Excel rota template vs.
dental rota software.
A spreadsheet can get you started for free. Practice Hub is £99/month per location, with the rota, staff phone access, leave requests and AI rota drafts alongside your other practice tools.
14 days free, no card needed · Then £99/month per location
The quick answer
Use the Excel template if
- You have under 5 staff members
- Schedules rarely change
- You prefer spreadsheets over software
- You don’t need staff phone access or leave requests
Use Practice Hub if
- You have 5+ team members
- Schedules change weekly
- Staff need to see shifts on their phone
- You want leave requests handled in one place
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
See exactly what you get with each option
How much time will you save?
Using Excel
- Creating weekly rota45 mins
- Sending to staff15 mins
- Managing change requests30 mins
- Calculating payroll hours45 mins
- Total per week~2.5 hours
Using Practice Hub
- Creating weekly rota10 mins
- Notifying staffAutomatic
- Managing change requests5 mins
- Calculating payroll hoursAutomatic
- Total per week~15 mins
Save 8+ hours per month
A full working day back. Every single month.
The Hidden Costs of Excel Rotas
Free doesn't mean no cost. These problems add up over time.
Version Confusion
Multiple copies floating around. Which is the latest? Sarah's looking at last week's version.
→ Staff show up for wrong shifts, or don't show up at all.
No Notifications
Changed the rota? Now you have to email, text, or WhatsApp everyone manually.
→ Changes get missed. Staff blame the system.
Conflict Blindness
Booked someone on a day they have approved leave? Excel won't tell you.
→ Shifts clash with holidays and nobody notices.
Payroll Pain
Manually counting hours, overtime, and leave at month-end.
→ Errors in pay = unhappy staff and compliance risk.
No Mobile Access
Staff can't check their schedule on their phone easily.
→ Constant "When am I working?" messages.
Holiday Tracking Chaos
Separate spreadsheet for leave? Or notes in a calendar?
→ Double-booked holidays and surprised managers.
Signs You've Outgrown Excel
If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to upgrade.
If you checked 3+ of these, you'll benefit from scheduling software.
Skip the spreadsheet.
Your rota is included.
Manage shifts, leave and practice tasks together. Try Practice Hub free for 14 days with no card, then £99/month per location.
14 days free, no card needed · Then £99/month per location