Deputy vs Sling: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Deputy and Sling side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Sling leads on lower entry price and a free plan. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Deputy
The complete people platform for hourly work, enabling smarter scheduling and confident payroll.
Best for you if:
- • You want optimizes schedules and labor costs using AI
Sling
Simplify employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication for any business.
Best for you if:
- • You want a free tier before you commit
| At a Glance | Deputy | Sling |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | From $5/user/mo, billed monthly Lite plan | Free plan, paid from $2/user/mo, billed monthly Premium plan |
Category | HR & Recruiting Payroll | HR & Recruiting Time Tracking |
Rating | 4.5/5 Capterra 4.6 · G2 4.6 · SourceForge 4.3 1,506 reviews | 4.4/5 G2 4.4 88 reviews |
Free plan | No | Yes |
Watch out for | Add-ons for HR, Messaging+, Analytics+ increase costs. | No explicit overage fees mentioned |
Choose Deputy or Sling?
Choose Deputy if
- You want optimizes schedules and labor costs using AI
- You want helps ensure compliance with various labor laws and regulations
Choose Sling if
- You want a free tier before you commit
- You want free tier available for up to 30 users
- You want comprehensive features covering scheduling, time tracking, and communication
- Budget matters ($2/user/mo, billed monthly vs $5/user/mo, billed monthly)
In-Depth Analysis
Deputy
The complete people platform for hourly work, enabling smarter scheduling and confident payroll.
Deputy's pricing is fair, offering a clear progression of features.
Watch out
Add-ons for HR, Messaging+, Analytics+ increase costs.
Strengths
- Pro: Optimizes schedules and labor costs using AI.
- Pro: Helps ensure compliance with various labor laws and regulations.
- Pro: Reduces staff turnover and recruitment costs through improved employee experience.
- Pro: Offers comprehensive features for scheduling, time tracking, and HR management.
- Pro: Integrates with existing payroll, HR, and POS systems.
Weaknesses
- Con: No free plan available, only a free trial.
- Con: Pricing is per user per month, which can add up for larger teams.
Key features
Sling
Simplify employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication for any business.
Sling's pricing is quite fair and generous, especially with a robust Free tier and competitive per-user pricing for Premium ($2.00) and Business ($4.00).
Watch out
No explicit overage fees mentioned
Strengths
- Pro: Free tier available for up to 30 users.
- Pro: Comprehensive features covering scheduling, time tracking, and communication.
- Pro: Helps optimize labor costs and prevent overtime.
- Pro: User-friendly interface for quick schedule creation.
- Pro: Available on web, iOS, and Android for accessibility.
Weaknesses
- Con: Advanced features like detailed reporting and kiosk time tracking are only available in paid plans.
- Con: Free plan has limitations on the number of users and features.
Key features
Plans and prices: Deputy vs Sling
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy |
| deputy.com/pricing read Oct 24, 2026 |
| Sling |
| getsling.com/pricing read Nov 1, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Deputy pricing and Sling pricing.
Key Takeaways
Deputy
- Choose if you want the complete people platform for hourly work, enabling smarter scheduling and confident payroll
Sling
- Lower entry price: $2/user/mo, billed monthly vs $5/user/mo, billed monthly
- Has a free plan
What the data shows
On the data below, Sling leads on lower entry price and a free plan. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.5/5 from 1,506 reviews for Deputy, 4.4/5 from 88 reviews for Sling).
- Sling has the lower entry price: $2/user/mo, billed monthly (Premium) against $5/user/mo, billed monthly (Lite) for Deputy.
- Only Sling has a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Deputy and Sling compare in 2026?
On the data below, Sling leads on lower entry price and a free plan. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.5/5 from 1,506 reviews for Deputy, 4.4/5 from 88 reviews for Sling). Sling has the lower entry price: $2/user/mo, billed monthly (Premium) against $5/user/mo, billed monthly (Lite) for Deputy. Only Sling has a free plan.
What are Deputy and Sling used for?
Deputy: The complete people platform for hourly work, enabling smarter scheduling and confident payroll. Sling: Simplify employee scheduling, time tracking, and team communication for any business.
What does Deputy cost vs Sling?
Deputy's cheapest paid plan is Lite at $5/user/mo, billed monthly. Sling's cheapest paid plan is Premium at $2/user/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 1, 2026.
What's the main difference between Deputy and Sling?
Deputy's main strength: optimizes schedules and labor costs using AI. Sling's main strength: free tier available for up to 30 users.