A free alternative to Excel and Google Sheets rotas

Schedule Gizmo is a free schedule maker for people who build rotas in Excel or Google Sheets. Type or paste one line per person and it lays out a clean one-page schedule, with a color for each role, hours under each name and unfilled shifts flagged. Keep the spreadsheet for budgets and payroll; use Schedule Gizmo for the page your team reads.

Try it with this exampleSee the comparison

Free, no sign-up. Print it, save it as a PDF or share a link.

Updated

Harbor Grill rota

9–15 November 2026

1 to check

NameMon9Tue10Wed11Thu12Fri13Sat14Sun15
Nina30 hOff10am–4pm10a–4pHost10am–4pm10a–4pHost10am–4pm10a–4pHost10am–4pm10a–4pHost10am–4pm10a–4pHostOff
Ray28 hOff4pm–11pm4p–11pServer4pm–11pm4p–11pServer4pm–11pm4p–11pServer4pm–11pm4p–11pServerOffOff
Kim30 hOffOff5pm–11pm5p–11pServer5pm–11pm5p–11pServer5pm–11pm5p–11pServer5pm–11pm5p–11pServer5pm–11pm5p–11pServer
Mia40 hOff3pm–11pm3p–11pBar3pm–11pm3p–11pBar3pm–11pm3p–11pBar3pm–11pm3p–11pBar3pm–11pm3p–11pBarOff
Luis40 hOff9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen9am–5pm9a–5pKitchenOff
Ava40 hOffOff3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen
Unfilled1 shift6pm–11pm6p–11pServer (to check: no one yet)
NameMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
NinaOff10am–4pm Host10am–4pm Host10am–4pm Host10am–4pm Host10am–4pm HostOff
RayOff4pm–11pm Server4pm–11pm Server4pm–11pm Server4pm–11pm ServerOffOff
KimOffOff5pm–11pm Server5pm–11pm Server5pm–11pm Server5pm–11pm Server5pm–11pm Server
MiaOff3pm–11pm Bar3pm–11pm Bar3pm–11pm Bar3pm–11pm Bar3pm–11pm BarOff
LuisOff9am–5pm Kitchen9am–5pm Kitchen9am–5pm Kitchen9am–5pm Kitchen9am–5pm KitchenOff
AvaOffOff3pm–11pm Kitchen3pm–11pm Kitchen3pm–11pm Kitchen3pm–11pm Kitchen3pm–11pm Kitchen
UnfilledOffOffOffOffOff6pm–11pm ServerOff
  • Host
  • Server
  • Bar
  • Kitchen

Pick a dayDetails below

Monday9

Nobody scheduled

Tuesday10

  • Nina10am–4pm10a–4pHost
  • Ray4pm–11pm4p–11pServer
  • Mia3pm–11pm3p–11pBar
  • Luis9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen

Off: Kim, Ava

Wednesday11

  • Nina10am–4pm10a–4pHost
  • Ray4pm–11pm4p–11pServer
  • Kim5pm–11pm5p–11pServer
  • Mia3pm–11pm3p–11pBar
  • Luis9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen
  • Ava3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen

Thursday12

  • Nina10am–4pm10a–4pHost
  • Ray4pm–11pm4p–11pServer
  • Kim5pm–11pm5p–11pServer
  • Mia3pm–11pm3p–11pBar
  • Luis9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen
  • Ava3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen

Friday13

  • Nina10am–4pm10a–4pHost
  • Ray4pm–11pm4p–11pServer
  • Kim5pm–11pm5p–11pServer
  • Mia3pm–11pm3p–11pBar
  • Luis9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen
  • Ava3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen

Saturday14

  • Nina10am–4pm10a–4pHost
  • Kim5pm–11pm5p–11pServer
  • Mia3pm–11pm3p–11pBar
  • Luis9am–5pm9a–5pKitchen
  • Ava3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen
  • Unfilled6pm–11pm6p–11pServer (to check: no one yet)

Off: Ray

Sunday15

  • Kim5pm–11pm5p–11pServer
  • Ava3pm–11pm3p–11pKitchen

Off: Nina, Ray, Mia, Luis

To checkServer, Sat: no one yet

6 peopleMade with Schedule Gizmo

At a glance

Choose a spreadsheet for
Formulas, budgets, payroll exports
Choose Schedule Gizmo for
The page people read on a wall or phone
Moving over
Paste your rows, about a minute

Schedule Gizmo and Excel and Google Sheets compared

Schedule Gizmo and Excel and Google Sheets, feature by feature
FeatureSchedule GizmoExcel or Google Sheets
CostYes: Free; Pro is $9 a monthYes: Sheets is free with a Google account; Excel comes with Microsoft 365
Layout and colorsYes: Drawn for you from a typed listPartly: You format cells, colors and borders
Prints on one pageYes: Always fitted to one pagePartly: Needs print area and scaling set up
Reading on a phoneYes: Opens on today firstPartly: Wide grids need zooming and scrolling
Hours per personYes: Shown under each nameYes: With formulas you write
Gaps and double bookingsYes: Unfilled shifts and overlaps flaggedPartly: With conditional formatting you set up
Calculations and exportsNo: Not a spreadsheetYes: Any formula, CSV and payroll exports
Staff accountsYes: None: a link or the printed pagePartly: Share access, or send the file again
After a changePartly: Free links show that version; Pro has a live link that always shows the latest saveYes: A shared Sheet updates for everyone

Facts about Excel or Google Sheets were checked on . Prices and features change, so check their site before you decide.

Which one should you use?

Choose Excel or Google Sheets when

  • You need formulas: labor budgets, pay rates, overtime rules or payroll exports.
  • The schedule is data other people analyze or import into another system.
  • You want years of history in one file you control.

Choose Schedule Gizmo when

  • The schedule is read on a wall, a phone or a printed sheet, and you rebuild the layout every week.
  • You want colors by role, hours and gaps without writing formulas.
  • Staff shouldn't need edit access or an account to see it.

Moving over takes about a minute

Copy the rows from your sheet with the columns in this order: name, days, time, role. Paste them into the maker's Paste text tab: each row becomes one line, and the schedule is drawn straight away.

Anna Mon-Fri 7am-3pm Front
Ben Mon,Wed-Fri 10am-6pm Kitchen; Sat 9am-1pm Kitchen
Unfilled Sun 6pm-12am Bar

Questions

Can I paste a rota straight from Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes, if the columns are name, days, time and role. Tabs between columns are read as spaces, so each copied row becomes one line of the schedule.

Does Schedule Gizmo replace my spreadsheet?

Not for numbers. It doesn't do budgets, pay rates or payroll exports. Many people keep the sheet for those and use Schedule Gizmo for the page the team reads.

Is it really free?

Making, printing and sharing a schedule is free with no sign-up. Pro ($9 a month or $79 a year) adds a live link that always shows the latest version, team emails when it changes and your own branding.

Will it print on one page?

Yes. Every schedule is fitted to one page, in portrait or landscape to suit its shape, and can be saved as a PDF.

Related

See your own schedule on one page

It takes about a minute. No account needed.

Make a schedule