ShiftCal vs Deputy
ShiftCal's all-inclusive plan against Deputy's three tiers and add-ons: what each includes, what each costs, and the specific cases where Deputy still fits.
For most shift teams, ShiftCal is the better value: the AI assistant, auto-scheduling, time clock, compliance warnings and payroll-ready exports are all part of one price — including a free-forever tier for teams of up to 5. Deputy is sold per user across three tiers plus paid add-ons; it makes sense if you specifically need its demand forecasting, its US payroll add-on or its Xero/MYOB/Square integrations, and accept the 30 USD monthly minimum on monthly plans.
The pricing models are the biggest practical difference. ShiftCal Pro is a single plan at 2.99 EUR per employee per month (launch pricing) with everything included. Deputy splits functionality across Lite (5 USD), Core (6.50 USD) and Pro (9 USD) per user per month, with paid add-ons for HR, messaging and analytics, and a 30 USD monthly minimum on monthly plans.
On features, both offer chat-based AI scheduling: ShiftCal ships its AI assistant on every plan (including free, with a monthly cap), while Deputy AI supports prompt-based schedule building. Deputy adds demand forecasting and labour optimization on Core and above; ShiftCal counters with a fairness- and skills-aware auto-scheduler, signed monthly PDF time records, and per-country compliance warnings in 8 languages.
| Feature | ShiftCal | Deputy |
|---|---|---|
| AI scheduling assistant | Chat assistant on every plan; builds and edits schedules | Deputy AI: prompt-based schedule building |
| Auto-scheduling | Included in Pro; skills, labour cost and fairness aware | On Core plan and above, with demand forecasting |
| Time clock options | GPS, selfie check-in, kiosk with PIN or QR | Mobile GPS clock-in, tablet kiosk, photo verification |
| Breaks | Paid and unpaid breaks with per-country warnings | Break planning with compliance guardrails |
| Payroll | Payroll-ready exports plus signed monthly PDF records | Integrations (Xero, MYOB, Square...) and US payroll add-on |
| Free tier | Free forever: up to 5 employees, 1 location | No free plan listed; free trials on some add-ons |
| Price per user | 2.99 EUR/employee/mo (launch price); annual saves 19% | 5 to 9 USD/user/mo depending on plan, plus add-ons |
| Minimum spend | None | 30 USD/month minimum on monthly plans |
| Platforms | Web, iOS and Android | Web, iOS and Android |
| Languages | 8 languages, auto-detected | Not prominently published; English-first site |
| Best for | Small teams to mid-size, multi-location businesses | SMBs up to large enterprises (SSO, sandbox on Pro) |
Choose ShiftCal if...
- You want one all-inclusive price: the AI assistant, auto-scheduler, time clock, reports and payroll exports are all in a single Pro plan.
- You have 5 or fewer employees and want a genuinely free plan with scheduling, time clock, time off and a capped AI assistant.
- You need per-country compliance warnings and signed monthly PDF time records rather than a single-country rulebook.
- Your team works in several languages: the product ships in 8 languages with automatic detection.
- You want a skills-, labour-cost- and fairness-aware auto-scheduler without moving to a higher tier.
- You prefer no monthly minimum spend, so very small teams pay only for the users they have.
Choose Deputy if...
- You specifically need demand forecasting and labour optimization that build schedules from sales or traffic data — features ShiftCal does not offer.
- You already run Xero, MYOB, Square or Lightspeed and want their direct Deputy integrations.
- You are in the US and want payroll run inside the same suite via the Deputy Payroll add-on (8 USD/user/mo plus a 49 USD monthly base fee).
- You need SSO, custom access levels, location hierarchies or a sandbox environment, and will pay for the 9 USD/user Pro plan to get them.
- You want an HR add-on for onboarding and document management in the same suite, at 2 USD per user per month extra.
Pricing compared
ShiftCal has a free-forever plan for up to 5 employees and 1 location, and a Pro plan at 2.99 EUR per employee per month at launch pricing, with roughly 19% savings on annual billing and a 14-day trial with no card required. Deputy publishes three plans: Lite at 5 USD, Core at 6.50 USD and Pro at 9 USD per user per month, with optional add-ons such as HR (2 USD/user/mo), Messaging+ (1.95 USD/user/mo), Analytics+ (1.50 USD/user/mo) and Deputy Payroll (8 USD/user/mo plus a 49 USD monthly base fee). Monthly Deputy plans carry a 30 USD monthly minimum.
For a 20-person team, that means ShiftCal Pro comes to roughly 60 EUR per month, while Deputy ranges from about 100 USD on Lite to 180 USD on Pro before add-ons. The Deputy Pro tier adds SSO, sandbox and forecasting at that higher price. Prices change: check shiftcal.app/pricing and deputy.com/pricing for current figures before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Is ShiftCal a good Deputy alternative?
Yes, for small and mid-size shift teams. ShiftCal covers the same core jobs (scheduling, time clock, time off, shift swaps, payroll-ready exports) with an AI assistant on every plan and a lower all-inclusive price. Deputy fits teams that specifically need demand forecasting, SSO, its Xero/MYOB/Square integrations or its US payroll add-on — priced across three tiers plus paid add-ons.
Is ShiftCal cheaper than Deputy?
At published prices, yes. ShiftCal Pro is 2.99 EUR per employee per month (launch pricing) with everything included, while Deputy runs 5 to 9 USD per user per month depending on plan, plus optional paid add-ons and a 30 USD monthly minimum on monthly plans. Always verify current pricing on both sites.
Does ShiftCal have AI scheduling like Deputy AI?
Yes. ShiftCal has a chat-based AI assistant that builds and edits schedules, plus an auto-scheduler that accounts for skills, labour cost and fairness. Deputy AI also supports prompt-based schedule building. The difference is packaging: ShiftCal includes its assistant on every plan, including the free tier with a monthly usage cap.
Does Deputy have a free plan?
Deputy does not list a free plan on its pricing page; its cheapest published plan is Lite at 5 USD per user per month, and some add-ons offer 30-day free trials. ShiftCal has a free-forever plan for up to 5 employees and 1 location, no credit card required.
Can I switch from Deputy to ShiftCal?
Yes. Most teams recreate their positions, employees and shift templates in ShiftCal and run the AI assistant or auto-scheduler to build the first schedule. ShiftCal offers a 14-day Pro trial with no card, so you can run both tools in parallel before deciding.
Competitor facts last verified on 2026-07-21. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Competitor details come from their public websites and may change — always check their current pricing.