Five Deputy alternatives at a glance — what each is best for and where pricing starts.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| TimeTally | Time tracking + leave management | £3/employee/month |
| RotaCloud | Rota scheduling | From £10/month (1–5 staff) |
| When I Work | Shift scheduling | From $2.50/user/month |
| Planday | Hospitality scheduling | Per user, 5-user minimum |
| Sling | Basic scheduling | Free up to 30 users |
Prices checked on each vendor's own pricing page, 2–3 October 2026.
Starting price
£3/employee/month
TimeTally is a UK-focused tool combining time tracking and leave management in a single tool at £3/employee/month — with no contract, no exit penalties, and managers who don't log hours free. Employees clock in and out or log hours in the iOS or Android app; managers approve timesheets and leave requests with one tap. Where Deputy is heavily scheduling-focused, TimeTally is built around time and attendance plus UK holiday management, with direct payroll exports to Xero, QuickBooks, or CSV.
Best for: UK businesses that want a rota, clock-ins, timesheets and leave in one tool without a long-term contract.
Starting price
From £10/month (1–5 staff)
RotaCloud is a UK-based rota scheduling tool used widely in hospitality and retail. It focuses on shift planning and rota management, with holiday, absence and shift swaps included. Pricing is banded by team size, from £10/month for 1–5 staff (annual), and clocking in and timesheets are a Time & Attendance add-on at £4.50/user/month.
Best for: UK businesses in hospitality or retail that primarily need rota scheduling.
Starting price
From $2.50/user/month
When I Work is a scheduling tool for shift-based businesses, with shift swapping, open shifts and team messaging from $2.50/user/month (USD). Time tracking and attendance is an add-on on every plan. It has iOS and Android apps and a 14-day trial.
Best for: Shift-based businesses that prioritise scheduling and are happy to pay in USD.
Starting price
Per user, 5-user minimum
Planday is scheduling software designed for hospitality and shift-based industries, with rota scheduling, time tracking and mobile apps on every plan. It's priced per user with a 5-user minimum; leave and absence management and payroll integrations are on its Plus plan. It offers a 30-day trial.
Best for: Hospitality businesses that need advanced scheduling and have at least five staff.
Starting price
Free up to 30 users
Sling's free plan covers scheduling, time-off requests and messaging for up to 30 users. Mobile time tracking starts on Premium ($2/user/month, $1.70 annual) and PTO administration and payroll integration on Business ($4/user/month, $3.40 annual). Prices are in USD.
Best for: Very small teams that need basic scheduling and want to start on a free plan.
Four questions that will help you narrow down the right tool for your business.
If advanced rota scheduling is your primary need, RotaCloud or Sling are worth exploring. If you want a simple rota plus clock-ins, timesheets and UK leave management in one price, TimeTally is the focused choice.
TimeTally is £3/employee/month with no minimum. Check minimums and add-ons elsewhere: Deputy has a £20/month minimum on monthly plans, Planday a 5-user minimum, and RotaCloud charges extra for clocking in.
If your payroll runs through Xero or QuickBooks, TimeTally posts approved hours to either as a wages journal, or exports CSV for anything else. Check which UK payroll systems each tool lists before you choose.
TimeTally is month-to-month with no contract and no exit penalties. Some tools, including some tiers of Deputy, may involve longer commitments — always check the terms.
Deputy is built around shift scheduling. TimeTally is built around what UK small businesses actually need most: accurate time and attendance and compliant leave management, all in one tool at £3/employee/month.
Leave requests approved in one tap
UK statutory entitlement auto-calculated
Timesheets flow straight to payroll
No contract — cancel anytime
Dig deeper into how TimeTally compares with specific tools
Full feature and pricing comparison
Read comparisonRota scheduling vs time tracking and leave
Read comparisonCompare pricing including Planday's platform fee
Read comparisonUK-focused alternative to this US scheduling tool
Read comparisonSee all tools side by side in one view
View matrix