RosterMate vs Deputy
Deputy is one of the biggest names in rostering worldwide. RosterMate is built in New Zealand, for New Zealand. Here's an honest, side-by-side look at pricing, NZ payroll, and features — so you can pick the right tool for your team.
Feature and pricing comparison for New Zealand businesses, from each company's public pages as of July 2026.
| RosterMate | Deputy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing (per user/month) | $8 NZD flat — all features included | Lite A$6.75 · Core A$8.75 · Pro A$13 (no NZD price list) |
| Minimum monthly spend | None | A$30 / US$30 per invoice |
| Paid add-ons required for full product | No — one price | HR, Messaging+, Analytics+ cost extra |
| Roster builder & templates | Yes | Yes |
| AI auto-rostering | Yes — AI Auto-Roster | Yes, incl. POS demand data |
| GPS clock-in with geofencing & photo verification | Yes, incl. facial verification | Yes |
| Leave management (NZ Holidays Act) | NZ-native, incl. alternative & family violence leave | Leave yes; compliance engine built for AU awards |
| NZ payroll integrations | Xero NZ, PayHero, Smartly, Crystal | Xero native; iPayroll/Smartly/PayHero via file export |
| IRD payday filing & NZ bank batch files | Built in | No (payroll product is US-only) |
| Event staffing with shift bidding & waitlists | Yes | No |
| Custom forms with AI builder | Included | Via paid HR add-on |
| Integration ecosystem | Focused on NZ payroll | 300+ integrations |
| Support | NZ-based, phone answered directly, free setup & training | Chat/email; 24/7 on Pro plan; reviews note offshore support |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Monthly or annual; no refunds on annual cancellation |
| Free trial | 30 days, no credit card | 31 days, no credit card |
| Reviews | — | Capterra 4.6/5 · Trustpilot 3.9/5 (as of Jul 2026) |
Deputy pricing and features from deputy.com public pages as of 5 July 2026 (AU pricing shown; Deputy publishes no NZD price list and applies a minimum monthly spend of A$30/US$30 per invoice from 1 Sep 2025). Deputy is a trademark of Deputechnologies Pty Ltd. Always confirm current pricing with the vendor.
Example: a café or retail store with 20 rostered staff, using scheduling, time clock and timesheets.
No product is best for everyone. Here's where Deputy is strong, and where RosterMate makes more sense.
Choose Deputy if…
- You need demand-driven scheduling from POS/sales data — Deputy's forecasting is genuinely mature
- You rely on a niche system in Deputy's 300+ integration ecosystem
- You're a multi-country operation that wants one global brand with SSO and enterprise controls
- Your staff already know the Deputy app from previous jobs — 320,000+ workplaces use it
Choose RosterMate if…
- You want one flat NZD price with everything included — no add-on stacking or minimum spend
- You want NZ payroll done properly: Xero NZ, PayHero, Smartly, Crystal and IRD payday filing built in
- You value local support — a Kiwi answers the phone, and setup & training are free
- You staff events — capacity-based shift bidding with waitlists is unique to RosterMate
- You want month-to-month terms with no annual lock-in or cancellation penalties
Our verdict
Deputy is an excellent, mature product — if you're a large multi-national with POS-driven demand forecasting needs, it deserves its reputation. But most New Zealand businesses don't need 300 integrations; they need rosters sorted, staff clocked in, leave handled under the Holidays Act, and payroll filed with IRD — at a price that doesn't creep with add-ons, minimum spends and exchange rates.
That's exactly what RosterMate is: everything included at $8 NZD per employee, built and supported in New Zealand, with the only built-in IRD payday filing in this category. Try both — Deputy offers 31 days free and we offer 30. We think you'll stay.
Try RosterMate FreeCommon questions from teams comparing the two.