Overview

The platform covers distribution setup, review, approval, employee visibility, and payroll export. Operators can use it as a standalone product or as part of the RocketOS suite, so adopting it does not require using the rest of that suite. Daily record granularity and multi-venue reporting support routine oversight, while the operator remains responsible for choosing rules that fit its policy.

Key features

Allocation and approval

Rules support equal, points-based, hours-weighted, role- and seniority-based, department, and hybrid distributions. That range can accommodate varied teams and policies, but it puts the onus on operators to select and maintain an appropriate approach. Distributions can be previewed, audited, and approved by a Troncmaster before they go to payroll, providing a review step rather than an unchecked handoff.

Compliance and staff visibility

Rocket Tronc describes automatic HMRC rule enforcement, timestamped audit records, Troncmaster independence controls, a real-time compliance dashboard, and a TRONC policy generator. Together, these are aimed at making the process more controlled and traceable. Employees can see their distribution breakdowns, and the platform generates statements automatically, which gives staff a clearer account of allocations.

Reporting and integrations

Live totals, trends, and breakdowns give payroll and management teams a view of current distributions; multi-venue roll-ups include location drill-down. CSV and PDF payroll exports cover common handoff needs. Listed integrations include RocketOS EPOS, Sona HR, and Xero Payroll, alongside CSV import and export. Lightspeed, Fourth, and S4Labour are described as coming soon, so operators relying on those connections should not treat them as current integrations.

Pricing

The Free plan has no listed price and is capped at one location and 10 employees. It includes manual TRONC distributions, CSV import and export, and basic reporting. Those limits make it a way for a small operation to start, but manual handling and the low employee cap leave little headroom for a larger or more automated process.

Pro is billed monthly based on active employees across locations, with these price bands: 1–200 employees £1.00/mo, 201–400 £0.90/mo, 401–600 £0.80/mo, 601–800 £0.70/mo, 801–1000 £0.60/mo, and 1001+ £0.50/mo. It supports up to 999 locations and 10,000 employees, and includes HR and POS integration. The falling per-employee rate favors larger groups, while the banded model means the bill depends on active headcount rather than a single flat fee.

A 7-day Pro trial includes every feature, requires no credit card, and can be followed by continuing on Pro or switching to Free. Enterprise uses custom pricing for large organisations and offers unlimited locations and employees, custom integrations, SLA and priority support, dedicated onboarding, white-label options, and a custom NI savings projection. It is the relevant tier for organisations that exceed Pro’s stated limits or need those services; smaller operators should compare its custom scope with Pro before committing.

Platforms

Rocket Tronc is available on the web. That suits office and payroll workflows, but the platform list does not include native mobile apps.

Who it's for

Restaurants, bars, pubs, cafés, hotels, and multi-venue groups are the core audience, along with payroll and HR teams and Troncmaster or tronc advisory firms. It is a particularly strong candidate where allocations differ by role, hours, or department and a Troncmaster needs to review distributions before payroll. A small business with a simple split may find the Free tier sufficient only while it stays within one location and 10 employees.

Pros and cons

Pros: Multiple allocation methods allow operators to reflect different roles, hours, and departments instead of relying on a single split.
Pros: Troncmaster approval, audit records, and employee statements support review and visibility across the distribution process.
Pros: Multi-venue roll-ups and location drill-down give group operators both consolidated and site-level reporting.
Cons: The Free plan stops at one location and 10 employees, limiting its usefulness as a long-term option for growing teams.
Cons: Pro pricing varies by active-employee band, so operators need to account for headcount when estimating monthly cost.
Cons: The platform is web-only, and several named integrations are still described as coming soon.

Alternatives

Restaurant Tip Management Software is the broader category guide for comparing options. 7shifts may suit teams seeking a freemium, multi-platform workforce option: its free Comp plan allows 15 employees at one location, while Essentials has a 30-employee limit and unlimited locations. Homebase is another freemium, multi-platform alternative; its Tip Manager add-on is priced at $25.00 USD per month, and its Task Manager add-on at $13.00 USD per month.

TabPref may be a better starting point for small teams prioritising scheduling, time clock, team chat, and basic labour analytics, which its free starter plan includes. Grateful is an alternative on Android and web that includes automatic savings from tip or tronc payments with every customer at no additional cost. Troncbox may appeal to WMT Troncmaster Services clients seeking free online tronc management, basic reporting, employee access, and tronc letters with digital storage.

DishOut is a paid alternative with a free trial and Android, iOS, and web platforms. Divvy may suit restaurants looking for a paid tip-management option with a stated Core plan at $39.00 USD per month per restaurant, billed monthly, and unlimited staff and pay periods. TipHaus is another paid option with a free trial across Android, iOS, and web.

Verdict

Rocket Tronc is a strong choice for UK and Ireland hospitality operators that need configurable distributions, independent approval, staff-level visibility, and reporting across venues. Its most persuasive advantage is the combination of allocation flexibility and a documented review workflow. Look elsewhere if you need a generous free tier, native mobile apps, or an integration it currently describes as coming soon; for larger groups, weigh Pro’s employee bands against Enterprise’s custom scope.

	HotSchedules Logbook	Rocket Tronc
Free plan		Yes
Free trial		Yes
Paid from		£0.50/mo
Platforms	Web	Web
Custom pool rules	Yes	Yes
Payroll export	file	both
POS integrations	30	2
Shift allocation	Yes	Yes
Employee app	Yes
Record granularity	both	daily
Free plan		Yes

HotSchedules Logbook vs Rocket Tronc

HotSchedules Logbook

Rocket Tronc