Spreadsheets and WhatsApp groups quickly reach their limits when it comes to shift planning. A scheduling app brings order – but there are many options and pricing models vary widely. We compare five well-known tools and show which one suits which business. A note up front: Nitofi is our own product. That is why we have made an effort to present all providers fairly – including the areas where other tools are stronger.
What matters in a scheduling app?
Before comparing tools, it is worth looking at your own requirements. For most small and medium-sized businesses, these points are decisive:
- Easy to use on a smartphone: if your team doesn’t use the app, even the best software won’t help.
- Shift planning and time tracking in one: this lets you compare planned and actual hours directly – and meet the obligation to record working time in Germany.
- Holidays and absences: requests, approvals and an overview in one place.
- Day-to-day flexibility: open shifts, shift swaps and push notifications when plans change.
- Transparent costs: price per user or package price? Are there base fees or minimum terms?
- Integrations: do you need an export for payroll, for example to DATEV?
- Data protection: GDPR-compliant handling of employee data.
The 5 tools compared
The following overview summarises the most important differences. Prices are net list prices based on publicly available information (as of October 2026) and may vary depending on plan, term and team size.
| Tool | Focus | Pricing model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitofi | Shift planning, time tracking, holidays | Package price from EUR 9.99 / month incl. 5 employees (Freelancer: EUR 5.99) | Small teams of 1 to approx. 50 people |
| Papershift | Scheduling, time tracking, HR management | Plans per user per month; shift planning in the higher plans | SMBs needing many features and payroll export |
| Clockodo | Time tracking, project and client hours | from approx. EUR 4 per user per month | Agencies, offices and service providers |
| Shyftplan | Shift planning for complex shift models | Pricing on request | Medium-sized and large companies |
| Deputy | Scheduling and time tracking, international | from approx. USD 5 per user per month, monthly minimum spend | Businesses with many locations or an international focus |
Nitofi
Price: Freelancer EUR 5.99 (1 user), Starter EUR 9.99 incl. 5 employees (from the 6th, EUR 2.99 each, max. 9), Growth EUR 19.99 incl. 10 employees (from the 11th, EUR 2.49 each, max. 24), Business EUR 49.99 incl. 24 employees (from the 25th, EUR 1.99 each) – per month plus VAT, cancellable monthly, 14-day free trial.
Features: shift planning with early, late and night shifts, digital time clock via app including breaks, automatic target, actual and overtime hours, monthly report as PDF, holiday requests with push notifications, open shifts with an application feature, multiple locations and departments as well as project time tracking. App for iOS and Android, web dashboard for admins, available in German, English, French and Spanish.
Best for: small businesses in hospitality, retail, care, trades and services that want simple, affordable shift planning and time tracking from a single source.
Limitations: Nitofi is a young product. There is currently no DATEV integration and no automatic scheduling, and it offers fewer integrations than established providers.
Papershift
Price: modular model with several plans, billed per user per month. According to its pricing overview, shift planning is only included in the higher plans; a free trial is available.
Features: scheduling, time tracking, absence management and HR administration, plus payroll export (e.g. DATEV) and automated planning in higher plans.
Best for: small and medium-sized businesses looking for a comprehensive HR solution with many modules and integrations.
Clockodo
Price: plans from approx. EUR 4 per user per month, with a free trial.
Features: strong time tracking with project and client allocation, absence management and reports for billing. Classic shift planning is not its focus.
Best for: agencies, consultancies and service providers that mainly book working time to projects and clients – less so businesses with rotating shifts.
Shyftplan
Price: individual quotes on request.
Features: shift planning for complex shift models, demand planning, integrations into existing system landscapes (e.g. SAP) and an employee app.
Best for: medium-sized and large companies, for example in manufacturing and logistics, with many shift workers and demanding planning rules. For very small teams, the feature set is usually more than needed.
Deputy
Price: several plans billed in US dollars, from approx. USD 5 per user per month; a monthly minimum spend applies. Add-ons cost extra.
Features: scheduling, time tracking and team communication, plus automatic scheduling and demand forecasting in higher plans, and many integrations.
Best for: companies with multiple locations or an international focus looking for a widely used platform with a large integration ecosystem.
Why Nitofi can be the best choice for SMBs
For large companies with complex shift models, specialised enterprise solutions are often the better choice. For small businesses, however, several points speak in favour of Nitofi:
- Everything in one app: shift schedule, time clock, overtime and holidays – without add-ons.
- Predictable costs: a team of 8 pays EUR 18.96 per month on the Starter plan (EUR 9.99 + 3 × EUR 2.99), a team of 15 pays EUR 32.44 on the Growth plan (EUR 19.99 + 5 × EUR 2.49) – plus VAT.
- No risk: 14-day free trial, then cancellable monthly, no annual contracts.
- Quick to set up: invite employees by email, create shifts, get started.
- Multilingual: the app speaks German, English, French and Spanish – handy for international teams.
When another tool is a better fit
- You need a direct DATEV export or automatic scheduling: Papershift or Deputy are further ahead here.
- You mainly book time to projects and clients without shift work: Clockodo specialises in this.
- You plan hundreds of shift workers with complex rules: then Shyftplan is worth a look.
Conclusion
There is no single “best” scheduling app – it depends on your team size, your industry and your requirements. For small businesses that want to handle shift planning and time tracking simply, affordably and without long contracts, Nitofi is a strong choice. Ideally, test two or three tools with your team and decide based on everyday use.