Compare/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.

Starting price

7shifts

$39.99/location/mo 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

Detail	7shifts	Deputy
Starting price	$39.99/location/mo	$5/user/mo
Free tier	✓Yes	–No
Free trial	14 day free trial	Yes
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	–No	–No
Listed under	Time & attendance, Workforce management	Time & attendance, Workforce management
Capterra	4.7 from 1,212 reviews	4.6 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

$39.99/location/mo

The Comp plan is free for a single location with up to 15 employees and covers basic scheduling. Paid plans are per location per month: Essentials $39.99 billed annually or $44.99 monthly (up to 30 employees), Pro $79.99 annually or $89.99 monthly (up to 60 employees, adds time clocking and labor compliance), and Premium $134.99 annually or $149.99 monthly (unlimited employees, includes payroll, tip and task management). 7shifts Payroll adds $6 per employee paid per month. Every new account gets a 14-day free trial of Pro. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Deputy

$5/user/mo

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

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Is 7shifts cheaper than Deputy?

Deputy starts lower, at $5/user/mo against $39.99/location/mo for 7shifts. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.

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 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?