Sona (with Yapster)vsPaddl
Sona is a frontline workforce platform for scheduling, time and pay, aimed at larger operators in hospitality, care and retail. It acquired the workplace messenger Yapster, whose users included BrewDog, Caffe Nero and Krispy Kreme, and now sells comms alongside the rota.
43 features compared · 30 Paddl only · prices verified 22 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. Sona: Not published: the pricing page offers a consultation and a custom 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.
Sona pricing
Sona does not publish its prices. What is known, checked 22 September 2026, comes from sona.ai.
Configured per operator, so the cost depends on modules and headcount. Aimed at larger multi-site employers.
Every feature. Staff seats are free; 5 owner and manager users per location, £2.99 a month for each extra. 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
Sona reviews: what customers say
4.8 out of 5 from 9 reviews on Capterra, read 22 September 2026. A small sample; read the individual reviews.
Sona vs Paddl: what matters most
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026
Enterprise workforce platform with a messenger attached
Sona is bought by large operators for scheduling, pay and forecasting; Yapster gave it the staff messenger. Paddl is bought by independents and small groups, and its chat is one part of a compliance and operations system rather than a separate acquisition.
Quoted versus published
Sona does not publish prices; you book a consultation. Paddl is £69 per location per month on the website, with a 30-day trial and no demo required.
Where Sona wins
Scale: demand forecasting, pay rules and workforce analytics across a very large estate, with an implementation team behind it.
Where Sona and Paddl differ
From the 43-row grid below, checked against Sona's published feature list on 22 September 2026.
Food Safety & Compliance
Paddl has, Sona 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, Sona does not: Equipment Tracking, AI Equipment Anomaly Detection, Temperature Monitoring, Maintenance Swimlanes, Supplier Management, Delivery Checks.
Team & Training
Paddl has, Sona does not: Staff Inductions, Shift Handovers / EOD Reports.
Sona covers in part: Training Tracking.
Documents & Knowledge
Paddl has, Sona does not: Knowledge Hub, Digital Signatures, Licence Management, Insurance Gap Detection, Lease & Property Management.
Sona covers in part: Document Management.
Reporting & Incidents
Paddl has, Sona does not: Complaint Monitoring, Incident & Accident Reporting, EHO Visit Dashboard, AI Legal Guidance & Evidence Packs.
Platform & AI
Paddl has, Sona does not: Offline Mode, AI That Carries Out Tasks, AI Document Extraction, Compliance Dashboard.
Sona covers in part: AI Assistant.
Where Sona is stronger
- Scheduling, time and pay for big, complex workforces
- Yapster brings a mature staff messenger with a following in UK hospitality
- Demand forecasting and labour optimisation for large estates
- Strong, if small, review scores
Side-by-side feature comparison
Food Safety & Compliance
| Feature | Paddl | Sona |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Sona |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment TrackingPaddl only | ||
| AI Equipment Anomaly DetectionPaddl only | ||
| Temperature MonitoringPaddl only | ||
| Maintenance SwimlanesPaddl only | ||
| Supplier ManagementPaddl only | ||
| Delivery ChecksPaddl only |
Team & Training
| Feature | Paddl | Sona |
|---|---|---|
| Team Management | ||
| Rota Building & Publishing | ||
| Shift Swaps & Open Shifts | ||
| Holiday & Leave | ||
| Timesheets & Payroll Export | ||
| Training Tracking | ||
| Staff InductionsPaddl only | ||
| GPS Check-in | ||
| Shift Handovers / EOD ReportsPaddl only | ||
| Staff Notifications |
Documents & Knowledge
| Feature | Paddl | Sona |
|---|---|---|
| Document Management | ||
| Knowledge HubPaddl only | ||
| Digital SignaturesPaddl only | ||
| Licence ManagementPaddl only | ||
| Insurance Gap DetectionPaddl only | ||
| Lease & Property ManagementPaddl only |
Reporting & Incidents
| Feature | Paddl | Sona |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint MonitoringPaddl only | ||
| Incident & Accident ReportingPaddl only | ||
| EHO Visit DashboardPaddl only | ||
| AI Legal Guidance & Evidence PacksPaddl only |
Platform & AI
| Feature | Paddl | Sona |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile App | ||
| Mobile Manager View | ||
| Offline ModePaddl only | ||
| AI Assistant | ||
| AI That Carries Out TasksPaddl only | ||
| AI Document ExtractionPaddl only | ||
| Compliance DashboardPaddl only | ||
| Multi-Location |
What Sona does not do, shown in Paddl
Screenshots of the Paddl features the grid marks as missing or partial in Sona.
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.
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 Sona, and who should choose Paddl
Choose Sona if
- You run hundreds of sites or thousands of people
- Pay, demand forecasting and complex workforce rules are the problem
- You want an enterprise implementation with a dedicated team
Choose Paddl if
- You run one site or a handful and want a price you can read on a page
- Food safety and health and safety records have to be in the same product
- You want chat, rota and compliance without an implementation project
Alternatives to Sona 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 |
| All Gravy | Workforce management | $375 a month under 50 people; modules multiplied by seats above that |
Sona comparison questions
How much does Sona cost?
Sona does not publish prices. Its pricing page offers a free consultation and a custom quote configured around your operation. Paddl is £69 a location a month, published, with a 30-day trial.
What happened to Yapster?
Sona acquired Yapster, the workplace messenger used by BrewDog, Caffe Nero, Krispy Kreme and others, and folded it into its frontline platform. If you were a Yapster customer looking for a like-for-like messenger, Paddl's team chat is the closest hospitality equivalent that also carries the rota and the records.
Is Sona right for a single pub or a small group?
It is built for large, complex employers, and the sales process reflects that. A single site or a handful is usually better served by something priced per location and self-serve.
Try Paddl alongside Sona 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