Planday (Xero)vsPaddl
Planday is a workforce scheduling and management platform owned by Xero, offering strong European presence and seamless accounting integration for hospitality and retail businesses.
44 features compared · 33 Paddl only · prices verified 11 September 2026
Paddl is food safety, compliance and operations software for UK hospitality: digital SFBB, HACCP plans, allergens and Natasha's Law labels, temperature, cleaning and training records, and an EHO-ready audit pack. £69 per location per month with every feature included, a 30-day free trial and no contract. Planday: Per user per month from around £2.99, five-user minimum; Pro on quote.
Used Daily & Trusted By:
Used Daily & Trusted By: Edgie Eats, Frothed, Good Chemistry Brewing, Paper Tiger Food Services, Restore, Royal Marine Hotel, The Staff of Life, The Tower Inn, World Famous Dive Bars.
Planday pricing
Planday does not publish its prices. What is known, checked 11 September 2026, comes from planday.com.
30-day free trial, no card. Pro is quoted.
Every feature. 5 owner and manager users per location, £2.99 a month for each extra; staff do not take a seat. 30-day free trial, card required, no contract.
- One site, 12 staff: £89.93 a month
- One site, 40 staff: £173.65 a month
- Five sites, 100 staff: £569.25 a month
Planday reviews: what customers say
4.3 out of 5 from 58 reviews on Capterra, read 11 September 2026.
Planday vs Paddl: what matters most
Last reviewed: 11 September 2026
Xero integration versus everything else
Planday is owned by Xero and its accounting integration is the reason many UK operators pick it. Paddl exports hours to payroll rather than integrating with Xero directly, and in return includes the compliance records, routines, equipment, licences and insurance.
Per user versus per location
Planday charges per user with a five-user minimum. Paddl is £69 a location with five users and £2.99 per extra.
What the rota knows
Paddl's rota reads the training and leave records and the takings; Planday reads revenue from integrations and has strong European multi-language support.
Where Planday and Paddl differ
From the 44-row grid below, checked against Planday's published feature list on 11 September 2026.
Food Safety & Compliance
Paddl has, Planday does not: Digital SFBB Packs, HACCP Plans, AI HACCP Generation, Allergen Management, Risk Assessments, EHO Report Generation, One-Click Audit Packs, Fire Safety - Drills, Certificates & Expiry Alerts, COSHH Management.
Operations & Equipment
Paddl has, Planday does not: Equipment Tracking, AI Equipment Anomaly Detection, Temperature Monitoring, Maintenance Swimlanes, Supplier Management, Delivery Checks.
Team & Training
Paddl has, Planday does not: Training Tracking, Staff Inductions, Shift Handovers / EOD Reports.
Planday covers in part: GPS Check-in.
Documents & Knowledge
Paddl has, Planday does not: Document Management, Knowledge Hub, Digital Signatures, Licence Management, Insurance Gap Detection, Lease & Property Management.
Reporting & Incidents
Paddl has, Planday does not: Complaint Monitoring, Incident & Accident Reporting, EHO Visit Dashboard, AI Legal Guidance & Evidence Packs.
Platform & AI
Paddl has, Planday does not: Offline Mode, AI Assistant, AI That Carries Out Tasks, AI Document Extraction, Compliance Dashboard.
Planday covers in part: Mobile Manager View.
Where Planday is stronger
- Owned by Xero, with a direct accounting integration
- Strong European presence and multi-language support
- Revenue-based scheduling insights
- Clean mobile experience for staff
Side-by-side feature comparison
Food Safety & Compliance
| Feature | Paddl | Planday |
|---|---|---|
| Digital SFBB PacksPaddl only | ||
| HACCP PlansPaddl only | ||
| AI HACCP GenerationPaddl only | ||
| Allergen ManagementPaddl only | ||
| Risk AssessmentsPaddl only | ||
| EHO Report GenerationPaddl only | ||
| One-Click Audit PacksPaddl only | ||
| Fire Safety - Drills, Certificates & Expiry AlertsPaddl only | ||
| COSHH ManagementPaddl only |
Operations & Equipment
| Feature | Paddl | Planday |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment TrackingPaddl only | ||
| AI Equipment Anomaly DetectionPaddl only | ||
| Temperature MonitoringPaddl only | ||
| Maintenance SwimlanesPaddl only | ||
| Supplier ManagementPaddl only | ||
| Delivery ChecksPaddl only |
Team & Training
| Feature | Paddl | Planday |
|---|---|---|
| Team Management | ||
| Rota Building & Publishing | ||
| Shift Swaps & Open Shifts | ||
| Holiday & Leave | ||
| Timesheets & Payroll Export | ||
| Training TrackingPaddl only | ||
| Staff InductionsPaddl only | ||
| GPS Check-in | ||
| Shift Handovers / EOD ReportsPaddl only | ||
| Staff Notifications | ||
| Team Chat & Direct Messages |
Documents & Knowledge
| Feature | Paddl | Planday |
|---|---|---|
| Document ManagementPaddl only | ||
| Knowledge HubPaddl only | ||
| Digital SignaturesPaddl only | ||
| Licence ManagementPaddl only | ||
| Insurance Gap DetectionPaddl only | ||
| Lease & Property ManagementPaddl only |
Reporting & Incidents
| Feature | Paddl | Planday |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint MonitoringPaddl only | ||
| Incident & Accident ReportingPaddl only | ||
| EHO Visit DashboardPaddl only | ||
| AI Legal Guidance & Evidence PacksPaddl only |
Platform & AI
| Feature | Paddl | Planday |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile App | ||
| Mobile Manager View | ||
| Offline ModePaddl only | ||
| AI AssistantPaddl only | ||
| AI That Carries Out TasksPaddl only | ||
| AI Document ExtractionPaddl only | ||
| Compliance DashboardPaddl only | ||
| Multi-Location |
What Planday does not do, shown in Paddl
Screenshots of the Paddl features the grid marks as missing or partial in Planday.
Shift handovers and end-of-day reports
Paddl AdvantageStaff submit an end-of-day report with urgent actions, stock shortages and equipment problems. The incoming shift acknowledges the handover before starting.
EHO visit view
Paddl AdvantageOne screen with everything an inspector asks for: SFBB pack, delivery records, temperature logs and training certificates.
Equipment records with AI health checks
Paddl AdvantageEvery fridge, oven and extractor with its service history and temperature logs. The AI flags a unit whose readings are drifting before it fails.
Allergen lookup during service
Paddl AdvantageStaff search the menu by allergen from a phone in the middle of service, no folder to find.
Report a fault from the app
Paddl AdvantageStaff log a breakdown or a safety concern with a photo and a priority, and the manager sees it the moment it is raised.
AI HACCP plan generation
Paddl AdvantageThe AI reads your business, routines, equipment and menu, then drafts a complete HACCP plan with process steps and critical control points for you to review.
Ask Paddy: AI that does the admin
Paddl AdvantageAsk Paddy books the contractor visit, builds the routine, drafts the risk assessment and gathers the inspection pack. You confirm every action, and it never fills in or signs a compliance record.
Manager view in the mobile app
Paddl AdvantageManagers switch to an admin view on their phone: team progress, compliance status, recent activity and SFBB state across every site.
AI insurance gap detection
Paddl AdvantageUpload the policy documents and the AI reads the cover, lists the gaps and says what to ask the broker.
Who should choose Planday, and who should choose Paddl
Choose Planday if
- You use Xero and want integrated scheduling
- European multi-location scheduling is your priority
- Revenue-based labour optimisation matters most
Choose Paddl if
- You need UK food safety compliance
- SFBB, HACCP, allergens, and COSHH are requirements
- You want AI-powered compliance tools
- Equipment tracking and shift handovers are important
Switching from Planday to Paddl
- Per-location pricing with the compliance records included
- The rota warns about lapsed certificates and leave
- Hours from GPS check-ins and payroll export
- HACCP, SFBB, allergens and the EHO pack in the same login
An afternoon.
How the switch works
- Export staff and shifts from Planday
- Import staff and set roles
- Publish next week's rota
- Point payroll at the hours export
- Turn on routines and upload the menu
What you keep
- Rota, swaps, holiday
What you give up
- Direct Xero integration
- Multi-language staff app
Alternatives to Planday for UK hospitality
| Product | Category | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Paddl | Food safety, compliance and operations | £69 per location per month, every feature included, 30-day free trial. No tiers and no volume discount. |
| Deputy | Rota and scheduling | £3.25 to £6.50 per user per month, £20 minimum; a 40-person team on Core is £170 a month for the rota alone |
| RotaCloud | Rota and scheduling | From £10 a month for up to five employees, scaling by headcount; Capterra lists £5 per user; no contract |
| 7shifts | Rota and scheduling | Free plan for one location; paid from US$39.99 a location a month |
Planday comparison questions
How much does Planday cost?
Planday's UK page lists Starter, Plus and Pro per user per month without figures on the page (the page title mentions £2.99); Capterra lists €2.49 per user. There is a five-user minimum and a 30-day trial. Paddl is £69 a location a month with five users included.
What do Planday reviews say?
Planday has 4.3 from 58 reviews on Capterra UK and 4.6 from 373 on Trustpilot, praising the staff app and the Xero link.
Is Planday good for a UK restaurant?
Yes for the rota and payroll reporting, particularly if you use Xero. It has no food safety features.
What is the best alternative to Planday for UK hospitality?
Paddl if you want the rota inside a compliance platform; Deputy or RotaCloud for scheduling-only alternatives.
Can I move from Planday to Paddl?
Yes. Export staff and shifts, import, publish next week's rota, point payroll at the hours export.
Try Paddl alongside Planday for 30 days
£69 per location per month, every feature included, 30-day free trial. No tiers and no volume discount. Card required to start, nothing charged until the trial ends.
Every feature during the trial · Setup from your own paperwork · Cancel any time