Connecteam vs Deputy: broader app or deeper scheduling
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Connecteam Reviews · Updated November 1, 2026
Disclosure: this site reviews Connecteam and earns a commission if you sign up for it through our links. Connecteam is one option below, and we say where it isn't the right fix.
Pick Deputy if the schedule itself is your hard problem: demand forecasting, wage budgets, micro-scheduling, and advanced labor-law compliance are on its Core plan, and it has a face-unlock kiosk. It also offers payroll through Paycor for US customers on annual Core or Pro plans, and its trial runs up to 31 days.
Pick Connecteam if you want scheduling and a geofenced time clock alongside forms, checklists, training, and team chat, for less. Its price is flat for the first 30 users, so a 15- or 40-person team pays well under Deputy's per-user rate on published prices, and teams of 10 or fewer pay nothing. Expect upsells between tiers, no phone support, and no labor forecasting.
Connecteam vs Deputy at a glance
| Compared on | Connecteam | Deputy |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per hub, flat for the first 30 users, then per extra user. Operations hub: Basic $29, Advanced $49, Expert $99 a month billed annually ($35, $59, $119 monthly) | Per user, admins and managers included. Lite $5, Core $6.50, Pro $9 per user a month billed annually ($5.50, $7.25, $10 monthly). $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans |
| Free plan | Small Business Plan: up to 10 users, all hubs, no payroll integration. Limited plan: up to 30 users, basic features | None shown |
| Free trial | 14 days of Expert, no credit card | Up to 31 days, no credit card |
| Payroll | Integrations only (Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex Flex, ADP, PrismHR, MYOB) | Integrations on every plan. Deputy Payroll enabled by Paycor: $8 per user + $49 a month, annual Core or Pro, US only |
| Training and forms | Courses and quizzes (HR & Skills hub); unlimited forms and checklists on every Operations tier | No training courses found; task templates (plan not confirmed); onboarding and documents through the $2 per user HR add-on |
| Team chat | Personal and group chat on every plan, including Limited | Messaging and news feed on Lite; Messaging+ is $1.95 per user or included in Pro |
| GPS and geofence | GPS stamps on Basic; geofence on Advanced (10 sites) and Expert (unlimited); location tracked only while clocked in | Geofencing on Lite; face-unlock kiosk from Core |
| Trustpilot, like for like | Collected through a link Connecteam shares: 4.67 (49 reviews, Sep 21 to 29, 2026). Unprompted: 1 review, too few | Invited: 4.47 (30 reviews). Unprompted: 1.25 (20 reviews). Aug 2024 to Sep 2026 |
| Capterra | 4.6 (5,322 reviews) | 4.6 (773 reviews) |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-11-01. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
What Connecteam and Deputy cost for a 15- and a 40-person team
Deputy charges for every user, and its pricing FAQ says admins, managers, and supervisors all count. Connecteam charges one price per hub for the first 30 users and a smaller per-user fee after that, so the difference grows with the team.
Assumptions
- Headcount includes every manager and admin in the app.
- Published list prices on 2026-11-01, before tax, with no promotions or SMS charges. The first figure is the monthly cost on annual billing; the figure in brackets is month-to-month.
- Matched on features. Deputy Lite includes geofencing, which Connecteam starts at Advanced. Auto-scheduling is on Deputy Core and on Connecteam Expert. Basic is listed as the cheapest Connecteam option, with GPS stamps but no geofence.
| Plan | 15 people | 40 people | How we got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecteam Operations Basic | $29 ($35) | $37 ($45) | Flat to 30 users, then $0.80 ($1.00) per extra user: $29 + 10 × $0.80 |
| Connecteam Operations Advanced | $49 ($59) | $74 ($89) | $49 + 10 × $2.50; monthly $59 + 10 × $3.00 |
| Connecteam Operations Expert | $99 ($119) | $141 ($169) | $99 + 10 × $4.20; monthly $119 + 10 × $5.00 |
| Deputy Lite | $75 ($82.50) | $200 ($220) | 15 or 40 × $5 ($5.50) |
| Deputy Core | $97.50 ($108.75) | $260 ($290) | 15 or 40 × $6.50 ($7.25) |
| Deputy Pro | $135 ($150) | $360 ($400) | 15 or 40 × $9 ($10) |
For a geofenced time clock and scheduling, Connecteam Advanced costs $49 against Deputy Lite's $75 at 15 people, and $74 against $200 at 40. Once you add auto-scheduling the two are level at 15 people ($99 against $97.50), and Connecteam costs about half as much at 40. Extra users past 30 add $2.50 on Connecteam Advanced against $5 on Deputy Lite. HR tools shift the math again: Deputy's HR add-on is $2 per user ($30 for 15, $80 for 40), while Connecteam's HR & Skills hub starts at $29 for 30 users. Reviewers on both sides feel the price. See every Connecteam tier.
“My issue is a lot of a staff but only a few hours a week sometimes non, so I pay the same as a huge company with full time staff.”adrian jackson, Trustpilot, Jun 2026
“Connecteam can get expensive as you add more features or users.”Nikki C., Capterra, Aug 2026
Payroll: Deputy offers Paycor, Connecteam relies on integrations
Deputy launched Deputy Payroll enabled by Paycor in the US in March 2026. Approved timesheets, pay rates, and leave go to Paycor, for $8 per user a month plus a $49 base fee. That is $169 a month for 15 users and $369 for 40, on top of the plan, and it requires an annual Core or Pro plan. Every Deputy plan also integrates with outside payroll and HR systems.
Connecteam has no payroll product. It exports hours to Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex Flex, ADP, PrismHR, or MYOB, and the free Small Business Plan leaves the integration out. Some reviewers say the exports fall short for leave accruals and custom pay codes. Deputy has its own export complaints on Trustpilot, including staff overpaid after wrong pay codes reached MYOB.
“I like how Deputy syncs approved hours directly to the payroll system, which helps in reducing the risk of pay disputes and compliance issues.”Jean R., G2, Jan 2026
“it can not handle RDO and TIME in lieu accrual and really doesn't help for payroll aspects”Danielle T., Capterra, Feb 2026
Scheduling depth vs all-in-one breadth
Deputy goes further on scheduling. Its Core plan adds auto-scheduling, demand forecasting, micro-scheduling across areas, wage and labor budgets, advanced labor-law compliance, and a biometric kiosk that unlocks with a face. Fit Small Business notes that Connecteam has no labor forecasting.
Connecteam covers more of the rest of the job: unlimited forms and checklists on every Operations tier, courses and quizzes, onboarding, documents with e-sign, a knowledge base, recognition, and an announcements feed. Deputy sells hiring, onboarding, and documents in a $2 per user HR add-on, and we found no training courses. On Connecteam, geofencing, auto clock-out when someone leaves the site, and live location while clocked in sit on the Advanced and Expert tiers. Some employees object to setting location access to “Always”; our location tracking guide explains what is recorded.
“I am only scheduling 3 people and ConnectTeams small business plan is much easier to use and free.”Emma Turner, Trustpilot, May 2026
Support and contract terms at Connecteam and Deputy
Connecteam offers no phone support, and its help starts with an AI assistant. Deputy reviewers describe the same route: a chatbot first, then a person by chat or email. Deputy's Pro plan adds 24/7 live chat. Most of Deputy's 20 unprompted Trustpilot reviews in our sample complain about support or billing.
Read the cancellation terms before you choose annual billing. Deputy says an annual plan cannot be downgraded and cancelling brings no refund. Connecteam gives no refund on monthly plans and a prorated refund on annual plans cancelled within the first 30 days.
“Everything must go through the online chatbot first, and only once the issue can’t be resolved do you eventually get escalated to a real person via chat or email.”Samantha Long, Trustpilot, Jan 2026
“If you use the AI support it generally returns no answer.”Cassie C., Capterra, Jul 2026
“Only when you cancel do you find out you are expected to pay $572 for the remaining term for services that will not be used.”Paul, Trustpilot, Apr 2026
Connecteam vs Deputy reviews, compared like for like
Trustpilot marks each review as invited or unprompted, and the overall score mostly reflects how many reviews a company invites. Among reviews collected through each company's own links, Connecteam's 49 most recent average 4.67 and Deputy's 30 invited reviews average 4.47. Deputy's window runs from August 2024 to September 2026; Connecteam's covers nine days in September 2026. Deputy's 20 unprompted reviews average 1.25. We had only one unprompted Connecteam review in the sample, so we make no claim on that side. Both score 4.6 on Capterra. The critical Connecteam reviews are on our Trustpilot and Capterra pages, and the methodology explains the samples.
Where Deputy wins
- Demand forecasting, wage and labor budgets, micro-scheduling, and auto-scheduling on Core ($6.50 per user). Connecteam has no labor forecasting.
- A face-unlock biometric kiosk from Core. Connecteam's kiosk uses a PIN or a selfie.
- Geofencing on its cheapest plan. Connecteam needs Advanced ($49 a month for 30 users).
- Payroll through Paycor inside Deputy for US customers on annual Core or Pro.
- A longer trial: up to 31 days against Connecteam's 14.
- Special pricing for charities and a Flexi weekly plan for short events.
Still deciding? See the best Deputy alternatives, how Deputy compares with When I Work, or start a 14-day Connecteam trial with no credit card.
Connecteam vs Deputy FAQ
Is Connecteam or Deputy cheaper?+
At 15 and 40 people, Connecteam's list prices are lower for the same job. For scheduling with a geofenced time clock, Deputy Lite costs $5 per user a month billed annually ($75 for 15 people, $200 for 40), while Connecteam's Operations Advanced costs $49 for up to 30 users and $74 for 40. For auto-scheduling, Deputy Core ($97.50 for 15) and Connecteam Expert ($99) cost about the same at 15 people, but at 40 Deputy Core is $260 and Connecteam Expert is $141.
Does Deputy have a free plan like Connecteam?+
No. Deputy shows no free plan and offers a free trial of up to 31 days with no credit card. Connecteam has a free Small Business Plan for up to 10 users with all hubs (no payroll integration), a free Limited plan for up to 30 users with basic features, and a 14-day trial of its Expert tier with no credit card.
Do Connecteam and Deputy include payroll?+
Neither runs payroll on its own. Deputy sells Deputy Payroll enabled by Paycor for $8 per user a month plus a $49 monthly base fee, available on annual Core and Pro plans in the US. Connecteam has no payroll product and exports hours to providers such as Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex Flex, ADP, PrismHR, and MYOB.
Which has better reviews, Connecteam or Deputy?+
Both hold 4.6 on Capterra (Connecteam from 5,322 reviews, Deputy from 773). On Trustpilot, among reviews each company collected through its own links, Connecteam's 49 most recent average 4.67 (Sep 21 to 29, 2026) and Deputy's 30 invited reviews average 4.47 (Aug 2024 to Sep 2026). Deputy's 20 unprompted reviews average 1.25. Our Connecteam sample held one unprompted review, so there is no like-for-like figure on that side.