Head to head

Deputy vs Sling

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

Sling is SMB shift scheduling and team messaging with a Free plan for up to 30 users. Paid starts at $1.70/user/mo on annual Premium ($2/user/mo monthly). Business is $3.40/$4. Toast-owned since 2022.

Where Sling fits

Restaurants, retail, and hospitality teams under 30 people that want free scheduling
Managers who need labor-cost and overtime tracking on Premium at $1.70/user/mo annual
Shops already on Toast, Square, Gusto, QuickBooks, ADP, or Paychex
Multi-location SMBs that will message and swap shifts in the same app

At a glance

Detail	Deputy	Sling
Starting price	$5/user/mo	$1.70/user/mo
Free tier	–No	✓Yes
Free trial	Yes	Not on record
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	–No	–No
Listed under	Time & attendance, Workforce management	Workforce management
Capterra	4.6 from 773 reviews	4.6 from 212 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

Sling

Stands out: Free includes shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts, news, and private messaging. Premium adds mobile time tracking, labor cost, and overtime. Business adds a kiosk clock, no-show tracking, and PTO.

Watch out: Free stops at 30 users. Kiosk time clock, payroll reports, and PTO management wait for Business at $4/user/mo ($3.40 annual). Toast customers can buy through Toast Shop instead of getsling.com.

Not the right fit for

Enterprises that need AI forecasting and FLSA rule engines (see UKG Dimensions)
Teams over the Free 30-user cap that also need advanced WFM analytics

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

Sling

Free plan for up to 30 users with real scheduling and messaging
Published Premium at $1.70/user/mo annual or $2 monthly
Integrations: Square, Gusto, QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, Google Calendar

Free cap of 30 users. The 31st forces Premium or Business
Kiosk clock and PTO sit on Business, not Premium
Not built for enterprise forecasting or union rules

What each one costs

Deputy

$5/user/mo

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

Checked 18 Sep 2026

Sling

$1.70/user/mo

Free covers up to 30 users (shift scheduling, time-off, messaging). Premium is $2/user/mo monthly or $1.70/user/mo billed annually. Business is $4/user/mo monthly or $3.40/user/mo billed annually. Annual billing saves 15%. Toast customers can view plans in Toast Shop. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Deputy cheaper than Sling?

Sling starts lower, at $1.70/user/mo against $5/user/mo for Deputy. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.

Can you try Deputy or Sling for free?

Sling carries a free tier on our listing. Deputy offers a free trial.

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