Deputy vs Stratum Shifts: 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 Stratum Shifts side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Stratum Shifts leads on 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
Stratum Shifts
Create fair weekly staff schedules in Claude, with conflicts checked
Best for you if:
- • Managers of small shift teams, like cafes, shops and clinics, who plan and share the weekly schedule from a chat in Claude
| At a Glance | Deputy | Stratum Shifts |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | From $5/user/mo, billed monthly Lite plan | Free plan, paid from $120/year Team plan |
Category | HR & Recruiting Payroll | HR & Recruiting Resource Planning |
Rating | 4.5/5 Capterra 4.6 · G2 4.6 · SourceForge 4.3 1,506 reviews | n/a |
Free plan | No | Yes |
Watch out for | Add-ons for HR, Messaging+, Analytics+ increase costs. | n/a |
Choose Deputy or Stratum Shifts?
Choose Deputy if
- You want optimizes schedules and labor costs using AI
- You want helps ensure compliance with various labor laws and regulations
Choose Stratum Shifts if
- Managers of small shift teams, like cafes, shops and clinics, who plan and share the weekly schedule from a chat in Claude
- You want a free tier before you commit
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
Stratum Shifts
Create fair weekly staff schedules in Claude, with conflicts checked
Stratum Shifts pricing is incredibly generous.
Key features
Plans and prices: Deputy vs Stratum Shifts
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy |
| deputy.com/pricing read Oct 24, 2026 |
| Stratum Shifts |
| shifts.stratumics.com/plans read Oct 29, 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 Stratum Shifts pricing.
Key Takeaways
Deputy
- Choose if you want the complete people platform for hourly work, enabling smarter scheduling and confident payroll
Stratum Shifts
- Has a free plan
What the data shows
On the data below, Stratum Shifts leads on a free plan. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Only Deputy has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 1,506 reviews); Stratum Shifts has none we can show.
- Entry prices are not ranked, they are charged on different bases: Deputy $5/user/mo, billed monthly; Stratum Shifts $120/year.
- Only Stratum Shifts 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 Stratum Shifts compare in 2026?
On the data below, Stratum Shifts leads on a free plan. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Only Deputy has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 1,506 reviews); Stratum Shifts has none we can show. Entry prices are not ranked, they are charged on different bases: Deputy $5/user/mo, billed monthly; Stratum Shifts $120/year. Only Stratum Shifts has a free plan.
What are Deputy and Stratum Shifts used for?
Deputy: The complete people platform for hourly work, enabling smarter scheduling and confident payroll. Stratum Shifts: Create fair weekly staff schedules in Claude, with conflicts checked.
What does Deputy cost vs Stratum Shifts?
Deputy's cheapest paid plan is Lite at $5/user/mo, billed monthly. Stratum Shifts's cheapest paid plan is Team at $120/year; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 29, 2026.
What's the main difference between Deputy and Stratum Shifts?
Deputy's main strength: optimizes schedules and labor costs using AI. Stratum Shifts focuses on create fair weekly staff schedules in Claude, with conflicts checked.