforce's security workforce management platform. It connects guarding work in the field to the financial back office in one system.source
Scheduling for large security operations, inside a wider platform.
What it does well
- Auto-fill for no-shows and alerts before overtime.source
Limits
- No published prices.source
- We could read only two Trackforce pages; the others answered with a bot check, so it may do more than shown here.
Pricing: Not published. TrackTik is quoted for each operation; a specialist follows up on a pricing request.source
Connecteam
Connecteam sells what it calls a security guard management app: scheduling, a geofenced time clock, checkpoint checks and incident forms.source
An affordable general app with a security page; good for small teams.
What it does well
Limits
- Not made only for security: a client login is not described.
- Says it is not fully offline.source
Pricing: Published for its Operations hub: $29, $49 or $99 a month for the first 30 users on yearly billing, plus $0.80, $2.50 or $4.20 a month for each extra user.source
Deputy
Deputy is software for scheduling and managing shift workers, with a page for security staff.source
Polished general shift scheduling with low published prices.
What it does well
Limits
- Monthly plans have a $30 minimum spend.source
- Guard tours, incident reports and a client portal are not described.
Pricing: Published: Lite $5, Core $6.50 and Pro $9 per user per month billed annually; monthly plans have a $30 minimum spend. Payroll by Paycor is $8 per user plus $49 a month, in the US.source
When I Work
When I Work is employee scheduling software for shift-based teams, with a page for security guard scheduling.source
The lowest published per-user price here, for plain shift scheduling.
What it does well
Limits
- The time tracking price is not shown in the page text.source
- Guard tours, incident reports and license tracking are not described.
Pricing: Published: from $2.50 per user per month for single-location teams; Pro $5 and Premium $8. Time tracking is a switch on each plan, and its price is not in the page text.source
Buyer's guide
Count the coverage problems you have today
Late call-offs, open shifts nobody sees, overtime that surprises payroll, officers sent to sites they are not cleared for. Pick the tool that fixes the problems you actually have.
Check what the tool warns you about
Before you publish, a good schedule should flag clashes, time off, overtime and empty shifts. Ask each vendor to show the warning screens, not just the calendar.
Look at the officer's side
Officers should see their shifts, pick up open ones and ask for swaps on their phone. Ask how a swap is approved, and who is told.
Tie the schedule to clock-in
A schedule is only useful if clock-in is checked against it. Ask whether clock-in is limited to the site, and how late or missed clock-ins reach a manager.
General or made for security?
General scheduling apps can be cheaper and polished. Security-specific tools add post sites, guard licenses, patrols and client reports. Decide which half of the job matters more to you.
Questions and answers
- What should security guard scheduling software do?
- Post shifts per site, show open shifts and swaps on the officer's phone, warn about clashes, time off and overtime before you publish, and check clock-ins against the site.
- Can I use a general scheduling app for security guards?
- Yes, many companies do. Connecteam, Deputy and When I Work handle shifts, swaps and time well and publish low prices. They are not made for security, so check how they handle post sites, guard licenses, patrol checks and reports to clients.
- Which of these publish their prices?
- On November 3, 2026, Celayix, Connecteam, Deputy and When I Work published prices on their websites, and Guardix publishes its plans on its pricing page. Belfry and TrackTik give prices on request.
- Does Guardix warn about overtime?
- Yes. When a manager assigns a shift, Guardix flags clashing shifts and approved time off, and warns when the shift would put the officer over their set weekly hours.
Related pages
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Statements about other products come from these pages on their own websites, checked on November 3, 2026.
- https://www.belfrysoftware.com/
- https://www.belfrysoftware.com/plans
- https://www.celayix.com/
- https://www.celayix.com/pricing/
- https://www.trackforce.com/products/tracktik/
- https://connecteam.com/industries/security-app/
- https://connecteam.com/pricing/
- https://www.deputy.com/industry/security
- https://www.deputy.com/pricing
- https://wheniwork.com/features/employee-scheduling-software
- https://wheniwork.com/pricing
- https://www.belfrysoftware.com/scheduling
- https://www.belfrysoftware.com/timekeeping
- https://www.celayix.com/employee-scheduling-software/
- https://www.celayix.com/employee-app/
- https://www.celayix.com/industries/security-guard-officer-scheduling-software/
- https://help.celayix.com/en/article/team-xpress-faqs
- https://www.celayix.com/security-compliance-privacy/
- https://www.trackforce.com/
- https://connecteam.com/
- https://connecteam.com/employee-scheduling-app/
- https://connecteam.com/hr-people-management/hiring-and-onboarding/
- https://www.deputy.com/features/shift-swapping
- https://www.deputy.com/hr-software/employee-onboarding
- https://wheniwork.com/features/time-clock
Guardix makes this page and sells Guardix. Product names and trademarks belong to their owners, who have not reviewed or endorsed this page. Facts about other products come from their public websites on the date shown and may have changed since. Check the linked pages and ask each company before you decide. Spot something out of date? Tell us through the support page and we will correct it.