A lot of scheduling software says it works in Canada, then bills you in USD and leaves you to sort out provincial overtime yourself. That is fine until the credit card statement lands and your "small monthly tool" suddenly looks like a surprise line cook. You need scheduling software that fits how Canadian small businesses actually run.
What “made for Canada” means here
Made for Canada is not a sticker on the homepage. It changes the setup. You need CAD pricing, French support, Canadian date habits, and overtime rules that do not assume every shop lives under the same law.
Provincial overtime, handled per employee
Canada has no single overtime rule. The federal standard is 40 hours weekly under Part III of the Canada Labour Code. Ontario uses 44 for many ESA-covered roles. Alberta uses 44 weekly with daily considerations. British Columbia layers in daily overtime above 8. If you manage people across roles or provinces, why would one account-wide setting be enough?
Province rules snapshot
Employment standards change and exemptions matter, but these are the scheduling checks Canadian operators usually need close at hand:
| Province | Common overtime trigger to review | Holiday-pay note |
|---|---|---|
| BC | Daily overtime after 8h, double time after 12h, weekly review at 40h. | Average day pay and worked-holiday premium can stack. |
| Alberta | Daily 8h and weekly 44h checks, generally greater-of comparison. | General holiday pay depends on regular day of work and recent work pattern. |
| Ontario | Weekly 44h for many ESA-covered roles. | Public holiday pay and premium pay depend on eligibility and scheduled shifts around the holiday. |
| Quebec | Weekly 40h for many non-exempt employees. | CNESST indemnity is commonly based on 1/20 of recent wages, excluding overtime. |
| Nova Scotia | Weekly 48h, one of the higher general thresholds. | Shorter statutory holiday list than many provinces. |
For the full 13-jurisdiction reference, use the Canadian overtime and stat holiday pay resource. It includes official source links and an estimates-only disclaimer.
Payroll exports that Canadian providers accept
Your payroll export should be boring in the best way. Employee, week start, regular hours, overtime hours, total hours, and gross pay when wages are set. Those columns are easy to map into Wagepoint, Ceridian Powerpay, QuickBooks Online Payroll, Wave Payroll, or a bookkeeper's spreadsheet.
Bilingual and beyond
Your team may not all use the same language. Quebec operators may want French. A Toronto cafe may have one manager in English and another in French. Simplified and Traditional Chinese also matter in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal small-business communities.
Pricing in CAD, no surprise charges
Free should mean free. The standalone scheduler at /scheduler needs no signup, and the saved free account covers up to twelve employees with four weeks of history. The Supporter plan is priced in Canadian dollars, with a 14-day free trial. Cancel before the trial ends and you will not be charged. No per-employee fee. No required annual contract.
CAD pricing vs USD billing
A Canadian small business should not have to guess the real credit-card cost after exchange rates and card fees. Maxuod Shift prices in CAD and keeps the free saved account visible. When comparing any scheduling tool, check billing currency, employee limits, history limits, export limits, mobile app requirements, and whether the price changes by employee count.
Maxuod Shift vs common alternatives
| Tool | Best-fit buyer | Canadian checks to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Maxuod Shift | Small Canadian restaurants, cafes, retail, and service teams that want fast weekly scheduling. | CAD pricing, free scheduler, payroll CSV, overtime settings, tips, PWA install. |
| 7shifts | Restaurants wanting a broader operations suite. | Current billing currency, plan limits, POS integrations, and setup depth. |
| Agendrix | Canadian teams wanting workforce management breadth. | Current plan structure, employee count pricing, scheduling depth, and payroll export needs. |
| Homebase | Small businesses comparing free scheduling and time-clock workflows. | Canada-specific availability, billing details, payroll fit, and support coverage. |
For narrower comparisons, read the 7shifts alternative and Agendrix alternative pages.
Who Canadian businesses use it for
It fits independent cafes with three to ten staff, retail boutiques with rotating part-time coverage, restaurants that split FOH and BOH, service businesses booking rooms around practitioners, and bilingual operations across Quebec, Northern Ontario, and parts of New Brunswick.
Industries served
Restaurants and pubs
Use roles, dayparts, tips, PDF/print, and payroll exports to keep front-of-house, back-of-house, and closing work in one weekly view.
Cafes and bakeries
Plan openers, rush coverage, short shifts, weekend staff, and tip handoff without rebuilding a spreadsheet. See the cafe scheduling software page for a focused workflow.
Retail teams
Track floor coverage, part-time availability, opener/closer responsibility, and weekly hours. See the retail shift planner Canada page for a retail-specific checklist.
Pair this with the overtime calculator when you want the rule math, or jump to the live scheduler to draft your first week. If you are comparing free plans, the free employee scheduling software Canada guide shows the employee limits and upgrade traps to check first. If you run food service, the restaurant shift management for Canadian operators guide covers provincial overtime, tip pooling, and stat holiday pay in one place.