# Deputy vs OffshoreSMS

The clearest difference is rating: Deputy at 4.8 against OffshoreSMS's 1.0. Deputy also leads on ratings volume (6K vs 1). OffshoreSMS's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 59%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Deputy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $59.99 per month and OffshoreSMS sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Deputy holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Deputy has 6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Deputy's written reviews are positive against 83% of OffshoreSMS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Deputy ships an update weekly, OffshoreSMS every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Deputy | OffshoreSMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deputy-shift-schedule-maker/id477070330/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/offshoresms/id1526656158/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 59.2% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 285 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Deputy.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/477070333) | [Offshore SMS Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1495643255) |

## 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


### OffshoreSMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/offshoresms/id1526656158)

This app provides commercial vessel owners, skippers, and crew with essential tools for maritime safety management. It simplifies the creation and real-time updating of safety management systems, ensuring all crew members have access to critical information. The platform aims to reduce paper usage and streamline safety processes on board.

**Highlights:** Real-time SMS updates for crew, Digital vessel logs and forms, Crew qualification and induction management, Passenger manifest creation, Expense logging and receipt saving, Personal Mariner Profile creation, Fleet management tools

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Digital Logs Plan | $31.99 | one-time |
| Digital SMS Plan | $84.99 | one-time |
| OffshoreSMS LOGS + SMS | $94.99 | one-time |
| OffshoreSMS PRO Plan | $159.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Deputy free?

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

### Is OffshoreSMS free?

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

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

Deputy is rated higher. Deputy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while OffshoreSMS averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Deputy or OffshoreSMS have ads?

Neither Deputy nor OffshoreSMS shows ads.

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

Deputy ships an update weekly, and OffshoreSMS every 10 days. Most recently, Deputy was updated on October 30, 2026 and OffshoreSMS on October 24, 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.*