Connecteam vs Deputy: My Take on When to Use Each

Last Updated on April 3, 2024 by Ewen Finser

If you are in the market for a field service management platform, Deputy and Connecteam might be near the top of your list. With good reason!

I’ve tested out both of these “deskless” work management systems and (so far) have also published a full review of Connecteam (if you are interested in a deep dive).

Because I geek out about business tech and try pretty much every new tool for this site, you’ll get my first hand take here of how these two platforms compare against each other.

Ok, let’s dive right in with some of the differences right up front…

Main Differences Between Deputy and Connecteam

As a quick summary, these are the key differentiating factors I found when testing out Deputy against Connecteam:

• Core Focus and Features: Deputy focuses primarily on schedule management and time tracking, aiming to streamline the process of organizing shifts, managing timesheets, and payroll integration for businesses, whereas Connecteam offers a broader set of features beyond scheduling and time tracking, including internal communication tools, task management, and employee training modules.
• User Interface and Usability: Because of this feature scope, I found Deputy to be easier to get a handle on initially, whereas Connecteam took some additional learning curve (which makes sense, given the broader features, TBH).
• Pricing Structure: Deputy’s pricing is primarily based on a per-user, per-month model, which can be scaled according to the size of the business and the features required, whereas Connecteam offers a unique pricing model that includes a flat rate “tiers” pricing model (which can be cheaper for some SMBs based on my rough calculations).
• Integration Capabilities: Deputy integrates with a wide range of payroll and HR systems, making it a flexible option for businesses looking to streamline their payroll processes in conjunction with scheduling and time tracking, whereas Connecteam has fewer (so far – although the platform also DOES more and requires fewer outside integrations...).
• Target Audience: Deputy felt more geared towards a specific type of retail business in need of robust time tracking and scheduling, whereas I can see Connecteam being useful for a much larger set of businesses (and more scalable as a company grows).
• Employee Engagement Tools: Connecteam places a strong emphasis on employee engagement, offering features such as updates, surveys, and recognition tools within its platform, whereas Deputy doesn’t really touch this side.

What is Connecteam TL;DR?

Connecteam in a nutshell is a work management platform for “deskless” or field based companies better connect and integrate and support on the ground workers and teams.

Applications include employee scheduling, absence management, digital time clocks, employee engagement tools, onboarding and training, real-time team chats, and more.

What is Deputy TL;DR?

Deputy is more specifically focused as a staff scheduling and timesheet management app, with deep functionality for employee shift management and payroll integrations.

Put simply, Deputy has started to become one of the main go-to software solutions for businesses dependent on regular “shift work” to run their operations.

Stand Out Connecteam Core Features

These are some of the main features (or strengths) that stood out to me when using Connecteam:

1. Employee Time Clock: Connecteam provides a time clock feature that allows employees to clock in and out easily, ensuring accurate tracking of working hours.
2. Employee Scheduling: Connecteam’s scheduling feature allows managers to create and distribute schedules efficiently.
3. Communication and Engagement: Connecteam provides a platform for effective communication among team members. It features a company newsfeed with engagement tracking, secure business messaging, and an accessible index for all work contact information.
4. Task Management: Connecteam offers a real-time task delegation and progress tracking feature that enhances productivity and efficiency.
5. Training and Onboarding: Connecteam allows for the creation of interactive courses with progress tracking, making the training and onboarding process smoother and more efficient.
6. Strong Customer Support: Connecteam gets a 4.9 rating on TrustPilot, which is very impressive relative to it’s peers.

Stand Out Deputy Core Features

Similarly, these were the main strong points I found with Deputy:

1. Easy Setup and Customer Support: Deputy is known for its easy setup process and excellent customer support.
2. Scheduling: Deputy allows users to create schedules from scratch or with a template and drag-and-drop shifts for easy changes.
3. Time Tracking: Deputy provides a straightforward time clock, working on both the web and mobile app. It also includes location tools and facial recognition to prevent buddy punching.
4. Communication: Deputy provides stellar communication features, including the ability to send out schedules, notify employees about open shifts, and send alerts and reminders of upcoming shifts.
5. Reporting: Deputy’s reporting feature allows businesses to keep track of employee performance and work progress.

Connecteam vs Deputy Pricing Breakdown

Ok, so cost is clearly a big factor for almost everyone right now.

Deputy’s pricing is fairly simple, in line with it’s overall scope. Here’s how they price:

Connecteam is a fair bit more complicated, BUT gives plenty of optionality for you to pick and choose what features (or modules) you need:

Each “hub” follows a similar pricing structure e.g. Communications is Basic, Advanced, Expert, with similar pricing. These prices are stacked, so if you add Operations, Communications, and HR & Skills, this will effectively be 3X the price (there’s some small variations, but you get the picture).

I really liked that BOTH platforms have a generous FREE plan. Deputy is free for the first 100 “shifts” per month, while Connecteam is free up to 10 users.

These are clearly both great, low-risk options for small businesses, although the real distinction is in how your team works.

Who has the Better Integrations?

Right now, I think Deputy has MORE integrations compared to Connecteam, specifically with payroll providers. This makes it better in the sense that it’s more likely to meet the payroll or bookkeeping integration needs of more companies.

As you can see, Deputy integrates with:

• ADP
• Gusto
• QuickBooks
• Netsuite
• Paychex
• Rippling
• Paycor

On the flip side, Connecteam only recently has started adding integrations, and currently directly works with:

• Gusto
• Paychex
• Xero
• QuickBooks

Personally, we use Gusto so it’s a bit of a draw for us, but having integrated payroll is a really nice benefit so this might tip the decision for you.

I also like that Connecteam has an open API that you can use to configure pretty much any third-party tool or platform with. It’s not as simple as clicking a few buttons, but theoretically allows endless custom integrations.

That said, I’m told that Connecteam IS rolling out new direct integrations, so stay tuned!

Who Should Use Deputy?

For strictly “shift work”, Deputy has an advantage. This is a broad-set of businesses for sure, including many retail and hospitality settings.

Combined with the 100 free “shift” schedules per month and I see Deputy as a good option for:

• Restaurants
• Bars
• Cafes / Coffee Shops
• Retail stores / boutiques
• Childcare facilities, etc..

Anything with a fixed POS (point of sale) location seems to be the ideal fit.

Deputy might also be a good option if your system is very reliant on an integration with Netsuite, ADP, Paycor, or Rippling… as these aren’t directly supported by Connecteam yet.

Who Should Use Connecteam?

I see Connecteam as a more scalable option for companies that don’t quite fit the demo targeted by Deputy OR if you’ve scaled beyond the 100 schedules per month.

1. It’s cheaper for most companies to switch to Connecteam’s fixed price tiered model vs Deputy’s strict per user model
2. Connecteam is better suited for service or field work, where schedules can vary considerably and timelines are fluid. In fact, if you BILL the customer partly based on time, it’s definitely the right option.
3. Connecteam is also more robust as a true “deskless” work operating system, with additional tools like feedback surveys, real-time chat, onboarding, training, and other performance management and incentive features.

Which One is “Better”?

Obviously there’s a lot of nuance in this debate, hence the sections above. Based on your business use case, one might very well be “better” for you.

That being said, I DO have an opinion on which I LIKE better personally.

Bottom Line: I think Connecteam is the better overall platform as it provides more scale and genuinely acts as a “work OS” versus “just” a time tracking / scheduling software. The employee engagement, training, and real-time feedback is a next level upgrade compared to Deputy.

That said, if all you need is robust time tracking and shift scheduling, Deputy does this really well.

Also Read: Connecteam vs Homebase.