# Deputy vs HowNow

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HowNow at 100% against Deputy's 59%. HowNow also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Deputy's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Deputy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $59.99 per month. HowNow asks for nothing beyond the download.

HowNow holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Deputy has 6.1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Deputy's written reviews are positive against 100% of HowNow's.

Deputy ships an update weekly, HowNow monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Deputy | HowNow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deputy-shift-schedule-maker/id477070330/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hownow/id1464131703/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 59.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 285 MB | 115 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Deputy.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/477070333) | [Wonderush Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1079831353) |

## What reviewers say

### Deputy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deputy-shift-schedule-maker/id477070330)

This app simplifies employee scheduling, time tracking, and workforce management for businesses. It allows for easy creation of balanced schedules, communication with staff, and integration with payroll systems. Employees can view their schedules, manage availability, and clock in/out.

**Highlights:** Create balanced, cost-effective schedules, Publish shift information via push notification, Fill open shifts with team pick-up, Approve leave and shift changes, Manage team communications and tasks, Track time and attendance, Integrate with payroll and POS systems

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 users | $59.99 | per month |
| 25 users | $144.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient for scheduling and timekeeping
- 👍 Helpful for managing staff
- 👍 Reliable and efficient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable location tracking
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance after updates
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Expensive for some businesses

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes frequently
- Timesheets not accurately recording hours worked
- Shift scheduling issues after updates
- Notification system not reliable

**Requested features**

- Add ability to cancel shifts
- Improve communication features between employees
- Provide more detailed reporting and analytics
- Allow employees to view their leave balances
- Integrate with more payroll/HR systems


### HowNow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hownow/id1464131703)

Access a centralized knowledge hub for business intelligence and insights from various sources. It personalizes learning based on your role, goals, and performance, enabling easy knowledge sharing with your team in any format.

**Highlights:** Centralized knowledge hub, Personalized learning, Business intelligence integration, Skill requirement tracking, Team knowledge sharing, Multi-format content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Deputy free?

Deputy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HowNow free?

HowNow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Deputy or HowNow?

HowNow is rated higher. Deputy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while HowNow averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Deputy or HowNow have ads?

Neither Deputy nor HowNow shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Deputy or HowNow?

Deputy ships an update weekly, and HowNow monthly. Most recently, Deputy was updated on November 1, 2026 and HowNow on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*