Deputy vs Homebase
Short answer: Homebase costs less for one location of 10 or fewer people who need just the schedule: its Basic plan is free, and Deputy has no free plan. For the time clock, labor reports and paid time off, Deputy Lite at $5.50 a user costs less up to 21 people at one location; from 22, Homebase All-in-One at $120 a month costs less.
Shift Amp schedules your whole team for free, at any size and at every location. Pro adds the time clock, labor reports and paid time off for $2 a member a month, under half the price of Deputy Lite, with no location fees.
Head to head
| Deputy | Homebase | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None; a free trial of up to 31 days | Basic: 1 location, up to 10 employees (stronger) |
| How it’s priced | Per user, managers included | Per location, unlimited employees on paid plans |
| Shift swaps and availability | Lite, $5.50 a user | Essentials and up, $30 a location |
| 15 people at 1 location, with reports | $82.50 a month on Lite (stronger) | $120 a month on All-in-One |
| 40 people at 1 location, with reports | $220 a month on Lite | $120 a month on All-in-One (stronger) |
| 30 people across 3 locations, with reports | $165 a month on Lite (stronger) | $360 a month on All-in-One |
Which to choose
Deputy, Homebase or Shift Amp?
Here’s who each one suits.
Choose Deputy if…
- You need the time clock, labor reports and leave for up to 21 people at one location. Deputy Lite at $5.50 a user comes in under Homebase All-in-One’s $120 a month.
- You run several small locations. Deputy prices per user, so 30 people across three sites is $165 a month on Lite, against $360 on All-in-One.
- You want shift swaps, open shifts and availability on the entry plan. Deputy Lite includes them; Homebase starts them on Essentials.
Choose Homebase if…
- You run one location with 10 or fewer people and need just the schedule and a time clock. Homebase Basic covers both for free.
- You have a large team at one location and need labor reports. All-in-One is $120 a month whatever the headcount, so from 22 people it costs less than Deputy Lite.
Choose Shift Amp if…
- You want your whole team on the schedule for free, whether that’s 8 people or 80, at one location or ten. Shift Amp’s Free plan has no cap.
- You want shift swaps, availability, open shifts and messaging included. They’re all on the Free plan.
- You want the time clock, a kiosk, labor reports and paid time off for $2 a member a month, with no location fees. That’s under half the price of Deputy Lite.
- You want to try everything first. Every new team gets 14 days of everything, Pro included.
No credit card required.
Pricing
Is Deputy cheaper than Homebase?
It depends on your team size, your locations and what you need. Try your numbers, with Shift Amp alongside.
What you need
Monthly cost for 20 people
$100 a month billed annually
$96 a month billed annually
$2 per member a month, with no location fees
Deputy costs less than Homebase here: $110 a month against $120. Shift Amp Pro comes to $40, $70 a month less than Deputy.
| Team size | Deputy | Homebase | Shift Amp | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | Basic | All-in-One | Free | Pro | |
| 5 people | $27.50 | $0 | $120 | $0 | $10 |
| 10 people | $55 | $0 | $120 | $0 | $20 |
| 15 people | $82.50 | Over the 10-user cap | $120 | $0 | $30 |
| 25 people | $137.50 | Over the 10-user cap | $120 | $0 | $50 |
| 50 people | $275 | Over the 10-user cap | $120 | $0 | $100 |
| What’s included | Scheduling, time clock, timesheets, leave and basic reports. | 1 location, up to 10 employees. Basic scheduling, time clock and messaging. | Unlimited employees. Labor cost reports, paid time off, onboarding and HR. | The schedule, swaps, messaging and shift tasks, at any team size. | Adds the time clock, timesheets, labor reports and paid time off. $2 a member. |
Deputy counts every user, managers and admins included, and monthly plans have a $30 minimum per invoice, which the table doesn’t show. Billed annually, Lite is $5 a user, with no refund if you cancel early. Homebase prices each location, with unlimited employees on paid plans; availability, time-off requests and shift trades start on Essentials, $30 a month per location. Billed annually, All-in-One is $96 a month per location.
Feature by feature
How do the features compare?
We show Deputy on Lite, its cheapest plan, and Homebase on its free Basic plan and on All-in-One, the plan with its labor cost reports. Where a feature needs a paid plan, we name the plan.
| Feature | DeputyLite | HomebaseBasic and All-in-One | Shift AmpFree and Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | |||
| Schedule builderBuild the week, then publish it. | Lite | Free Basic plan | Free plan |
| AvailabilitySee who can work while you place shifts. | Lite | Essentials and up | Free plan |
| Shift swapsYour team trades shifts in the app. | Lite | Essentials and up | Free plan |
| Open shiftsPost shifts your team can claim. | Lite | Essentials and up | Free plan |
| Time tracking | |||
| Mobile time clockClock in from a phone. | Lite | Free Basic plan | Pro |
| Kiosk time clockA shared device by the door. | Lite | Free Basic plan | Pro |
| GeofencingCheck where people clock in. | Lite | Essentials and up | Pro |
| Labor costs | |||
| Labor reportsHours and wages over any period. | Basic reports on Lite | All-in-One | Pro |
| Paid time off balancesApprove time off against what is left. | Lite; automatic accruals on Core | Plus and up | Pro |
| Team | |||
| Group messagingThreads for a team or location. | Lite, groups of up to 10 | Free Basic plan | Free plan |
| Shift tasksAttach the work to the shift. | Lite | Add-on, $13 a location | Free plan |
| iOS and Android appsFor managers and their teams. | Every plan | Every plan | Free plan |
Why Shift Amp
Where Shift Amp comes out ahead
Whether you run one small location or several, here’s where you get more for less.
Free for your whole team
- Shift Amp
- Free for the schedule at any team size, at every location.
- Deputy
- No free plan. Lite is $5.50 a user, with a $30 monthly minimum.
- Homebase
- Free for one location of up to 10 employees.
Swaps and availability included
- Shift Amp
- Both on the Free plan, with open shifts and messaging.
- Deputy
- Included on Lite, from $5.50 a user.
- Homebase
- Shift trades, open shifts and availability start on Essentials, $30 a month per location.
No per-location fees
- Shift Amp
- $2 a member for the time clock, labor reports and paid time off, at any number of locations.
- Deputy
- $5.50 a user on Lite.
- Homebase
- Labor cost reports come with All-in-One, $120 a month per location.
No credit card required.
Switching
From Deputy or Homebase to Shift Amp
Three steps, and you can run both for a week before you move everyone over.
- 1
Start your free account
Add your locations and positions. No credit card needed.
- 2
Bring your team over
Export your team list, save it as a CSV and import it, up to 200 people per file.
- 3
Build and publish the week
Rebuild your current week once, save it as a template, then publish.
FAQ
Deputy vs Homebase, answered.
Is Deputy cheaper than Homebase?
It depends on your team. For one location of 10 or fewer people who need just the schedule, Homebase is free and Deputy has no free plan. With the time clock and labor reports, Deputy Lite at $5.50 a user costs less up to 21 people at one location; from 22, Homebase All-in-One at $120 a month per location costs less.
How does Shift Amp compare to Deputy and Homebase?
Shift Amp is free for the schedule at any team size, with shift swaps, availability, open shifts, messaging and shift tasks included. Pro adds the time clock, labor reports and paid time off balances for $2 a member a month, under half the price of Deputy Lite, with no location fees.
Does Deputy have a free plan?
No. Its free Starter plan is closed to new customers. Deputy offers a free trial of up to 31 days with no credit card, then Lite is $5.50 a user a month, or $5 billed annually.
Is Homebase free?
Yes, for one location of up to 10 employees, on its Basic plan, which includes basic scheduling and a time clock. Its paid plans cost $30, $70 or $120 a month per location, with unlimited employees.
Try Shift Amp on your week.
Scheduling is free for your whole team at any size, and every new team gets 14 days of everything, Pro included.
No credit card required.
How we compared
Facts verified . We checked each product’s public plans and features using the vendors’ own pricing pages and help centers. Deputy and Homebase are trademarks of their owners. Shift Amp is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.
Sources
- Deputy, Pricing. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Deputy, Pricing plans. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Deputy, Deputy Starter Plan (Discontinuing). Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Deputy, Deputy home page (free trial). Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Homebase, Pricing. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Homebase, Free Employee Time Clock. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Shift Amp, Pricing. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.