The best Ento alternative for Australian businesses
Ento is shutting down in June 2026. Join Australian businesses switching to RosterElf — purpose-built for SMBs with free migration support and no lock-in contracts.
15-day free trial. No credit card required.
Ento was a popular Australian workforce management platform for rostering, time tracking, and HR — purpose-built for shift-based businesses. After being acquired by Humanforce in 2022, it is now being phased out entirely by June 2026.
If you're an Ento user searching for alternatives, you're facing a real decision: migrate to Humanforce (the "official" upgrade), or find a platform that better fits your business size and budget. For the small-to-medium businesses Ento was built for, RosterElf is the top-rated Ento alternative — offering the same core capabilities with simpler setup, local support, and transparent pricing.
Ento alternatives at a glance
Here's how the main options compare for businesses migrating off Ento:
| Feature | RosterElf | Ento (sunsetting) | Humanforce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform status | Active (enterprise) | ||
| Target market | SMBs 5–200 staff | ||
| Pricing | No longer available | ||
| Australian support | Reduced during sunset | Global support | |
| Award interpretation | Yes (legacy) | ||
| Xero rating | No longer active | Available | |
| Free migration support | N/A | Paid implementation | |
| Lock-in contract | N/A | Enterprise contract |
Why businesses need an Ento alternative
Ento users aren't switching by choice — the platform is shutting down. But the forced migration also raises questions about the best landing spot. Here's what businesses are navigating:
Platform shutting down
Ento is being phased out by Humanforce by June 2026. All users must migrate — there is no option to stay on Ento.
Humanforce is enterprise-scale
Humanforce serves Flight Centre, Hoyts, and Accor. For a café with 15 staff or a childcare centre with 30, it's significant overkill — and priced accordingly.
Pricing uncertainty
Humanforce operates on enterprise contract pricing with no public rates. SMBs migrating from Ento are facing an unknown — and likely significant — price increase.
Support quality during transition
Businesses report reduced responsiveness from Ento support as the sunset progresses. Having a new provider with dedicated onboarding is critical before the shutdown.
How RosterElf compares to Ento
RosterElf was built for exactly the same market Ento served — Australian SMBs in hospitality, retail, childcare, and healthcare. Here's how the platforms compare across the features that matter most.
Rostering & scheduling
Both Ento and RosterElf were built around the same core workflow: build a roster quickly, match staff to shifts, notify the team, and track actual hours. RosterElf offers all of this plus AI-powered staff matching:
- Drag-and-drop roster builder with cost visibility as you schedule
- AI "Perfect Match" tool — suggests the best available staff for each shift based on qualifications, availability, and cost
- One-click copy from previous week's roster
- Instant SMS/push notifications when shifts are published or changed
- Staff availability management — employees submit their availability via the app
★ Verdict
RosterElf replaces all core Ento rostering features. The AI shift matching and real-time cost tracking go beyond what most Ento users had access to.
Time & attendance
RosterElf's time and attendance tools match everything Ento offered — and add GPS-verified kiosk mode:
- GPS clock-in via mobile app with photo verification
- Tablet kiosk mode for shared clock-in stations
- Geofencing to prevent off-site clock-ins
- Break tracking with automatic penalty rate calculation
- Manager timesheet approval before payroll export
- Real-time attendance dashboard
Award interpretation
This is one of the most important features for Australian businesses, and it's where RosterElf excels. Unlike global platforms that bolt on compliance as an afterthought, RosterElf is built from the ground up for Australian Modern Awards:
| Award feature | RosterElf | Humanforce |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-configured award templates | Yes (enterprise setup) | |
| Free award configuration support | ||
| Penalty rates & overtime | ||
| EBA / custom award support | ||
| Fair Work compliance |
Xero & MYOB integration
Ento users typically relied on Xero or MYOB for payroll. RosterElf's integrations are the best-rated in Australia:
Xero App Store
90 verified reviews
Highest-rated rostering app in Australia
Timesheets sync automatically to Xero — no manual exports. Award rates are calculated before the data reaches payroll, so your accountant or bookkeeper sees clean, accurate figures.
Learn about the Xero integrationPricing
Ento served the SMB market with per-user pricing comparable to similar Australian platforms. With the forced migration to Humanforce, businesses are facing enterprise pricing they weren't budgeting for. RosterElf fills that gap:
Core
Rostering and time & attendance
Payroll-ready timesheets & awards
per employee per month
+ GST, billed monthly
Start free trial See all featuresFull Suite
Rostering, payroll & HR in one
Payroll & HR tools in one system
per employee per month
+ GST, billed monthly
Start free trial See all featuresHR
HR tools only
Onboarding, documents & policies
per employee per month
+ GST, billed monthly
Start free trial See all featuresMonthly billing: minimum 3 staff. Annual billing: minimum 10 seats. All prices exclude GST. Contact us for enterprise pricing (250+ employees).
| What you need | RosterElf | Humanforce |
|---|---|---|
| Rostering & scheduling | Included | Contact sales |
| Time & attendance | Included | Contact sales |
| Award interpretation | Included | Contact sales |
| HR tools | +$3–4/user (or Full Suite) | Contact sales |
| Team messaging | Included | Contact sales |
| Xero/MYOB integration | Included | Included |
| Free onboarding & migration | ||
| Typical total per user/month | $6 – $10 | Enterprise pricing |
★ Bottom line
For a business with 20 staff, RosterElf costs $120–200/month total — fully inclusive. Humanforce enterprise pricing is designed for organisations spending significantly more. RosterElf keeps the SMB price point Ento users were accustomed to.
Customer support
As Ento winds down, support quality is a top concern for migrating businesses. RosterElf's support model is built for Australian SMBs:
| Support aspect | RosterElf | Humanforce |
|---|---|---|
| Team location | Global (Sydney HQ) | |
| Phone support | Enterprise plans | |
| Free migration help | ||
| Award configuration help | Paid setup |
About Ento — context for businesses migrating
What is Ento used for?
Ento was a cloud-based workforce management platform used by Australian and New Zealand businesses for employee scheduling, time and attendance tracking, leave management, and HR tools. It targeted shift-based industries — hospitality, retail, childcare, and healthcare — and was known for Australian award interpretation and Xero/MYOB integration.
When did Humanforce acquire Ento?
Humanforce acquired Ento in September 2022. After integrating the product and customer base, Humanforce announced a phased sunset plan, with Ento modules being deprecated through to June 2026. All existing Ento customers must migrate to a new platform before the shutdown deadline.
Is Humanforce the same as Ento?
No. Humanforce is a significantly larger enterprise platform — it serves 800,000+ frontline workers at major companies like Flight Centre, Hoyts, and Accor Group. Ento was designed for small-to-medium businesses. While Humanforce is the official upgrade path, the gap in scale, complexity, and pricing means many former Ento customers are choosing purpose-built SMB alternatives like RosterElf instead.
How to migrate from Ento to RosterElf
Switching from Ento to RosterElf is straightforward. Most businesses are fully operational within a week:
Export your data from Ento now
While you still have access, export all employee records, historical timesheets, and reports from Ento. Don't leave this until close to the June 2026 deadline.
Start your free RosterElf trial
Sign up for a 15-day free trial — no credit card required, full access to all features.
Book a free onboarding call
Our Australian team will help you import staff data, configure your award rates, and set up your Xero or MYOB integration — at no extra cost.
Run one pay period in parallel
Optionally run both systems for one pay period to verify award calculations and timesheet accuracy before going fully live.
Go live — well ahead of June 2026
Cancel Ento once you're confident in RosterElf. Most businesses are fully operational within a week of starting the migration.
What businesses say after switching
RosterElf is already the platform of choice for Australian businesses switching from workforce management tools like Ento. Here are three that made the move:
Bagel O's
Perth, WA · Hospitality
"One of the main reasons we went with RosterElf was because they're Australian-based. We call, and we get a response straight away. No complaints in 2.5 years of use."
Pressed Earth
Perth, WA · Wellness & Retail
"We're probably paying half of what we were paying. Cut software costs by 50% — intuitive setup and seamless Xero integration from day one."
Koffeez
Cairns, QLD · Café
"My favourite thing is the seamless Xero integration — it's super simple. I can now complete payroll for my 15 staff in 5 to 10 minutes."
4.8+ stars See all RosterElf reviews
Verified reviews from Google, Xero App Store, and G2.
Read customer reviewsEnto alternatives FAQ
- Ento was a cloud-based workforce management platform designed for Australian and New Zealand businesses. It was primarily used for employee rostering and scheduling, time and attendance tracking, leave management, and HR tools — all targeting shift-based businesses in hospitality, retail, childcare, and healthcare. Ento was acquired by Humanforce in 2022 and is being sunset in June 2026.
- Ento operated as a cloud-based platform where managers built rosters via a drag-and-drop interface, staff received shift notifications via SMS or the mobile app, and timesheets flowed automatically into payroll. It supported award interpretation for Australian Modern Awards and integrated with Xero and MYOB. As Ento is sunsetting in June 2026, existing users need to migrate to an alternative platform like RosterElf before the shutdown deadline.
- Ento's pricing is no longer available for new customers as the platform is being phased out. Historical pricing was typically per-user per-month, comparable to other Australian workforce platforms. With Humanforce being the official successor, pricing is expected to shift to enterprise-tier rates. RosterElf starts at $6/user/month on annual plans with no lock-in contracts — a transparent, affordable alternative for the small-to-mid businesses Ento served.
- Ento offered email and chat-based support. With the sunset underway, many users have reported reduced support quality and responsiveness during the transition period — a common pain point when a platform is being wound down. RosterElf provides Australian-based phone, chat, and email support on all plans, with free onboarding calls to help businesses switching from Ento get set up quickly.
- Humanforce is the official upgrade path from Ento, but it's designed for enterprise-scale operations (it serves 800,000+ frontline workers at clients like Flight Centre, Hoyts, and Accor Group). For small-to-medium businesses that Ento served — cafés, retail stores, childcare centres, and clinics with 5–200 staff — Humanforce's complexity and enterprise pricing is often overkill. RosterElf is purpose-built for Australian SMBs with simpler setup, local support, and transparent pricing that matches what Ento users were used to.
- RosterElf is the top-rated Ento alternative for Australian small-to-medium businesses. It offers the same core capabilities Ento users rely on — drag-and-drop rostering, GPS time tracking, Australian award interpretation, and Xero/MYOB integration — at a transparent price point designed for SMBs, with free migration support and an Australian-based support team. RosterElf is rated 4.88/5 on the Xero App Store across 90+ reviews.
Trusted by Australian businesses
From local cafes to national retail chains, thousands of businesses rely on RosterElf for rostering, HR and payroll.
Real support from people who understand your business
At RosterElf, support isn't a ticket system — it's part of the product. Our Australian-based team helps you set up correctly, understand award rules, and stay compliant as your business changes. No scripts. No offshore handoffs. Just real help when you need it.
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Guided setup and onboarding
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Award and payroll questions answered
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Ongoing help as your team grows
5.0 average rating Rated 5.0 by Australian businesses