Timecounts

Timecounts is a web-based volunteer organizing platform for nonprofits, events, festivals, cities, and schools. It suits organizations that need recruitment, scheduling, communications, and hour reporting in one system. Its unlimited-volunteer free plan is unusually capable, while larger teams should weigh the Pro subscription, English-only interface, and annual billing.

Overview

Founded in 2012 after Amanda Rose organized volunteers for local and global campaigns, Timecounts centers the volunteer relationship rather than a single event. An organization can publish a branded volunteer hub, control who sees opportunities and who can sign up, and attach downloadable resources and frequently asked questions. That gives prospective volunteers a clear public entry point while keeping signup rules under staff control.

The platform covers the operational chain from application to attendance. Recruitment tools support tailored intake, application review and qualification, while an onboarding checklist shows progress. Scheduling supports volunteer self-selection or staff assignment for shifts and events, including repeating events, cancellation controls, signup cutoffs, waitlists, and visibility settings. Time logs, scheduled-hour tracking, and reports then connect participation to results.

Key features

Recruitment and onboarding

Custom forms let organizations collect the information they need, and screening and qualification workflows help staff decide who advances. Checklist-based onboarding is useful when documents or steps must be completed before a person can serve; expiration-aware checklists are reserved for Pro.

Scheduling and signup

Self-signup reduces coordinator work for open shifts, while assignments suit roles that require deliberate placement. Repeating events, waitlists, cutoff dates, cancellation rules, and visibility controls address the edge cases that make volunteer calendars difficult to manage.

Communications and reporting

Bulk email, reusable templates, audience segments, a shared team inbox, and automated custom messages support both broadcast updates and targeted follow-up. Timecounts also records hours and scheduled time and produces reports. Exports are available on every plan as CSV files emailed to the requester, usually within 10 minutes.

Integrations listed by the Help Center include Checkr for background checks and Double the Donation. Timecounts says its dedicated AWS and Heroku hosting operates in data centers with SOC 2 compliance and 24-hour physical security.

Pricing

Free — free

Free includes one organizer, unlimited volunteers, a brandable volunteer hub, a volunteer database with custom fields, time logs and total-hours reports, ongoing shift scheduling, and unlimited events. It is a strong fit for a small organization with one coordinator that needs a real scheduling and tracking system without a subscription. The single-organizer limit is the practical constraint: it is not a good match for a team that needs several administrators.

Pro — $79 a month

Pro is billed annually at $79 a month; month-to-month billing is $89/mo. It raises administration to up to 15 admins and adds unlimited forms and schedules, document storage, expiring checklists, screened applications, advanced reporting, group registration, a check-in kiosk, and priority support. Choose it when multiple staff manage volunteers or when compliance-style onboarding and richer reporting justify a recurring commitment. There is no free trial of Pro, so the annual term deserves particular scrutiny before purchase.

All plans include unlimited volunteers. Lower tiers include Help Center and chat support; Pro receives priority support. The core platform is currently available only in English, which can exclude teams or volunteer populations that require another interface language.

Platforms

Timecounts is delivered on the web. That is suitable for browser-based coordination, but the product facts do not describe native Android or iOS apps.

Who it's for

Timecounts is best for nonprofits, schools, municipalities, festivals, and recurring volunteer programs that want recruitment, scheduling, messaging, and hour reporting together. The Free plan fits a solo organizer with unlimited volunteers and ongoing events. Pro fits an organization with up to 15 administrators that needs screening, document handling, kiosk check-in, group registration, or advanced reports. Look elsewhere if a non-English core interface or mobile-native experience is essential.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Generous free capacity: unlimited volunteers, unlimited events, scheduling, custom fields, and hour reports are included for one organizer.
• End-to-end workflow: recruitment, qualification, onboarding, shifts, communications, time logs, and reports connect in one platform.
• Operational controls: waitlists, signup cutoffs, cancellations, repeating events, audience segments, and automated messages handle real coordination needs.
• Universal exports: every plan can produce emailed CSV exports, usually within 10 minutes.

Cons

• Free administration is narrow: only one organizer is included, pushing multi-coordinator teams toward Pro.
• Pro requires a commitment: the $79/mo rate is annual billing, month-to-month costs $89/mo, and there is no Pro trial.
• English-only core platform: multilingual organizations may not be able to give every user an appropriate interface.
• Web only: no native mobile platform is described.

Alternatives

Choose POINT instead if Android or iOS access matters; its free plan includes unlimited volunteers and admins, signups and scheduling, event, contact and group management, messaging and reminders, and time tracking, with a free trial.

VolunteerMark is a better fit when you want mobile apps and a free tier capped at 50 volunteers with one administrator; its Essential plan is $89.00 per month.

Pick GivePulse when a low-cost annual plan and subgroup structure are priorities; Give Joy is $20.00 per month when billed annually, with two admins and one subgroup.

Track It Forward suits grassroots organizations with fewer than 25 volunteers that need basic tracking, with a free plan and a $13.25 monthly Basic plan.

Vome is an alternative for organizations wanting a forever-free Recruit tier with unlimited volunteers and admin seats, one application form, and one onboarding sequence.

Choose OpenVolMgr if self-hosting and open-source customization are more important than a managed service.

Mobilize is aimed at limited starter campaigns, with five team members, the next five events or online actions, and up to 50 signups or 500 petition signatures free.

OpenVolunteer is another self-hosted option, offering unlimited volunteers and administrators with source access to modify and extend the software.

For broader comparisons, see Nonprofit Volunteer Management Software, Volunteer Scheduling Software, and Event Volunteer Management Software.

Verdict

Choose Timecounts if one coordinator—or a Pro team of up to 15 admins—needs a unified volunteer hub, flexible shift operations, targeted communication, and hour reporting, with unlimited volunteers on every plan. Its main reason to look elsewhere is the English-only, web-only experience and Pro’s annual billing without a trial.