Alternatives · Shift Scheduling
Deputy alternatives
Deputy compared with 9 alternatives: When I Work, Homebase, 7shifts, Connecteam, Sling by Toast and 4 more.
Deputy is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite). 5 of the 9 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 4 more offer a free trial.
9 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 18, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeputyThis tool | Free trial · from $5/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| When I Work | Free trial · from $2.50/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Homebase | Free plan · from $24/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| 7shifts | Free plan · from $39.99/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Connecteam | Free plan · from $29/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Sling by Toast | Free plan · from $1.70/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Planday | Free trial · from $2.99/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| RotaCloud | Free trial · from £10/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Shiftbase | Free plan · from €27/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Shiftie | Free trial · from £2.75/mo | Trial only | Web |
Price against what you get
Deputy starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 9 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
When I Work, Sling by Toast, Planday and Shiftie start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Deputy
- Free trial · from $2.50/mo
When I Work
Staff scheduling with auto-fill, shift trades and an add-on time clock
- When I Work starts at $2.50 per user / month (Essentials, without time tracking). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- When I Work also covers team chat.
- Deputy also covers payroll.
Suits: Restaurants, retail stores and call centers scheduling hourly staff
- Free plan · from $24/mo
Homebase
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location
- Homebase starts at $24 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- Homebase has a free plan. Deputy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Homebase also covers team chat, job board posting and employee records.
- Deputy also covers auto-scheduling.
Suits: Single-location shops and restaurants with up to 10 staff, on the free plan
- Free plan · from $39.99/mo
7shifts
Restaurant scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll, per location
- 7shifts starts at $39.99 per location / month, billed annually (Essentials). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- 7shifts has a free plan. Deputy does not, though it has a free trial.
- 7shifts also covers team chat and applicant tracking.
- Deputy also covers auto-scheduling.
Suits: Restaurants, cafes and bars scheduling front- and back-of-house staff
- Free plan · from $29/mo
Connecteam
Employee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users
- Connecteam starts at $29 per month for up to 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- Connecteam has a free plan. Deputy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Connecteam also covers forms and team chat.
- Deputy also covers payroll.
Suits: Businesses with up to 10 staff that want a free all-in-one employee app
- Free plan · from $1.70/mo
Sling by Toast
Free shift scheduling for up to 30 users, with paid time clock tiers
- Sling by Toast starts at $1.70 per user / month, billed annually (Premium). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- Sling by Toast has a free plan. Deputy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks and team chat.
- Deputy also covers payroll.
Suits: Teams of up to 30 that want free scheduling and messaging
- Free trial · from $2.99/mo
Planday
Rota planning, punch clock and payroll reports for shift-based teams
- Planday starts at $2.99 per user / month (Starter, minimum 5 users). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- Planday also covers team chat and employee records.
- Deputy also covers payroll.
Suits: Restaurants, bars and hotels running rotas across several sites
- Free trial · from £10/mo
RotaCloud
UK rota planning with leave tracking and an add-on clocking-in app
- RotaCloud starts at £10 per month for up to 5 employees, billed monthly (Standard). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- RotaCloud also covers reports and employee records.
- Deputy also covers auto-scheduling and payroll.
Suits: UK care homes, vets and dental practices planning staff rotas
- Free plan · from €27/mo
Shiftbase
Dutch shift scheduling, time clock and absence app, free to 15 staff
- Shiftbase starts at €27 per month for up to 6 employees, billed yearly (Basic). Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- Shiftbase has a free plan. Deputy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Shiftbase also covers reports and employee records.
- Deputy also covers auto-scheduling and payroll.
Suits: Hospitality, retail and care teams in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK
- Free trial · from £2.75/mo
Shiftie
UK rota and time clock web app with one per-employee plan
- Shiftie starts at £2.75 per employee / month. Deputy starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite).
- Only Deputy lists iOS and Android apps.
- Shiftie also covers reports and employee records.
- Deputy also covers auto-scheduling and payroll.
Suits: UK visitor attractions and hospitality venues that staff to bookings
Limits worth knowing in Deputy
- Monthly plans carry a minimum spend of $30 a month, and every admin, manager and supervisor counts as a paid user.
- US payroll by Paycor is an add-on for annual Core and Pro plans: $8 per user a month plus a $49 monthly base fee. HR is $2 per user a month.
- Annual plans cannot be moved to a lower plan or fewer users during the term, and cancelling early brings no refund.
- Text messages sent through Deputy, such as published schedules, cost 1 cent per 160 characters in the US.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Deputy?
The alternatives to Deputy in this directory are When I Work, Homebase, 7shifts, Connecteam, Sling by Toast, Planday, RotaCloud, Shiftbase and Shiftie. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Deputy.
Is there a free alternative to Deputy?
Yes. Homebase, 7shifts, Connecteam, Sling by Toast and Shiftbase have a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 18, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.