7shifts vs Deputy vs HotSchedules vs TimeForge

7shifts is a restaurant team management platform built around employee scheduling, with time clocking, labor compliance, team messaging, tip management, hiring, training and (in the US) payroll. Deputy is workforce management software for shift-based businesses, covering scheduling, timesheets and time clocks, labor-law compliance, messaging and HR, with payroll through an add-on. HotSchedules is a workforce management platform designed for hospitality operators. TimeForge is labor management software for multi-unit restaurant, grocery and retail operators. All four are listed under Employee Scheduling & Rostering. The main differences are in price, audience and countries covered.

Key differences

  • price

    The vendors price on different terms. 7shifts at CAD 39.99 per location per month; Deputy at USD 5 per user per month. The amounts cannot be compared directly. HotSchedules and TimeForge do not publish a starting price.

  • audience

    Audience differs between the profiles. Listed by one product alone: 7shifts: Single restaurants and small teams; Deputy: Restaurants and hotels with shift teams; HotSchedules: Multi-location hospitality operators; TimeForge: Multi-unit restaurant operators.

  • countries covered

    Country coverage differs. 7shifts names 2 countries, Deputy names 3 countries, HotSchedules names 4 countries and TimeForge names 1 country. 1 country appears in every list.

  • integrations

    The integration lists differ. 7shifts names 26 integrations, Deputy names 25 integrations, HotSchedules names 4 integrations and TimeForge names 29 integrations. No partner appears in every list.

  • company background

    7shifts was founded in 2014, Deputy in 2008, HotSchedules in 1999 and TimeForge in 2004. 7shifts is based in Saskatoon, Canada, Deputy in Sydney, Australia, HotSchedules in United States and TimeForge in Lubbock, United States.

Side by side

7shifts vs Deputy vs HotSchedules vs TimeForge: side-by-side comparison from published vendor information
Field7shiftsDeputyHotSchedulesTimeForge
What it is7shifts is a restaurant team management platform built around employee scheduling, with time clocking, labor compliance, team messaging, tip management, hiring, training and (in the US) payroll.Deputy is workforce management software for shift-based businesses, covering scheduling, timesheets and time clocks, labor-law compliance, messaging and HR, with payroll through an add-on.HotSchedules is a workforce management platform designed for hospitality operators.TimeForge is labor management software for multi-unit restaurant, grocery and retail operators.
Best forSingle restaurants and small teams; Restaurants that want scheduling tied to POS sales; Multi-location groups and franchises; Bars, cafes, bakeries, pizzerias and quick serviceRestaurants and hotels with shift teams; Multi-location and franchise operators; Small teams starting with schedulingMulti-location hospitality operators; Restaurants and bars reducing labor costsMulti-unit restaurant operators; Restaurant franchises; Independent and small restaurant groups
Pricing modelSubscription per locationSubscription per userQuote onlyQuote only
Starting priceCAD 39.99 per location per monthUSD 5 per user per monthNot publishedNot published
Free planYesNoNot publishedNo
Free trialYesYesNot publishedYes
ContractNone on standard plans; term agreements only for enterprise discountsNot publishedNot publishedNo contract required (unless you want one)
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
CountriesCanada, United StatesAustralia, United Kingdom, United StatesAustralia, Canada, United Kingdom, United StatesUnited States
LanguagesNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Number of integrations2625429
CertificationsNot publishedCSA STAR, Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001, PCI DSS and 1 moreNot publishedNot published
Security practicesData processing addendum published, Responsible disclosure programmeNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Founded2014200819992004
HeadquartersSaskatoon, CanadaSydney, AustraliaUnited StatesLubbock, United States
OwnerNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Last reviewed29 September 202629 September 202629 September 202629 September 2026

Integrations

No partner appears in every list.

Named only by 7shifts

  • Ceridian Dayforce
  • DailyPay
  • Heartland Restaurant
  • HungerRush
  • MarginEdge
  • Qu
  • Restaurant365
  • Oracle MICROS Simphony
  • SpotOn
  • Toast Payroll
  • TouchBistro
  • Upserve
and 1 more
  • Wagepoint

Named only by Deputy

  • BambooHR
  • Epos Now
  • NetSuite
  • Okta
  • OnPay
  • Rippling
  • Tapcheck
  • TipHaus
  • TriNet
  • Vend
  • Wagestream
  • Xero
and 1 more
  • Zapier

Named only by HotSchedules

  • NCR Aloha
  • Oracle Micros
  • PAR POS

Named only by TimeForge

  • 7shifts
  • ADP Payroll
  • Axonify
  • CompuPay
  • ECRS
  • EdgeServ
  • Employee Navigator
  • Epicor
  • E-Verify
  • FMS Payroll
  • Future POS
  • Harbortouch POS
and 13 more
  • KORONA POS
  • Oracle Micros Res 3700 POS
  • NCR ACS-IR
  • NCR Encor POS
  • PAR Brink POS
  • Payworks
  • PAR PixelPoint
  • POSitouch POS
  • Restaurant Manager
  • Shift4
  • Shopify
  • Toshiba ACE POS
  • UKG

Which to choose

7shifts

Choose 7shifts if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: Single restaurants and small teams; Restaurants that want scheduling tied to POS sales; Multi-location groups and franchises.

Deputy

Choose Deputy if you fit its listed audience: Restaurants and hotels with shift teams; Multi-location and franchise operators; Small teams starting with scheduling.

HotSchedules

Choose HotSchedules if you are in one of these groups: Multi-location hospitality operators; Restaurants and bars reducing labor costs.

TimeForge

Choose TimeForge if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: Multi-unit restaurant operators; Restaurant franchises; Independent and small restaurant groups.

Our profile lists a weaker fit: Single-location businesses. The vendor says it is built for multi-unit operators, and free account setup is offered to businesses with more than one location.

What we could not confirm

7shifts

  • US-dollar prices (the pricing page showed Canadian dollars to this reader; US prices may differ)
  • Which countries the software is sold in beyond the US and Canada
  • Interface languages
  • Current employee count
  • Security certifications such as SOC 2
  • Where the Android time clock and task apps are listed
  • Independent verification of the '55,000+ restaurants' claim
  • Company registration details and current HQ address

Deputy

  • Contract length and renewal terms
  • Employee count
  • Funding amounts
  • Interface languages
  • Which integrations are available in which country
  • App store ratings and listing text

HotSchedules

  • Specific pricing or billing models
  • Contract terms or minimum commitments
  • Security certifications or compliance standards
  • Complete list of available integrations
  • Which countries specific products are available in
  • Employee count
  • Headquarters city
  • Exact founding date for Fourth vs HotSchedules
  • Complete list of customer accounts
  • Interface languages supported
  • Hardware requirements or compatibility

TimeForge

  • Any price or plan tiers
  • Legal entity name and registration
  • Team size and funding
  • Security certifications
  • Interface languages
  • Countries outside the U.S.

Go further

7shifts profileDeputy profileHotSchedules profileTimeForge profile

Other comparisons with these products

Sources

Facts on this page come from the pages below. Prices and features change, so confirm with each vendor before you buy.

7shifts, reviewed 29 September 2026

  1. Plans, prices, features, FAQ, contract termshttps://www.7shifts.com/pricing/
  2. Full integration listhttps://www.7shifts.com/integrations/home/
  3. Integration overview and customer quoteshttps://www.7shifts.com/integrations/
  4. Founder, founding year, officeshttps://www.7shifts.com/about/
  5. Funding newshttps://www.7shifts.com/press/
  6. Payroll, US-only, payroll pricinghttps://www.7shifts.com/payroll/
  7. Compliance featureshttps://www.7shifts.com/labor-compliance/
  8. Legal documentshttps://www.7shifts.com/legal/
  9. Company contexthttps://www.7shifts.com/careers/
  10. iOS app listinghttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/7shifts-employee-scheduling/id731444612
  11. Google Play listinghttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sevenshifts.android
  12. Series C date, investors, HQhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-softbank-leads-80-million-funding-of-7shifts-buying-into-booming
  13. 2021 funding roundhttps://www.businessinsider.com/danny-meyers-enlightened-hospitality-leads-215-million-raise-for-7shifts-2021-5

HotSchedules, reviewed 29 September 2026

  1. HotSchedules product overview and featureshttp://www.fourth.com/hotschedules
  2. Fourth Inc homepage with product overview and company informationhttp://www.fourth.com/
  3. Company history, leadership, and backinghttp://www.fourth.com/about
  4. Resources and documentationhttp://www.fourth.com/resources