Teams look past Deputy when the monthly minimum spend, per-user billing for every manager and archived account, or tier gating of automation and SSO start to outweigh the scheduling itself. Most go to When I Work or Homebase for lower cost, or to Connecteam and Shiftbase for a broader frontline app.
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What each alternative does differently
1. When I Work
Easy shift scheduling and team messaging app · United States
The closest like-for-like swap on scope, and cheaper on the listed entry tiers. Essentials already includes auto scheduling, multi-location scheduling and in-app messaging for unlimited users. Time tracking is an on-off add-on, and API access, webhooks and SAML SSO need the top Premium tier.
Switch from Deputy if you want the same scheduling and messaging scope at a lower per-user price.
Pricing: Published per-user monthly plans: Essentials at $2.50, Pro at $5 and Premium at $8 per user, with time tracking as an add-on and a 14-day free trial. (free trial)
Full review: #2 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit When I Work →
2. Homebase
All-in-one team app for small local businesses · United States
Priced per location, not per user, so headcount stops driving the bill. The Basic plan is free for one location with up to ten employees. Paid plans have unlimited employees, and payroll is a separate add-on with a base fee plus a per-employee charge.
Switch from Deputy if you run a few small sites and want pricing that ignores headcount.
Pricing: Free Basic plan for one location with up to ten employees; Essentials, Plus and All-in-One priced per location per month with unlimited employees. (free plan)
Full review: #3 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Homebase →
3. Connecteam
All-in-one app for deskless and field teams · United States
A frontline app more than a scheduler. The Operations hub bundles time clock, job scheduling, forms and tasks, with communications and HR as separate hubs. Paid hubs charge a flat monthly fee for the first thirty users, and teams up to ten users get a free plan.
Switch from Deputy if you want forms, checklists and task management in the same app as the schedule.
Pricing: Free for up to ten users; paid hubs priced as a flat monthly fee for the first thirty users plus a per-user charge beyond that. (free plan)
Full review: #5 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Connecteam →
4. Sling by Toast
Free shift scheduling, now part of Toast · United States
Core scheduling is free for up to thirty users, which Deputy does not offer. Mobile time tracking and labor cost tools arrive on Premium, and kiosk time tracking and reports on Business. It is owned by Toast, so it fits restaurant teams best.
Switch from Deputy if you have a team of up to thirty and only need scheduling, at no cost.
Pricing: Core scheduling free for up to thirty users; paid plans priced per user per month with a 15-day free trial. (free plan)
Full review: #6 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Sling by Toast →
5. Shiftbase
Scheduling and absence management for European teams · Netherlands
Dutch vendor with a free plan for up to fifteen employees, though that plan allows only manual time entry. Paid tiers bill a base fee covering a set headcount plus a fee per extra user. Payroll export to Excel or CSV starts on Basic, and the API on Enterprise.
Switch from Deputy if you employ staff in the Benelux or Germany and want payroll exports built for local rules.
Pricing: Free plan for up to fifteen employees; paid tiers are a monthly base fee that includes a set number of employees plus a per-user charge beyond that, billed monthly or yearly, with a 14-day trial. (free plan)
Full review: #9 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Shiftbase →
6. Planday
European rota planning linked to payroll · Denmark
Per-user pricing like Deputy, with a five-user minimum on Starter and a 30-day trial. Auto-scheduling is restricted to the quoted Pro tier, where Deputy offers it from Core. Leave management and revenue integration sit on Plus, so it suits retail and hospitality chains.
Switch from Deputy if you need revenue-linked labor reporting and accept a sales-led top tier.
Pricing: Published per-user monthly plans: Starter from £2.99 per user with a five-user minimum, Plus at £3.99 per user plus a £30 monthly fee with a ten-user minimum, Pro on quote, and a 30-day free trial. (free trial)
Full review: #7 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Planday →
7. 7shifts
Restaurant scheduling and labor management · Canada
Built only for restaurants, with scheduling, time clocking, tip management, payroll, hiring and training in one platform. That depth only helps food service teams. Its pricing page loads plan tiers client-side, so we could not check the numbers and the table is the reference.
Switch from Deputy if you run restaurants or bars and want tips, payroll and hiring in one product.
Pricing: Tiered plans priced per location per month, a free Comp plan, and a 14-day free trial of the top The Works plan. (free plan)
Full review: #4 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit 7shifts →
8. RotaCloud
Straightforward staff rota software for UK employers · United Kingdom
UK rota tool priced in headcount bands, not per user, with Standard and Pro plans and a 30-day trial that needs no payment details. Time and attendance and SMS are paid add-ons. Pro adds labour forecasting, budget caps and bulk shift actions. Over 500 employees means a custom quote.
Switch from Deputy if you are a small UK business that prefers a flat band to counting users.
Pricing: Published Standard and Pro plans in headcount bands, paid monthly or yearly, from £10 per month on Standard for up to five employees, with time and attendance as an add-on. (free trial)
Full review: #8 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit RotaCloud →
9. Findmyshift
Simple online rota planner priced per team · United Kingdom
Flat price per team, not per employee. A free plan covers up to five employees and keeps one week of history, and its web time clock station is free. All features are free for the first three months. Nothing on its pricing page mentions advanced automation.
Switch from Deputy if you have a small team and want a flat monthly price that does not grow per person.
Pricing: Free for teams of up to five employees; paid plans are flat per-team monthly prices tiered by team size. (free plan)
Full review: #10 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Findmyshift →
10. Agendrix
French and English shift scheduling from Quebec · Canada
Canadian vendor aimed at retail, restaurants, clinics and retirement homes. Essential and Plus are per-user plans, and time and attendance is a per-user add-on. Payroll exports target Canadian providers such as Nethris, Sage 50, Acomba and Ceridian. It also lists a free trial and a yearly discount of 10 percent.
Switch from Deputy if you employ staff in Canada and need exports that match Canadian payroll providers.
Pricing: Published per-employee monthly plans in Canadian dollars, with time and attendance sold as a per-employee add-on and a free trial. (free trial)
Full review: #13 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Agendrix →
11. Square Shifts
Team scheduling for Square sellers · United States
Not sold on its own: Shifts comes with Square Plus and Premium, and it ties scheduling and timecards to Square Point of Sale and Square Payroll. Labor-versus-sales reporting needs no integration work. It can export to outside payroll providers but is a poor fit without Square.
Switch from Deputy if you already take payments through Square and want scheduling inside that account.
Pricing: Included in Square Plus at $49 per location per month and Square Premium at $149 per location per month, with a free trial; the free Square plan does not include shift scheduling. (free trial)
Full review: #11 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Square Shifts →
Questions and answers
Does Deputy charge a minimum monthly spend?
Yes, a minimum of USD 30, AUD 30 or GBP 20 per month per invoice applies on the monthly Lite, Core and Pro plans, from September 1, 2025. Deputy says it covers set-up, support and technology costs.
Does Deputy bill for managers and archived users?
Yes, administrators and supervisors count as users. An archived or newly added user is billed the full monthly price for that month, so archiving someone mid-month does not reduce that month's invoice.
Can I change my Deputy plan without a penalty?
On a monthly plan, yes: a plan change takes effect from the first of the current month and is billed at the new price. Annual plans charge the year up front, so read your contract before expecting a refund.
What happens to payroll if I leave Deputy?
Deputy Payroll runs through Paycor and is sold as an add-on in the US on annual Core and Pro plans. Leaving means choosing a new timesheet-to-payroll route before your last pay period, so check the new tool's payroll integrations first.
Do SMS notifications cost extra on Deputy?
Yes, SMS sent through the platform is charged per 160 characters, for example 1 cent in the US, 5 pence in the UK and 5 cents in Australia. Receiving messages is free, so alternatives that push notifications through an app avoid this cost.
Which Deputy alternatives have a free plan?
Homebase Basic covers one location with up to ten employees, Sling is free for up to thirty users, Connecteam for up to ten, Shiftbase for up to fifteen employees and Findmyshift for up to five. Limits differ, so check which features you lose.
