An honest comparison
Kordis vs Nowsta for event and hourly crews (2026)
Last updated . Competitor facts checked against the sources at the bottom of this page.
Nowsta is scheduling software for event and hourly workforces, published from $3 US per user per month. Workers accept shifts in an app and clock in with geolocation. It is one of the most affordable tools in the category.
Kordis covers the parts Nowsta leaves to you: chasing the workers who do not respond, screening new applicants by phone, gating dispatch on Smart Serve or ProServe expiry, and moving hours to your payroll file under Canadian rules.
What is Nowsta good at?
Nowsta made its name in catering and events: fast scheduling, a worker app people actually use, geolocation clock-in, and broadcast messaging for last-minute changes. At $3 to $12 US per user per month it is priced for thin-margin event businesses, and for pure scheduling it does that job well.
- Genuinely affordable: published from $3 US per user per month
- Worker app with shift accept/decline and geolocation time tracking
- Broadcast messaging for last-minute event changes
- Payroll and time-tracking integrations
How do Kordis and Nowsta compare?
| What matters | Kordis | Nowsta |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Canadian temp staffing agencies with 25 to 100 workers | Event and hourly workforce scheduling, catering roots |
| Pricing | Flat per agency (founding rate, then $499 a month), not per user | From $3 US per user per month (typical $5 to $12) |
| Shift filling | Auto Dispatch and Instant Cover: confirmation texts and calls go out on their own; fills and backfills are staged for your OK | App-based accept/decline and broadcasts; chasing is manual |
| Screening | Smart Screening: applicant screening calls with transcripts and scores | None: scheduling only, no applicant pipeline |
| Credential tracking | AutoFile and the Renewal Clock: credential expiry tracking with renewal texts at 90 days, 2 weeks, and 3 days, plus dispatch gating | No published Canadian card gating |
| Canadian rules | Ontario, BC, and Alberta rules built in: the cards workers carry, gating, calling hours | No published provincial ESA or credential features |
Nowsta's from-$3 US per user per month price is published on nowsta.com, checked July 2026; typical configurations run $5 to $12 per user per month.
Pick Nowsta if
- You need low-cost scheduling and time tracking and are happy doing the chasing yourself
- Your crews reliably self-serve in an app and no-shows are rare
- You run a US event business with US payroll integrations
Pick Kordis if
- Broadcasts are not confirmations: you want the quiet ones called and fills staged for your OK
- Your event staff carry expiring cards (Smart Serve, Serving It Right, ProServe) that must gate dispatch
- You also screen applicants and want the first phone call done for you
- You staff in Ontario, BC, or Alberta and want the provincial rules built in
Common questions
Is Nowsta cheaper than Kordis?
For pure scheduling, usually yes: Nowsta publishes from $3 US per user per month. Kordis charges one flat monthly price per agency and does work Nowsta does not: confirmation calls, applicant screening, credential gating, and payroll-ready hours under Canadian rules.
Can I use Nowsta in Canada?
Nowsta operates for scheduling and time tracking anywhere, but it publishes no Canadian compliance features: no provincial employment standards support, no Smart Serve or ProServe card gating, and no WSIB awareness. Those stay manual.
What does Kordis do that a scheduling app does not?
It works the list: texts the crew, calls the ones who go quiet, stages replacements for your OK, screens new applicants by phone, gates dispatch on card expiry, and lands confirmed hours in your payroll file.
Sources
The honest way to compare is on your own roster.
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