RotaCloud vs Deputy: Simple UK Rota Tool or Global Workforce Platform?

RotaCloud and Deputy sit at different ends of the rota-software market. RotaCloud is a straightforward UK rota, holiday and absence tool with a York-based support team. Deputy is a global workforce platform, headquartered in Sydney with an office in London, that adds auto-scheduling, forecasting, biometric clocking and a long list of payroll and till integrations. Both are used by UK pubs, restaurants, cafés and hotels.

This page sets out what each does well, what each costs for a typical hospitality team, and who each suits. Every fact was checked on RotaCloud's and Deputy's own websites as of October 2026 and is linked in the sources. ShiftComplete publishes this page; we've tried to be fair to both.

The short answer

• Choose RotaCloud if you want a simple, UK-supported rota and leave tool, you're a small team, and you're happy to add clock-in as an extra.
• Choose Deputy if you want clock-in with geofencing included, auto-scheduling from forecasts, and your payroll and till connected.
• Look at a third option if you want rotas, simple clock-in and your food-safety records in one app at a flat per-person price.

RotaCloud vs Deputy at a glance

Who RotaCloud suits

What RotaCloud does well. It keeps things simple and predictable. Standard includes unlimited sites and departments, drag-and-drop rotas, templates, copying tools, free mobile apps, daily, weekly and monthly labour costs, holiday management, time off in lieu, sickness and absence tracking, shift swaps, availability patterns and free live chat and phone support. Its hospitality page mentions leave embargoes to block holiday requests in busy periods, which pubs will appreciate at Christmas. Pro adds bulk shift edits, labour forecasting as a percentage of sales, budget caps, document storage, holiday request rules, a staff logbook and enforced two-factor sign-in. RotaCloud says more than 5,000 businesses use it, and there's no long-term contract.

Best for: small and mid-sized UK businesses that want a clean rota and leave tool with UK support, and either don't need clock-in or are happy to pay a little more for it.

Watch for: clock-in is a separate add-on, and pricing jumps at band edges (21 employees moves you from the £40 band to £60 on Standard). Integrations are narrower than Deputy's, with Tevalis the only EPOS listed.

Who Deputy suits

What Deputy does well. Deputy's Lite plan already includes rotas, timesheets, basic time clocking, labour law compliance, shift swaps, leave accruals, messaging and payroll integrations. Core adds auto-scheduling, demand forecasting, wage and labour budgets, micro-scheduling and biometric clocking. Its time clock lists GPS geofencing, a GPS location stamp on mobile clock-ins and an iPad kiosk with facial recognition. Its integrations page lists UK payroll tools (Xero, Sage, PayCaptain, MyPAYE), tills (Lightspeed, Square, Epos Now, Tabology) and TipHaus for tips.

Best for: busier venues and groups that pay from clock-in data, want the rota built from forecast demand, and want sales and payroll connected.

Watch for: managers count as paid users, there's a £20 per invoice minimum on monthly plans, and HR, Messaging+ and Analytics+ are paid add-ons on Lite and Core.

A third option for UK hospitality: ShiftComplete

RotaCloud and Deputy both stop at the rota and the timesheet. In a pub or restaurant, the same managers also have to keep fridge temperatures, allergen information and opening and closing checks up to date for the EHO. ShiftComplete puts all of that in one app, built only for UK hospitality.

• Rotas: staff set availability from their phones weeks ahead. You add events and weight the people you want on, and ShiftComplete builds a draft rota in seconds, fair across the team. Split shifts (up to four blocks a day), custom staff areas, holiday requests and labour cost as you build.
• Clocking in and out (a setting you switch on, no extra charge): staff clock in on their phone or the shared tablet; you see hours against the rota and download a spreadsheet with a total per person for payroll.
• Food-safety and venue records: temperature logs with out-of-range flags, the 14 UK allergens per dish, weekday checklists, incidents, maintenance and risk assessments.
• Price: £1.49 per staff member per month, every feature included, no bands, no contract. Free for 60 days, no card.

What it doesn't do: no payroll, no payroll or till integrations and no GPS geofencing. If you need any of those, Deputy is the stronger fit.

"The rota stopped being a Sunday-night argument the week we switched over. The chef stopped being the only person who knows what's in the kitchen. And the EHO turn up to a screen, not a box file."

Graeme Kirkham, Owner, The Lounge Oswestry & Knock & Snitch

What it costs with clock-in included

Because RotaCloud charges for clock-in separately and Deputy includes it, the fairest comparison adds RotaCloud's Time and Attendance add-on. Monthly list prices as of October 2026, before VAT; Deputy excludes taxes. Count managers in your headcount for both.

Without clock-in, RotaCloud Standard (£20, £40, £60) is cheaper than Deputy Lite at these sizes. Paying yearly lowers RotaCloud's price (Standard for 1-5 is £120 a year rather than £10 a month), and Deputy offers 10% off annual billing.

The differences that matter in a venue

Building the rota

Both have drag-and-drop rotas, templates, availability and shift swaps. Deputy goes further with auto-scheduling and demand forecasting on Core. RotaCloud Pro shows labour cost as a percentage of sales and lets you set budget caps, but leaves the building to you.

Clocking in

Deputy includes it and adds geofencing and facial recognition. RotaCloud's add-on covers phone and terminal clock-in with GPS restrictions, lateness flagging and a payroll export, which is plenty for most single venues.

Support and contract

RotaCloud highlights its York-based support team and free phone support on both plans, with no long-term contract. Deputy has a customer success manager from Core, a dedicated one on Pro, and 24/7 live chat on Pro.

How to choose

1. Under about 10 staff, no clock-in needed, want UK phone support? RotaCloud Standard.
2. Need geofenced clock-in, auto-scheduling or a till integration beyond Tevalis? Deputy.
3. Want a fair rota, simple clock-in and your temperature logs, allergens and checklists in one app? Try ShiftComplete free for 60 days, or book a set-up call.

More detail in our RotaCloud alternative and Deputy alternative guides.