5 Apps That Replace Deputy Without Breaking Award Compliance
Deputy is the gold standard for Australian workforce management — Modern Award automation, rostering, and payroll integration built for the AU market. But at $6/user/month it adds up for large teams, and some businesses need something simpler or cheaper. Here are the best alternatives.
Best Deputy Alternatives — Quick Picks
Deputy vs Alternatives — Quick Comparison
| Platform | Price (AUD/mo) | Modern Awards | GPS Clock-In | Payroll Integration | AU-Built | Try It |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy Current | $6/user | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Tanda | $4/user | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Free Trial → |
| Connecteam | Free | ✗ | ✓ | ~ | ✗ | Free Trial → |
| Employment Hero | $6/employee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Free Trial → |
| ClockShark | ~$62+$12/user AUD* | ~ | ✓ | ~ | ✗ | Try It → |
Prices in AUD. * ClockShark is USD-priced — AUD equivalent approximate at April 2026 rates. Check directly with providers for current pricing.
5 Best Deputy Alternatives for Australian Tradies
Tanda is the most direct Deputy alternative — it does the same core job (rostering, Modern Award interpretation, GPS clock-in, payroll integration) for $2 less per user per month. That saving compounds significantly for larger teams: a 20-person business saves $480/year just from switching.
Brisbane-built, widely used in hospitality and trades, strong AU payroll integrations with Xero, MYOB, and Employment Hero. The main reason businesses stay on Deputy over Tanda: Deputy's interface is more polished and its support team is larger. But on features for the price, Tanda is excellent value.
Pros
- Cheaper than Deputy
- AU-built
- Modern Awards
- Payroll integration
Cons
- Slightly less polished UI
- Smaller community
Connecteam doesn't have Modern Award automation, but for businesses where workforce scheduling and time tracking are the main needs — and payroll award interpretation is handled in a dedicated payroll tool — Connecteam's free tier is compelling. GPS clock-in, scheduling, team comms, and time tracking for up to 10 users for nothing.
Pros
- Free tier
- GPS clock-in
- Scheduling
- Comms
Cons
- No Modern Award automation
If the reason you're on Deputy is primarily time tracking and payroll compliance, and you want to reduce the number of tools, Employment Hero rolls HR, payroll, and time tracking into one platform. You lose Deputy's rostering refinement, but gain an integrated payroll system that handles STP, leave, and Modern Awards in a single subscription.
Pros
- AU-built
- All-in-one
- Fewer tools to manage
Cons
- Less refined rostering than Deputy
ClockShark is the main US-built alternative to Deputy — GPS clock-in, job tracking, crew scheduling. Popular in the US but lacks Modern Award automation and is priced in USD. For Australian trade businesses, it's rarely the better choice over Deputy or Tanda. Worth knowing about if you're comparing options broadly.
Pros
- GPS tracking
- Job-based time tracking
Cons
- USD pricing
- No Modern Awards
- US support
If you're on Xero and your time tracking needs are simple — employees logging hours against jobs — Xero's built-in time tracking via Xero Me removes the need for a separate Deputy subscription for small teams. No Modern Award automation, no GPS, no rostering depth. But if you just need basic timesheet integration with payroll, check what Xero already gives you before paying for another tool.
Pros
- Already included in Xero
- Integrates with payroll
Cons
- No Modern Awards
- No GPS
- No rostering
Paying $6/user for Deputy but only using the rostering feature?
Tanda does the same thing for $4/user and has the same Modern Award automation. Free 14-day trial.
Try Tanda Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Tanda is the best Deputy alternative for Australian tradies — it does the same core job (Modern Award automation, rostering, GPS clock-in, payroll integration) for $2/user/month less. For smaller businesses that don't need Modern Award automation, Connecteam's free tier covers basic scheduling and time tracking.
Tanda and Deputy have very similar core features — both AU-built, both have Modern Award interpretation, both integrate with AU payroll systems. Deputy has a more polished interface and larger support team. Tanda is meaningfully cheaper per user. Most businesses that switch from Deputy to Tanda report the transition is smooth and the cost saving is worth it.
Yes, Deputy has a strong Xero integration — approved timesheets export to Xero payroll automatically. Most AU tradies using Deputy also use Xero, and the integration is one of Deputy's strongest features.