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Comparison · HR

Deputy vs Envoy

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

Deputy vs Envoy: at a glance

FeatureDeputyEnvoy
SectorHRHR
Velocity score0.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themespermissions, payroll-compliance, workforce-scheduling, access-controlvisitor-management, physical-security, id-verification, workplace-ops
Last editorial update1mo ago5d ago
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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 →

What is Envoy?

Envoy moves ID verification in-house with proprietary AI, breaking from third-party scanning vendors.

Envoy operates across three distinct modules — visitor management, workplace desk/space operations, and physical security response — and has been shipping consistently across all three. The standout move is the in-house ID scanning infrastructure: name verification, face matching, extended document types, and blocklist integration, all built on Envoy's own AI stack rather than a vendor API.

Read the full Envoy trajectory →

Deputy vs Envoy: editorial side-by-side

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.

E6.3

Envoy moves ID verification in-house with proprietary AI, breaking from third-party scanning vendors.

◆ Current state

Envoy operates across three distinct modules — visitor management, workplace desk/space operations, and physical security response — and has been shipping consistently across all three. The standout move is the in-house ID scanning infrastructure: name verification, face matching, extended document types, and blocklist integration, all built on Envoy's own AI stack rather than a vendor API.

◆ Where it's heading

Envoy is consolidating the physical security stack. The pattern across the last 6 weeks runs from identity verification at the door (ID scanning) to threat monitoring in the field (travel risk, VIP protection) to compliance documentation after the fact (audit logs, export templates). These aren't isolated features — they're the components of a full security incident lifecycle, and Envoy is building each one natively.

◆ Prediction

The next move is likely automated cross-module triggers: when a visitor matches a blocklist or fails ID verification, the Response module fires an alert automatically rather than requiring a manual handoff. The infrastructure for both sides is already in place.

Alternatives to Deputy and Envoy

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 Deputy or Envoy.

See all Deputy alternatives → · See all Envoy alternatives →

Recent activity from Deputy and Envoy

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

  1. 5d agoEnvoyVisitor log report and export templates
  2. 14d agoEnvoyImproved ID scanning experience
  3. 15d agoEnvoyTravel risk management
  4. 19d agoEnvoyAutomatic invite approval for admins
  5. 25d agoEnvoyVisitor Directory Improvements
  6. 26d agoEnvoyNew visitor approvals experience on mobile
  7. 2mo agoDeputyPayDay Super for Deputy Payroll
  8. 3mo agoDeputySensitive Data Permissions for Pay Rates
  9. 4mo agoDeputyCustom Access Levels
  10. 4mo agoDeputyCustom access levels
  11. 5mo agoDeputyFreeze Empty/Open Shift Row in Schedule Employee Views
  12. 5mo agoDeputyOpen/empty shift row can be pinned in schedule views

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Deputy and Envoy?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Envoy is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 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 Deputy better than Envoy?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Envoy is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 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 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.

What are the best alternatives to Envoy?

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