Connecteam vs When I Work
We give Connecteam a 3.2 GPA and When I Work a 2.8, out of 4.0. Connecteam grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Connecteam
Employee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users
When I Work
Staff scheduling with auto-fill, shift trades and an add-on time clock
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAConnecteamVery good | 2.8GPAWhen I WorkGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BOperations Basic is a flat $29 a month for up to 30 users, billed yearly, so 15 staff pay $29. For a team that size that's in the cheapest quarter of this category. Each user past 30 adds $0.80. | CEssentials is $2.50 a user a month, so 15 staff pay $37.50 for scheduling, the middle of this category for a team that size. Add the time clock and it's $4 a user, or $60. The page doesn't say whether these are monthly or yearly rates. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for up to 10 users with all three hubs and nearly every feature, though payroll links are left out. Teams of up to 30 can stay on a free Limited plan with the basics, and there's a 14-day trial of Expert with no card. | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day trial with every feature and no credit card needed, which covers a couple of schedule cycles. |
| Features | BGPS, NFC and kiosk clock-ins, repeating shifts with open shifts, AI auto-scheduling and timesheets to payroll, plus forms, checklists, chat and training. The whole job, though time off and chat live in hubs you buy separately. | BAuto-scheduling from availability, templates, multi-week and multi-location schedules, forecasting, shift trades, messaging and payroll exports, with a time clock as an add-on. That's the whole job. |
| Ease of use | A4.86 from 60,756 App Store ratings, the best score on record in this category. Staff mostly live in the phone app, clocking in and checking shifts. | A4.79 from 57,666 App Store ratings. Swapping or picking up a shift is a couple of taps for staff. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex, ADP, BambooHR and Zapier, and an API on Expert. No desktop app, so a B. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with payroll partners such as Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll, Paychex, QuickBooks Online and OnPay, plus Zapier. API keys need Premium, and there's no desktop app. |
| Best for | deskless teams that want shifts, chat and forms | auto-filled schedules for hourly teams |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Connecteam and When I Work. How we grade
Price against what you get
Connecteam starts at $29 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. When I Work starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 3.3.
They score the same, and When I Work starts $26.50 a month lower. Of the other shift scheduling apps on the chart, none scores higher than Connecteam for less, and none scores higher than When I Work for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Connecteam starts at $29 per month for up to 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic). When I Work starts at $2.50 per user / month (Essentials, without time tracking).
- Connecteam has a free plan. When I Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- Connecteam also covers forms.
At a glance
| Connecteam | When I Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29 per month for up to 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic) | $2.50 per user / month (Essentials, without time tracking) |
| Free plan | Small Business plan, free for up to 10 users, with all three hubs and nearly every feature, though payroll integration is left out. Teams of up to 30 can stay on a free Limited plan with the basics of each hub. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Expert plan, no credit card needed | 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Connecteam | When I Work, Inc. |
| Price read from | connecteam.com | wheniwork.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Connecteam
- Businesses with up to 10 staff that want a free all-in-one employee app
- Field service, cleaning and construction crews clocking in by GPS
- Deskless teams that need chat, forms and training beside the schedule
When I Work
- Restaurants, retail stores and call centers scheduling hourly staff
- Managers who want shifts filled automatically from availability
- Multi-location businesses sharing staff between sites
Worth knowing
Connecteam
- Each hub is bought separately: scheduling and time clock sit in the Operations Hub, while chat and HR tools need their own hub plans from $29 a month each.
- The flat price covers the first 30 users; every user after that is charged per month on each hub, for example $4.20 on Operations Expert billed yearly.
- The free Small Business plan has no payroll integration, and the free Limited plan for up to 30 users drops many features.
- Monthly plans are not refunded for prepaid time; annual plans get a prorated refund only if cancelled within the first 30 days.
When I Work
- The time clock, breaks and attendance are an add-on that raises each plan by $1.50 to $2 per user a month, though the page's FAQ says every plan includes them.
- The pricing page offers monthly or annual billing but does not say which basis the listed prices use.
- API keys, webhooks and SAML single sign-on need the Premium plan.
- Payroll runs through partners; Rippling, the preferred partner, offers When I Work customers six months free.
Key features
Connecteam
- GPS, NFC and kiosk clock-ins
- Staff clock in from their phones with a GPS stamp, by tapping an NFC tag, or at a shared tablet kiosk. Geofences and on-the-clock location tracking come on higher plans.
- Scheduling with open shifts
- Shifts repeat daily, weekly or monthly, open shifts can be claimed with approval, and reminders go out before work starts. AI auto-scheduling weighs availability, roles and labor rules.
- Timesheets to payroll
- Clock-ins build timesheets that export to payroll services including Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex and ADP, with pay periods and pay rates per person.
- Forms, checklists and shift tasks
- Unlimited checklists, forms and tasks on every paid plan, plus tasks and attachments such as photos, mileage and signatures tied to a shift.
- Chat, updates and knowledge base
- The Communications Hub adds one-to-one and group chat, a company feed with surveys and polls, an employee directory and a knowledge base.
- Time off, training and documents
- The HR & Skills Hub covers time-off policies with balances, courses and quizzes, documents with e-signatures, hiring and onboarding.
When I Work
- Auto-scheduling
- Managers enter the coverage they need and the app assigns shifts from employee availability and qualifications in one click.
- Templates and multi-week schedules
- Saved templates such as a weekend rush or holiday plan are reused to build schedules weeks ahead, across several locations.
- Shift trades and OpenShifts
- Employees swap or pick up open shifts from the app, and managers approve or decline each request before the schedule updates.
- Time clock on any device
- With the time tracking add-on, staff clock in from phones, tablets or terminals, with GPS or geofencing, break tracking and overtime tracking tied to the schedule.
- Team messaging
- Managers and staff message individuals or the whole team in the app without sharing phone numbers.
- Payroll exports
- Approved hours go to payroll services including Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll, Paychex, QuickBooks Online and OnPay.
Plans
Connecteam
Small Business$0
Free for life for up to 10 users, covering all three hubs. Payroll integration is not included.
Operations Basic$29
per month for up to 30 users, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
GPS time clock, basic scheduling with open shifts, unlimited forms and tasks, payroll integration. Each user past 30 is $0.80 a month ($1 monthly).
Operations Advanced$49
per month for up to 30 users, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
Adds repeating shifts, templates, auto clock-out, up to 10 geofence sites and up to 6 schedules. Each user past 30 is $2.50 a month ($3 monthly).
Operations Expert$99
per month for up to 30 users, billed annually ($119 billed monthly)
Adds auto-assigned shifts, unlimited geofences, up to 12 schedules, automatic reports and API access. Each user past 30 is $4.20 a month ($5 monthly).
Operations EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited time clocks and schedules, SSO, two-factor sign-in and a success manager. Aimed at companies with 201 to 10,000 employees.
When I Work
Essentials$2.50
per user / month ($4 with time tracking and attendance)
Unlimited users. Auto-scheduling, multi-week and multi-location schedules, templates, forecasting, messaging, OpenShifts and swaps.
Pro$5
per user / month ($7 with time tracking and attendance)
Adds scheduling rules, role permissions, labor sharing, custom forecasting units, custom reports and callout reporting.
Premium$8
per user / month ($10 with time tracking and attendance)
Adds API keys, webhooks and SAML single sign-on.
Ways to pay less
Connecteam
- Annual discount
Save 18% with yearly billing
Yearly billing brings Operations Basic, Advanced and Expert to $29, $49 and $99 a month against $35, $59 and $119 monthly; the FAQ calls it two months free.
When I Work
No public discounts listed.
