Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Deputy vs Otter

Deputy logo

Deputy

Restaurants

Workforce management for restaurants

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

Otter

Restaurants

Delivery order consolidation and menu management across marketplaces, owned by CloudKitchens

From
On request
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; Otter the parent company operates delivery only kitchens and has run its own virtual brands, so your order and menu data sits with a business that can compete in the same delivery radius.
  • They diverge on capability: Deputy covers AI scheduling, Otter covers Order consolidation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deputy and Otter actually diverge.

Attributes where Deputy and Otter differ
AttributeDeputyOtter
Starting price$3.5/user/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: 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
  • Time tracking
  • Demand forecasting
  • Compliance
  • Team communication
  • Performance tracking
  • Toast
  • Square

Only in Otter

  • Order consolidation
  • Menu sync
  • POS injection
  • Availability and outage control
  • Virtual brand management
  • Marketplace analytics

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 Otter
  • Time clocking, timesheets and labour cost trackingnot Otter

Otter

  • A kitchen running three or more delivery marketplaces that has run out of counter space for tabletsnot Deputy
  • An operator launching virtual brands who needs several menus maintained from one placenot Deputy
  • A small chain that wants store pauses and item eighty sixes applied to every channel at oncenot Deputy
  • A ghost kitchen tenant who needs marketplace orders landing in the POS for accurate sales reportingnot 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

Otter

  • The parent company operates delivery only kitchens and has run its own virtual brands, so your order and menu data sits with a business that can compete in the same delivery radius.
  • Pricing scales with the number of connected channels and locations, so the cost rises exactly in step with the delivery volume that makes the tool worth having.
  • Inserting middleware between the marketplaces and the kitchen adds a failure point; when Otter has an incident, orders stop arriving even though DoorDash and Uber Eats are working normally.
  • POS integration depth varies by system, and on some point of sale platforms orders arrive as a single lumped item rather than as itemised tickets, which breaks product mix reporting.
  • Support is tiered by plan and lower tier customers report slow resolution on order routing faults, which are precisely the faults that cost money within the hour.

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

Otter

On request
  • Order Manager$undefined/year
    • Priced per location per month
    • Cost scales with the number of connected delivery channels
    • POS injection and menu sync quoted as part of the bundle
  • Otter POS and kitchen display$undefined/year
    • Point of sale and kitchen screens sold with hardware
    • Card processing quoted with the POS agreement

Which should you pick?

Choose Deputy if

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

Choose Otter if

  • You need order consolidation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want menu sync.
Otter review

Questions people ask

Is Deputy or Otter better?
Neither clearly leads. Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month and Otter at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deputy or Otter?
Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month and Otter at On request.
Does Deputy or Otter run on more platforms?
Deputy runs on Web, Ios, Android. Otter runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Otter is typically brought in for.
What can Deputy do that Otter cannot?
Deputy covers AI scheduling, Time tracking, Demand forecasting, Compliance. Otter covers Order consolidation, Menu sync, POS injection, Availability and outage control.

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
Otter: Who owns Otter?

CloudKitchens, the City Storage Systems business founded by Travis Kalanick, which also leases delivery only kitchen space.

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
Otter: Does it reduce marketplace commission?

No. You still pay DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub their normal commission. Otter reduces tablet handling and re keying, not commission.

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
Otter: Can I keep my existing POS?

In most cases yes, but check whether the integration passes itemised orders or a single consolidated line, because that determines whether your sales mix reporting stays usable.

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
Otter: What happens if Otter goes down?

Orders can be worked directly on the marketplace tablets, which is why most kitchens keep them rather than returning them.

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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