RosterzenPlan the rota or generate it
RotaCloud is centred on planning and publishing the rota. Rosterzen starts from the shifts that need cover and automatically works out valid assignments.
6 RotaCloud Alternatives for Staff Rota Planning in 2026
RotaCloud is a straightforward UK rota planner. Compare alternatives by whether you want manual rota planning or automatic schedule creation, whether time and attendance should be included, and how costs change as headcount grows.
RotaCloud alternatives at a glance
| Product | Best for | Starting price | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|---|
| RotaCloud | straightforward UK rota planning | From £10/month for 1–5 employees | Drag-and-drop rota planning, templates, notifications and optional time and attendance. |
RosterzenRosterzen | automatic schedule creation | $39/month · up to 25 workers | Builds the schedule and shows any gaps |
Planday | teams that want scheduling + workforce administration | Per-user plans · Pro custom | Rota planning tied to wider workforce administration |
Deputy | scheduling + broader workforce tools | Core $6.50/user/month | Scheduling inside a broader people platform |
When I Work | hourly teams | From $2.50/user/month | Simple day-to-day scheduling for hourly teams |
Connecteam | deskless operations | $29/month · first 30 users (annual) | Scheduling plus a broad deskless-workforce toolkit |
Rotageek | larger workforce-planning teams | Contact sales | Scheduling tied closely to demand forecasting |
What to compare before switching from RotaCloud
Time and attendance
RotaCloud sells time and attendance as an add-on. Rosterzen includes time and attendance in the product.
Headcount growth
RotaCloud pricing scales by employee count. Rosterzen uses fixed monthly tiers covering up to 25, 100 or 500 active workers.
Rosterzen
automatic schedule creation$39/month · up to 25 workersAny industry
Rosterzen creates the schedule from your coverage needs and worker rules instead of making you start from a blank calendar.
Add the shifts you need covered, then enter each worker's availability, qualifications, locations, weekly hours and rest rules. Rosterzen assigns eligible people and keeps any shift it cannot cover clearly open.
Time and attendance is included. Pricing stays fixed within each plan’s active-worker limit, so the bill does not rise with every person you add.
Good if you need
- Automatic schedule creation
- Availability, qualifications and location rules
- Hours, rest and coverage rules
- Time and attendance
Worth knowing
Best when the difficult part is deciding who should work each shift. Enterprise agreements can include EU data residency or self-hosting.
Planday
teams that want scheduling + workforce administrationPer-user plans · Pro custom
Planday combines rota planning, time and attendance, leave, payroll preparation and employee administration.
Starter covers scheduling, time tracking and working-time rules. Plus adds broader workforce tools. Auto-scheduling is available on Pro, with a newer auto-schedule experience also rolling out to selected Plus and Pro organisations.
Starter and Plus are priced per user; Pro uses custom pricing.
Good if you need
- Rota planning
- Time and attendance
- Leave management
- Payroll preparation
Worth knowing
Compare the exact plan and regional availability if auto-scheduling is important, because scheduling automation differs by plan and rollout status.
Deputy
scheduling + broader workforce toolsCore $6.50/user/month
Deputy combines scheduling, time tracking, availability, shift changes and broader workforce tools.
Its Core plan includes auto-scheduling, demand forecasting and labour planning. Lite covers basic scheduling and time tracking for teams that do not need those advanced scheduling tools.
Pricing is per user, so the monthly total increases as the workforce grows.
Good if you need
- Auto-scheduling
- Time and attendance
- Demand forecasting
- Shift swaps and replacements
Worth knowing
Useful when you want scheduling, time tracking and workforce tools in one product. Compare the Core plan if auto-scheduling is a requirement.
When I Work
hourly teamsFrom $2.50/user/month
When I Work combines employee scheduling, open shifts, shift swaps, availability and team communication in a straightforward app for hourly teams.
Essentials includes auto-scheduling and multi-week scheduling. Higher tiers add more scheduling rules, permissions and controls.
The product is priced per user, which is easy to understand but means cost rises directly with headcount.
Good if you need
- Auto-scheduling
- Open shifts and swaps
- Availability
- Team messaging
Worth knowing
A good fit for teams that want a familiar shift-management workflow. Check the plan level if you need more scheduling rules.
Connecteam
deskless operations$29/month · first 30 users (annual)
Connecteam puts job scheduling alongside time tracking, forms, tasks, communication and other tools for deskless teams.
Scheduling is part of the Operations Hub, so it can replace several frontline apps when the same team also needs task management, forms and mobile workflows.
Paid hub plans cover the first 30 users for a fixed base price, with additional-user charges after that. More advanced scheduling automation sits higher in the plan structure.
Good if you need
- Job scheduling
- Time clock
- Forms and tasks
- Deskless workforce app
Worth knowing
Useful when you want several frontline tools in one app. If the main problem is automatically constructing a difficult roster, compare the scheduling workflow closely.
Rotageek
larger workforce-planning teamsContact sales
Rotageek combines auto-scheduling with demand forecasting and labour planning for larger organisations.
Its scheduling is designed around larger workforce-planning programmes where demand forecasts and labour planning sit alongside roster creation.
Pricing is sales-led rather than a simple self-serve monthly plan.
Good if you need
- Auto-scheduling
- Demand forecasting
- Skills and preferences
- Workforce planning
Worth knowing
Better suited to larger workforce-planning programmes than a small self-serve scheduling purchase.
Frequently asked questions
What is a RotaCloud alternative for automatic rota creation?
Rosterzen creates the rota from the coverage you need and each worker's availability, qualifications, locations, hours and rest rules. It then shows any shift it could not fill.
Does RotaCloud include time and attendance?
RotaCloud offers Time & Attendance as a paid add-on to its Standard subscription.
Can Rosterzen be used as UK rota software?
Yes. Rosterzen supports rota planning for UK teams while letting the organisation configure its own working-hour and rest rules.
Create your first roster
Use your own team and shifts. No account required.