# Deputy vs Planday Employee Scheduling

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Planday Employee Scheduling at none against Deputy's 2. Deputy's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (59% vs 40%). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Deputy holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.4K and 4.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Deputy's written reviews are positive against 40% of Planday Employee Scheduling's.

Deputy ships an update weekly, Planday Employee Scheduling every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Deputy | Planday Employee Scheduling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deputy-shift-schedule-maker/id477070330/reviews)** | [4.5 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planday-employee-scheduling/id518598166/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.4K** | 4.3K |
| Positive reviews | **58.9% of reviews** | 40.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 285 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Deputy.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/477070333) | [Planday A/S](https://appshunter.io/developer/518598249) |

## 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


### Planday Employee Scheduling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planday-employee-scheduling/id518598166)

This app helps managers and staff create and manage work schedules, track hours worked, and facilitate shift swaps. It offers features for viewing shift details, requesting time off, and direct messaging with colleagues.

**Highlights:** Create and manage schedules, Track employee hours, Swap and hand over shifts, View staff availability and preferences, Request time off, In-app messaging

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 User-friendly
- 💡 Convenient communication with colleagues
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Helpful for scheduling and shift management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Slow and laggy performance
- 🐛 Unreliable clock-in/out functionality
- 🐛 Notification issues
- 🐛 Sync and connectivity problems

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Disappearing messages and inbox problems
- Scheduling and shift management bugs
- Unreliable clock-in/out functionality

**Requested features**

- Ability to view and manage employee schedules and time off requests
- Improved notification system
- Faster loading times
- More customization options
- Compatibility improvements for older devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Deputy free?

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

### Is Planday Employee Scheduling free?

Planday Employee Scheduling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Deputy or Planday Employee Scheduling?

Deputy is rated higher. Deputy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.4K ratings, while Planday Employee Scheduling averages 4.5 from 4.3K ratings.

### Do Deputy or Planday Employee Scheduling have ads?

Neither Deputy nor Planday Employee Scheduling shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Deputy or Planday Employee Scheduling?

Deputy ships an update weekly, and Planday Employee Scheduling every 3 weeks. Most recently, Deputy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Planday Employee Scheduling on September 23, 2026.

---

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