Alternatives
5 RosterElf alternatives worth considering
RosterElf is a well-regarded Australian rostering platform, and if you use its award interpretation and time clock, it earns its price. This page is for people checking what else exists: cheaper tools for simple rosters, bigger platforms to grow into, and a free option. We build RosterShare, the first entry below, so read with that bias in mind. Prices checked July 2026.
First, decide what you are actually replacing
RosterElf bundles three jobs: building and sharing rosters, verifying attendance with a kiosk, and interpreting awards for payroll. Most teams shopping for alternatives only need one or two of those replaced. If you need all three, your options narrow to the other full platforms and the price difference shrinks. If you mainly need the first job, the roster itself, the simple tools cost a half to a third as much, and the switch is easy. Our guides to rostering software and rostering software in Australia cover how to make that call, including whether you really need award interpretation.
The alternatives
1. RosterShare
Best if you want the roster without the workforce platform
Ours, so judge accordingly. RosterShare covers building the roster fast (grid, presets, templates, copy week, AI drafts you review), publishing with change tracking, and making sure staff see it by email, SMS, read-only link, or PDF, all in the browser with nothing to install. Availability, time off, open shift claims, and cover requests are staff self-service. Actual hours come from a built-in time clock, with self clock-in from staff accounts or a tablet kiosk with per-staff PINs, feeding timesheets that get approval and export as CSV. It deliberately does not do RosterElf's award interpretation, photo and GPS clock-in verification, or Xero and MYOB exports. Free for up to 5 staff, then from $3.99 AUD per staff member per month on annual billing ($4.99 monthly), no minimum. If those missing features are why you shortlisted RosterElf, stay with RosterElf; our detailed comparison spells out that line.
2. Deputy
Best step up for multi-site operations
The biggest name in the category and the natural move if you are outgrowing RosterElf rather than simplifying: demand forecasting, auto-scheduling, biometric time clocks, location hierarchies, and a deep add-on ecosystem including payroll. Pricing starts at $5 USD per user per month for Lite and $6.50 for Core, with a $30 minimum monthly invoice, so it suits teams big enough to clear that floor. More platform, more setup, more monthly spend.
3. Tanda
Best if payroll accuracy is the core problem
Australian workforce management with strong attendance tracking and award interpretation, increasingly sold as a bundle with HR and payroll. Tanda does not publish simple per-user pricing, so expect a sales process and module-based quotes; third-party sources put the full bundle above ten dollars AUD per user per month. Worth the conversation if wage compliance, not roster communication, is what keeps you up at night.
4. Connecteam
Best free plan, broadest toolbox
An all-in-one employee app: scheduling, time clock, checklists, chat, and training. Their Small Business Plan is free for up to 10 employees with most features (it sits below the paid tiers on their pricing page and is easy to miss), which no Australian rostering vendor matches. Paid plans start around $29 to $35 USD a month covering the first 30 users, priced per hub, and there is no Australian award interpretation. Best for teams that want operations and communication tools in one app and are happy to handle award math in payroll.
5. When I Work
Best cheap entry for simple scheduling
A long-running US scheduling product. Essentials is $2.50 USD per user per month as of mid 2026, with time and attendance as a paid add-on rather than built in. Compliance features target US labor law, so Australian award needs rule it out, but for a simple roster with app-based notifications at a low price it earns its place on the list.
For the direct feature-by-feature and price-by-price version of the first entry, see RosterShare vs RosterElf, which includes the cases where RosterElf is the better buy. For the full market view with verified pricing across eight products, see our best rostering software in Australia shortlist.
Prices from each vendor's public pricing page or, for Tanda, third-party sources, checked July 2026. RosterElf, Deputy, Tanda, Connecteam, and When I Work are trademarks of their owners, none of whom are affiliated with RosterShare.
A sensible way to trial a switch
- Shortlist two at most: one simple tool and one platform, depending on which direction you are moving.
- Rebuild next week's real roster in the trial tool. Import or re-enter staff, set up your locations and positions, and time how long the build takes.
- Publish to two or three staff and change a shift after publishing. How staff experience changes is where tools differ most.
- Check the exit before you enter: confirm you can export staff, rosters, and timesheets, because the seven-year record keeping obligation follows you across tools.
Common questions
What is the cheapest RosterElf alternative?
Connecteam is free for up to 10 users and RosterShare is free for up to 5 staff, so very small teams can pay nothing. Beyond free tiers, When I Work starts at $2.50 USD per user per month and RosterShare from $3.99 AUD per staff per month on annual billing ($4.99 monthly) with no minimum. RosterElf's entry point is $6 AUD per employee per month on annual billing with a 10-seat minimum, or $8 AUD billed monthly with a 3-staff minimum, so a small team switching to a simple tool typically cuts the bill by a third or more.
Which RosterElf alternatives keep award interpretation?
Deputy and Tanda both interpret Australian modern awards. RosterShare, Connecteam, and When I Work do not. If award interpretation is a hard requirement, your realistic shortlist is RosterElf, Deputy, and Tanda, and the decision is about scale and price rather than features.
Why do people look for RosterElf alternatives?
Three patterns: the per-head price for a small team that only uses the rostering half of the product, the absence of a free plan for teams of three or four, and businesses outside Australia that do not need award interpretation at all. In the other direction, some businesses outgrow it toward bigger platforms like Deputy. RosterElf remains a strong product for award-covered Australian teams that use its compliance features.
Is there a free alternative to RosterElf?
Yes, two credible ones. Connecteam's free plan covers up to 10 employees across most of its features. RosterShare's free plan covers up to 5 staff, 2 locations, and 5 positions, enough to run a real roster for a small cafe or clinic. RosterElf itself has no free plan, only a 15-day trial.
Start with the free one.
Build next week's roster in RosterShare and publish it to your team. Free for up to 5 staff, no trial clock, no card.