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Petal alternative: RotaBay
Canadian healthcare technology platform (rebranded from PetalMD to Petal Health; petalmd.com now redirects to petal-health.com) targeting health authorities, hospitals, multi-site systems, physicians and clinics. To be fair to Petal: constraint-based auto-scheduling accounts for absences, minimum coverage, subspecialist-only shifts, and equity/fairness targets, and large stated install base (~97,000 healthcare professionals, 3,000+ care settings) suggests broad market validation. Here's how it actually compares to RotaBay on the things that matter for a mid-size team choosing between them - sourced facts only, no marketing copy.
Feature-by-feature
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| Feature | RotaBay | Petal |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-generation with fairness math | Yes - fairness-weighted generator, free to try | Yes - constraint-based generation with equity/fairness targets |
| Published no-login who's-on page | Yes, on every plan | Not confirmed in our research |
| Per-provider ICS calendar feeds | Yes, on every plan | Not confirmed in our research |
| Swap requests | Yes, Practice plan | Yes - shift-trade marketplace (reviewers report a trade-selection bug) |
| Self-serve signup | Yes - no card, no demo call | No - funnels to an expert call |
| Published pricing | Yes - Free and $39/mo, shown on this site | No - not published |
| Flat pricing (not per-provider) | Yes - $39/mo flat, unlimited providers | Not confirmed in our research |
What users say about Petal
“PetalMD is an intuitive scheduling platform that allows physicians to have a life outside of work.”
“it is dysfunctional! If I post a shift for trade I cannot then choose that shift in exchange for a trade with someone else”
“Great for managing the schedule but not for making the schedule”
Pricing
RotaBay
Free, or $39/mo flat
Roster (free): 1 team, up to 10 providers. Practice ($39/mo): unlimited teams, providers and schedules - one flat price, never per provider.
Petal Scheduling (Petal Health / formerly PetalMD)
Pricing not published - demo/sales required
Source: petal-health.comDetails checked 2026-07-02; check Petal's site for current information.
Common questions
No - Petal does not publish pricing publicly; you'll need to talk to sales or request a demo to get a quote.
Try RotaBay instead of Petal
Free to start, no card, no demo call. Generate your first fair schedule in minutes.