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Restaurants · head to head

Deliveroo vs HotSchedules

Deliveroo logo

Deliveroo

Restaurants

UK-headquartered food delivery marketplace connecting restaurants, riders and diners

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HotSchedules logo

HotSchedules

Restaurants

Restaurant employee scheduling software

From
$2/employee/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Deliveroo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Deliveroo restaurant commission of roughly 20 to 30 percent is frequently passed on as higher in-app menu prices, so the displayed total is not the restaurant menu price plus a small fee, it is a marked-up menu plus a fee.; HotSchedules hotSchedules is sold by Fourth and its pricing page publishes no rate, no per location or per employee cost, no module price and no minimum commitment
  • They diverge on capability: Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace, HotSchedules covers Employee scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deliveroo and HotSchedules actually diverge.

Attributes where Deliveroo and HotSchedules differ
AttributeDeliverooHotSchedules
Starting priceFree$2/employee/month
Pricing modelFree to download; delivery and service fees per order, optional subscription for reduced feessubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Deliveroo

  • Restaurant marketplace
  • Deliveroo Plus subscription
  • Live order tracking
  • Grocery and convenience delivery
  • Group ordering
  • Deliveroo for Business

Only in HotSchedules

  • Employee scheduling
  • Time tracking
  • Team messaging
  • Labor forecasting
  • Shift swapping
  • Compliance
  • All major POS
  • Payroll systems

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Deliveroo

  • Someone ordering food for delivery who values convenience over the price premium versus collectionnot HotSchedules
  • A frequent orderer weighing whether a Deliveroo Plus subscription pays for itself at their order volumenot HotSchedules
  • A workplace using Deliveroo for Business to give staff an expensed meal allowancenot HotSchedules
  • A diner comparing grocery delivery speed against a supermarket own-delivery slotnot HotSchedules

HotSchedules

  • Employee scheduling for restaurants and retailnot Deliveroo
  • Labor cost management and optimizationnot Deliveroo
  • Shift coordination for multiple locationsnot Deliveroo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Deliveroo

  • Restaurant commission of roughly 20 to 30 percent is frequently passed on as higher in-app menu prices, so the displayed total is not the restaurant menu price plus a small fee, it is a marked-up menu plus a fee.
  • Riders are engaged as self-employed contractors paid per delivery, a model that has faced repeated legal and regulatory challenges in the UK and EU over minimum pay and employment status.
  • Deliveroo Plus only saves money above a certain order frequency, and casual users who subscribe rarely break even on the monthly charge.
  • Availability and reliability vary sharply by city; smaller markets have fewer restaurant partners and longer, less predictable delivery windows.
  • The company has exited some international markets entirely (including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan and Australia in prior years), so coverage has shrunk rather than grown in several regions, and a market can disappear with limited notice.

HotSchedules

  • HotSchedules is sold by Fourth and its pricing page publishes no rate, no per location or per employee cost, no module price and no minimum commitment
  • Obtaining a price requires a sales call or a demo request
  • Fourth sells HotSchedules alongside separate products including Adaco and MacromatiX, each quoted rather than listed

Pricing, plan by plan

Deliveroo

Free
  • Pay per orderFree
    • Delivery fee scaling with distance and demand
    • Service charge of a few percent on order total
    • Restaurant menu prices often marked up versus in-store
  • Deliveroo Plus$3.49/month
    • Delivery fees waived on qualifying orders above a minimum basket size
    • Service charge may still apply
    • Price varies by market and is often discounted for an introductory period

HotSchedules

$2/employee/month
  • Scheduling$2/employee/month
    • Scheduling
    • Communication
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full platform

Which should you pick?

Choose Deliveroo if

  • You need restaurant marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want deliveroo plus subscription.
Deliveroo review

Choose HotSchedules if

  • You need employee scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time tracking.
HotSchedules review

Questions people ask

Is Deliveroo or HotSchedules better?
Neither clearly leads. Deliveroo starts at Free and HotSchedules at $2/employee/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deliveroo or HotSchedules?
Deliveroo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Deliveroo and $2/employee/month for HotSchedules.
Does Deliveroo or HotSchedules run on more platforms?
Deliveroo runs on iOS, Android, Web. HotSchedules runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Deliveroo for free?
Yes. Deliveroo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HotSchedules starts at $2/employee/month.
What is Deliveroo best used for?
Deliveroo is most often used for someone ordering food for delivery who values convenience over the price premium versus collection, a frequent orderer weighing whether a deliveroo plus subscription pays for itself at their order volume, a workplace using deliveroo for business to give staff an expensed meal allowance, a diner comparing grocery delivery speed against a supermarket own-delivery slot. Of those, someone ordering food for delivery who values convenience over the price premium versus collection and a frequent orderer weighing whether a deliveroo plus subscription pays for itself at their order volume are not what HotSchedules is typically brought in for.
What can Deliveroo do that HotSchedules cannot?
Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace, Deliveroo Plus subscription, Live order tracking, Grocery and convenience delivery. HotSchedules covers Employee scheduling, Time tracking, Team messaging, Labor forecasting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Deliveroo: Is Deliveroo cheaper than collecting the food yourself?

Usually not. Menu prices in the app are frequently higher than in-restaurant prices to offset the commission Deliveroo charges, on top of the delivery and service fees.

HotSchedules: Does HotSchedules offer a free trial?

HotSchedules offers a promotional trial of one year free to new customers. Specific terms and conditions apply, and contact with their sales team is required to activate the offer.

Source
Deliveroo: What does Deliveroo Plus actually save?

It waives the delivery fee on qualifying orders above a minimum basket value for a flat monthly or annual charge; the service charge can still apply.

HotSchedules: How is HotSchedules pricing determined?

HotSchedules pricing is customized based on business needs. Potential customers must contact Fourth's sales team via the demo request form to receive a personalized pricing quote.

Source
Deliveroo: Are Deliveroo riders employees?

No, they are engaged as self-employed contractors paid per delivery, a classification that has been challenged in UK and EU courts and regulators.

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