For businesses managing hourly workers, workforce management encompasses more than just simple shift scheduling. It requires precise payroll accuracy and strict compliance with labor laws. Yet maintaining payroll accuracy in practice is complex, particularly when scaling across multiple locations or managing state-level compliance variations. 

An EY report titled ‘Cost and Risks due to Payroll Errors’ highlights the same challenge. It reiterates that the average payroll accuracy rate among companies is only 80%. The room for 20% payroll errors can make workforce management frustrating for accounts and HR teams of a company.  

Homebase and Deputy take different approaches to solving these challenges. These systems are designed to reduce payroll inefficiencies by managing scheduling, payroll, compliance, and communication.  

In this guide, we will explore both platforms, their unique functions, pros and cons, and compare their features and pricing to help you make a choice.  

Let’s get right into the details.  

Homebase Vs Deputy: At A Glance

Feature 

Homebase 

Deputy 

Employee Scheduling 

Simple drag‑and‑drop schedules, templates, sales/weather forecasts 

AI‑powered demand forecasting, multi‑location scheduling, and compliance enforcement 

Time Tracking And Timesheets 

Mobile/POS time clocks, tracks hours, breaks, overtime, auto‑prepared timesheets 

Mobile/kiosk time clocks integrate compliance rules directly into timesheets 

Payroll Management 

Native payroll with taxes, Tip Manager, and Early Wage Access 

Exports compliant timesheets to external payroll systems, customizable pay rules 

Labor Cost Control 

Basic labor cost tracking, budgeting, forecasts for small teams 

AI forecasting aligns staffing with demand, advanced analytics across locations 

Compliance Support 

HR advisors, guides, background checks, PTO/overtime tracking 

Automated enforcement of breaks, overtime, Fair Workweek, audit‑ready records 

What Is Homebase?

Homebase is a built-in payroll-first workforce management platform that facilitates small businesses with hourly teams. If you are running a retail shop, salon, restaurant, or any business with hourly workers clocking in and out, Homebase puts all HR and payroll tasks in one place. 

The core focus of this platform lies in scheduling and time clock features. Other notable key functionalities offered by this software include a dedicated Tip Manager, shift planning, employee performance management, labor cost controls, and a manager logbook. 

Homebase also offers a free mobile app, which is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Furthermore, it has dedicated AI Assistants that help with automated hiring, onboarding, scheduling, payroll, and support. In 2024, the platform won the Best Payroll For Hourly Teams award from USA Today Blueprint. 

Unique Features Of Homebase 

  • Tip Manager: Homebase's dedicated Tip Manager automates tip pooling, calculates tips, and distributes them based on working hours. It can also be synced with POS for accurate payroll, eliminating manual calculations 
  • Early Wage Access: The platform offers early access to wages at no additional cost to the company 
  • HR And Compliance Support: This platform offers certified HR advisors, compliance guides for labor law adherence, and integrated background checks as part of HR compliance support 
  • Manager Logbook: Homebase's AI-assisted manager logbook lets managers add, read, and edit logs at any time. Managers can maintain clear and accurate documentation of all notable events 

Pros And Cons Of Homebase 

Pros  

Cons 

  • Quick setup enables smooth integration into workflows 
  • Responsive tech support enhances overall user experience 
  • Excel compatibility adds flexibility for data handling 
  • Occasional clock-in glitches cause confusion in time tracking 
  • Some users report inconsistency in notifications 

What Is Deputy?

Deputy software is a workforce management platform offering scheduling tools, AI-driven labor forecasting, compliance, HR functionality, communication, and analytics to businesses. In the 2025 HR Tech Awards, Deputy was named Best Midsize Business-Focused Solution.  

The platform caters to businesses that deal with dynamic scheduling, labor laws that vary by state or country, and changing hours of availability. Other key functionalities offered by this platform include time and attendance management, wage and hour compliance, and more. 

In terms of accessibility, Deputy offers a mobile app compatible with both Android and iOS devices. To help organizations automate compliance scheduling across multiple jurisdictions, the software also offers an AI assistant named Deputy AI.  

Unique Features Of Deputy 

  • AI-Powered Labor Forecasting: Deputy features an AI-enabled labor optimization software to lower labor costs and optimize schedule coverage with smart and scalable scheduling tools 
  • Advanced Compliance Automation: This platform automates compliance management by enforcing breaks, overtime, and Fair Workweek rules, applying custom pay policies 
  • Candidate Video Applications: It lets candidates apply for jobs easily from any device, answer screening questions, and submit an optional video to make their application stand out 
  • Pay Rate Builder: Deputy's Pay Rate Builder helps configure pay rates that align with your modern award. The automated pay calculation per established rules reduces the risk of errors 

Pros And Cons Of Deputy 

Pros  

Cons 

  • Simple setup reduces onboarding effort and hassle 
  • Mobile access makes shift management convenient 
  • Location-based clock-ins improve accuracy and compliance 
  • Login and password setup might feel difficult and unfriendly 
  • Some users complained that Deputy allowed incorrect role shift assignment 

Side-By-Side Feature Comparison

Employee Scheduling

Homebase offers scheduling templates and auto-scheduling based on availability, labor targets, and sales forecasts. Schedule updates and shift reminders reach employees through in-app notifications, text, and email. The platform also allows your team members to trade shifts, and if they reach overtime limits, it sends alerts so that you may manage a real-time adjustment.

Furthermore, the software helps you plan by keeping track of your team's availability, setting up blackout dates, and establishing rules for time-off requests.

On the other hand, Deputy's AI-powered auto-scheduling module fills empty shifts based on availability and staffing demands. It fills empty shifts quickly and sets a limit on the daily or weekly working hours of employees. The software also tracks staff leaves and breaks, and flags missed or unscheduled breaks immediately. For labor costing, it gives you a clear view of wages compared to sales, so that you can calculate labor costing percentages.

Deputy supports multi-location scheduling with automated roster sharing, so managers across locations stay synchronized. Moreover, the software also enforces wage and hour compliance with federal, state, and local laws, including the fair workweek.

Winner: Deputy’s AI-powered auto-scheduling, automated compliance management, and multi-location support make it more advanced and scalable than Homebase.

Time Tracking And Timesheets

Homebase automatically calculates hours worked, breaks, tips, overtime, and wage rates from clock data. It also prevents early clock-ins and auto-clock-outs and uses a GPS-enabled time clock. To help you comply with federal, city, or state laws, it allows you to set up your break and overtime rules. It maintains FLSA-compliant timecard records and tracks overtime for non-exempt employees.

Homebase auto-prepares timesheets for payroll internally that you can review and approve before payday. The software also offers a time-tracking app that can be used on your phone, computer, tablet, or POS device.

Deputy, in comparison, helps you keep track of employee time and attendance with a straightforward app. It automates pay calculations based on award rules and pay policies configured in the platform. Also, you can verify timesheets using facial recognition or a GPS location stamp. Managers can approve timesheets individually or in bulk and export them to their external payroll software.

Deputy allocates meal/rest breaks through its scheduling software and allows employees to manage leave balances and requests with ease.

Winner: Deputy edges ahead with its precise time verification (facial recognition), automated pay calculations, and stronger compliance tools.

Payroll Management

Homebase includes integrated payroll processing, from time tracking through tax filing, in a single platform. It allows you to calculate, deposit, and file federal and state payroll taxes on your behalf, keeping you compliant with IRS regulations. It also offers direct deposits, printable checks, payroll reports, Tip Manager, W-2s, 1099s, and early wage access to employees.

Deputy helps you run multi-entity pay runs efficiently with its dedicated module called Deputy Payroll. Pay Rate Builder lets you configure custom pay rates and rules using compliance templates or your own custom rules. Employees can access their pay slips and update personal details in the mobile app.

In comparison, Homebase offers payroll with built-in tax filing and employee perks, while Deputy offers customizable pay rules and multi-entity compliance.

Winner: Homebase's fully integrated payroll with automated tax filing, W-2/1099 support, and IRS-compliant deposits gives it an edge over Deputy.

Labor Cost Control

Homebase lets you set labor cost targets and sales-based staffing goals to maintain ideal team size. With real-time labor cost tracking and overtime alerts, you can make informed scheduling decisions. It also prevents early clock-ins and notifies you of empty shifts for quick coverage adjustments.

Deputy's demand forecasting feature helps management optimize schedule coverage and lower labor costs. It analyzes historical POS and payroll data to forecast demand patterns and automatically generate adaptive schedules. This approach scales across multiple locations to reduce labor waste enterprise-wide.

Comparatively, Homebase provides practical cost checks for small teams, while Deputy’s AI forecasting supports scalable labor optimization.

Winner: Deputy wins because its AI-powered demand forecasting delivers deeper and automated labor cost control than Homebase’s simpler tools.

Compliance Support

Homebase helps you stay compliant with new hire forms by adhering to federal and state labor guidelines. It provides HR Pro advisors to answer compliance questions and interpret labor law changes. Homebase also stores timecards according to FLSA rules and tracks PTO and overtime usage for compliance verification.

Deputy ensures compliance with wage and hour laws, providing meal/rest break management, fair workweek adherence, overtime, premium pay, and multi-jurisdiction compliance. Its Compliance Hub stays updated with U.S. labor laws, enforces FLSA and Child Labor rules, and issues alerts to help avoid penalties. It also maintains audit-ready compliance records.

Homebase provides advisory compliance support with HR guidance, while Deputy automates compliance across jurisdictions with real-time alerts.

Winner: Deputy wins because its Compliance Hub automates labor law enforcement, ensures multi-jurisdiction consistency, and maintains audit-ready records beyond Homebase’s advisory model.

Homebase Vs Deputy: Pricing Comparison

Homebase offers four pricing plans, including the following:  

  • Basic - $0/location/month (for 1 location, up to 10 employees)  
  • Essentials - $30/location/month (unlimited employees) 
  • Plus - $70/location/month (unlimited employees) 
  • All-in-One - $120/location/month (unlimited employees) 

The vendor also offers a 14-day free trial.  

Deputy offers three pricing plans, excluding all applicable taxes, including the following:  

  • Lite – starts at $5.50/user/month  
  • Core – starts at $7.25/user/month  
  • Pro – starts at $10/user/month 

The vendor also offers a free trial. 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Comparing the pricing plans of both software, we can conclude that Homebase has a flat fee per location, whereas Deputy charges a fee per month per employee. You can opt for a pricing model that better suits your organizational needs. 

Final Verdict: Picking The Platform That Fits Your Team

Now that we have compared both Homebase vs Deputy in detail, it's time to make a final choice. The ultimate selection will depend on your company's size, operational needs, required features, and the budget range you have established.  

For small to mid-sized businesses seeking built-in payroll, tip management, HR advisory services, and employee perks like early wage access, Homebase is a good option. On the other hand, Deputy is well-suited for large companies or multi-location enterprises that need AI-powered labor forecasting, advanced compliance automation, custom pay rules, and in-depth analytics. 

If you want to review other workforce management software for your work, explore our resource center for expert comparisons and helpful insights.