Best Rota Software UK (2026): 7 Staff Rota Apps Compared
Compare the best rota software for UK small businesses: free rota apps, staff scheduling, time tracking, Working Time Regulations fit, pricing, and trade-offs.
For free options, Connecteam offers a free plan, while Turnozo is paid after its 14-day Pro trial. Turnozo Essential is €9.99/month for up to 10 employees and one location, with every feature included. Connecteam is free for up to 10 users; paid plans start at $29/month (about £21.75 at $1≈£0.75).
Turnozo Essential is €9.99/month, about £8.49, for up to 10 employees and one location, with every feature included. Pro is €2.99/active employee/month, about £2.54, from employee 11 or the second location, billed across the whole workforce. Turnozo prices exclude VAT. RotaCloud uses headcount tiers; Standard plus Time & Attendance is £29/month at 10 employees. Planday starts at £2.99/user/month with a five-user minimum.
Spreadsheets work for 2-3 employees, but once you hit 5+ staff with varying availability, shift swaps, and time tracking needs, dedicated rota software saves hours every week. Most options on this list have free trials so you can test before committing.
Yes, most tools on this list support multiple locations. Turnozo, Deputy, and RotaCloud all handle multi-site scheduling from a single account. Some tools charge extra per location, so check pricing carefully.
Get practical ideas
Open a ready-made prompt to summarize the article and apply it to your team.
If you're running a small team in the UK, you've probably searched for "rota software" at least once. Maybe you're still using a spreadsheet. Maybe you tried one tool and it felt like it was built for a 500-person warehouse, not your 12-person team. If you only need a starting point, grab the free staff rota template for Excel first.
Either way, you need something that works without a training manual.
I compared the most popular rota tools on the market based on what actually matters: ease of use, pricing transparency, and whether they solve real scheduling problems for small UK businesses. Retail teams should also check the dedicated retail scheduling software page, because shop rotas have their own mess: weekends, part-timers, no-shows, and seasonal peaks.
Here's what I found.
Short answer: for most small UK teams, pick a rota app that combines scheduling, staff availability, time tracking, and mobile notifications. A rota-only calendar is fine for a tiny team, but it does not solve clock-ins, timesheets, holiday records, or Working Time Regulations checks. If you want the broader international comparison, read the best employee scheduling software guide. If you are still designing your process, start with how to create an employee schedule.
What to Look for in Rota Software
Before jumping into the list, here's what separates genuinely useful rota software from the ones that look good in a demo but fall apart in practice:
Drag-and-drop scheduling. If building a rota takes more than 10 minutes for a week, the tool is getting in your way.
Employee self-service. Staff should be able to view their rota, set availability, and request swaps from their phone.
Time tracking built in. Separate tools for rotas and clocking in creates double work.
Transparent pricing. If you need a sales call to find out what it costs, that's a red flag for small teams.
Mobile app. Your staff aren't sitting at desktops. The app needs to actually work.
7 Best Rota Software for UK Small Businesses
1. Turnozo
Turnozo scheduling software
Best for: Small teams that want scheduling + time tracking without the bloat.
Turnozo is built for teams of 5-100 people who need a simple rota system that also handles time tracking. You drag shifts onto a weekly calendar, publish the rota with one tap, and your team sees it on their phones instantly.
What stands out:
Drag-and-drop rota builder that takes minutes, not hours
Built-in clock in/out with GPS verification
Open shifts with automatic notifications to available staff
Pricing: Essential is €9.99/month (about £8.49) for up to 10 employees and one location, with every feature included. Pro is €2.99/active employee/month (about £2.54) from employee 11 or the second location, billed across the whole workforce. Prices exclude VAT, and the 14-day Pro trial does not require a card. GBP estimates use €1=£0.85.
Limitations: Newer to the UK market. No payroll integration yet (timesheets export for payroll processing).
2. RotaCloud
RotaCloud rota software homepage
Best for: UK-based teams that want a purpose-built rota tool with solid support.
RotaCloud is a Yorkshire-based company that focuses specifically on the UK market. Their scheduling tool is clean and well-designed, with good holiday management and absence tracking built in.
What stands out:
UK-first design with proper holiday management (including TOIL)
Drag-and-drop scheduling with templates
Shift swapping and availability patterns
Free live chat and phone support
Labour cost tracking (daily, weekly, monthly)
Pricing: RotaCloud uses headcount tiers rather than a simple per-user formula. Current examples for Standard plus Time & Attendance are £29/month at 10 employees and £58/month at 15 employees. It offers a 30-day trial and no free plan.
Limitations: Time & Attendance changes the package price, and the headcount tiers make costs less straightforward to project without checking RotaCloud's current pricing page.
3. Deputy
Deputy workforce management homepage
Best for: Multi-location businesses that need demand-based scheduling.
Deputy is one of the bigger names in the scheduling space, with a strong UK presence. They offer AI-powered auto-scheduling and demand forecasting, which helps if you're running multiple locations with variable staffing needs.
What stands out:
Auto-scheduling based on demand, availability, and skills
Time clock with facial recognition option
Compliance tools for UK Working Time Regulations
Strong integrations (Xero, SAGE, QuickBooks)
Multi-location management
Pricing: From £3.50/user/month (Scheduling only). Premium plan at £4.90/user/month adds time tracking + scheduling. Enterprise pricing requires a sales call.
Limitations: Can feel overwhelming for very small teams. The cheaper plan only covers scheduling, so you need Premium for time tracking. Interface has a learning curve.
4. Planday
Planday scheduling software homepage
Best for: Hospitality businesses that need revenue-aware scheduling.
Planday (now owned by Xero) is popular with restaurants, hotels, and pubs across the UK. Their standout feature is linking labour costs to revenue data so you can see your staff-to-revenue ratio in real time.
What stands out:
Revenue-linked scheduling (see labour cost as % of sales)
Punch clock with GPS and IP restrictions
Shift swapping and open shifts
Payroll integration (especially strong with Xero)
Compliance with UK Working Time Directive
Pricing: Public UK pricing starts at £2.99/user/month with a five-user minimum. Planday offers a 30-day trial with no card required; higher tiers and enterprise options cost more.
Limitations: The entry plan may not include everything a larger operation needs, so compare higher-tier features before choosing on the £2.99 starting price alone. The Xero ownership is most useful if Xero is already part of your workflow.
5. Connecteam
Connecteam employee management homepage
Best for: Teams under 10 who want a free all-in-one tool.
Connecteam offers a genuinely free plan for up to 10 users, which makes it popular with very small teams. Beyond scheduling, it includes task management, forms, and internal comms.
What stands out:
Free for up to 10 users
All-in-one: scheduling + time clock + comms + tasks
GPS time tracking
Checklists and digital forms
Training and knowledge base features
Pricing: Free for up to 10 users (limited features). Paid plans start at $29/month for the first 30 users, about £21.75 at $1≈£0.75.
Limitations: The free plan is genuinely limited. Once you outgrow 10 people, the jump to the $29/month paid plan (about £21.75) is significant. The "all-in-one" approach means none of the individual features are as polished as dedicated tools. Interface can feel cluttered.
6. Rota Hub
Best for: Very small teams that want completely free rota creation.
Rota Hub is a lesser-known option that offers free rota creation for up to 40 staff. It's basic compared to the others on this list, but if all you need is a digital rota that your team can view on their phones, it does the job.
What stands out:
Free for up to 40 staff
Simple rota creation
Automated payroll data
Multiple workplace management on one account
Pricing: Free.
Limitations: Very basic feature set. No time tracking, no shift swaps, no availability management. More of a digital noticeboard than a scheduling system. Limited mobile experience.
7. When I Work
When I Work scheduling software homepage
Best for: Teams that prioritise mobile-first scheduling.
When I Work is a US-based tool with a decent UK user base. Their mobile app is one of the better ones in the space, and they offer a straightforward approach to scheduling without too many bells and whistles.
What stands out:
Excellent mobile app (iOS and Android)
Simple drag-and-drop scheduling
Shift trading between employees
Team messaging built in
Auto-scheduling feature
Pricing: Essentials at $2.50/user/month for scheduling only, or $4/user/month with time tracking. Pro is $5/user/month, or $7 with time tracking. Premium is $8/user/month, or $10 with time tracking.
Limitations: US-focused, so pricing is in dollars and some features are built around US labour laws. No UK-specific compliance tools. The $2.50/user price does not include time tracking, and seats are billed in bundles of 5 or 10. Support hours are US-biased.
Quick Pricing Comparison
Here's what a 10-person team would pay monthly on each tool:
Tool
Monthly Cost (10 staff)
Time Tracking Included?
Rota Hub
Free
No
Turnozo
~£8.49
Yes
When I Work
~£30
Yes at compared price
Planday
£29.90
Plan-dependent
Deputy
~£48.75
Yes on Core
RotaCloud
£29
Yes in compared package
Connecteam
~£21.75 (paid plan)
Yes
UK Rota Software: What Would You Pay?
Annual GBP comparison. EUR prices are converted at €1=£0.85 and USD prices at $1≈£0.75; GBP list prices are unchanged.
TurnozoBest value
£457/year
Save £420 vs most expensive
Connecteam (paid)
£261
Planday Starter
£538
When I Work
£540
Deputy Core (annual)Most expensive
£878
For 15 employees, Turnozo Pro costs about £457/year at £2.54/active employee/month.
Not all scheduling software is built with UK businesses in mind. Here's what to check:
Working Time Regulations compliance. The UK Working Time Regulations 1998 limit most workers to an average of 48 hours per week (unless they opt out in writing). Your rota software should flag when an employee is approaching this limit, not just show you after the fact.
Holiday accrual tracking. UK employees are entitled to 28 days paid holiday per year (including bank holidays) for full-time workers, pro-rated for part-time. Software that tracks accrual automatically saves you from the spreadsheet nightmare of calculating entitlements for a team of mixed-hours staff.
Rest period enforcement. Workers are entitled to 11 consecutive hours rest between shifts and one uninterrupted 24-hour period off per week (or 48 hours per fortnight). Good rota software won't let you accidentally schedule someone for a close-open ("clopening") that violates rest periods.
HMRC-ready timesheets. HMRC requires employers to keep records of hours worked. If your rota software doubles as a time tracking tool, those records are generated automatically. If it doesn't, you need a separate system, which means double data entry.
GBP pricing and UK support. This sounds obvious, but most scheduling tools are US-based and price in dollars. Check whether you're paying in GBP or getting hit with conversion fees every month. Also check support hours: if their help desk is on Pacific Time, your 9 AM Monday question gets answered at 5 PM your time.
Rota software, scheduling software, or time tracking app?
These searches overlap, but they are not exactly the same job:
Rota software helps you plan who works when.
Employee scheduling software usually adds availability, open shifts, shift swaps, and notifications.
Time tracking software records what actually happened after the rota was published.
The best setup for most small teams is one tool that covers all three. Otherwise the rota says one thing, the clock-in records say another, and payroll becomes detective work. If that is the pain you are solving, compare the employee hour tracking methods before buying a rota-only product.
Online Rota vs. Paper Rota: When to Switch
If you're still doing rotas on paper or a whiteboard, the switch to online rota software typically pays for itself when:
You have more than 8 staff. Below that, paper works. Above it, you're spending more time managing the rota than it would cost to use software.
You're dealing with shift swaps. Paper rotas can't handle swap requests without you being the middleman for every single one.
You need time tracking. If you're reconciling a paper rota with a separate clock-in system, you're doing the same work twice.
Staff keep saying "I didn't see the rota." An online rota pushes updates to everyone's phone. No more excuses about not checking the noticeboard.
If you have up to 10 staff and just need a rota: Turnozo Essential is €9.99/month for up to 10 employees and one location, with every feature included. Rota Hub and Connecteam also have free plans but with fewer features.
If you want scheduling + time tracking in one tool: Turnozo includes both on Essential and Pro, so compare its converted total with each competitor's equivalent package.
If you're in hospitality and need revenue tracking: Planday's integration with Xero and their revenue-linked scheduling is hard to beat.
If you run multiple locations with complex demand: Deputy's auto-scheduling and forecasting tools justify the higher price.
If UK support matters most: RotaCloud is built and supported in the UK, with phone and live chat included.
Important
If your rota tool does not help with Working Time Regulations, rest periods,
and holiday tracking, it is not really solving the UK version of this problem.
It is just giving you a prettier grid.
The Bottom Line
There's no perfect rota software. But there is a right one for your team size, budget, and workflow.
If you're still using spreadsheets or WhatsApp to manage shifts, any tool on this list will save you hours every week. Most offer free plans or trials so you can test before committing.
For small UK teams that want scheduling and time tracking without the complexity (or the price tag), Turnozo is worth a look. Set up takes about 5 minutes, and your team can view their rota from their phones straight away.
