Your small enterprise lives and dies by its workers. That’s why it’s so essential to discover a workforce administration platform you may depend on so it can save you time, stress, and cash on key duties like shift scheduling, time monitoring, and employees communication.
However when you’re already utilizing Planday or are wanting into it for the primary time — and suspect it doesn’t fairly do all the pieces you want it to — it is smart you’re in search of a Planday different.
We’re right here to assist. We’ve researched six of the most effective Planday alternate options available on the market utilizing impartial evaluation web sites like G2, Capterra, and Software program Recommendation and in contrast them based mostly on key options, pricing, and person scores.
We additionally defined:
- What Planday is and what it’s used for
- What you would possibly wish to search for in a Planday different, to assist information your search
- Key options to search for in a Planday different to make it simpler to match instruments
We additionally cowl our personal all-in-one employees administration resolution, Homebase. In fact, we could also be a little bit biased, however we consider it’s the most effective small enterprise platform accessible, with all of the important instruments you want underneath one digital roof.
What’s Planday and what’s it used for?
Planday is workforce administration software program, which is what the trade formally calls “managing your employees.” It’s designed primarily for companies that have to schedule hourly workforce members and says that its major purpose is to “uncomplicate workforce administration.”
It goals to assist clients set employees hours, plan worker shifts round availability, be certain folks at all times have entry to the newest schedule, and monitor hours labored to allow them to streamline their enterprise operations, even remotely.
This ensures that workforce members are at all times in the correct place on the proper time while you want them, that you would be able to pay them precisely and promptly, and that your labor prices keep underneath management.
Planday’s options and makes use of embrace:
- Shift planning — Scheduling your workforce’s hours by abilities, value, and availability.
- Punch clock — Enabling workers to clock out and in of labor by GPS utilizing a digital system.
- Reporting — Monitoring income and prices to optimize your funds.
- Employees communication — Protecting employees knowledgeable inside the similar digital house.
- Employees report protecting — Organizing and storing worker information, certifications, and paperwork.
Why would possibly you search for a Planday different?
Listed below are some causes you may be in search of a Planday different in your small enterprise workforce administration wants:
Cause #1: You want extra on a regular basis options
Planday has instruments for time monitoring, scheduling, reporting, and workforce communication, however purposefully limits itself to these areas for the sake of simplicity. If that’s what you need, then nice — however it’s probably that, as a small enterprise proprietor, you’ll additionally want entry to different important options, together with these for payroll, human sources, hiring, and worker engagement and happiness.
Cause #2: You need an all-in-one resolution
In the event you discover that you simply want extra options than Planday offers, you’ve two choices. You may pay for and piece collectively separate instruments for every want (for instance, one for payroll, one other for HR, and so forth), spend time determining how you can join them, and hope that they work. This may very well be costly and time-consuming. Or, you could possibly select an all-in-one instrument like Homebase that has all these instruments inside the similar platform, so that you solely need to pay a single payment and gained’t have to fret about instruments working collectively.
Cause #3: You want in-person recommendation and help
Generally within the enterprise world — particularly when you’re a solo entrepreneur or a smaller firm — you simply need somebody to show to for recommendation, or to check out your setup and provide constructive suggestions. Planday has a number of options, however it doesn’t provide that service (past assist pages and a webchat field). That is in distinction to a instrument like Homebase, which has a workforce of HR specialists on name who may help you to evaluation insurance policies or sort out particular questions by way of a stay name. So, you’ll by no means be caught with out solutions.
Cause #4: You don’t wish to pay per person
Many workforce administration platforms cost per person. This may be high quality when you work solo, or solely have a few members of employees. Nonetheless, in case your small enterprise has a workforce of employees, this might get costly, rapidly. As a substitute, you may be in search of a platform like Homebase, which costs per location and permits limitless workers for one flat payment per 30 days (beginning at simply $24.95 per location.)
Key options to search for in a Planday different
In fact, the options you’ll search for particularly rely in your cause for wanting a Planday different within the first place.
However when you’re evaluating small enterprise administration platforms with the purpose of discovering probably the most helpful, time-saving, and reasonably priced possibility, we suggest in search of:
- Straightforward scheduling — Planday provides this, so it is smart that any real different would additionally embrace it. The most effective suppliers will allow you to create schedules in minutes utilizing copy-and-paste templates, take availability and labor prices under consideration routinely, and allow employees to change shifts simply.
- Correct time monitoring — Once more, a Planday characteristic. Nonetheless, verify to guarantee that any attainable different lets employees use digital units to trace time, sends alerts to keep away from costly additional time, and makes use of instruments like PINs and GPS monitoring to keep away from time theft and buddy punching.
- Intuitive workforce communication — Planday additionally has this, however you might wish to search for a platform that sends the brand new schedule to employees routinely, enables you to set reminders to keep away from costly additional time, and lets your workforce chat to share concepts, notes, and shoutouts.
- Correct payroll — Planday doesn’t provide this instrument, so a platform that does will prevent main money and time on having to search out but one other exterior resolution. Examine it calculates wages precisely, takes time without work and suggestions under consideration, and allows you to pay workers rapidly and on time.
- HR and compliance experience — The most effective workforce administration platforms won’t solely assist you to handle administrative human sources duties associated to paperwork, {qualifications}, and depart but in addition provide on-demand, knowledgeable suggestions which can be tailor-made to your small business. That manner, you may be certain you keep legally compliant always and follow the federal, state, and metropolis labor legal guidelines that apply to you.
- Hiring and onboarding assist — Employees administration options that provide these sorts of options are really complete, in that they assist you to handle current workforce members in addition to rent new ones. Search for instruments like templates, integrations with job boards, applicant monitoring, and automatic onboarding processes.
- Worker happiness instruments — In case your employees aren’t blissful, they gained’t keep lengthy. Hold engagement and appreciation ranges excessive by searching for a instrument that features perks, like letting them money out wages early or sharing shoutouts to hard-working workforce members.
- Highly effective integrations — You can also make your digital platform go even additional with inbuilt integrations. In the event you already know and use some key instruments, verify that any different will work seamlessly with them (for instance, Shopify, QuickBooks, or Gusto.)
The breakdown: 6 high Planday alternate options
- Homebase: Greatest all-in-one resolution
- Deputy: Greatest for simplicity
- After I Work: Greatest for straightforward setup
- Quinyx: Greatest for superior analytics
- TCP Humanity Scheduling: Greatest for medium-to-large companies
- Ceridian Dayforce: Greatest for scaling companies
1. Homebase: The most effective all-in-one resolution
Homebase is an all-in-one small enterprise administration platform designed particularly for corporations that depend on hourly employees.
It not solely consists of the options Planday provides, but in addition has strong and easy-to-use instruments for workforce communication, recruitment, onboarding, and full-service payroll, so you may run your workforce inside a single, unified digital platform.
This eliminates the necessity for a number of software program options or sophisticated integrations.
With Homebase, user-friendliness is a precedence. Furthermore, our pricing is accessible for small companies and our time monitoring and scheduling options are utterly free for groups of as much as 20 employees members at one enterprise location.
We additionally present distinctive help, onboarding help, and useful guides to make sure you get probably the most worth out of your Homebase funding.
Homebase measures up strongly on the subject of options that Planday additionally consists of, like:
Scheduling
Homebase’s scheduling instrument solves your scheduling challenges by enabling you to seamlessly plan shifts every week, utilizing templates and copy-and-paste options from week to week. Your workforce can simply change shifts, and you’ll set your schedule in accordance with your labor forecasts (so that you don’t overspend on labor or over-/underneath schedule for a shift). Homebase additionally allows you to share your schedule as you go, so your workforce at all times has the newest info, and is aware of precisely what they’re doing and when.
Time monitoring
Homebase’s GPS-enabled time clocks assist you to keep away from time theft and buddy punching, as workers can solely clock in after they’re bodily on-site. This ensures your information are correct and truthful. Homebase enables you to flip digital units into worker time clocks, and routinely converts clocked hours into exact on-line timesheets, so you may seamlessly and precisely pay your employees. The time clock and timesheet instruments additionally allow you to implement authorized time clock rounding (when you select), and make it straightforward to handle time card approval.
Group communication
Make it straightforward to share vital particulars together with your workforce, and allow them to ship useful shift notes to coworkers, inside the similar workforce communication app (with out sharing non-public cellphone numbers.) Homebase’s app makes it straightforward to ship messages to people, particular teams, or the complete employees. This not solely enables you to share the newest schedule with workers but in addition empowers them to ship shift notes and useful concepts to different employees. You may as well set alerts to remind employees to take breaks or clock out and in of labor on time.
Different notable options
- HR and compliance: Helps guarantee your insurance policies are compliant with federal, state, and native legal guidelines.
- Forecasting instruments: Create schedules and employees your small business utilizing clever gross sales and labor knowledge.
- Payroll: Built-in software program that calculates worker paychecks, recordsdata and pays payroll taxes, and sends direct deposit funds to your workforce.
- Hiring and onboarding instruments: Rent the most effective folks rapidly through the use of job description templates, e-sign vital paperwork securely, and ship welcome packets, all inside the similar app.
- Cellular app: Out there for each managers and employees to make use of, providing almost all of the options accessible on the desktop model.
Execs and cons
Execs
Cons
- One person mentioned they wished the iPad app was as detailed because the iPhone model.
- One other talked about that they want the app’s font to be a little bit larger, and wished that there was a darkish mode.
Pricing
Homebase’s scheduling and timesheet instrument is totally free. Nonetheless, if you wish to maximize effectivity and get probably the most out of the complete software program, we provide the next packages.
- Fundamental: Free for one location and as much as 20 workers. It consists of primary scheduling and time monitoring, worker administration instruments like Messaging, point-of-sale integrations and entry to e-mail help.
- Necessities: $24.95 per 30 days per location. Every part in Fundamental, plus payroll integrations, workforce communication, efficiency monitoring, superior time monitoring and scheduling and entry to stay help.
- Plus: $59.95 per 30 days per location. Every part in Necessities, plus hiring instruments, retention and efficiency monitoring, time without work controls, and departments and permissions.
- All-in-one: $99.95 per 30 days per location. Every part in Plus, with HR and compliance, new rent onboarding, labor value controls, and enterprise insights.
Customers may save 20% on their general value after they join an annual plan.
Person scores
Customers have rated Homebase on in style critiques apps together with:
- G2: 4.2/5
- Capterra: 4.6/5
- Software program Recommendation: 4.5/5
2. Deputy: Greatest for simplicity
Deputy is a well known platform that additionally provides instruments for scheduling, time monitoring, and labor compliance. It might work for small, medium, or enterprise-size companies. It goals to assist clients management labor prices, guarantee safety, and match staffing to demand.
High options
- Scheduling: Schedule your workforce by location and function, ship the newest hours to your workforce immediately, and allow employees to swap shifts.
- Time clock: Creates timesheets and tracks hours labored so you may join with a separate payroll instrument to pay your workforce. Make any good system a time clock.
- Labor compliance instruments: Automated protections in opposition to additional time and dealing with out breaks, in addition to correct pay necessities and monitoring.
- Cellular app: Lets your workforce entry options like scheduling and time clocking when on the go.
- Integrations: Deputy provides integrations to different platforms that can assist you run payroll, handle HR, or run POS software program (however doesn’t have its personal instruments for these).
- E mail help: 24/7 assist by way of e-mail when you run into a difficulty.
Execs and cons
Execs
Cons
- Some customers reported that it may be “complicated at first” and one other mentioned they’d difficulties enhancing depart requests.
- One other shopper mentioned that the app can “trigger pressure on the eyes” for a “much less pleasing person expertise.”
Pricing
- Scheduling: $3.50 per person per 30 days. Scheduling, PTO administration, and POS integrations.
- Time & Attendance: $3.50 per person per 30 days. Timesheets, PTO administration, payroll and POS integrations.
- Premium: $4.90 per person per 30 days. Scheduling, Time & Attendance, and reporting. Additionally consists of payroll and POS integration, PTO administration, reporting, and e-mail help.
- Enterprise: Worth on request. Every part in Premium, plus superior planning and analytics.
It additionally provides a 31-day free trial.
Person scores
- G2: 4.5/5
- Capterra: 4.6/5:
- Software program Recommendation: 4.63/5
3. After I Work: Greatest for straightforward setup
After I Work makes a speciality of serving to enterprise house owners and managers schedule, monitor time, and talk sooner and extra simply. It’s one other platform that gives scheduling and time clocking. It prides itself on protecting issues easy and being quick and straightforward to arrange. It’s additionally designed for hourly companies, particularly these in retail.
High options
- Worker scheduling: Straightforward-to-build scheduler that takes worker availability under consideration and allows you to share the newest timetables together with your workforce quick.
- Time clock: Permits you to flip any good system right into a time clock that manages breaks and time without work and takes labor prices under consideration.
- Group messaging: Lets you ship group messages or 1-to-1s with out requiring your workforce to share numbers.
Execs and cons
Execs
- Purchasers report that it’s “fast and straightforward” to make use of.
- One other praised the straightforward set-up.
Cons
- One person mentioned that the app model doesn’t work in addition to the desktop.
- One other mentioned that it didn’t provide the integrations their firm wanted to develop.
Pricing
- Customary: $4 per 30 days per person. Customary scheduling, time and attendance, and on-demand pay.
- Superior — $8 per 30 days per person. Superior scheduling, time & attendance, and on-demand pay.
Deputy additionally provides a 14-day free trial.
Person scores
- G2: 4.4/5
- Capterra: 4.5/5
- Software program Recommendation: 4.48/5
4. Quinyx: Greatest for superior analytics
Quinyx distinguishes itself with its synthetic intelligence (AI) capabilities, that means it regularly updates and adapts to employees necessities in actual time. Its standout options embrace correct workforce forecasting, schedule optimization, and letting customers carefully monitor their enterprise operations and compliance.
High options
- Labor scheduling forecasting — Get real-time updates in 15-minute intervals
- Labor demand and scheduling: Makes use of good occasion monitoring to enhance future planning
- Schedule optimization: Aligns scheduling with enterprise targets for extra effectivity
- Time and attendance reporting: Permits you to handle time monitoring and depart requests
- Automated scheduling and shift administration: Streamlines handbook processes to save lots of time
- Proactive compliance monitoring: Sends computerized alerts forward of potential violations
- Cellular app: Simplifies workforce communication and lets employees swap shifts effortlessly
Execs and cons
Execs
- One person significantly appreciated the “glorious” integration with different providers
- One other mentioned that the automations saved them loads of time.
Cons
- One shopper mentioned that the “huge system” may very well be “an excessive amount of” for brand new customers.
- One other felt that it took “too many clicks” to get to “the place you wish to go.”
Pricing
Quinyx doesn’t checklist its pricing publicly, however provides 4 ranges of plan:
- Launch: Scheduling, absence administration, workforce engagement, and reporting instruments
- Develop: Every part in Launch, plus time and attendance instruments, timesheets, and geo-punching
- Speed up: Every part in Develop, plus demand forecasting and labor optimization
- Enhance: Every part in Speed up, plus strategic planning and labor budgeting
Person scores
- G2: 4.2/5
- Capterra: 4.3/5
- Software program Recommendation: 4.27/5
5. TCP Humanity Scheduling: Greatest for medium-to-large companies
TCP Humanity (often known as Humanity) is a cloud-based platform that’s primarily designed for scheduling for small, medium, and enterprise-sized companies with hourly groups. It provides some highly effective options on its higher-priced plans, together with geolocation clock-in and clock-out, in addition to demand-based scheduling, and extra superior analytics.
High options
- Time & attendance: A collection of options referred to as TimeClock Plus permits customers to automate time monitoring and management prices.
- Auto-scheduling — Schedule routinely, and be sure to have folks with the correct abilities scheduled to work on the proper time.
- Time clock: Permits you to automate timekeeping with the choice for touchless readers and biometric scanners to enhance security and keep away from time theft.
- Demand-driven scheduling: Schedule the correct workers on the proper time and cut back useless labor overspending.
- Cellular app — Let workers handle their schedule, shifts, availability, and depart by way of their smartphone and even their Apple Watch.
Execs and cons
Execs
Cons
- One person mentioned that they don’t just like the “restricted entry” that employees need to schedules, and their incapacity to swap shifts.
- One other shopper mentioned that Humanity is “fairly clunky” and is time-consuming to make use of and cargo.
Pricing
Humanity doesn’t publish its pricing publicly, however it does have three ranges of plan:
- Starter — Consists of worker scheduling, cell entry, analytics, and 24/7 help
- Basic — Every part in Starter, plus auto-scheduling, labor costing, compliance, payroll export, and messaging
- Enterprise — Every part in Basic, plus demand-based scheduling, integrations, and open API entry
Person scores
- G2: 4.5/5
- Capterra: 4.3/5
- Software program Recommendation: 4.31/5
6. Ceridian Dayforce: Greatest for scaling companies
Dayforce, from Ceridian, is a complete, cloud-based platform. It goals to make it simpler to handle workers, management prices, and make data-driven choices as your small business grows. It seeks to assist managers automate on a regular basis duties and promote work-life stability for workers, too. It’s additionally one of many few work administration platforms that additionally has HR and payroll instruments.
High options
- HR: Permits you to handle compensation, advantages, and labor prices and provides employees easy accessibility to their pay, scheduling, and duties.
- Payroll: Provides customers a real-time view of payroll prices and lets them monitor hours and calculate wages routinely.
- Workforce administration: Schedule workers simply and forestall burnout by guaranteeing balanced workloads and enabling on-demand pay.
- Expertise intelligence: Use knowledge to rent glorious candidates, recruit sooner, take away bias, and personalize and streamline onboarding.
Execs and cons
Execs
- Purchasers report that Dayforce is “very user-friendly” and “clean.”
- One person appreciated how straightforward it’s to “rapidly discover what I want.”
Cons
- One person mentioned that some options may be “fairly finicky to make use of.”
- A number of reported “fixed issues with the software program loading correctly.”
Pricing
Ceridian doesn’t publish any pricing info on-line about Dayforce however as an alternative invitations potential customers to fill in a request type or name the gross sales workforce.
Person scores
- G2: 4/5
- Capterra: 4.3/5
- Software program Recommendation: 4.3/5
So, which is the most effective Planday different for you?
Planday is a well-liked workforce administration platform, however when you’re in search of an alternate, there are some glorious choices value your time.
Deputy provides the identical primary options as Planday, however it’s less complicated and simpler to make use of. In the event you’re primarily in search of superior analytics, Quinyx may very well be an incredible alternative. And if your small business is scaling quick, then Ceridian Dayforce may very well be your greatest guess.
Alternatively, Homebase is an all-in-one resolution that features time-saving automations and important instruments in your small enterprise. Principally, we provide the necessities you want at an reasonably priced value.
With Homebase, you may spend much less time on repetitive duties, lower your expenses, cut back stress, enhance communication, and plan your small enterprise operations successfully. This lets you give attention to rising your small business and effectively handle your workforce.
Homebase is excess of a Planday different. It’s a complete resolution that goes past it, with all of the instruments it’s good to handle your hourly enterprise underneath one digital roof.
All comparisons and critiques are impartial critiques from evaluation web sites like G2, Capterra, and Software program Recommendation, as of June 2023.
