Deputy
Shift scheduling, time clock and labor-law tools for hourly teams
Deputy report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for shift teams that must follow labor laws
Deputy is the grown-up pick here: schedules, a time clock, labor-law checks and timesheets that go to payroll, in an app staff rate highly. The catch is the price. It charges per person, so 15 hourly staff on Lite cost $75 a month, and plenty of rivals charge a flat fee that comes out far lower.
Who Deputy is for
- Great if you have to follow break rules or Fair Workweek scheduling laws
- Handy when you want staff to swap shifts and find their own cover
- Good for multi-site operators who want wage budgets and demand forecasts
Who Deputy is not for
- Pricey if you have 15 or more hourly staff, since every person, managers included, is a paid user
- Skip it if you might shrink, as annual plans can't drop users or plans mid-term and there's no refund
- Tight if you pay monthly with a small team, because there's a $30 monthly minimum
Why Deputy gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyLite is $5 a person a month billed yearly, so 15 staff come to $75 a month, and managers count as users too. For a team that size that's in the dearest tenth of this category. Auto-scheduling and face-unlock kiosks wait on Core at $6.50 a head.
- CFree plan and trialNo free plan, but a trial of up to 31 days with no credit card needed. That's a long, fair look, though after it you pay for every user.
- BFeaturesSchedules from templates with breaks, shift swaps, clock-ins from phones, browsers, watches or a kiosk, labor-law checks as you build, and timesheets that flow to payroll. That's the whole job, with auto-scheduling and demand forecasts on Core.
- AEase of use4.79 from 5,849 App Store ratings. Staff get their shifts, swaps and clock-ins on the phone, which is where most of the use happens.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android, plus payroll and till links such as Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, Xero and Square, and a public API. No desktop app, so it stops at a B.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Deputy's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/deputy#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/deputy.svg" alt="Deputy: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Deputy stands among shift scheduling apps
Deputy's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 5 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 12) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $5 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 5 of the 12 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 13 shift scheduling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Deputy’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 12, level with 1
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 12, level with 6
- BFeaturesAbove 4 of 12, level with 8
- AEase of useAbove 8 of 12, level with 4
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 12, level with 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 shift scheduling apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Deputy, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Deputy you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $60 a year.
What you could make
- Time off: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts.
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- A scheduler that rearranges your day as things move.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Gusto, ADP and Paychex among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Deputy’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Deputy?
Deputy is workforce management software for businesses that run on shifts. Managers build rosters by hand or with auto-scheduling, staff swap shifts and clock in from phones, tablets or a kiosk, and approved timesheets flow to payroll. HR tools and US payroll by Paycor are sold as add-ons.
Deputy is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite). See every plan
Good for
- Hospitality, retail and healthcare employers scheduling hourly staff
- Businesses that must follow break rules and Fair Workweek laws
- Multi-location operators that want demand forecasts and wage budgets
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- Shift planning and swaps
- Schedules are built from templates with paid and unpaid breaks. Staff can confirm shifts, pick up open ones, swap or offer shifts and find a replacement.
- Auto-scheduling and forecasting
- From the Core plan, Deputy builds and fills shifts from demand and staff availability, and compares forecast sales and wages against actuals.
- Clock-in apps and geofencing
- Staff clock in from the mobile apps, a browser, a watch or a shared tablet kiosk. Geofences block clock-ins away from the site, and Core adds face-unlock kiosks.
- Timesheets to payroll
- Clock-ins become timesheets that managers approve, or that Core approves automatically, and then go to payroll systems such as Gusto, ADP, Paychex or Xero.
- Labor-law compliance
- Rules for breaks, overtime, Fair Workweek scheduling and custom pay rates are checked as shifts are built and worked.
- Team messaging and Shift Pulse
- A news feed and messaging reach staff in the app, and Shift Pulse asks each worker for feedback when a shift ends.
Deputy pricing
- Starts at
- $5 per user / month, billed annually (Lite)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- Free trial of up to 31 days, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $5per user / month, billed annually ($5.50 billed monthly) | Basic scheduling, timesheets and time clock, shift swaps, leave and availability, labor-law checks, basic reports and team messaging. |
| Core | $6.50per user / month, billed annually ($7.25 billed monthly) | Adds auto-scheduling, demand forecasting, wage budgets, face-unlock kiosk clock-ins and timesheet auto-approval. Marked most popular. |
| Pro | $9per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly) | Adds custom access levels, location hierarchies, pay centers, SSO, a sandbox and 24/7 live chat, with Analytics+ and Messaging+ included. |
Read from deputy.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Deputy before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountAbout 10% off with annual billing
Annual plans cost $5, $6.50 and $9 per user a month against $5.50, $7.25 and $10 billed monthly; the page labels the saving 10%.
Stated on deputy.com - NonprofitSpecial pricing for charities on request
Charities, not-for-profits and community organizations can ask Deputy about special pricing; no figure is published.
Stated on deputy.com - Other savings6 months free on Pro and Payroll until November 30, 2026
New US businesses that sign up by November 30, 2026 and buy both Pro and Deputy Payroll on a 12-month term get six billing months free.
Stated on deputy.com
How people rate the Deputy app
4.8
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars90%
- 4 stars6%
- 3 stars1%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star3%
5,849 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 18, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Gusto
- ADP
- Paychex
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- Square
- Lightspeed
- BambooHR
Deputy alternatives
- Deputy vs When I Work
Free trial · from $2.50/mo
- Deputy vs Homebase
Free plan · from $24/mo
- Deputy vs 7shifts
Free plan · from $39.99/mo
- Deputy vs Connecteam
Free plan · from $29/mo
- Deputy vs Sling by Toast
Free plan · from $1.70/mo
Common questions
Is Deputy free?
No, Deputy is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial of up to 31 days, no credit card required.
How much does Deputy cost?
Deputy lists 3 plans. Lite: $5 per user / month, billed annually ($5.50 billed monthly). Core: $6.50 per user / month, billed annually ($7.25 billed monthly). Pro: $9 per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly). Prices were read from deputy.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Deputy work on?
Deputy is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Deputy offer any discounts?
Deputy publicly lists the following: About 10% off with annual billing; Special pricing for charities on request; 6 months free on Pro and Payroll until November 30, 2026.
How is Deputy rated?
Deputy's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5,849 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Deputy have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Deputy is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Deputy have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Deputy is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Deputy open source?
Deputy is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Deputy have an API?
Yes. Deputy offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Deputy integrate with?
Deputy's listing names Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, Xero, Square, Lightspeed and BambooHR. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Deputy?
Deputy is made by Deputy. It dates from 2008.
What are the alternatives to Deputy?
The closest alternatives to Deputy in our directory are When I Work, Homebase, 7shifts, Connecteam and Sling by Toast. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Deputy.
How does Deputy compare with other shift scheduling apps?
Deputy's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 5 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 2. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 12) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Is Deputy good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Deputy D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $5 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 5 of the 12 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Could I make my own version of Deputy?
To replace Deputy you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $60 a year. What you could not make: Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts. Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when. A scheduler that rearranges your day as things move. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.