Short answer on Deputy alternatives: Deputy is built for scheduling, with demand forecasting and auto-scheduling from its Core plan, so the usual reason to look elsewhere is price or fit. If you want a cheaper rota tool, look at When I Work, Homebase or Connecteam. If you only need hours logged, Clockify is the lightest. And if you run an office or remote team, Wrkbase puts attendance, tasks, leave and payroll records in one workspace. Full disclosure: we build Wrkbase, and the last section says when it is not the right pick.
Why teams look for Deputy alternatives
Deputy charges per user: Lite at $5, Core at $6.50 and Pro at $9 a month, as listed on 31 October 2026. The page does not say whether those prices assume yearly billing, and it shows a toggle labelled Save 10% for annual. There is no permanent free plan, only a free trial whose length is not stated, and monthly plans carry a $30 monthly minimum, which matters below six Lite users.
The scheduling that Deputy is known for sits above Lite. Advanced scheduling, auto-scheduling and demand forecasting start at Core, and biometrics clocking and timesheet auto-approval do too. Payroll and HR are integrations on every plan, with Deputy Payroll as an add-on at $8 per user plus a $49 monthly base fee, US only, on annual Core and Pro. Messaging+ is a $1.95 per user add-on, included in Pro. That is why the headline price and the bill for a team that wants forecasting, chat and payroll are different numbers. The plan-by-plan detail is in Deputy pricing.
What it costs at 10, 25 and 40 people
Monthly cost on each tool's entry paid plan, worked out from the prices each vendor lists (Homebase August 2026, the others October 2026). Deputy is shown at the listed per-user price with its $30 minimum applied. Homebase is per location, shown for one. Confirm current prices before you decide.
| Tool | 10 people | 25 people | 40 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecteam Basic (free to 10 users) | $29 | $29 | $37 |
| Homebase Essentials, one location | $30 | $30 | $30 |
| When I Work Essentials ($2.50 per user) | $25 | $62.50 | $100 |
| Clockify Basic ($3.99 per user, yearly) | $39.90 | $99.75 | $159.60 |
| Deputy Lite ($5 per user) | $50 | $125 | $200 |
| Deputy Core ($6.50 per user) | $65 | $162.50 | $260 |
| Wrkbase Team ($8 per member; free up to 5) | $80 | $200 | $320 |
The rota tools: When I Work, Homebase and Connecteam
When I Work is the nearest like-for-like swap: $2.50 to $8 per user, with open shifts and shift swapping on its lowest plan, and no free plan. Homebase charges per location, $0 to $120 a month, with a free Basic tier for one location with up to 10 staff. Connecteam lists a free plan for up to 10 users and flat Operations plans of $29, $49 or $99 that include the first 30 users. See Homebase alternatives, Connecteam alternatives and Homebase vs When I Work.
Clockify: the timer
Clockify is a timer first, free for up to 5 users, with timesheet approval from Standard and scheduling and GPS from Pro. It does no payroll of its own. If hours logged against projects is the need, it is the cheapest route; see the Clockify review.
Where Wrkbase is and is not an alternative
Wrkbase is not a scheduling-first tool. Its shift scheduling is a weekly rota you build, copy from last week and publish, with no auto-scheduling, demand forecasting, open shifts or shift swaps, and it does not file payroll taxes. If forecasting is the requirement, stay with Deputy. It is an alternative when the rota is one part of a wider job: attendance with a phone clock, timesheets, tasks, leave, team chat and payroll tracking are in one workspace, free for up to 5 people and $8 per member per month on Team. That costs more than Deputy at the listed per-user prices at every size in the table, so it only makes sense if it replaces several tools. The line-by-line version is on Wrkbase vs Deputy.
Questions this post answers
Is there a free Deputy alternative?
Deputy lists no permanent free plan, only a free trial of unstated length. Among the alternatives, Connecteam's Small Business plan is free for up to 10 users, Homebase's Basic tier is free for one location with up to 10 staff, and Clockify and Wrkbase are free for up to 5 users.
Is anything cheaper than Deputy for 25 people?
On entry plans, yes. At 25 people Deputy Lite is $125 a month at the listed price and Deputy Core is $162.50. Connecteam Basic is $29, Homebase Essentials at one location is $30, When I Work Essentials is $62.50 and Clockify Basic is $99.75. Wrkbase Team is $200, so it is not cheaper.
Which Deputy alternative includes payroll?
Deputy sells Deputy Payroll as an add-on at $8 per user plus a $49 monthly base fee, US only. Homebase sells payroll as an add-on too, When I Work lists payroll integrations, and Clockify's reports feed an outside payroll system. Wrkbase tracks payroll from attendance hours but does not file payroll taxes.
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