# Deputy vs Homebase

The clearest difference is ads: Deputy at none against Homebase's shown. Deputy also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Homebase's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 59%) and ratings volume (97K vs 6.2K). On price, rating, update cadence 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 Homebase sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $30.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Deputy against 4.8 for Homebase. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Homebase has 97K ratings behind it against 6.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Deputy's written reviews are positive against 76% of Homebase's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Deputy | Homebase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deputy-shift-schedule-maker/id477070330/reviews)** | [4.8 (97K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homebase-employee-scheduling/id871544379/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6.2K | **97K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.2% of reviews | **76.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #208 | **#56** |
| Size | 289 MB | 188 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Deputy.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/477070333) | [Pioneer Works, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/871544382) |

## What reviewers say

### Deputy

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

**Currently charting:** #208 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

This app streamlines workforce management by simplifying employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication. It helps businesses create cost-effective schedules, manage leave requests, and ensure compliance. Employees can easily view their schedules, manage availability, and clock in/out.

**Highlights:** Create balanced, cost-effective schedules, Publish shift information via push notification, email, SMS, Fill open shifts easily, Approve leave and shift changes, Manage team communications and tasks, Time and attendance tracking with GPS validation, Integrates with over 300+ solutions

**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


### Homebase

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homebase-employee-scheduling/id871544379)

**Currently charting:** #56 Top Grossing · Business, #64 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

Manage employee schedules, track time and attendance, and streamline payroll for your small business. This app helps owners save time on HR tasks, hiring, and team management, integrating with popular payroll providers.

**Highlights:** Employee scheduling and shift planning, Time clock and attendance tracking, Payroll management and paycheck processing, HR and hiring tools, Shift reminders and time-off requests, Integration with payroll providers

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Homebase Essentials Plan | $30.00 | per month |
| Homebase Plus Plan | $70.00 | per month |
| Homebase Essentials Annual | $289.00 | per year |
| Homebase Plus Plan Annual | $669.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient features
- 💰 Helpful cash out option
- 📅 Useful scheduling and shift management
- 💬 Good communication tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔁 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 Location access issues
- 💬 Notification problems
- 🗓️ Limited calendar/schedule view options

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent location access
- Unresolved message notification issues
- Freezing/crashing on login or clock-in
- Delayed app updates and sync issues

**Requested features**

- Improved calendar/schedule view options
- Direct message reply functionality
- Ability to delete chat threads
- Automatic read notification clearing
- Shift-level details in shift trading


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Deputy free?

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

### Is Homebase free?

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

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

Deputy is rated higher. Deputy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.2K ratings, while Homebase averages 4.8 from 97K ratings.

### Do Deputy or Homebase have ads?

Homebase shows ads; Deputy does not.

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

Deputy ships an update weekly, and Homebase weekly. Most recently, Deputy was updated on November 10, 2026 and Homebase on November 11, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Deputy or Homebase?

Deputy currently peaks at #208 in the App Store charts, and Homebase at #56. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*