Roster Flow vs an Excel staff roster
A spreadsheet is where most rosters start, and for some teams it is where they should stay. The same week done both ways, what each one leaves to you, and where the line tends to fall.
Checked 2 October 2026 against each company’s public pagesWho each may suit
Not a winner. Which kind of business each option tends to fit, from what the public pages say.
- Teams whose roster changes most weeks, with several people who need to see it
- Businesses that want clock in records and approved hours to go to Xero
- A very small team whose roster rarely changes
- An owner who builds the roster and runs payroll personally
How the price is worked out
The public pricing model, and what counts toward it.
| Roster Flow | A spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| How the price is set | By the number of active people: bands up to 250 staff, and agreed with us above that | The spreadsheet software the business already uses |
| Lowest paid price | $29 a month for up to 10 staff | No extra cost where the business already has it |
| Free plan | Free for up to 5 staff | Free spreadsheet tools exist, such as Google Sheets |
| Free trial | 28 days on a paid plan, with no card to start | Not applicable |
| Minimum spend or seats | No minimum; teams over 250 contact us for pricing | Not applicable |
| Currency and tax | Australian dollars, GST included | Not applicable |
The same week, step by step
One ordinary week, from building the roster to handing the hours to payroll.
| Roster Flow | A spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Build next week | Copy last week, adjust it, and watch the estimated cost as shifts go on | Copy last week’s tab and edit it |
| Tell the team | Publish, and everybody rostered is told on their phone | Send the file, a screenshot or a message |
| Record the hours worked | Staff clock in and out on their phone; differences from the roster are flagged | Hours are written on a sheet or a card, then typed in |
| Approve the week | Clear the flagged rows and approve the week | Compare the hours with the roster by eye |
| Hand the hours to payroll | Send approved hours to Xero as draft timesheets, or export a CSV | Type the hours into payroll |
Features, from the public pages
“Not stated on the pages checked” means the page did not say. It does not mean the product lacks it.
| Roster Flow | A spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Building and publishing rosters | Yes: copy last week, see the estimated cost, publish to staff phones | Yes, in whatever layout you build |
| Clocking in and out | From the employee’s own phone in the browser, with an optional photo and distance check | Not built in: hours are written down elsewhere and typed in |
| Shift swaps | Yes, agreed between staff and approved by a manager | By editing the sheet and telling the people affected |
| Award interpretation | No. The business enters its own rates and multipliers | No |
| Running payroll | No. Pay runs, payslips and superannuation stay in the payroll system | No |
| Payroll connections | Xero, with MYOB coming soon, and a CSV export for anything else | Hours are typed or copied into payroll |
| Prices published | Yes | Not applicable |
Limits and notes
- It does not interpret awards or work out what anybody is paid
- It does not run pay runs, payslips, superannuation or Single Touch Payroll reporting
- It connects to Xero only, with MYOB coming soon; other payroll systems take a CSV
- There is no app to install: staff use the browser on their phone
- It does not build rosters automatically or forecast staffing from sales
- There is no single sign-on
- Free roster, timesheet and availability templates are on this site for teams staying with a spreadsheet
- A spreadsheet has no record of who changed a shift, unless somebody keeps one
Method and update log
Every statement about the alternative comes from the pages below, read on 2 October 2026. Roster Flow’s prices come from its own plan list, the same one the pricing page reads. Nothing is taken from review sites, forums or memory, and prices change, so check the source before deciding.
- Roster Flow templates, read 2 October 2026
- Switching from spreadsheets, read 2 October 2026
- Roster Flow pricing, from the product’s plan list
Still to do on this page:
- A measured example from a real business’s week, replacing the illustration
- That this page and the switch from spreadsheets page answer different questions
Questions
How much does a spreadsheet cost compared with Roster Flow?
A spreadsheet costs nothing to start, and the cost shows up as time instead. Roster Flow is $29 a month for up to 10 staff, with free for up to 5 staff.
Does a spreadsheet have a free plan?
Yes, if you already have Excel or Google Sheets. Roster Flow has free for up to 5 staff, which is a plan rather than a trial and does not ask for a card.
Does a spreadsheet work out award rates?
A spreadsheet: no. Roster Flow does not. The business enters its own rates and multipliers, and pay calculation stays in the payroll system either way.
Where do the facts about a spreadsheet on this page come from?
From how a spreadsheet actually behaves, read on 2 October 2026 and listed at the bottom of this page. Nothing here comes from a review site, a forum or a sales call, and where a page did not say, this one says so rather than guessing.