Homebase vs When To Work (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Homebase if

• Fits if you run one shop or restaurant with 10 staff or fewer
• Works for owners who want labor costs next to the sales from their till

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you add payroll, which is $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid on every plan
• Tight if you have several sites, as each address needs its own plan
• Skip it if you need PTO accruals on the $24 plan, since they start on Plus at $56
• Watch out: Tip Manager is $25 and Task Manager $13 a month per location, background checks $30 each, Hiring Assistant from $99
• Watch out: the free plan keeps timesheets for 90 days, and onboarding paperwork and the API need All-in-One at $96

Pick When To Work if

• Fits if you manage a team of up to 10 and want one price with no feature tiers
• Works for seasonal businesses that can pause the account in the off-season

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need a built-in time clock
• Tight if your team is bigger, as the price grows with the employee count
• Watch out: the page calls current rates reduced introductory pricing, with no end date
• Watch out: payment is by credit card or check, in US dollars

Homebase

• Plans are priced per location: each separate address needs its own plan, and the free Basic plan covers only one location and up to 10 employees.
• Payroll is an add-on on every plan at $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid.
• Other add-ons cost extra: Tip Manager $25 and Task Manager $13 a month per location, background checks $30 each, Hiring Assistant from $99 a month.
• PTO accrual policies need Plus; onboarding paperwork, HR advisors and API access need All-in-One.

When To Work

• The price depends on the maximum number of employees: the pricing page shows $38 a month for up to 10 and recalculates for larger teams.
• It does not provide a time clock; the FAQ points to exports for time clock and payroll programs.
• The pricing page calls the current rates reduced introductory pricing and gives no end date.
• The page states payment is by credit card or check, in US dollars.

Homebase

Weekly schedule builder

Managers build the week around availability and time-off requests, and staff trade, cover or claim open shifts. Plus adds an AI scheduling assistant.

Time clock on any device

Staff clock in on tablets, computers, POS terminals such as Clover and GoDaddy, or the mobile app with location checks, and tablets can take a photo at each clock-in.

Timesheets to payroll

Timesheets follow your overtime and break rules and sync to Gusto, ADP RUN, QuickBooks Online or Square Payroll, or feed Homebase's own payroll add-on.

Team messaging

Messenger channels, announcements and shift notes, with confirmation when employees have seen the schedule or read a message.

Hiring and onboarding

Job openings go out to online job boards, and All-in-One sends onboarding packets with W-4, I-9 and direct deposit forms for e-signature.

Labor cost controls

All-in-One alerts managers before overtime, blocks early clock-ins, clocks staff out at shift end and reports labor against sales pulled from the POS.

When To Work

Drag-and-drop scheduling

Schedules are built by drag and drop from reusable templates, with spreadsheet-style list, calendar and multi-location views.

AutoFill

A one-click AutoFill fills open shifts.

Requests and trades

Managers approve time-off requests and shift trades or pickups; employees can pick up open shifts.

Messages and alerts

Email, text and shift alerts keep staff informed, and managers can send urgent alerts from the app.

Free mobile app

The mobile app is free for managers and employees, with iOS and Android store links on the vendor's site.

Pause for the off-season

The vendor says an account can be suspended for the off-season at no cost while keeping employee data and past schedules.

Homebase

• Basic$0

  One location and up to 10 employees: basic scheduling and time tracking, a POS integration, timesheets kept 90 days.

• Essentials$24

  per location / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)

  Unlimited employees. Adds shift trades and open shifts, availability, location-based mobile clock-in, payroll integrations and team messaging.

• Plus$56

  per location / month, billed annually ($70 billed monthly)

  Adds an AI scheduling assistant, PTO policies with accruals, departments and manager permissions. Shown at $0 for 6 months with the payroll offer.

• All-in-One$96

  per location / month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)

  Adds onboarding paperwork with e-signatures, HR advisors and a custom handbook, overtime alerts, sales-based scheduling and API access.

When To Work

• 1 month$38

  per month for up to 10 employees

  All features, all managers and employees included. The price grows with the employee count entered on the page.

• 3 months$100

  for 3 months, up to 10 employees, paid in advance

  The page shows a $14 saving against three monthly payments.

• 6 months$164

  for 6 months, up to 10 employees, paid in advance

  The page shows a $64 saving against six monthly payments.

• 1 year$273

  for 1 year, up to 10 employees, paid in advance

  The page shows a $183 saving against twelve monthly payments.

Homebase

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with annual billing

  Annual billing brings Essentials, Plus and All-in-One to $24, $56 and $96 per location a month against $30, $70 and $120 monthly, or $72 to $288 a year saved.

• Other savings

  6 months free on Plus and Payroll for new customers

  New customers who set up payroll by December 15, 2026 and run it by January 20, 2027 get Plus free for 6 months and payroll free for 6 months for up to 50 employees.

• Other savings

  Payroll at $29 a month for teams of 5 or fewer

  Teams of up to 5 who start payroll in the same window get 6 months free, then $29 a month plus $6 per employee paid instead of $49, while they stay at 5 or fewer.

When To Work

• Annual discount

  Save by paying ahead

  For up to 10 employees the page shows $100 for 3 months, $164 for 6 months and $273 for a year against $38 a month, saving $14, $64 and $183.