Leaving Combo in 2026: complete 7-step migration guide

Why 30% of Combo customers are looking to leave in 2026

Combo is a mature tool launched in 2017, but its per-employee pricing has become a major friction point for growing retailers. For 100 employees, expect around €560/month. For 200 employees, over €1,000. Add to that the paid onboarding and optional modules.

If you are evaluating a Combo alternative, this guide gives you the method to migrate in under 48 hours without losing your data.

Step 1: audit your current Combo data

Before any migration, export:

• employee list (CSV or Excel): name, email, store, contract, hourly rate
• stores and their settings (opening hours, capacity)
• 3 months of schedule history (to compare after switch)
• current hour bank balances
• paid leave and TOIL balances

Combo allows export from Settings > Data. If you have planned absences past the switch, note them manually too.

Step 2: pick your new tool based on your profile

Not all alternatives are equal. The choice depends on your size and trade:

• Under 100 employees, multi-store: unbeatable flat pricing with Squadra Planning at €29/month flat. No extra cost regardless of employees or stores.
• Hospitality (HCR): Snapshift or Skello stay competitive thanks to their HCR collective agreement specialization.
• Full HRIS needed (payroll, hiring, e-signature): Factorial or Lucca can justify their price.

Compare profiles on the Combo alternatives page.

Step 3: parallel test for 7 days

Before cutting Combo off, run the new tool in parallel for 7 days. Import 1 or 2 pilot stores, create the weekly schedule, have a team clock in. Compare:

• time spent creating the schedule
• clicks to publish
• payroll export accuracy (overtime, leave, TOIL)

This phase validates your choice before full deployment.

Step 4: data import

All good tools accept CSV import. On Squadra, it is a dedicated admin page: upload your Combo employees file, map the columns (name, email, store, contract), and everything is created in 2 minutes.

Hour bank balances are entered manually per employee. Count 30 seconds per employee, or 1h for 100 employees.

The retail HR glossary helps if some Combo terms have different names in the new tool.

Step 5: manager training (max 1 hour)

A good Combo alternative is learned in under 1 hour. The method:

1. 30-minute video meeting with managers: scheduling and time clock demo
2. 15-minute Q&A
3. 1-week trial period with on-demand support

If onboarding takes more than 2 hours, it is a bad sign: the product is too complex for your actual need.

Step 6: effective switch and iPad time clock

D-day, you block new entries on Combo, activate the new schedule on the new tool, and install iPad kiosks in stores.

On Squadra, the iPad kiosk activates by simply opening a URL in Safari. No app to install. Employees clock in with a 4-digit PIN and a server-stamped photo.

Step 7: first-month payroll export

This is the final test. At the end of the first month, your new tool must produce a payroll export strictly equivalent to Combo's: regular hours, overtime (+25% and +50% per the overtime calculator), leave, used TOIL.

Compare line-by-line with your last Combo export. Any gap comes from balances poorly migrated at step 4 and fixes in minutes.

How much you save

For 100 employees over 12 months:

• Combo: ~€6,720/year
• Squadra Pro flat: €348/year
• Net savings: €6,372/year

For reference, that is the cost of a part-time store hire. The Excel hidden cost calculator gives a detailed estimate for your size.

What to avoid

• Migrating during a payroll period: double-entry risk. Prefer the 1st of the month.
• Keeping Combo in parallel more than 30 days: double subscription = double cost.
• Skipping the 7-day test: 80% of failed migrations come from a decision made without testing.

Summary

Leaving Combo in 2026 takes 48 hours of work spread over 2 weeks:

Week	Action
Week 1	Audit, alternative choice, 7-day parallel test
Week 2	Data import, training, effective switch

To start a Squadra Planning trial, open an account on the Pricing page. The Free plan is forever free to test with 1 store and 5 employees. The Pro plan at €29/month is a 14-day trial with no credit card.