Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Deputy vs HotSchedules

Deputy logo

Deputy

Restaurants

Workforce management for restaurants

From
$3.5/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HotSchedules logo

HotSchedules

Restaurants

Restaurant employee scheduling software

From
$2/employee/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Deputy a $30 monthly minimum applies to every plan, so a team of four on the $5 Lite plan pays for six; 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: Deputy covers AI scheduling, HotSchedules covers Employee scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deputy and HotSchedules actually diverge.

Attributes where Deputy and HotSchedules differ
AttributeDeputyHotSchedules
Starting price$3.5/user/month$2/employee/month
Founded20081999

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Deputy

  • AI scheduling
  • Demand forecasting
  • Team communication
  • Performance tracking
  • Toast
  • Square
  • QuickBooks
  • ADP

Only in HotSchedules

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

Both cover

  • Time tracking
  • Compliance
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Deputy

  • Staff scheduling and shift management for hourly teamsnot HotSchedules
  • Time clocking, timesheets and labour cost trackingnot HotSchedules

HotSchedules

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

Where each one falls short

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

Deputy

  • A $30 monthly minimum applies to every plan, so a team of four on the $5 Lite plan pays for six
  • Auto scheduling, demand forecasting and labour optimisation all require a plan above Lite
  • SSO and custom access levels are Pro only at $9 per user per month
  • Payroll is an add on at $8 per user per month plus a $49 monthly base fee
  • Messaging and analytics are separately priced add ons at $1.95 and $1.50 per user per month

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

Deputy

$3.5/user/month
  • Scheduling$3.5/user/month
    • Scheduling
    • Communication
  • Time & Attendance$3.5/user/month
    • Time clock
    • Timesheets
  • Premium$4.9/user/month
    • Full features
    • Reporting

HotSchedules

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Deputy if

  • You need ai scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want demand forecasting.
Deputy review

Choose HotSchedules if

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

Questions people ask

Is Deputy or HotSchedules better?
Neither clearly leads. Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month and HotSchedules at $2/employee/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deputy or HotSchedules?
Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month and HotSchedules at $2/employee/month.
Does Deputy or HotSchedules run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Deputy best used for?
Deputy is most often used for staff scheduling and shift management for hourly teams, time clocking, timesheets and labour cost tracking. Of those, staff scheduling and shift management for hourly teams and time clocking, timesheets and labour cost tracking are not what HotSchedules is typically brought in for.
What can Deputy do that HotSchedules cannot?
Deputy covers AI scheduling, Demand forecasting, Team communication, Performance tracking. HotSchedules covers Employee scheduling, Team messaging, Labor forecasting, Shift swapping. Both handle Time tracking, Compliance, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Deputy: How much does Deputy cost per user?

Deputy offers three plans: Lite at $5/user/month, Core at $6.50/user/month, and Pro at $9/user/month. All plans are billed upfront or in monthly installments in USD, excluding taxes.

Source
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
Deputy: Is there a minimum monthly charge for Deputy?

Yes, there is a minimum spend of $30 USD/AUD or £20 GBP monthly per invoice, effective September 1, 2025.

Source
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
Deputy: Can I change plans or cancel anytime with Deputy monthly billing?

Monthly plans allow changes anytime without penalty, effective the first of the current month. You can cancel by paying through the current billing period with no additional penalties.

Source
Deputy: What happens if I cancel an annual Deputy plan before 12 months?

Annual plans do not offer refunds if you cancel before 12 months expire. You may cancel before the 12 months expire, but you forfeit any unused prepaid time.

Source
Deputy: Can I use Deputy without paying for every team member?

All admins and managers count as users and are subject to per-user charges. There is no option to exclude administrative staff from billing.

Source
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