AlternativesRotaCloud alternative
A simpler RotaCloud alternative for tiny teams.
RotaCloud is an established UK rota and workforce tool. Weekola is the smaller step up from a group chat and a spreadsheet: the week run end to end, one price however many staff you add, and a rota you can just tell what’s changed.
14-day trial No payment details required
BothA published rota on staff phones, clocking in, shift swaps, open shifts and leave requests.
A rota and workforce tool, with reporting including labour costs, TOIL and absence tracking.
The working week, and nothing heavier: rota, attendance, swaps, timesheets and leave.
By team size: from £10 a month for 1–5 employees, rising in bands as the team grows.
One monthly price per tool, however many staff you add. Rota is £11 a month, with Leave and Weekola Brain included.
In its drag-and-drop rota editor, with templates and copying.
By hand in the rota, or tell Weekola Brain what’s changed. Nothing changes until you confirm.
Every RotaCloud detail comes from RotaCloud’s own pages, reviewed 29 September 2026. Sources are listed below.
Where they agree, one line. Where they differ, both sides.
Which one fits? It depends on your week.
Both are good at the everyday week. Here is when each is the better choice, starting with RotaCloud.
Choose RotaCloud when…
- You’re 1 to 5 people and want the lowest monthly price: its Standard plan starts at £10.
- You want labour-cost reporting against the rota.
- You need TOIL, GPS-restricted clocking or SMS notifications.
- You’d like longer to decide: RotaCloud’s trial is 30 days.
Choose Weekola when…
- Your team is growing, and you want one price however many staff you add.
- You’re leaving a group chat and a spreadsheet, and want the smallest step up.
- You’d rather start with the rota alone and add tools when the week asks for them.
- You want to just say what’s changed, and confirm before anything moves.
Reviewed 29 September 2026
Line by line. Both sides, fairly.
RotaCloud’s side is taken from its own pages. Weekola’s side is shown working, down to the last line, where you just tell Weekola Brain what’s changed.
RotaCloud details from its own pages, reviewed 29 September 2026.
The rota
Building the week
RotaCloudDrag-and-drop rota planning with templates and copying, across unlimited sites and departments.
WeekolaBuild the week in a grid, copy last week or auto-fill from your coverage rules, then publish one live rota.
Clocking and hours
Clocking in
RotaCloudMobile and on-site clocking with GPS restrictions, in the Time & Attendance add-on.
WeekolaStaff clock in from their phone, and you see who’s in beside the rota.
Timesheets
RotaCloudTimesheets generated automatically from clock-ins.
WeekolaFix the few entries that need you, approve the rest, and export CSV, Excel, PDF or JSON.
Reports
RotaCloudIn-depth reporting, including labour costs, with a payroll report and export.
WeekolaPayroll-ready hours to export. Weekola holds no pay rates, so it has no labour-cost reports.
Swaps and time off
Shift swaps
RotaCloudStaff arrange swaps in its app; once both agree, a manager approves.
WeekolaStaff offer and swap shifts. Each is checked against your rules and waits for your yes.
Open shifts
RotaCloudOpen shifts eligible staff can claim, first come, first served.
WeekolaOpen shifts your team can claim. You approve who gets each one.
Leave
RotaCloudHoliday requests, TOIL and sickness tracking.
WeekolaIncluded in every workspace. Approved time off shows on the week you’re building.
The price
Pricing model
RotaCloudBy team size: Standard from £10 and Pro from £15 a month for 1–5 employees, rising in bands. Time & Attendance is an add-on.
WeekolaOne price per tool for the whole workspace: Rota £11, Attendance £7, Swaps £5, Timesheets £9. More people or branches never change it.
Billing and trial
RotaCloudMonthly or yearly billing. A 30-day trial with no payment details.
WeekolaMonthly, with no annual contract. A 14-day trial with no payment details.
Changing the week
Asking for a change
RotaCloudChanges are made in its rota editor and apps.
WeekolaType or say what’s changed. Weekola Brain checks your rules and prepares it; nothing changes until you confirm.
Sources
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. RotaCloud details come from RotaCloud’s own public pages, listed above. Features, prices and availability change, so check them before you decide. Weekola is not affiliated with RotaCloud.
Moving over. One week at a time.
There is no big switch-over day. Run the next week in Weekola, and move the rest when you are happy.
Add your team.
Add everyone with their roles and the branches they work at, then invite them. Their shifts arrive on their phone.
Bring next week in.
Paste the rota from a spreadsheet, or build it in the grid. It opens as a draft, and nobody sees it until you publish.
Publish, then let the old tool go.
Publish when it’s ready. Keep RotaCloud until your first Weekola week has run, then cancel whenever it suits you.
Start with the rota alone. Add attendance, swaps and timesheets when the week asks for them.
RotaCloud or Weekola?
Straight answers for teams weighing RotaCloud against Weekola.
What is the best RotaCloud alternative for a small business?
It depends on the team. For 1 to 5 people, RotaCloud’s entry price is hard to beat. If your team is bigger or growing, and the job is the week itself (the rota, clocking in, swaps, timesheets and leave), Weekola charges one price for the whole team and lets you tell it what’s changed.
How is Weekola different from RotaCloud?
Both run a published rota, clocking in, shift swaps, open shifts and leave. RotaCloud prices by team size and adds reporting such as labour costs, TOIL and absence tracking. Weekola charges one monthly price per tool for the whole workspace, keeps to the working week, and lets a manager tell Weekola Brain what’s changed.
Is Weekola cheaper than RotaCloud?
Not for the very smallest teams: RotaCloud’s Standard plan starts at £10 a month for 1 to 5 employees. Its price rises in bands as the team grows, while Weekola’s price per tool stays the same however many staff you add. Check both pricing pages with your own headcount.
Is Weekola a full RotaCloud replacement?
Not for every business. Weekola doesn’t hold pay rates or report labour costs, and it has no TOIL, GPS-restricted clocking or SMS notifications. If you need those, RotaCloud is the better fit.
Can I just tell Weekola what’s changed?
Yes. Weekola Brain comes with every workspace. Type or say something like “Emma’s off sick Saturday, find cover” and it checks roles, rest, time off and overlaps, then prepares the change. Nothing changes until you confirm, and staff are notified as if you’d made it by hand.
Can Weekola replace Excel and WhatsApp for staff rotas?
Yes. Paste your spreadsheet rota in and it opens as a draft week. Publish it and everyone sees their own shifts on their phone, with swaps, cover and time off coming to you as requests instead of messages.
Is Weekola suitable for cafés, pubs and small shops?
Yes. It’s built for owner-led shift teams: cafés, pubs, bars, restaurants, salons, shops and local service businesses, including a few branches in one workspace.
Is Weekola suitable for a team of 5 to 30 staff?
Yes. That is who it’s built for, and because each tool has one price for the whole workspace, adding people as you grow doesn’t change what you pay.
Can I start with rota only?
Yes. Start with Rota, which includes Leave and Weekola Brain, and add Attendance, Shift Swaps or Timesheets when you need them.
How do I move over from RotaCloud?
Add your team, paste or build next week as a draft, and publish it when it’s ready. Many teams keep their old tool until the first Weekola week has run, then cancel.
Start small. Stay calm as you grow.
Rota is £11/month for your whole team, with Leave and Weekola Brain included. All four tools together are £27/month, however many staff you add.
14-day trial No payment details required