Deputy
Deputy is a comprehensive workforce management software that simplifies employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication to help you manage your shift-based staff and stay compliant with labor laws.
MakeShift
MakeShift is a cloud-based employee scheduling software that helps you create rotas faster, track time accurately, and communicate with your team through a simple mobile-first interface.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Deputy | MakeShift |
|---|---|---|
| Website | deputy.com | makeshift.ca |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $3.5/month | $2.75/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 31 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2008 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Sydney, Australia | Calgary, Canada |
Overview
Deputy
Deputy is a versatile workforce management platform designed to take the headache out of managing shift-based teams. You can create optimized schedules in minutes, track employee hours with digital timesheets, and communicate with your entire staff through a single app. It helps you balance labor costs against your sales data while ensuring you stay compliant with local fair work regulations and break requirements.
Whether you run a single cafe or manage thousands of employees across multiple locations, you can use the platform to streamline your daily operations. You can easily handle leave requests, swap shifts, and export verified timesheets directly to your payroll provider. It eliminates manual data entry and reduces the risk of costly scheduling errors, allowing you to focus more on growing your business and less on administrative paperwork.
MakeShift
MakeShift is a people-first scheduling platform designed to eliminate the headaches of manual shift management. You can build complex schedules in minutes using a drag-and-drop interface that accounts for employee availability, qualifications, and labor costs. By moving your rotas to the cloud, you ensure your team always has the most up-to-date information right on their phones.
The platform bridges the gap between management and staff by allowing you to approve time-off requests, manage shift swaps, and track attendance in real-time. It specifically targets industries with fluctuating shifts like healthcare, retail, and hospitality. You can reduce HERO (unnecessary overtime) and ensure your business stays compliant with labor laws while keeping your employees engaged and informed.
Overview
Deputy Features
- Auto-Scheduling Create perfect schedules in one click using AI to forecast your staffing needs based on historical sales and demand.
- Mobile Time Clock Turn any tablet or smartphone into a touchless photo-verified time clock to prevent buddy punching and track attendance accurately.
- Compliance Tools Stay protected with built-in labor law alerts that notify you about missed breaks, overtime risks, and fair workweek violations.
- Shift Swapping Empower your team to swap shifts or find coverage directly through the app, reducing your time spent on phone calls.
- Real-time Communication Send announcements and required reading to your staff via the Newsfeed to ensure everyone stays informed and accountable.
- Payroll Integration Sync your verified timesheets with popular payroll software like Xero, QuickBooks, or ADP to ensure fast and accurate payments.
MakeShift Features
- Drag-and-Drop Scheduling. Create and adjust weekly schedules in seconds by dragging shifts across your screen to the right team members.
- Mobile App for Staff. Give your team the power to view schedules, request time off, and swap shifts directly from their smartphones.
- Photo Radar Time Clock. Prevent buddy punching by having your employees clock in via a tablet that captures a photo for verification.
- Availability Management. Let your employees set their own preferred working hours so you only schedule people who are actually available.
- Shift Exchange. Enable your staff to trade shifts with qualified colleagues, which you can then approve or deny with one click.
- Real-Time Notifications. Send instant alerts to your team's phones whenever a schedule is published or a shift change occurs.
- Labor Cost Tracking. Monitor your labor spend as you build schedules to ensure you stay within budget and avoid costly overtime.
- Automated Reminders. Reduce no-shows by automatically sending your employees reminders before their scheduled shifts begin.
Pricing Comparison
Deputy Pricing
- Unlimited shifts
- Auto-scheduling
- Leave management
- Shift swapping
- Newsfeed for team communication
- POS integrations
- Everything in Scheduling, plus:
- Time & attendance tracking
- Photo-verified tablet time clock
- Payroll integrations
- Advanced reporting
- Labor compliance tools
MakeShift Pricing
- Drag-and-drop scheduling
- Employee mobile app
- Availability management
- Shift exchange & swaps
- Time off requests
- In-app messaging
- Everything in Essentials, plus:
- Photo Radar time clock
- GPS-enabled clock-in
- Payroll exports
- Advanced labor reporting
- Department-level permissions
Pros & Cons
Deputy
Pros
- Intuitive mobile app for employees to check shifts
- Simplifies complex scheduling for multiple business locations
- Strong integration with major payroll and POS systems
- Effective photo-verification prevents time theft and errors
Cons
- Reporting features can feel limited for enterprise needs
- Initial setup of pay rates requires significant time
- Mobile app occasionally experiences lag during peak times
MakeShift
Pros
- Extremely intuitive interface for both managers and employees
- Significantly reduces the time spent on weekly schedule creation
- Mobile app is highly reliable for remote shift management
- Excellent customer support team that responds quickly to issues
Cons
- Limited customization options for very complex labor rules
- Reporting tools could be more robust for enterprise needs
- Occasional sync delays between the web and mobile apps