If you’re managing a shift-based workforce — think hospitality, healthcare, or retail — you’ve probably come across Deputy. Known for its robust employee scheduling, attendance tracking, and shift management features, Deputy has carved out a niche as a go-to workforce management solution.
But with so many tools entering the time tracking and productivity space, the big question remains:
Is Deputy worth its price? Or are there smarter, more productivity-focused alternatives — like Flowace — that offer better bang for your buck?
In this comparison, we’ll do a deep dive into Deputy’s pricing, unpack its features at each tier, and line it up head-to-head with Flowace. By the end, you’ll have a crystal-clear idea of which platform is the right fit for your business — and why Flowace might be the smarter, more cost-effective choice for many modern teams.
Deputy Pricing Plans Overview
Deputy is a cloud-based workforce management tool with a focus on scheduling, attendance, shift planning, and labor compliance. It’s widely used in industries like:
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
While it does offer some time tracking, Deputy is not a dedicated productivity platform. It shines in operational logistics — not in analyzing how your team spends time on tasks, tools, or digital workspaces.
Let’s take a closer look at the pricing.
1. Scheduling Plan – $3.50/user/month
This entry-level plan is focused exclusively on shift scheduling. You’ll get:
- Smart scheduling tools
- Open shifts and shift swaps
- Team availability and shift conflict detection
- Schedule notifications
- Custom roles and locations
What’s missing?
- Time tracking
- Payroll integration
- Reporting and analytics
- Productivity insights
This plan is ideal if you’re just looking to manage when people work, not necessarily how efficiently they work or what they’re doing during that time.
2. Time & Attendance Plan – $3.50/user/month
This tier flips the focus: Instead of scheduling, it zeroes in on time tracking and attendance management.
Features include:
- Clock in/out via mobile, tablet, or web
- Timesheets
- Break compliance
- Location and photo capture at clock-in
- Overtime and late tracking
- Payroll export
It’s great for businesses that don’t need to schedule shifts but still want accurate attendance and payroll data.
But again — there’s no productivity tracking. You’ll know if someone clocked in late or left early, but you won’t know how their work hours were spent.
3. Premium Plan – $4.90/user/month
This is where Deputy combines scheduling + time & attendance in one package:
- All features from Scheduling + Time & Attendance plans
- Labor costing and budgeting tools
- Custom reports
- Leave management
- Integrations with payroll (e.g., ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks)
- Task management and communication tools
This is the best value plan if you’re running a shift-based business with multiple locations and need a full suite of tools.
But here’s the catch:
Even in this plan, you still don’t get automated time tracking, productivity metrics, app usage tracking, or distraction reports — things that come standard with Flowace’s entry-level plan.
4. Enterprise Plan – Custom pricing
For companies with complex requirements, Deputy offers custom pricing and add-ons like:
- HIPAA compliance
- Advanced demand forecasting
- API access
- Custom onboarding
- Audit logs
- Priority support
This tier is typically used by large retailers or healthcare providers with hundreds of shift workers.
Deputy Free Trial & Minimum Pricing
- Free Trial: 31 days for any plan — very generous.
- Minimum Spend: You must have at least one active user — there’s no forever free plan.
- Add-ons: SMS alerts and extra integrations may cost more depending on volume.
Who Is Deputy Best For?
Deputy is built for businesses that rely on:
- Shift-based scheduling
- Hourly employees
- Labor law compliance
It’s especially useful in industries like:
- Hospitality: Restaurants, cafes, hotels
- Retail: Grocery chains, boutiques
- Healthcare: Clinics, aged care facilities
- Construction & logistics
Where Deputy falls short:
- It doesn’t provide detailed productivity analytics.
- It lacks automated, passive time tracking.
- There are no visual insights like screenshots, app/website usage, or deep work vs. distraction analytics.
So if you’re managing desk-based, remote, or hybrid teams, Deputy isn’t built for that use case.
Let’s now compare that with Flowace, a platform that’s designed from the ground up to enhance productivity, not just log hours.
Flowace Pricing & Features Overview
Flowace is designed for modern, digital-first teams — especially those working remotely, in-office, or in a hybrid setup. Instead of relying on manual clock-ins or shift planning, Flowace uses AI-powered, automated tracking to give you a full view of how time is spent across your team.
Here’s how its pricing stacks up:
1. Basic Plan – $2.99/user/month
Perfect for startups, freelancers, or small teams who want core features like:
- Automated time tracking (no manual clock-ins)
- App & website usage logs
- Screenshot capture (with user consent)
- Idle vs. active time reporting
- Project-level time tracking
- Work-life balance indicators
- Daily email summaries
In comparison:
- Deputy offers manual clock-ins and no productivity metrics — even at $4.90/user/month.
- Flowace gives you real behavioral insights into how your team works — for less.
2. Standard Plan – $4.99/user/month
A great fit for scaling teams who want more oversight without micromanaging.
Includes everything in Basic, plus:
- Productivity scoring (based on apps/sites)
- Real-time dashboards
- Integration with tools like Jira, Asana, Slack, Salesforce, and more
- Distraction alerts
- Inactivity detection
- Time usage notifications
Unlike Deputy, which focuses on when people are working, Flowace helps you understand what they’re working on — and how efficiently.
3. Premium Plan – $10/user/month
Built for high-performance teams, agencies, or BPOs.
Adds:
- Client login portal
- Advanced project analytics
- Executive dashboards
- Private mode for employees
- Advanced filters and roles
- Dedicated support manager
It’s a full-featured solution for measuring performance, billing clients, and identifying operational inefficiencies.
Flowace vs. Deputy: Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
Feature | Deputy (Premium) | Flowace (Standard) |
Pricing | $4.90/user/month | $4.99/user/month |
Free Trial | 31 days | 7 days |
Manual Clock-ins | Yes | Optional |
Automated Time Tracking | ❌ | ✅ |
Project Time Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
Productivity Score | ❌ | ✅ |
App/Website Usage | ❌ | ✅ |
Screenshot Capture | ❌ | ✅ |
Client Access Portal | ❌ | ✅ (Premium) |
Task Management | ✅ (basic) | ✅ (via integrations) |
Break & Overtime Rules | ✅ | ✅ |
Shift Scheduling | ✅ | ❌ |
Real-time Dashboards | Limited | ✅ |
AI Smart Alerts | ❌ | ✅ |
Designed For | Shift-based teams | Remote/desk-based teams |
Why Flowace Is the Smarter Choice for Knowledge Work & Hybrid Teams
Deputy is great if you’re running a restaurant, clinic, or store and need to manage people’s physical presence.
But Flowace takes a fundamentally different approach. It’s built for modern knowledge workers, including:
- Software teams
- Agencies
- Customer support teams
- Remote/hybrid offices
- BPOs & outsourcing agencies
Here’s what makes Flowace better if you fall into that category:
✅ Automated time tracking = no interruptions, no forgetting to clock in
✅ Visual proof of work = screenshots, app logs, and activity metrics
✅ Productivity scoring = track performance, not just presence
✅ Work-life balance data = track overwork, burnout, idle time
✅ Behavior-based coaching = optimize focus and eliminate distractions
Deputy simply doesn’t offer this — and isn’t trying to.
Final Verdict: Deputy or Flowace?
Let’s break it down.
Use Deputy if:
- You’re managing hourly workers
- You need shift scheduling
- You care about labor compliance and overtime laws
- Your workforce is on-site and mobile
Use Flowace if:
- Your team works remotely or hybrid
- You want to track true productivity
- You need automated time capture
- You value performance analytics more than just punch-in data
Try Flowace for Free — And See the Difference
Whether you’re replacing Deputy or just exploring time tracking tools for the first time, Flowace offers something unique:
Actual productivity intelligence.
Don’t just log hours. Understand them.
✅ Free 7-day trial
✅ No credit card required
✅ Onboarding support included
Ready to boost your team’s efficiency?
👉 Start your free trial with Flowace today.