A No-Nonsense Review of Deputy: Features, Pricing, Alternatives, and More!

In this Deputy review, we’ll break down how the Deputy app delivers in terms of workforce management, particularly shift scheduling and time tracking.

We’ll explore all the finer details to see if Deputy can meet the demands of field-based businesses like construction that require continuous tracking or more detailed location data. 

Let’s jump right into it.

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What Is Deputy?

Deputy is workforce management software designed to simplify employee scheduling, time tracking, and communication.

Founded in 2008 by Steve Shelley and Ashik Ahmed in Sydney, Australia, Deputy was created to address the common pain points of managing hourly workers. 

Over the years, it has grown into a widely used platform, serving businesses in industries such as retail, hospitality, and healthcare.

Deputy Overview

Deputy makes workforce management more efficient and less time-consuming for businesses of all sizes.

With automated scheduling, real-time attendance tracking, and built-in compliance tools, Deputy helps business owners manage labor costs while ensuring their workforce operates smoothly.

Here’s a look at some of Deputy’s core features:

• Employee Scheduling: Create and manage staff schedules effortlessly while considering availability and skills.
• Time and Attendance Tracking: Record work hours with a digital time clock, reducing payroll errors and ensuring compliance.
• Task Management: Assign, track, and monitor tasks to keep projects on schedule.
• Team Communication: Send announcements and chat with employees directly through the platform.
• Compliance Management: Automate record-keeping and receive alerts to help meet labor law requirements.

Sign-Up and Onboarding

Signing up for Deputy is straightforward. New users have two options: start a 31-day free trial or book a demo. 

The free trial doesn’t require a credit card, making it easy to explore the platform without commitment. Booking a demo involves filling out a form with details such as your company name, job title, country, and industry. 

Notably, construction is missing from the industry list, which suggests that Deputy primarily caters to healthcare, hospitality, retail, and service-based businesses. However, construction managers can still sign up and customize settings to fit their needs.

For those opting for the free trial, the sign-up process is quick and simple. Users enter their name and email address or sign up using Google or Facebook via Single Sign-On (SSO). The SSO option is convenient, requiring only a few clicks to create an account.

Once registered, Deputy immediately sends a temporary password and time clock PIN via email, allowing users to start testing its features right away. Upon logging in, new users are met with a bare interface and must either create a new business or wait to be invited by a manager who has already set up an account.

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Setting up a new business takes just three steps. First, Deputy asks for basic business details, including name, mobile number, type of business, and number of employees.

Next, users select which specific features they plan to use (scheduling, time tracking, payroll integration) so Deputy can personalize the experience.

The final step asks when they plan to start using the platform — whether immediately, in the near future, or just for evaluation. After completing these steps, Deputy automatically configures your account in just a few seconds.

A guided onboarding questionnaire follows, further refining the user’s experience. The process is smooth, with pre-selected answers that can be changed if needed.

A progress indicator and back button make it easy to navigate the onboarding experience, but there’s no visible “X” button to close the walkthrough window, which can be frustrating. If users want to exit the tutorial, they must click the “Done” button, even if they haven’t finished watching. 

On the plus side, video tutorials are short, clear, and well-structured, making it easy to grasp the platform’s core functions.

After this intro to the app, Deputy then walks users through setting up locations and areas, following a two-level hierarchy:

• Locations represent physical job sites (e.g., construction sites, warehouses).
• Areas define job roles or departments within a location (e.g., electricians, plumbers, or site supervisors).

For construction businesses, this setup may require frequent manual adjustments since job sites change regularly.

Deputy recommends setting up a template location with common settings that can be duplicated for new job sites. However, this workaround might still feel clunky for businesses that need to archive and create locations frequently.

The final onboarding step allows users to invite team members, assigning them roles such as employee, supervisor, or location manager. Users can import staff from QuickBooks in just a few clicks, but this step is optional and can be skipped. 

Once the basic setup is complete, Deputy introduces additional features like geofencing for clock-ins.

However, enabling geofencing isn’t as intuitive as expected — it’s not available when adding a new location, meaning users must go back later to enable it. For construction businesses managing mobile crews, having this setting built into the location setup would be more practical.

Overall, Deputy’s onboarding is well-organized, thorough, and user-friendly, but it does require some effort to fully configure.

The step-by-step setup is helpful, and the intuitive interface makes it easy to follow, but construction managers may find it slightly cumbersome to tailor the software to their ever-changing job sites.

The Web App Experience

Upon logging in, Deputy greets users with an uncluttered dashboard where key features like scheduling, time tracking, and team communication are easily accessible.

This thoughtful design ensures both managers and employees can navigate the platform with minimal effort.​

I particularly like how Deputy integrates labor compliance tools within the scheduling module. Located prominently at the top of the dashboard, these tools allow managers to automate wage calculations by assigning pay rates based on local labor laws and tracking shift costs.

Beneath the compliance tools, the dashboard presents collapsible sections that provide at-a-glance updates on shifts requiring attention and pending requests.

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The integrated calendar offers a clear visual representation of schedules, making it straightforward to identify coverage gaps or overlaps

Deputy’s News Feed serves as a centralized communication hub, enabling managers to post announcements, share documents, and engage with team members. Users can attach images, videos, and PDFs to their posts, and options like “Require confirmation” ensure that critical messages are acknowledged. 

However, it’s worth noting that the News Feed functions as a generic communication channel, not tied to specific projects. This means users might need to sift through various messages to find information relevant to a particular project, which could be streamlined for better efficiency.​

Adjacent to the News Feed, the Task feature allows managers to assign responsibilities to individuals or entire teams. Tasks can be scheduled with specific start times and set to repeat daily, weekly, or monthly, providing flexibility in planning. 

While the Task feature enhances accountability and organization, integrating tasks more closely with specific projects could further improve user experience, especially for industries like construction where project-based task management is crucial.​

Deputy provides a comprehensive knowledge base accessible via a purple question mark icon at the bottom right corner of the web app. Users can enter queries and receive relevant articles and guides, facilitating self-help. AI-assisted chat support is also available for more personalized assistance. 

However, the absence of live phone support might be a limitation for users who prefer real-time verbal communication, especially when addressing complex issues.​

The Mobile Experience

Deputy’s mobile app boasts an intuitive and user-friendly interface. Its clean layout, characterized by white and purple theming, large fonts, and well-spaced elements, makes navigation straightforward.

Core functions such as scheduling, time clock, and tasks are accessible via clear menus or icons, allowing basic actions like clocking in with a single tap. The straightforward design facilitates quick onboarding; some users have reported setting up their accounts and starting to use the system in under a minute.​

However, certain interface elements may cause initial confusion. For instance, the time clock button is labeled “Start Shift” instead of the more conventional “Clock In”. 

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Some users have also reported occasional performance issues. Instances of the app lagging or feeling slow, especially compared to the desktop version, have been noted. 

In addition, Deputy’s mobile app depends on an active internet connection. Its limited offline functionality can only allow users to view schedules and tasks previously downloaded when still online. Without connectivity, users cannot clock in or create new tasks, schedules, or announcements. 

On the positive side, Deputy provides frequent app updates and maintains compatibility with recent iOS and Android versions. The app’s installation is straightforward, and it occupies a relatively small footprint on mobile devices.

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Deputy Key Features

Employee Shift Scheduling

Deputy’s user-friendly drag-and-drop interface allows managers to create shifts from scratch or utilize existing templates. This flexibility enables the replication of previous schedules, reducing the time spent on manual adjustments. 

Managers can also add notes to shifts, providing specific instructions or information pertinent to that shift. 

Shifts can be assigned directly to team members or left as open shifts, which employees can claim based on their availability and qualifications. The system cross-references approved leave and availability to prevent scheduling conflicts, ensuring that employees are not assigned shifts during their time off. ​

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One notable feature of Deputy is its AI-powered auto-scheduling.

This tool generates schedules based on various factors, including sales forecasts, demand fluctuations, seasonal trends, and labor laws. It assigns shifts by considering workers’ qualifications, availability, and labor budgets, thereby reducing the administrative burden on managers. 

While Deputy’s scheduling tool is robust, the system does not currently alert managers when assigning shifts to employees with pending leave requests. Implementing such a feature could prevent scheduling conflicts and serve as a reminder to address outstanding leave requests. ​

Another limitation is that Deputy allows scheduling for only one location at a time. Managers must select the desired location from a drop-down menu before creating a schedule for that specific site. 

To view or create schedules for different locations, the selection must be changed accordingly.

This setup restricts your ability to have a comprehensive view of the scheduling calendar across all locations simultaneously, which could be a drawback for businesses operating multiple sites. ​

Digital Time Clock and Timesheet

​Deputy’s digital time clock and timesheet system offers a versatile approach to employee attendance tracking. 

By transforming any device — be it a desktop, smartphone, or tablet — into a time clock, it provides flexibility for diverse business environments. Employees can clock in and out effortlessly through web browsers or mobile apps. 

For shared devices, such as kiosks, the system supports photo capture at punch-in and punch-out, enhancing accountability. The touchless biometric facial recognition feature further bolsters security, effectively mitigating issues like buddy punching.

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The integration of GPS tracking at clock-in and clock-out is particularly beneficial for monitoring remote or field-based staff. Managers can establish geofences around job sites, ensuring that employees can only clock in when within a specified proximity to their designated work location. 

Deputy isn’t advanced enough to automatically clock-in/out users upon arrival/exit from geoefenced job sites, but this additional layer of verification should be enough for teams working at fixed locations. 

One notable advantage of Deputy’s system is its ability to automate wage calculations.

By configuring different pay rates for various roles, the software computes wages in accordance with local laws and employment contracts, including considerations for overtime. 

However, there are areas where Deputy’s time clock and timesheet functionalities could be enhanced.

For instance, while the mobile app is generally praised for its usability, timesheet modifications are easier to perform on the mobile app than on the desktop version, suggesting room for interface improvements on the latter. ​

News Feed

Deputy’s News Feed feature serves as a centralized platform for internal communication, allowing teams to share updates, policies, and multimedia content. 

Managers can post announcements, attach files, and request read confirmations from employees, ensuring that important messages don’t go unnoticed. 

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One drawback is the lack of an option to send messages to a custom group of people. Most communication tools allow targeted messaging, but with Deputy, every post is either shared company-wide or with predefined groups.

This limitation makes it harder to direct messages to specific teams or individuals without cluttering the feed for everyone else. 

The user interface also doesn’t feel particularly private. While the News Feed is great for general updates, it doesn’t provide a dedicated one-on-one messaging system. Sending a private message through a post doesn’t feel intuitive, and many users might hesitate to use it for confidential or sensitive conversations.

Task Management

Deputy’s task management system offers a straightforward approach to assigning and tracking tasks within a team.

Managers can create tasks and subtasks, assign them to specific employees or teams, and set due dates and start times. 

The option to set tasks to repeat daily, weekly, or monthly is beneficial for recurring responsibilities. Real-time progress tracking through the app allows for timely monitoring and adjustments.

While Deputy’s Task feature helps with assigning responsibilities and tracking completion, it lacks deeper project-based task management. 

Tasks are not directly linked to specific projects, making it harder to organize and track job-specific work. Additionally, there’s no option to attach detailed notes, images, or documents within tasks, which limits communication and clarity for complex assignments.

HR Management

Deputy’s HR management suite offers a comprehensive approach to handling various human resource tasks, encompassing hiring, onboarding, document management, and employee engagement. 

The hiring module streamlines the recruitment process by allowing managers to create job postings swiftly, promote them across major job boards like Indeed, and tailor application questions to identify candidates with the desired skills and values. 

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Meanwhile, the onboarding feature is designed to eliminate manual paperwork by enabling new hires to submit necessary documents, such as signed contracts and bank details, directly through the Deputy app.

This digital approach ensures that all required information is collected accurately and stored securely, allowing new employees to be ready for their first shift promptly. 

Deputy’s document management system centralizes all employee-related documents, ensuring that certifications, licenses, and other essential records are up-to-date and easily accessible. The system sends automated reminders to employees before their certifications or licenses expire, helping maintain compliance without the need for manual tracking. 

While Deputy’s HR management features are extensive, there is room for improvement in certain areas. For instance, integrating more advanced analytics within the hiring module could provide deeper insights into recruitment metrics, aiding in more informed decision-making.

Integrating Other Business Apps with Deputy

Deputy offers a solid lineup of integrations that make it easier to connect with payroll, HR, and point-of-sale systems. Payroll integrations include QuickBooks Online, ADP, Gusto, and Xero, which means you can sync timesheets directly with your payroll provider instead of manually entering hours.

For businesses that rely on POS systems, Deputy connects with Square, Clover, Lightspeed, and Epos Now. These integrations allow managers to link sales data with staffing, helping them track labor costs more accurately. 

On the HR side, Deputy integrates with BambooHR and Rippling, making it easy to sync employee records, track new hires, and manage workforce data across multiple platforms without juggling spreadsheets.

Deputy also supports automation through Zapier, allowing users to connect with thousands of other apps like Slack, Google Sheets, and Microsoft Teams.

If you need something more tailored, Deputy’s open API lets developers build custom integrations, which is useful for companies with specific reporting or workflow needs.

If your business depends on multiple software platforms, Deputy’s integrations can make it much easier to keep everything connected and running smoothly.

Deputy Might be a Good Fit for You If…

Deputy is built for businesses that need an easy way to manage scheduling, time tracking, and workforce coordination.

With its intuitive interface and automation features, it helps reduce administrative workload while keeping your team organized and compliant with labor laws.

So, is Deputy the right choice for you? Yes, if:

• You want a drag-and-drop scheduling tool that lets you assign shifts, set recurring schedules, and ensure compliance with overtime and break rules.
• You need an all-in-one time tracking system that supports GPS clock-ins, facial recognition for kiosks, and geofencing to prevent time fraud.
• You’re looking for payroll integrations with QuickBooks, ADP, Xero, and other accounting software to simplify wage calculations.
• You want a task management system that lets you assign and track work progress in real time, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• You prefer self-service tools for employees, including shift swapping, availability management, and direct access to pay rates and timesheets.

You Might Not Want to Use Deputy If…

While Deputy offers a range of features to simplify workforce management, it isn’t perfect. Some limitations may be minor inconveniences, while others could be deal-breakers depending on your business needs.

You might want to explore other alternatives or weigh Deputy’s benefits against its drawbacks if:

• You need continuous GPS tracking for employees who travel between job sites.
• You want full customization for recurring tasks.
• You prefer private messaging for one-on-one or small-group communication.
• You need to assign shifts across multiple locations in one view
• You want a more flexible leave approval system.
• You want a mobile app with reliable offline functionality.

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Deputy Cost/Pricing

Deputy’s basic plans–Scheduling Plan and Time & Attendance Plan–are both priced at $4.50 per user per month. 

The Scheduling Plan focuses on shift management, auto-scheduling, and team communication, while the Time & Attendance Plan is designed for businesses that need timesheets, payroll integration, and leave management. 

For businesses that need both scheduling and time tracking, the Premium Plan combines these features for $6 per user per month ($5 per user per month if billed annually).

For larger businesses, the Enterprise Plan includes everything from the Premium Plan along with advanced reporting, single sign-on, custom-built pay rates, and dedicated enterprise support. Pricing for this plan is customized based on the company’s specific needs.

Deputy also offers a Flexi Weekly Plan for businesses with fluctuating staff numbers. This plan costs $2.50 per active user per week and $0.50 per inactive user, making it ideal for seasonal operations that need a cost-effective workforce management solution. 

Overall, Deputy’s pricing is flexible and scalable, giving businesses multiple options based on their specific workforce management needs.

Deputy Reviews

Users appreciate Deputy for its intuitive scheduling, time tracking, and payroll integration. On the other hand, common complaints include inconsistent customer support, occasional integration issues, and a lack of flexibility in some features. 

Check out the following verified user reviews for more firsthand experiences.

A Deputy user on iOS criticized the app for giving employers excessive control over time tracking, limiting employee oversight, and enabling potential wage manipulation.

Favours employers way too much ⭐ 

Was blocked from turning off my app whenever we left the premise and had to text the boss whenever we left it on for too long even though they should trust that we know we’ve left it on for too long. They were basically counting minutes with us. If the app has a tracker system let the employees be able to see when they leave the store. The features of the app allowed my higher ups to exploit it and minimise or remove our over time and overturn under pay us.

It gives too much power to the employer and even blocks us from editing it and so it’s up to us to turn it on accordingly or else. My app was basically useless as I wasn’t able even see the weekly time sheet as they blocked us from seeing each others hours, not too mention the forced breaks & deletion of timesheets overtime. There should be a summary page for employees to track the amount of hours they’ve worked & even categories them.

It just facilities shady business practices & over controlling “ bosses” abusing their power.

Gina Barnes liked Deputy’s concept but found frequent crashes and automatic logouts frustrating, causing her to miss open shift notifications.

⭐⭐⭐

I love the concept of the app but it keeps crashing and automatically signing me out every 24 hours! This is really frustrating because I am missing out on open shift notifications as I’m not realising it’s logged me out. Please fix this. It would also be great to have an option to reject a shift if you’re unavailable that day.”

Deputy user David S. liked its ease of setup and cross-device compatibility but was frustrated by its lack of last-name sorting and poor customer support.

No joke, Deputy will only sort employees by first name for several high-use functions ⭐⭐⭐ 

Overall: Meets some of my basic needs. Total fail when it comes to customer service and certain basic needs like the ability to sort staff by last name.

Pros: Relatively easy to get staff setup. Ipad, mobile and desktop integrations are good.

Cons: When looking at timesheets on screen, Deputy does not allow employees to be sorted any other way than by FIRST NAME! Seriously, such a basic function is has been lacking for our entire time with Deputy (~5 years). I keep thinking this has to be on their radar and will get added, but nope! Still organizing my staff like their a class of 2nd graders, lol! Also, many promised integrations (like Square and Xero) have been highly problematic for me. I’ve just given up. I export raw data from Deputy into spreadsheets and handle it on my own from there. Failed promises. Abismal customer service outsourced to non-English speaking countries.

Our Score (and Why We Chose It)

I’ve evaluated Deputy using specific criteria to give you a clear picture of how it performs for construction business owners, managers, and admins.

Sign-Up and Onboarding: Getting started with Deputy is simple.

The platform offers a 31-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can test it before committing. Setting up accounts and adding employees is quick, making the transition easy.

Ease of Use: The interface is straightforward, making navigation simple for both managers and staff.

Features like drag-and-drop scheduling and real-time updates make workforce management more efficient. Most users find it easy to learn, even without prior experience with scheduling software.

Features and Functionality: Deputy covers key workforce management tasks like scheduling, time tracking, task management, and compliance monitoring.

These tools help businesses streamline operations, reduce admin work, and improve efficiency. It’s a strong fit for teams that need reliable shift scheduling but may not be robust enough for construction businesses with mobile crews. 

Customer Support: Support is available 24/7 via email and chat, and there’s an extensive knowledge base with guides and tutorials.

While the help resources are useful, response times for support can sometimes be slow. Some users report frustration with outsourced support that doesn’t always resolve issues quickly.

Value for Price: Plans start at $4.50 per user per month, offering flexible pricing for businesses of different sizes.

The free trial helps businesses test the software before subscribing. While pricing is fair, the minimum monthly spend of $25 on certain plans may not be ideal for very small teams.

Integrations: Deputy connects with hundreds of apps, including payroll, accounting, and POS systems, making it easy to integrate into existing workflows.

It works well with tools like QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, and Square. Some users have reported occasional syncing issues, but overall, integrations add significant value.

Alternatives to Deputy

While Deputy is a solid workforce management solution, it’s not the perfect fit for every business.

Some companies may need better GPS tracking, stronger compliance features, or more affordable options for smaller teams. Others may want a platform that focuses more on communication, project tracking, or job-based labor costing.

If Deputy isn’t quite right for your business, here are five alternatives worth considering:

The Bottom Line

While Deputy offers solid scheduling, time tracking, and payroll integrations for retail and restaurant businesses, its features aren’t tailored for construction crews that require continuous operations while in the field. 

If you need a more reliable, construction-focused solution that ensures accurate GPS tracking, payroll integration, and real-time job costing, there’s a better option.

Unlike Deputy, Workyard continuously tracks employee locations (even in low- or no-reception areas) to ensure time is logged accurately, reducing timesheet errors and eliminating time theft.

Its powerful job cost tracking also makes sure every labor dollar is accounted for, helping you stay on budget and maximize profitability.

Try Workyard free for 14 days and see how precise time tracking can transform your business.