WorkSchedule vs Planday

Planday is a feature-rich workforce management suite aimed at mid-size hospitality groups. WorkSchedule is the simpler, faster alternative for independent UK cafés, restaurants and bars — with a free plan and no per-employee fees.

No credit card · UK-built & hosted

WorkSchedule is best for

Independent UK hospitality businesses (1–50 staff) that want to build a weekly rota in 20 minutes, share it to phones, and stay UK-compliant — without a sales call or onboarding fee.

Planday is best for

Multi-site hospitality groups (50+ staff) that need payroll integration, advanced forecasting, and a dedicated account manager.

Feature-by-feature comparison

Based on publicly available information about Planday as of 2026. We keep this page honest — corrections welcome.

Feature	WorkSchedule	Planday
Free plan for small teams Planday is paid-only after a free trial
Self-serve signup (no sales call) Planday pushes you toward a demo
Per-employee monthly fee Planday charges per active employee
UK Working Time warnings Planday has rules but UK-specific defaults vary
UK holiday entitlement calculator
Drag-and-drop weekly rota
Mobile-first, no app install required Planday requires the iOS/Android app
Shift swap marketplace
Time-off requests
Payroll integrations WorkSchedule exports CSV; Planday integrates with several UK payroll providers
Demand forecasting
Time setup before you can publish your first rota	Under 20 min	Several days

Why teams switch from Planday

Free for small teams

Starter is free forever for small teams. Planday charges per employee from day one with no free tier.

Live in 20 minutes, not weeks

No app install for staff

Staff view shifts in their phone browser. Planday requires every employee to install and update an app.

Simple, transparent pricing

Flat monthly tiers — no hidden per-employee fees, no enterprise quote-only pricing.

FAQs

Is WorkSchedule cheaper than Planday?+

For small UK hospitality teams, yes — our Starter plan is free, and Professional is a flat monthly fee instead of Planday's per-employee pricing. For 50+ staff, Planday's feature set may justify its price.

Does WorkSchedule integrate with payroll?+

WorkSchedule exports clean CSVs with hours, breaks and pay periods that import into most UK payroll systems. We don't have native push integrations like Planday does — that's a deliberate trade-off to keep the product fast and the price low.

Can I switch from Planday without losing data?+

Export your employees and shift patterns from Planday as CSV, then import into WorkSchedule. Most independent teams complete the switch in an afternoon.

Why no native iOS / Android app?+

We made the call that "another app" was the #1 reason staff don't use rota tools. Browser-first means zero install friction — staff just open a link.

More questions? See pricing & plan FAQs or email us.