NEWJoin 2M+ software buyers|Get Weekly Insights, Trends & Expert PicksSubscribe free →

Spotsaas logo
Last updated:

Best Deputy Alternatives: 7 Compared, With Free Options (2026)

Explore 7 alternatives to Deputy, vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

7 free Deputy alternatives, ranked at a glance

Quick answer

The most popular free employee scheduling software alternatives to Deputy are Planday, Findmyshift and WhenToWork. Planday tops the ranking with a SpotScore of 9.7 and 4.48★ from users. Compare all 7 on score, rating, and pricing below.

Not every team clicks with Deputy, and that's fine. These 7 employee scheduling software free alternatives give you real choices on price, features, and usability. We rank them by SpotScore, which combines real-user satisfaction with market presence, then layer in ratings and pricing. Scan the comparison table first, then read the detail for each pick.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
PlandayEffortlessly manage schedules for a streamlined business.9.7★★★★☆ 4.48(288)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
FindmyshiftEfficient scheduling made simple and accessible.9.2★★★★★ 4.5(7)Freefrom $21 /User/Monthteams of all sizes
WhenToWorkEffortlessly manage your workforce with WhenToWork.8.6★★★★☆ 4.38(113)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
eScheduleEfficiently manage schedules with ease.8.5★★★★★ 4.8FreeFree Trial · Quotation Based · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
ShiftonEffortless team management that saves time and money.8.4★★★★★ 4.75(2)Freefrom $0.50 /User/Monthteams of all sizes
SoonMaximize productivity. Minimize overtime. Improve retention.7.9★★★★★ 5(2)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Based · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
TrackSmart SchedulingEfficient scheduling, limitless possibilities.7.9★★★★☆ 3.83(3)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes

9.7

SpotScore

Planday - Employee Scheduling Software

Planday

Effortlessly manage schedules for a streamlined business.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

288 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Planday?

Planday is employee scheduling software built specifically for small business owners. The software allows to easily update hourly staffing needs across the entire business including employees, groups, schedules, time off requests, time cards, important dates, etc. It's simple to use, low cost, ...

Read more about Planday
Free TrialTry Free →·

Planday offers custom pricing plan

9.2

SpotScore

Findmyshift - Employee Scheduling Software

Findmyshift

Efficient scheduling made simple and accessible.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

7 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Findmyshift?

Findmyshift is an employee scheduling software that revolutionizes the way companies plan work schedules, schedule attendance, and authorize absences. The cloud-based software system allows employees to access schedule via any mobile device, make schedule changes online, and request/approve ...

Read more about Findmyshift
Free TrialTry Free →

Spotsaas Ads

Want your product up here? Put it in front of buyers the moment they're comparing your category.

Reach in-market buyersRank above rivals2M+ buyers a year
Advertise your product

8.6

SpotScore

WhenToWork - Employee Scheduling Software

WhenToWork

Effortlessly manage your workforce with WhenToWork.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.4

113 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is WhenToWork?

WhenToWork is a scheduling and tracking tool for small businesses. It also helps large companies with overtime, benefits, social club management and more. Employee scheduling software from WhenToWork is used by medium size to enterprise organizations including manufacturing, construction, ...

Read more about WhenToWork
Free TrialTry Free →·

WhenToWork offers custom pricing plan

8.5

SpotScore

eSchedule - Employee Scheduling Software

eSchedule

Efficiently manage schedules with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.8

Add to compare

What is eSchedule?

eSchedule is an employee scheduling software for managing schedules in one centralized database. With eSchedule user can assign shifts, edit any schedule at any time, and easily access information when need it. Other features include One-click shift creation, Allows transfers or merges between ...

Read more about eSchedule
Free TrialTry Free →·

eSchedule offers custom pricing plan

8.4

SpotScore

Shifton - Employee Scheduling Software

Shifton

Effortless team management that saves time and money.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.8

2 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Shifton?

Shifton is the ultimate resource for convenient team management. This online tool will help your organization save time and resources with effective scheduling. It is perfect for businesses of all scales - from small to large. With Shifton, you can increase uptime and deliver cost-savings. ...

Read more about Shifton
Free Trial

7.9

SpotScore

Soon - Employee Scheduling Software

Soon

Maximize productivity. Minimize overtime. Improve retention.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

5.0

2 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Soon?

Soon employee scheduling software increases employee productivity by 20%, reduces overtime by 40%, and improves retention by 5%. Keep track of employees time, take notes in the integrated case file, organize people in drag-and-drop icons, and automatically generate timesheets. Schedule shifts ...

Read more about Soon
Free TrialTry Free →·

Soon offers custom pricing plan

7.9

SpotScore

TrackSmart Scheduling - Employee Scheduling Software

TrackSmart Scheduling

Efficient scheduling, limitless possibilities.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

3.8

3 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is TrackSmart Scheduling?

TrackSmart Scheduling Software is a turnkey solution to manage scheduling for any business. The software includes a variety of key features, a calendar view of employee availability, detailed employee & shift history, one click shift assignment & editing, the ability to search for availability ...

Read more about TrackSmart Scheduling
Free TrialTry Free →

Deputy vs its closest competitors

Across Employee Scheduling Software, 7 products compete directly with Deputy. The strongest overlap is with Planday, Findmyshift and WhenToWork. Each is compared against Deputy on rating, pricing and feature coverage below.

Sites and apps like Deputy

Searches for "sites like Deputy" and "apps like Deputy" land on the same set of options as "Deputy alternatives" — the 7 options below cover both, whether you want a like-for-like replacement or something lighter.

Why each tool is in the running

Planday9.7Best for teams of all sizes

Clear scheduling interface makes shift planning and team communication straightforward.

Watch for: Occasional lagging or loading delays, particularly on mobile devices.

Findmyshift9.2Best for teams of all sizes

User-friendly interface

Watch for: Limited customization options

WhenToWork8.6Best for teams of all sizes

Simple and easy-to-follow interface for scheduling, time-off requests, and shift trading.

Watch for: Some users find the dashboard or site interface outdated and in need of enhancement.

eSchedule8.5Best for teams of all sizes

Centralized database management

Watch for: User interface may feel outdated

Shifton8.4Best for teams of all sizes

Automated shift assignments

Watch for: Limited customization options

Soon7.9Best for teams of all sizes

Increases employee productivity

Watch for: Limited reporting features

TrackSmart Scheduling7.9Best for teams of all sizes

Turnkey scheduling solution

Watch for: User interface may feel outdated

Why teams look for a Deputy alternative

Teams rarely leave Deputy without a reason — usually it's one of these:

  • Lack of notifications can lead to issues like unconfirmed shifts and unclaimed hours.
  • Integrations, setup issues, unauthorized fees, and language barrier in customer support can be frustrating.
  • Challenges with tiered customer support escalation and glitch resolution.
  • Limited features for customizations like integrating with specific payroll processors.

What to look at before switching from Deputy

Comparing pricing, ratings, and strengths across the 7 free alternatives: 7 offer a free tier; paid plans run $0.5–$21, with Shifton the cheapest entry point; and Soon is the highest rated at 5★ across 2 reviews.

Behind the order.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The top-rated alternatives to Deputy are Soon (5.0★), eSchedule (4.8★), Shifton (4.8★). Compare all 7 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to Deputy, prioritize: Employee Timeclock, Shift Swapping, Staff Notification, Workforce Forecasting, Employee Portal, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

Deputy starts from $3.50. Many alternatives offer similar functionality at different price points — some with free tiers, others with more flexible per-seat pricing. Use the filters above to narrow by budget.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Deputy is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend narrowing to 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

Choosing the best Deputy alternative for your goals

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Planday, Findmyshift and WhenToWork let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: Soon has the strongest star rating (5★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: Planday has the highest Spotsaas Score (9.7) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

The switch from Deputy

A low-stress switch from Deputy starts with exporting your data and confirming the new tool imports it. Check feature parity for your real workflows, run a short pilot, and keep Deputy active until the move is finished. The free tiers above let you trial first.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].