Head to head

Deputy vs Planday

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

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

Planday is shift workforce management for hourly teams in Europe and the UK. It has been owned by Xero since 2021. Pricing is listed as Starter, Plus, and Pro, with Pro custom. A 30-day trial needs no credit card.

Where Planday fits

UK and EU hospitality, retail, and healthcare teams already in Xero
Managers who need rotas, punch clock, and payroll export in one app
Multi-department shops that will grow from Starter into Plus or Pro
Operators who want a 30-day no-card trial before a demo

At a glance

Detail	Deputy	Planday
Starting price	$5/user/mo	Sales-quoted
Free tier	–No	–No
Free trial	Yes	30 day free trial
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	–No	–No
Listed under	Time & attendance, Workforce management	Workforce management
Capterra	4.6 from 773 reviews	4.3 from 58 reviews

Where they pull apart

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

Planday

Stands out: Approved hours export into Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage 50, Paychex, and TriNet. Auto-schedule and planning metrics sit on higher plans.

Watch out: Xero retired Planday in Australia in 2024 and pointed those customers to Deputy. US buyers should treat this as a Europe and UK product rather than a public USD rate card.

Not the right fit for

Australian employers (product retired there in 2024)
US enterprises that need UKG-class forecasting and union rules

Pros and cons

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

Planday

30-day trial with no credit card
Named payroll exports: Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage, Paychex, TriNet
Owned by Xero since 2021, with a native hours-to-payroll path

No USD amounts on the public pricing page. Pro is custom
Retired in Australia in 2024
Europe/UK core. Weaker default for US enterprise WFM

What each one costs

Deputy

$5/user/mo

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

Checked 18 Sep 2026

Planday

Sales-quoted

Planday lists Starter, Plus, and Pro on the pricing page. Pro is custom (book a demo). A 30-day trial is available with no credit card, cancel any time. The vendor does not publish USD plan amounts. Payroll connections include Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage, Paychex, and TriNet. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Deputy or Planday for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Deputy offers a free trial. Planday offers a 30 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Deputy alternatives All Planday alternatives Every Time & attendance tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 18 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?