If you run a pub, restaurant, or hotel in the UK, you have probably looked at rota software at least once. The options have grown over the past few years, and the differences between them are not always obvious from a features page. This guide compares the main tools available in 2026, what each one does well, and what to watch out for before you commit.
What to look for
Before comparing specific tools, it helps to know what actually matters for a hospitality business. The ones that make a real difference day to day are mobile access for staff, live wage and cost visibility, leave and availability management, compliance features, and pricing model.
RotaKeep
RotaKeep is built specifically for UK hospitality. The scheduling interface uses a visual grid where you click or drag to assign shifts across a Tuesday-to-Monday week. Wage costs update in real time as you build, so you can see the financial impact of every decision before you publish.
Features include time and attendance tracking, holiday management, absence recording with Bradford Factor scoring, open shift posting, and shift swap functionality. Pricing is a flat monthly fee based on team size bracket, not per user.
Deputy
Deputy is a workforce management platform used across multiple industries including hospitality, retail, and healthcare. It offers scheduling, time tracking, task management, and communication tools. Deputy uses per-user-per-month pricing.
RotaCloud
RotaCloud is a UK-based scheduling tool that covers rota building, time and attendance, and leave management. Like Deputy, RotaCloud uses per-user-per-month pricing.
Rotaready
Rotaready targets the hospitality and leisure sector specifically. It offers demand-driven scheduling. Pricing is not publicly listed and is typically quoted on a per-site or enterprise basis.
How pricing models compare
Deputy and RotaCloud both charge per user per month. RotaKeep uses flat monthly pricing. For a typical 25-person hospitality team, the difference between per-user and flat pricing can be substantial over a year.
The bottom line
All four tools will get your rota off a spreadsheet and onto your team’s phones. If you are a UK pub, restaurant, or hotel looking for rota software built for UK hospitality with flat pricing and no per-user fees, RotaKeep is worth a look.