Head to head

7shifts vs Deputy

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

7shifts

Quote Free tier 14 day free trial

Restaurant shift scheduling with a free Comp plan. Paid Essentials starts at $39.99/location/mo.

Where 7shifts fits

  • Restaurants and bars running FOH and BOH shifts
  • Multi-location groups on Toast or similar POS
  • Operators who want labor cost against sales
  • Teams that will start on the free Comp plan

Deputy

$5/user/mo Free trial

Shift scheduling, time clocks, and labor compliance for hourly teams. Lite starts at $5/user/mo.

Where Deputy fits

  • Multi-location hourly employers
  • Hospitality, retail, and healthcare rosters
  • Teams that need Fair Workweek-style rules
  • Desks exporting timesheets to ADP, Paycor, or Square

At a glance

Detail7shiftsDeputy
Starting priceQuote$5/user/mo
Free tier✓Yes–No
Free trial14 day free trialYes
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underTime & attendance, Workforce managementTime & attendance, Workforce management
Capterra4.7 from 1,212 reviews4.6 from 773 reviews

Where they pull apart

7shifts

Stands out: A kitchen-and-FOH scheduler with POS hooks and a genuine free Comp tier, then location-priced paid plans rather than per-user WFM seats.

Watch out: Time tracking, payroll ($39.99/location/mo plus $6/employee paid), tip management, tasks, and onboarding are add-ons or higher plans. AI course-building is on Pro and Premium only.

Not the right fit for

  • Non-restaurant hourly work (use Deputy or When I Work)
  • Enterprises that need a full HRIS
  • Buyers who thought the free plan included time clocks and payroll

Deputy

Stands out: A public $5/user/month Lite seat that already covers basic rosters, clocks, and labor-law rules, with payroll connectors in the same conversation.

Watch out: Auto-scheduling, biometrics, and SSO sit on Core or Pro. Payroll via Paycor is $8/user/month plus a $49 monthly base.

Not the right fit for

  • Salaried office teams with no shifts
  • Restaurants that want a kitchen-specific product like 7shifts
  • Buyers who need an ATS in the same login

Pros and cons

7shifts

  • Real free Comp plan
  • Restaurant-specific labor versus sales
  • Public location pricing from $39.99/month
  • Time clocks and payroll are not in Comp
  • Per-location pricing gets expensive across many sites
  • Wrong product outside food service

Deputy

  • Public Lite price at $5/user/mo
  • Labor-law rules in the WFM rather than a separate product
  • Payroll and POS connectors including ADP, Paycor, Toast, and Square
  • Auto-scheduling and SSO are not on Lite
  • Payroll is a paid add-on with a base fee
  • Not an ATS or HRIS of record

What each one costs

7shifts

Quote

Permanent free tier covers scheduling only. Time tracking is paid. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 12 Sep 2026

Deputy

$5/user/mo

From $5/user/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 18 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try 7shifts or Deputy for free?
7shifts carries a free tier on our listing. 7shifts offers a 14 day free trial. Deputy offers a free trial.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 12 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?