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Top 7 Free Planday Alternatives, Compared (2026)

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

The 7 strongest free Planday alternatives, side by side

Quick answer

If Planday isn't working out, the best alternatives are Deputy, Findmyshift and 7shifts. Deputy ranks first with a SpotScore of 9.5 and a 4.3★ rating. See all 7 compared on score, rating, and price below.

Whether it's the bill, a missing capability, or the day-to-day friction, plenty of teams leave Planday. These 7 employee scheduling software free alternatives are where they tend to land. We order them by SpotScore (real-user satisfaction and market presence), star ratings, and pricing. Editors vet each one. Skim the table, then read on for detail.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
DeputyStreamline scheduling and simplify business operations.9.5★★★★☆ 4.3(433)Freefrom $3.50teams of all sizes
FindmyshiftEfficient scheduling made simple and accessible.9.2★★★★★ 4.6(7)Freefrom $21 /User/Monthteams of all sizes
7shiftsStreamline your staff scheduling with 7shifts.9★★★★★ 4.65(166)Freefrom $29.99/moteams of all sizes
eScheduleEfficiently manage schedules with ease.8.5★★★★★ 4.8FreeFree Trial · Quotation Based · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
StaffAnyStreamline your scheduling with ease.8.4Not yet ratedFreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
MakeShiftEfficient scheduling made easy.8Not yet ratedFreefrom $2 per employee per monthteams of all sizes
TrackSmart SchedulingEfficient scheduling, limitless possibilities.7.9★★★★☆ 4.1(3)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes

9.5

SpotScore

Deputy - Employee Scheduling Software

Deputy

Streamline scheduling and simplify business operations.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.3

433 verified reviews

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What is Deputy?

Deputy is a powerful time-saving software that streamlines business schedules and operations. It offers budget-friendly staff scheduling options based on team availability, with instant notification through its application, mobile, or web. By accurately tracking employee hours, Deputy helps ...

Read more about Deputy
Free TrialTry Free →·

Deputy 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

4.6

7 verified reviews

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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 →

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9.0

SpotScore

7shifts - Appointment Scheduling Software

7shifts

Streamline your staff scheduling with 7shifts.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.7

166 verified reviews

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What is 7shifts?

7shifts is a shift scheduling solution provider that helps restaurants, retail stores and other businesses manage staff and customer appointments. 7shifts' feature-rich web-based scheduler is specifically designed to integrate and work with the industry's top restaurant, retail POS, inventory ...

Read more about 7shifts
Free TrialTry Free →·

7shifts 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

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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

StaffAny - Employee Scheduling Software

StaffAny

Streamline your scheduling with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is StaffAny?

StaffAny is employee scheduling software that makes it easy to manage hourly employees. Using StaffAny, user can take all the guesswork out of scheduling by using the drag-and-drop feature to see how well potential hours fit. Track no-shows, late arrivals, sick days, vacation requests, overtime ...

Read more about StaffAny
Free TrialTry Free →·

StaffAny offers custom pricing plan

8.0

SpotScore

MakeShift - Employee Scheduling Software

MakeShift

Efficient scheduling made easy.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is MakeShift?

MakeShift is an employee scheduling and communications platform that focuses on shifting schedules, on-the-fly shifts, and secure communication between business and employees. It records employee's time check-in& -out time, punches are randomly distributed across the day, resulting in more even ...

Read more about MakeShift
Free TrialTry Free →

7.9

SpotScore

TrackSmart Scheduling - Employee Scheduling Software

TrackSmart Scheduling

Efficient scheduling, limitless possibilities.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.1

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 →

Why we picked these Planday alternatives

Deputy9.5Best for teams of all sizes

Simplifies hospitality pay process and saves time with fantastic support.

Watch for: Lack of notifications can lead to issues like unconfirmed shifts and unclaimed hours.

Findmyshift9.2Best for teams of all sizes

User-friendly interface

Watch for: Limited customization options

7shifts9Best for teams of all sizes

Simplifies communication with team members, enhancing collaboration and task management.

Watch for: Lack of in-depth analytical information may limit performance insights for users.

eSchedule8.5Best for teams of all sizes

Centralized database management

Watch for: User interface may feel outdated

StaffAny8.4Best for teams of all sizes

Drag-and-drop scheduling

Watch for: Limited integration options

MakeShift8Best for teams of all sizes

On-the-fly shift management

Watch for: Limited reporting capabilities

TrackSmart Scheduling7.9Best for teams of all sizes

Turnkey scheduling solution

Watch for: User interface may feel outdated

Why teams look for a Planday alternative

Most people weighing a Planday alternative are reacting to the same handful of pain points:

  • Occasional lagging or loading delays, particularly on mobile devices.
  • External calendar sync (e.g., iCal) is limited.
  • Messaging system lacks advanced features, creating communication gaps.
  • Web platform has usability issues in some areas.

The factors that matter in a Planday alternative

A quick data read across all 7 employee scheduling software free alternatives: 7 offer a free tier; paid plans run $2–$29.99, with MakeShift the cheapest entry point; and 7shifts is the highest rated at 4.65★ across 166 reviews.

How the ranking holds up.

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 Planday are eSchedule (4.8★), 7shifts (4.7★), Findmyshift (4.6★). Compare all 7 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to Planday, 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.

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

How to match a Planday alternative to your team

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Deputy, Findmyshift and 7shifts let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: 7shifts has the strongest star rating (4.65★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: Deputy has the highest Spotsaas Score (9.5) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

Your migration plan from Planday

Switching from Planday doesn't have to be painful. Begin with a data export and verify the new tool imports it. Confirm feature parity, pilot the change on a trial, and keep Planday running in parallel until you're sure. Many tools above let you test for free first.

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