Best staffing apps for UK temp agencies in 2026

Running a temp staffing agency means constant coordination: filling shifts on short notice, managing a fluid pool of workers, tracking placements, and handing hours off to payroll. The right app turns most of that work into a self-service flow — you publish open shifts, workers claim slots, and you stop chasing people through group chats.

In Great Britain that work sits under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. A business that supplies temps who work under the hirer’s control is an employment business. A business that finds someone a job employed by the hirer is an employment agency. Both are commonly called “agencies.” There is no general UK staffing licence. A Fair Work Agency gangmaster’s licence is required only to supply labour into agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering, or food processing and packaging. The Fair Work Agency is the regulator in England, Scotland and Wales (from 7 April 2026); Northern Ireland has its own inspectorate. Software does not replace those duties.

For very small agencies with under 20 workers, a spreadsheet and a WhatsApp group still work. But once you’re managing 50+ temps across multiple clients with overlapping shifts, a dedicated tool saves real hours per week.

Most “best staffing software” lists rank the same handful of enterprise ATS platforms — Bullhorn, Avionté, TempWorks. Those are real tools and they belong on the list, but they only solve the recruitment half of the job. The operations half — same-day shift dispatch, worker communication, hour tracking — is usually a separate tool. Most mid-sized agencies run one of each. Below, the two categories side by side. Prices checked August 2026 and shown in the currency each vendor publishes.

Operations-focused apps: shift dispatch and worker coordination

These are the tools your coordinators open every morning. They’re built for fluid worker pools where availability changes daily, shifts get broadcast to many people at once, and the worker app is what actually fills the next shift. Operations tools generally publish their pricing and have free plans or free trials, which makes them faster to evaluate than the enterprise platforms in the next section.

If your bottleneck is filling shifts rather than finding candidates, start here. Most small and mid-sized temp agencies can run their whole operation on one of these tools alone.

Zelos Team Management

Operations-first staffing app with chat built in

Zelos takes a signup-board approach to temp dispatch. Admins post open shifts (with location, time, skills required, capacity, and any notes), workers get push notifications on the mobile app, and whoever is available claims the work first. People choose; software doesn’t assign. No per-worker fees, no recruitment pipeline to ignore. The model assumes the worker is the best person to decide whether they can take the shift.

Built-in chat is core to the product, not a bolt-on. Each shift has its own conversation thread, so logistics, last-minute changes, and questions stay attached to the work rather than getting buried in a group chat. Worker contact information is hidden from other workers by design, which keeps the workspace professional and protects privacy. Hours are tracked and exportable to CSV; the Enterprise plan adds REST API and webhooks for direct payroll integration. Workspaces are invite-only — there is no public recruitment page.

• Free plan: Unlimited workers and admins, 25 concurrent active tasks, last 100 tasks in the archive, 10,000 chat messages.
• Paid plans: Pro from £79/month billed annually (£99/month billed monthly). Flat, not per-user. Adds unlimited active tasks, full archive, bulk CSV upload, dynamic segments, custom team URL. Enterprise from £799/month billed annually for white-label app, API access, and webhooks.
• Pricing model: Per organisation. Same price whether you have 10 workers or 10,000.
• Communication: Built-in team chat with per-task threads, admin-supervised. Push notifications. No customer-facing SMS.
• Best for: Temp agencies that want a mobile-first dispatch tool with real-time chat baked in, particularly those running ongoing on-demand placements from a large fluid pool.
• Watch out for: No ATS, no payroll processing, no client-facing portal, no GPS attendance, no kiosk check-in. Built for dispatch and communication, and stops there by design. If you need recruitment-side features or a client-facing booking page, you’ll need to pair Zelos with another tool.
• Platforms: Native iOS, Android, and web. EU-built and GDPR-compliant by default.

Ubeya

Purpose-built workforce platform for staffing agencies

Ubeya is built specifically for staffing agencies and large operators that mix in-house staff with agency-supplied workers — hospitality, stadiums, events, catering. It includes AI-powered shift planning, GPS and geofence attendance, a client portal for shift orders, payroll prep, and worker apps for shift claiming and clock-in. Compliance features on higher tiers include Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) rules.

The hybrid-workforce angle is the differentiator. Ubeya lets one operator manage internal employees and multiple external staffing agencies through the same dashboard, with separate views for agencies to confirm shifts and manage their own staff. For agencies that supply workers to large clients running multi-vendor operations, this matters.

• Free plan: None for agencies evaluating the product. A limited free worker app exists only for accounts granted permission by an existing Ubeya customer. Demo available on request.
• Paid plans: Vendor page (USD): Basic US$4 per active worker per month (US$50 monthly minimum). Pro US$7 (US$259 minimum). Premium US$10. Super network-access tier US$10 with a US$499 minimum. Annual billing advertised at 17% off. Active workers are those booked in a given month. Enterprise is quote-only.
• Pricing model: Per active worker per month.
• Communication: Built-in messaging between managers and workers, push notifications, automated shift confirmations, client portal communication.
• Best for: Mid-to-large staffing agencies, especially in hospitality, events, and catering, where clients want visibility into worker placements and attendance.
• Watch out for: Larger setup investment than a pure signup app. Per-worker pricing scales with your full booked pool. Users in reviews mention chat features lag behind dedicated communication tools.
• Platforms: Native iOS, Android, and web (separate apps for workers, managers, and clients).

Workforce.com

Demand forecasting and AI-generated rotas

Workforce.com builds optimised rotas from availability data and historical demand. It forecasts how many people you’ll need by hour or day, flags overtime and compliance risks before they happen, and provides a worker app for accepting shifts. The UK site includes HMRC-integrated payroll as a module. Pricing is quote-only on the UK page — no public per-worker sticker.

The forecasting and algorithmic rota generation are the strongest reasons to pick it. If your shifts follow predictable seasonal or weekly patterns and you want the software to build the rota rather than let workers self-select, this is where to start. That is a different model from people choosing their own shifts.

• Free plan: None. Free trial available.
• Paid plans: Custom-quoted by modules, headcount, and implementation. Licensed per user. The UK pricing page does not publish a pound or dollar rate.
• Pricing model: Per worker per month.
• Communication: In-app messaging, push notifications for shift offers, automated reminders.
• Best for: Agencies with predictable demand patterns (regular industrial, retail, hospitality clients) that want software-built rotas rather than worker self-signup.
• Watch out for: Algorithmic scheduling assumes you can predict demand; it’s less suited for purely ad-hoc on-demand dispatch. Per-worker pricing scales with pool size.
• Platforms: Web and mobile (iOS, Android).

Connecteam

Full workforce app for non-desk teams — scheduling, training, chat in one

Connecteam bundles scheduling, time tracking with GPS, in-app chat, training modules, digital forms, and checklists into one mobile-first app. Workers can complete onboarding quizzes, message managers, and submit timesheets. Pricing is modular across three “Hubs” (Operations, Communications, HR & Skills), each priced independently.

Connecteam is a strong fit for agencies that want a single app for non-desk workers that goes beyond scheduling — particularly those that onboard and train temps regularly and want learning content inside the same tool. Zelos does not include an LMS; if you need training inside the same app, that is a Connecteam strength, not a Zelos one.

• Free plan: Small Business Plan: full access to all features, up to 10 users. Free for life.
• Paid plans: Basic Operations Hub from US$29/month (annual) for up to 30 users per hub. Higher hub tiers are not published as readable sticker rates on the vendor pricing page this check. Enterprise custom. Pricing is per hub, so running Operations + Communications + HR is three separate subscriptions. All prices displayed are USD.
• Pricing model: Flat for first 30 users per hub, then per user. Multi-hub setups add up.
• Communication: Built-in chat (direct, group, and channels), push notifications, surveys, broadcast updates.
• Best for: Small-to-mid staffing agencies (under 200 workers) that want one app covering scheduling, communication, training, and basic HR for their temp pool.
• Watch out for: Not built specifically for staffing agencies — designed for businesses scheduling their own employees, so multi-client and per-placement workflows need workarounds. Hub-based pricing gets confusing fast; costs add up if you want features across multiple hubs.
• Platforms: Native iOS, Android, and web.

Zoho Workerly

Affordable temp staffing scheduling inside the Zoho suite

Zoho Workerly is Zoho’s dedicated temp staffing module, with light coverage of both recruitment and operations. It includes scheduling, time and attendance, timesheet approvals, candidate and client management, and basic invoicing. It plays well with the rest of the Zoho suite — Zoho CRM, Mail, Books, Recruit — which makes it a natural choice for agencies already running on Zoho.

The interface is more spreadsheet-flavoured than mobile-first, which suits coordinators who prefer desktop scheduling but feels less polished than dedicated workforce apps for workers managing shifts from a phone.

• Free plan: Forever Free: five temps and two active jobs, with temp scheduling and timesheet management.
• Paid plans: Per temp, not per recruiter. Paid starts at a 25-temp minimum; unlimited recruiters and unlimited jobs. 14-day trial with unlimited temps. The public calculator publishes USD; this check saw a 25-temp example around US$200/month total. Per-temp add-on rates above 25 were not readable as a single sticker. GBP is not a labelled toggle on the page we opened.
• Pricing model: Per temp per month, with a 25-temp paid minimum.
• Communication: Email-driven workflows, in-portal messaging, SMS notifications on higher tiers.
• Best for: Small-to-mid agencies already invested in the Zoho ecosystem, or those wanting affordable scheduling with light client and timesheet management.
• Watch out for: Worker mobile experience is less polished than dedicated workforce apps. Best value if you’re already a Zoho customer; less compelling as a standalone purchase.
• Platforms: Web with a mobile app for workers.

Shiftboard

Compliance-heavy scheduling for regulated industries

Shiftboard targets industries with strict scheduling rules: healthcare, manufacturing, public safety, and large-scale industrial staffing. The platform includes credential tracking, compliance rule enforcement, fatigue management, shift bidding, and time and attendance tracking alongside core scheduling.

If your agency staffs roles where one missed certification or one overtime violation creates real legal exposure, Shiftboard’s rules engine is the reason to pick it. The platform is built to enforce policy rather than just record it. In the UK, overtime premium is contractual rather than statutory — average pay across all hours must still meet National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage — so “overtime violation” here means the client’s contract and Working Time rules, not a US statutory overtime premium.

• Free plan: None. Free demo available.
• Paid plans: Custom-quoted per use case. Pricing varies significantly by industry and configuration.
• Pricing model: Custom-quoted, typically per worker.
• Communication: In-app messaging, automated shift notifications, mobile worker app.
• Best for: Agencies staffing healthcare, manufacturing, public safety, and similar regulated industries where credential and compliance enforcement is non-negotiable.
• Watch out for: Custom pricing only — no entry-level transparency. The rules engine is overkill for hospitality, events, and general labour staffing where compliance is lighter.
• Platforms: Web and mobile (iOS, Android).

Recruitment-focused apps: ATS, CRM, and full back office

These are the tools you reach for when sourcing volume becomes the bottleneck. They handle the long-cycle work — candidate pipelines, CV parsing, qualification, placement tracking, invoicing, and (in some cases) payroll. Pricing is custom-quoted across the board, demos take 30–60 minutes to schedule, and implementation runs weeks to months. They’re built for agencies past the bootstrap stage.

Smaller agencies often don’t need these tools at all. If you’re filling shifts from a pool you already know, the operations apps above cover the day-to-day; an ATS becomes useful once you’re recruiting actively rather than just dispatching.

Bullhorn

Industry-standard ATS and CRM for temp and contract staffing firms

Bullhorn is the dominant ATS/CRM in the staffing industry, with a dedicated UK site and strong support for temp workflows alongside permanent placements. It handles candidate sourcing, CV parsing, AI-powered candidate matching, time tracking, and invoicing. The marketplace integrates with over 1,000 third-party tools — VMS platforms, payroll providers, job boards, and back-office systems.

Bullhorn is built for agencies whose primary bottleneck is the recruiting pipeline rather than same-day shift dispatch. If you spend more time qualifying candidates than filling shifts, this is the category leader.

• Free plan: None. Demo available on request.
• Paid plans: Custom-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. Annual contracts are standard.
• Pricing model: Per recruiter per month.
• Communication: Candidate messaging through the platform, email integration, SMS via add-ons, mobile app for recruiters.
• Best for: Mid-to-large staffing agencies whose work is recruitment-led and who need a candidate pipeline at scale.
• Watch out for: Steep learning curve. Premium pricing puts it out of reach for small agencies. Built for recruiting workflow more than rapid shift dispatch — if your work is mostly same-day on-demand placements, an operations app will be faster.
• Platforms: Web and mobile (iOS, Android).

Avionté

Front + back office in one platform for mid-to-large agencies (US-leaning)

Avionté is a comprehensive staffing platform combining ATS, CRM, order management, payroll processing, invoicing, and compliance management in one system. Native compliance features centre on US employment eligibility (E-Verify). Treat it as a US-market suite unless the vendor confirms a UK payroll and right-to-work configuration for your firm.

Avionté is built for agencies that want everything — sourcing through payroll — under one vendor. The trade-off is that it’s enterprise-grade software with enterprise-grade overhead. Implementation is a months-long project, not a weekend setup.

• Free plan: None. Demo available on request.
• Paid plans: Custom-quoted. No public rate card this check.
• Pricing model: Custom-quoted by agency size and modules.
• Communication: In-platform messaging, candidate engagement tools, email integration, mobile recruiting tools.
• Best for: Mid-to-large temp staffing agencies in markets where Avionté already runs payroll — confirm UK coverage before shortlisting.
• Watch out for: Enterprise pricing and complexity. Overkill for small operations or for agencies whose primary need is shift dispatch rather than full lifecycle management. Do not treat E-Verify as a UK right-to-work check.
• Platforms: Web and mobile.

TempWorks

End-to-end suite with strong payroll and billing automation

TempWorks is a comprehensive staffing platform with ATS, CRM, onboarding, scheduling, payroll (PayForce), billing, and compliance tools. It documents UK-specific functionality, including Agency Workers Regulations (AWR). US E-Verify integration exists on the same product family — that is a US employment-eligibility tool, not a substitute for a UK right-to-work check.

The back-office automation is particularly strong — payroll and invoicing are tightly coupled with the front office, which reduces double entry. It’s a strong fit for temp staffing agencies that want to consolidate vendor count and bring back-office work in-house rather than running separate payroll systems alongside an ATS.

• Free plan: None. Demo available on request.
• Paid plans: Custom-quoted by agency size, transaction volume, and modules.
• Pricing model: Custom-quoted, scaled by volume.
• Communication: Recruiter-candidate messaging, mobile worker app for accepting placements, automated notifications.
• Best for: Mid-to-large temp staffing agencies processing high payroll volume that want a single vendor for hire-to-pay, including UK AWR workflows.
• Watch out for: Steep learning curve. Back-office depth means more configuration upfront. Like Avionté, this is more system than smaller agencies need.
• Platforms: Web and mobile.

JobDiva

AI-driven sourcing and matching for high-volume temp placements

JobDiva is an ATS and VMS platform with AI candidate matching at its core. Its “Macro Matching” tool aggregates candidate data across multiple sources to identify passive talent and predict placement success. The platform supports VMS, MSP, and ATS workflows in a single system, with strong vendor management features for agencies handling subcontractor relationships. JobDiva publishes a UK site.

For agencies running high-volume contingent placements through VMS portals, JobDiva’s automation of the matching layer is the main reason to choose it.

• Free plan: None. Demo available on request.
• Paid plans: Custom-quoted.
• Pricing model: Custom-quoted.
• Communication: Candidate messaging, client portal, mobile recruiter app.
• Best for: Mid-to-large temp and contract staffing agencies working primarily through VMS systems or running MSP operations.
• Watch out for: Like other enterprise ATS platforms, this is recruitment-focused; operations and same-day dispatch happen through workarounds or integrations. Pricing isn’t transparent.
• Platforms: Web and mobile.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between staffing software and scheduling software?

Scheduling software builds rotas from a defined team — usually the same people week after week. Staffing software is built for fluid pools where availability changes daily and shifts get broadcast to many workers at once. Most temp agencies need staffing software, not scheduling software, even though the labels overlap.

Do I need an ATS to run a temp staffing agency?

Not necessarily. If your pool is mostly returning workers and your bottleneck is daily dispatch, an operations app like Zelos, Ubeya, or Connecteam covers what you need. Add a dedicated ATS like Bullhorn, Avionté, or TempWorks once sourcing volume genuinely outpaces what your inbox and spreadsheets can handle — usually somewhere around 20+ active recruiters or several hundred placements per month.

What’s the cheapest staffing app for a small temp agency?

Zelos has a free plan with no time limit and no per-worker fees, including built-in chat, push notifications, skills-based targeting, and CSV exports. Connecteam’s Small Business Plan covers up to 10 users free for life. Zoho Workerly’s Forever Free tier covers five temps and two active jobs. For genuinely small agencies (under 30 workers), one of these three usually handles daily needs without a paid plan.

Does staffing software handle payroll?

Most operations-focused apps don’t, by design. Payroll is heavily regulated and varies by jurisdiction, so most dispatch tools export hours and hand off to dedicated payroll systems (Sage, Xero, Staffology, PayCaptain, or a bureau). Full-suite platforms like Avionté and TempWorks include native payroll. Ubeya includes payroll prep with integrations. Workforce.com sells UK payroll with HMRC integration as a module. Zelos exports hours via CSV or webhooks and assumes you’ll run payroll separately. If you employ the temps, you still run PAYE and keep holiday records — the app does not take that off you.

Can I run my temp agency on WhatsApp?

Plenty of small agencies do, and it works fine under about 50 workers. It stops working when you can’t track who confirmed which shift, hours get lost, and last-minute changes get buried in group chats. The move from WhatsApp to a proper staffing app is one of the most common upgrades small temp agencies make in their first two years.

What’s the difference between Zelos and Ubeya?

Both are operations-focused with mobile worker access and shift signup. Ubeya is a fuller platform — it includes payroll prep, GPS attendance, AI-driven scheduling, and a client-facing portal, and it’s purpose-built for agency-and-direct hybrid workforces. Zelos is simpler and lighter: shift signup and built-in messaging, and stops there by design. People choose their shifts; Zelos does not assign them. Zelos also charges per organisation rather than per worker, which can be meaningfully cheaper for agencies with large casual pools. Ubeya fits agencies that want one platform for the whole operation; Zelos fits agencies that want a focused dispatch tool that hands off to whatever they already run for payroll and recruiting.

How do I choose between Bullhorn, Avionté, and TempWorks?

All three are mid-to-enterprise staffing platforms with significant overlap. Bullhorn leads on ATS depth and marketplace integrations, with a UK presence and the largest ecosystem of third-party add-ons. Avionté and TempWorks both bundle payroll and billing more tightly into the front office; TempWorks documents UK AWR workflows, while Avionté’s native compliance is US-leaning. For agencies that prefer best-of-breed and integrate, Bullhorn is the usual starting point. For agencies that want one vendor handling hire-to-pay in the UK, confirm payroll and right-to-work support before choosing.

Are any of these free for small temp agencies?

Three offer permanent free plans worth using for genuinely small operations: Zelos (unlimited workers, 25 concurrent active tasks), Connecteam (up to 10 users, full feature access), and Zoho Workerly (five temps, two active jobs). The enterprise ATS platforms (Bullhorn, Avionté, TempWorks, JobDiva, Shiftboard) don’t offer free plans — they’re built for agencies past the bootstrap stage.

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Zelos handles temp agency dispatch with shift signup, admin-supervised messaging, worker profiles, hour tracking, and CSV or API export to payroll. People choose; software doesn’t assign. The standard plan is free for everyone with no per-worker pricing, and Pro starts at £79/month billed annually (£99/month billed monthly). For pricing details, see the pricing page.