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Comparison · HR

Ashby vs Deputy

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Ashby and Deputy — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Ashby vs Deputy: at a glance

FeatureAshbyDeputy
SectorHRHR
Velocity score5.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesrecruiting, ai notetaker, interview collaboration, approvalspermissions, payroll-compliance, workforce-scheduling, access-control
Last editorial update13h ago3mo ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Ashby?

Ashby adds threaded comments to AI Notetaker, so interview debriefs stay next to the transcript.

Ashby ships small admin, form and scheduling changes almost daily. On November 12 AI Notetaker gained threaded comments pinned to moments in the recording, a day after Transcript Only mode let teams keep notes without storing audio or video. The same 24 hours added required reasons for force approvals, resending of skipped Quality of Hire surveys and a cleaner take-home layout in interview briefs.

Read the full Ashby trajectory →

What is Deputy?

Deputy is hardening pay-data permissions while Australian super rules claim release slots.

Deputy's recent work splits between access control and Australian payroll compliance. A rebuilt access-level system in late April introduced custom roles with finer-grained control over what people can see and do, followed in June by permissions that restrict visibility of pay rates and labour costs. July's release adapted Deputy Payroll to PayDay Super, the Australian employer reporting requirement. Scheduling picked up one visible change: the open/empty shift row can be pinned while managers scroll.

Read the full Deputy trajectory →

Ashby vs Deputy: editorial side-by-side

A5.0

Ashby adds threaded comments to AI Notetaker, so interview debriefs stay next to the transcript.

◆ Current state

Ashby ships small admin, form and scheduling changes almost daily. On November 12 AI Notetaker gained threaded comments pinned to moments in the recording, a day after Transcript Only mode let teams keep notes without storing audio or video. The same 24 hours added required reasons for force approvals, resending of skipped Quality of Hire surveys and a cleaner take-home layout in interview briefs.

◆ Where it's heading

AI Notetaker is turning into the place where hiring teams discuss a candidate, with privacy controls and collaboration arriving in the same week. Around it, Ashby keeps adding audit and governance options, such as approval reasons, that larger customers ask for.

◆ Prediction

Expect AI Notetaker comments and notes to feed scorecards or debrief summaries next; the entries do not yet show that link.

Deputy logo0.0

Deputy is hardening pay-data permissions while Australian super rules claim release slots.

◆ Current state

Deputy's recent work splits between access control and Australian payroll compliance. A rebuilt access-level system in late April introduced custom roles with finer-grained control over what people can see and do, followed in June by permissions that restrict visibility of pay rates and labour costs. July's release adapted Deputy Payroll to PayDay Super, the Australian employer reporting requirement. Scheduling picked up one visible change: the open/empty shift row can be pinned while managers scroll.

◆ Where it's heading

Permissions are the throughline — custom roles first, then sensitive pay data placed behind them — which is the shape of a product answering harder questions from larger, multi-site customers. Compliance work anchors Deputy to the Australian market its payroll product serves, and that regulatory calendar will keep taking release capacity. Scheduling itself, the core surface, is getting refinement rather than rethinking. The feed also carries the same release twice under slightly different titles, so apparent cadence runs ahead of actual shipping.

◆ Prediction

Expect further permission scoping across cost and pay surfaces, and follow-up work as PayDay Super reporting beds in. The entries show nothing about roadmap outside Australia and scheduling.

Alternatives to Ashby and Deputy

Other HR products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Ashby or Deputy.

See all Ashby alternatives → · See all Deputy alternatives →

Recent activity from Ashby and Deputy

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 1d agoAshbyUpdated take-home and submissions tabs in interview brief
  2. 1d agoAshbyAdd and require reasons for force approvals
  3. 1d agoAshbyResend skipped Quality of Hire surveys
  4. 1d agoAshbyLeave comments in AI Notetaker
  5. 2d agoAshbyTranscript Only mode for AI Notetaker: Capture interview context without storing audio or video
  6. 3d agoAshbyGrouped Interview Plan updates
  7. 4mo agoDeputyPayDay Super for Deputy Payroll
  8. 5mo agoDeputySensitive Data Permissions for Pay Rates
  9. 6mo agoDeputyCustom Access Levels
  10. 6mo agoDeputyCustom access levels
  11. 7mo agoDeputyFreeze Empty/Open Shift Row in Schedule Employee Views
  12. 7mo agoDeputyOpen/empty shift row can be pinned in schedule views

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Ashby and Deputy?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Ashby is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Ashby better than Deputy?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Ashby is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other HR products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Ashby?

Top Ashby alternatives in HR are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Ashby alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ashby for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Deputy?

Top Deputy alternatives in HR are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Deputy alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/deputy for the full list with editorial commentary on each.