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Deputy vs Square for Restaurants

Deputy logo

Deputy

Software

Workforce management for restaurants

From
$3.5/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square for Restaurants logo

Square for Restaurants

Software

Restaurant POS system that works for you

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Deputy covers AI scheduling, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deputy and Square for Restaurants actually diverge.

Attributes where Deputy and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeDeputySquare for Restaurants
Starting price$3.5/user/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20082018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Square for Restaurants

  • Table management
  • Menu customization
  • Split checks
  • Offline mode
  • Real-time reporting
  • Kitchen display
  • Caviar
  • DoorDash

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • 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 Square for Restaurants
  • Time clocking, timesheets and labour cost trackingnot Square for Restaurants

Square for Restaurants

  • Point of Salenot Deputy
  • Order Managementnot Deputy
  • Inventory Controlnot Deputy
  • Staff Schedulingnot 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

Square for Restaurants

  • The Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • KDS and Kiosk are billed per device per month on top of the plan, so cost scales with terminals rather than locations
  • Restaurants processing over $250,000 a year are moved to custom pricing rather than the published rates

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

Square for Restaurants

Free
  • FreeFree
    • POS
    • Menu management
    • Basic reporting
  • Plus$60/month
    • Advanced features
    • Live sales
    • Seat management
  • PremiumFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Dedicated support

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 Square for Restaurants if

  • You need table management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want menu customization.
Square for Restaurants review

Questions people ask

Is Deputy or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deputy or Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3.5/user/month for Deputy and Free for Square for Restaurants.
Does Deputy or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Square for Restaurants for free?
Yes. Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month.
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 Square for Restaurants is typically brought in for.
What can Deputy do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
Deputy covers AI scheduling, Time tracking, Demand forecasting, Compliance. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Both handle QuickBooks, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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