Head to head

Planday vs Sling

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

Planday

Sales-quoted 30 day free trial

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

Sling

$1.70/user/mo Free tier

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

DetailPlandaySling
Starting priceSales-quoted$1.70/user/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trial30 day free trialNot on record
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underWorkforce managementWorkforce management
Capterra4.3 from 58 reviews4.6 from 212 reviews

Where they pull apart

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can you try Planday or Sling for free?
Sling carries a free tier on our listing. Planday offers a 30 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Planday alternatives All Sling alternatives Every Workforce management tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?