dienstplanmacher alternative: SMARTCHILLI vs. dienstplanmacher compared (2026)
dienstplanmacher comes from real-world experience in hospitality and the security industry and flips the planning process around: availability first, then planning built on top. SMARTCHILLI goes a step further and lets staff claim open shifts themselves.
From €49 per month · no credit card · cancel monthly
The short answer
dienstplanmacher is strong if you schedule security services, site or personal protection and large events, and want a provider that knows this world from first-hand experience.
SMARTCHILLI is strong if you want to get started right away yourself, if clients should plan alongside you in the same system, and if you want to know the costs in advance.
The rule of thumb: security scheduling with a close industry link points to dienstplanmacher. Self-service onboarding, open pricing and clients in the process point to SMARTCHILLI.
SMARTCHILLI and dienstplanmacher head to head
| Criterion | SMARTCHILLI | dienstplanmacher |
|---|---|---|
| Product and audience | ||
| Provider and location | SMARTCHILLI GmbH, Cologne, Germany | Dienstplanmacher / PLAN|NET, Germany |
| Core principle | Job- and assignment-based planning, built for high assignment density. Open shifts are shown to staff as cards; a swipe to the right is the commitment. | Reversed planning process: staff availability first, then planning built on top of it |
| Target audience | Event catering, catering, trade fair construction, event organisers, hotels, staffing providers and temporary work | Hospitality, security services, large events and trade fairs, site, patrol and personal protection |
| Features | ||
| Shifts claimed by staff | Core mechanic of the product. Staff claim open shifts themselves. | Yes, availability-based |
| Clients in the system | Yes. Organisers, service providers and staff work on one platform; the client sees the staffing status in real time. | Not advertised |
| Planning scale | Built for high assignment density: many positions per day, several areas and deployment points inside the same operation, large pools of casual staff. | Built for businesses with many staff and highly variable shifts |
| Time tracking | Real-time capture on the smartphone, documented in a legally compliant way | Yes |
| Digital HR file and payroll | Deliberately not the focus. SMARTCHILLI follows a best-of-breed approach and delivers exports for payroll preparation. | Partially |
| Employee app | Progressive web app. No installation, no app store, no storage space on the device. | Web-based |
| Price and terms | ||
| Pricing logic | Per shift at peak, meaning by maximum simultaneous shift load. No per-employee licence, no location fee, all modules always included. | Price list with net prices, further pricing on request; training is billed separately |
| Entry price | €49 per month (Start, 50 shifts, around €0.98 per shift) | Not fully public |
| Trial | 30 days free, no credit card, cancel monthly | On request |
Product and audience
Provider and location
SMARTCHILLISMARTCHILLI GmbH, Cologne, Germany
dienstplanmacherDienstplanmacher / PLAN|NET, Germany
Core principle
SMARTCHILLIJob- and assignment-based planning, built for high assignment density. Open shifts are shown to staff as cards; a swipe to the right is the commitment.
dienstplanmacherReversed planning process: staff availability first, then planning built on top of it
Target audience
SMARTCHILLIEvent catering, catering, trade fair construction, event organisers, hotels, staffing providers and temporary work
dienstplanmacherHospitality, security services, large events and trade fairs, site, patrol and personal protection
Features
Shifts claimed by staff
SMARTCHILLICore mechanic of the product. Staff claim open shifts themselves.
dienstplanmacherYes, availability-based
Clients in the system
SMARTCHILLIYes. Organisers, service providers and staff work on one platform; the client sees the staffing status in real time.
dienstplanmacherNot advertised
Planning scale
SMARTCHILLIBuilt for high assignment density: many positions per day, several areas and deployment points inside the same operation, large pools of casual staff.
dienstplanmacherBuilt for businesses with many staff and highly variable shifts
Time tracking
SMARTCHILLIReal-time capture on the smartphone, documented in a legally compliant way
dienstplanmacherYes
Digital HR file and payroll
SMARTCHILLIDeliberately not the focus. SMARTCHILLI follows a best-of-breed approach and delivers exports for payroll preparation.
dienstplanmacherPartially
Employee app
SMARTCHILLIProgressive web app. No installation, no app store, no storage space on the device.
dienstplanmacherWeb-based
Price and terms
Pricing logic
SMARTCHILLIPer shift at peak, meaning by maximum simultaneous shift load. No per-employee licence, no location fee, all modules always included.
dienstplanmacherPrice list with net prices, further pricing on request; training is billed separately
Entry price
SMARTCHILLI€49 per month (Start, 50 shifts, around €0.98 per shift)
dienstplanmacherNot fully public
Trial
SMARTCHILLI30 days free, no credit card, cancel monthly
dienstplanmacherOn request
Information on dienstplanmacher based on publicly available details from the provider's website, as of August 2026.
What costs what
dienstplanmacher publishes a price list with net prices; further pricing is available on request. Training is billed separately. A comparison with complete figures isn't possible on this basis.
SMARTCHILLI's prices are public: €49 per month for 50 shifts, €249 for 300 shifts, €449 for 600 shifts. Additional shifts from €0.70. Cancel monthly, 30 days free trial.
SMARTCHILLI price tiers
- Start — 50 shifts
- €49 per month
- Plus — 300 shifts
- €249 per month
- Max — 600 shifts
- €449 per month
- Additional shifts
- from €0.70 per shift
Based on the publicly listed prices of both providers, as of August 2026. Your actual cost depends on your specific planning structure.
When dienstplanmacher is the better choice
If you schedule security services — site protection, patrol services, personal protection — dienstplanmacher brings an understanding of this kind of scheduling that general rota tools don't have. The provider itself comes from hospitality and the security industry.
The reversed planning approach, where availability comes first and planning is built on top, suits businesses with highly variable hour volumes well. If you want a guided onboarding with training, that's offered there.
When SMARTCHILLI is the better choice
SMARTCHILLI is not built for the weekly rota in a restaurant, it is built for the assignment. The difference is not the number of addresses but the volume: as soon as hundreds of positions have to be filled on a single day and the line-up keeps changing until the evening before, the comparison tips over.
Many deployment points, not many addresses
An arena is one single operation and still runs entrances, blocks, bars, kitchens and boxes for every event. SMARTCHILLI bills by planning load — neither the number of locations nor the number of areas affects the price.
A large pool of casual staff
If three hundred people sit in your pool but each of them works only a few days a year, a per-head licence is the wrong model. With SMARTCHILLI the pool itself costs nothing; only the shifts you actually organise count.
The client plans along
With SMARTCHILLI, organisers, service providers and staff work on one platform. The client sees the staffing status in real time instead of waiting for a call back.
Staffed in minutes instead of days
Open shifts go out to the pool as cards and staff commit with a swipe. Instead of chasing people by phone, the roster fills while dispatch keeps working.
Switching from dienstplanmacher to SMARTCHILLI
- 01
Import your master data.
Staff and qualifications are imported as a list — no manual re-entry.
- 02
Plan the first assignments in parallel.
Run one or two weeks side by side in live operation before switching over.
- 03
Activate the pool.
Staff get access to the PWA — no app store, no installation. Integrate it into your website and post jobs.
You are usually productive within two days. A human guides you through onboarding, not a knowledge base.
Frequently asked questions about dienstplanmacher and alternatives
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Comparison data: all information on dienstplanmacher is based on publicly available details from the provider's website dienstplanmacher.de. As of August 2026. Features and prices may change.
Note: SMARTCHILLI GmbH is the commercial operator of this comparison page. dienstplanmacher is a trademark of Dienstplanmacher / PLAN|NET; it is named solely to describe the subject of the comparison.
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