Comparisons
Nowsta vs Ubeya vs Workstaff vs Kordis for event staffing (2026)
Four top options for Canadian event agencies in 2026: Nowsta is the cheapest pure scheduler ($3 to $12/user/month) with mobile-first shift management; Workstaff is Montreal-built with scheduling plus light ops ($99 to $139/user/month); Ubeya is AI-driven shift matching (custom pricing, exact cost unknown); Kordis is dispatch plus confirmation gating for your own crew (flat per-agency pricing). Each solves a different piece of the event-staffing puzzle.
Pick Nowsta for event venues that need fast, cheap scheduling. Pick Workstaff if you want Canadian-built with bilingual support and invoicing. Pick Ubeya if your shifts need AI matching and you want one system for complex routing. Pick Kordis if you run your own repeat crew and want to confirm and gate them automatically.
What are the main differences?
| Tool | Price | What It Does | Best For | Canadian Compliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nowsta | $3 to $12/user/month | Mobile shift scheduling, broadcast messaging, real-time presence, integrations with payroll | Event venues, catering, hospitality: high shift volume, low ATS need | Not Canada-native; no ESA or WSIB published |
| Workstaff | $99 to $139/user/month | Scheduling, timesheets, invoicing, QR clock-in, messaging, light ATS | Canadian temp and event agencies running flexible staffing (10 to 500 people) | Montreal-built, bilingual (FR/EN), Quebec Law 25, CNESST aligned |
| Ubeya | Custom quote (est. $100 to $300+/user/month) | AI-driven shift matching, mobile app, real-time routing, payroll integrations | Large event operations, multi-site logistics, complex matching scenarios | Pricing and Canada compliance unclear; operates globally |
| Kordis | Flat per-agency (no per-user fee) | Dispatch, confirmation calls and texts, credential gating, hours to payroll file | Agencies running their own repeat crew; confirmation and ops gating | Built for Canada: Ontario, BC, Alberta rules; call windows; credential tracking |
Nowsta: the budget pick for event scheduling
Nowsta is the cheapest option at $3 to $12/user/month. It is mobile-first: workers download the app, see shifts, accept or decline in real-time, and clock in/out with geolocation. It is great for event venues, catering companies, and hospitality operations that run dozens of shifts per week and need workers to confirm fast. No ATS, no candidate sourcing, no client CRM. If you run a 100-person event venue staffing 5 different shifts daily, Nowsta handles the scheduling and comms side cleanly.
Catch: no Canadian compliance built-in, no payroll processing, and no credential tracking. You pair it with Wagepoint or Payworks for payroll and run a separate spreadsheet for credential renewal (Smart Serve, WSIB clearance, food handling).
Workstaff: the Canadian-built middle ground
Workstaff is Montreal-built at $99 to $139/user/month. It includes scheduling, timesheets, invoicing, and a light ATS for hiring. It is bilingual (FR/EN) and Canada-native with Quebec Law 25 privacy compliance and CNESST (Quebec labor rules) baked in. The 14-day free trial lets you test it before committing, and the company closed a CAD 1.6 million seed round in 2024, so funding is real.
Catch: ESA and WSIB for Ontario, BC, and Alberta are not granular as Quebec. It is early-stage; integrations are fewer than Bullhorn or TempWorks. No payroll processing (you still pair with Wagepoint), and the ATS is light (better at scheduling than candidate sourcing).
Ubeya: the AI-driven option for complex events
Ubeya is AI-driven shift matching for events, venues, and logistics. It uses machine learning to match workers to shifts based on skills, location, and availability, reducing manual scheduling labor. Pricing is custom (not published); per-user estimates suggest $100 to $300+/user/month, but that is unverified. It is designed for large, multi-site operations (a catering company with 10 venues, each with different staffing needs).
Catch: pricing is opaque, and Canadian compliance is not detailed. AI matching adds cost; small agencies may pay for sophistication they don't need. No public information on credential tracking or WSIB integration.
Kordis: dispatch and confirmation for your crew
Kordis is different: it is not a scheduler or marketplace. Instead, it is the dispatch and confirmation layer for your own repeat crew. You text 15 of your regular workers "Friday 9am to 5pm, $25/hour, 10 spots, reply yes or no." Kordis surfaces the yeses, calls the quiet ones to confirm, and stages the final count for your OK. Then it gates dispatch: workers with an expired Smart Serve card never see the shift. Hours flow automatically from timesheet to payroll file without re-typing.
It is built for Canada (Ontario, BC, Alberta rules; call-window compliance; credential tracking). And it is priced flat per agency, not per user, so a 5 person ops team and a 50 person crew cost the same. See pricing for exact rates.
Which should you pick?
- Pick Nowsta if you run a high-volume event venue or catering operation and need the cheapest scheduler. Pair it with Wagepoint for payroll and accept manual credential tracking.
- Pick Workstaff if you are a Canadian temp or event agency that wants bilingual support, Canadian compliance, and an all-in-one tool for your size (10 to 500 people). Accept that the ATS is lighter than Bullhorn.
- Pick Ubeya if you run large multi-site events where AI matching saves significant scheduling labor and you have budget for custom pricing (likely $100K+/year for a 20-person ops team).
- Pick Kordis if you run your own stable crew and want to cut confirmation time and gate shifts on credential expiry. It lives alongside your payroll and scheduling tool; it doesn't replace them.
Common questions
Is Nowsta good for Canadian agencies?
Nowsta is affordable and works in Canada, but it is not Canada-native. No ESA, WSIB, or CRA rules are built in; you handle compliance manually or with a separate tool like Wagepoint.
Does Workstaff include payroll?
No. Workstaff is scheduling and light ops. Payroll is a separate tool. Most Workstaff users pair it with Wagepoint or Payworks for Canadian payroll compliance.
How much does Ubeya actually cost?
Ubeya does not publish pricing. Per-user estimates are $100 to $300+/month, but you must request a custom quote. It is built for large operations; small agencies likely find it expensive.
Can Kordis replace my scheduler?
No. Kordis is dispatch and confirmation, not scheduling. You pair Kordis with Workstaff (or another scheduler) to handle the full flow: schedule the shift, dispatch to crew, confirm, gate on credentials, track hours, move to payroll.
Do any of these track credential expiry like Smart Serve?
Kordis does: it gates dispatch on Smart Serve, Serving It Right, and ProServe expiry. Nowsta, Workstaff, and Ubeya do not; you track credentials in a spreadsheet or separate tool.
Which is cheapest for a 20-person ops team?
Nowsta is the absolute cheapest ($3 to $12/month), but it lacks payroll and ops features. Workstaff at $99 to $139/user/month is about $2,000 to $2,800/month for 20 users. Kordis is flat per agency (no per-user fee); pricing at /pricing.
Sources
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