ShiftNote vs Trail

ShiftNote is a digital manager logbook and employee scheduling app for restaurants, bars, hotels and other shift-based businesses. Trail is a browser-based work management app that replaces paper checklists in restaurants, pubs, cafes and other hospitality sites. Both are listed under Task Management & Digital Checklists. They differ in price, audience and integrations.

Key differences

  • price

    The vendors price on different terms. ShiftNote at USD 40 per location per month; Trail at GBP 32 per site per month, paid yearly. The amounts cannot be compared directly.

  • audience

    The audiences they list differ. Listed for one product only, for example: ShiftNote: Multi-location restaurant and bar groups; Trail: Independents with one or two sites.

  • integrations

    ShiftNote names 5 integrations and Trail names 7 integrations. No partner appears in every list.

  • company background

    ShiftNote is based in Kansas City, United States and Trail in London, United Kingdom.

Side by side

ShiftNote vs Trail: side-by-side comparison from published vendor information
FieldShiftNoteTrail
What it isShiftNote is a digital manager logbook and employee scheduling app for restaurants, bars, hotels and other shift-based businesses.Trail is a browser-based work management app that replaces paper checklists in restaurants, pubs, cafes and other hospitality sites.
Best forMulti-location restaurant and bar groups; Restaurants that want a shift-to-shift logbook; Restaurants on Toast, Square, Aloha or SquirrelIndependents with one or two sites; Multi-site groups and franchises; Operators preparing for food hygiene inspections
Pricing modelSubscription per locationSubscription per location
Starting priceUSD 40 per location per monthGBP 32 per site per month, paid yearly
Free planNot publishedNot published
Free trialYesYes
ContractNot published12 months
PlatformsWebWeb
CountriesNot publishedNot published
LanguagesNot publishedNot published
Number of integrations57
CertificationsNot publishedGDPR
Security practicesNot publishedPrimary Authority partnership; record keeping approved by environmental health officers (vendor claim)
FoundedNot published2014
HeadquartersKansas City, United StatesLondon, United Kingdom
OwnerNot publishedThe Access Group
Last reviewed29 September 202629 September 2026

Integrations

No partner appears in every list.

Named only by ShiftNote

  • NCR Aloha
  • Olo Omnivore API
  • Square
  • Squirrel POS
  • Toast

Named only by Trail

  • Access Hospitality
  • Access Maintain
  • Feed It Back
  • Google Drive
  • labl.it
  • Tenzo
  • Zero Carbon Form

Which to choose

ShiftNote

Choose ShiftNote if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: Multi-location restaurant and bar groups; Restaurants that want a shift-to-shift logbook; Restaurants on Toast, Square, Aloha or Squirrel.

Trail

Choose Trail if you are in one of these groups: Independents with one or two sites; Multi-site groups and franchises; Operators preparing for food hygiene inspections.

What we could not confirm

ShiftNote

  • Whether iOS and Android apps exist as store listings (plans mention a mobile app)
  • Contract term and renewal
  • Employee count and funding
  • Founding year (the vendor says ShiftNote launched more than 20 years ago)
  • Security certifications
  • Countries served

Trail

  • Native iOS or Android apps (the vendor describes a browser app only)
  • Point of sale integrations by name
  • Team size and legal entity
  • Security certifications such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001
  • Interface languages
  • Funding amounts and dates (the about page says it has raised over £2 million but gives no rounds)
  • Exact date of joining the Access Group

Go further

ShiftNote profileTrail profile

Other comparisons with these products

Sources

Facts on this page come from the pages below. Prices and features change, so confirm with each vendor before you buy.