Schedulefly vs When I Work (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Schedulefly if

• Fits if you run a restaurant and want a rota, shift trades and a manager logbook
• Works for a single venue, as the price is set by staff count

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need a time clock, as the pages read do not list one
• Not for you if you work outside restaurants and hospitality, as the site does not address them
• Watch out: the price steps up by staff count, from $30 to $60, and larger teams get a quote
• Watch out: the vendor's pricing page could not be read, so the prices come from its home page

Pick When I Work if

• Fits if building the schedule eats your Sunday evenings
• Works for call centers and retail stores sharing part-timers across locations

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you need the time clock, since it adds $1.50 to $2 a user on every plan
• Skip it if you want a free plan to stay on, as there's only a 14-day trial
• Not for you if you need an API, webhooks or single sign-on without paying for Premium at $8 a user
• Watch out: the page doesn't say whether prices are monthly or yearly, and its FAQ says the clock is included when the plans charge extra
• Watch out: payroll runs through partners, and scheduling rules, role permissions and custom reports need Pro at $5 a user

Schedulefly

• The price follows staff count in steps of 20, from $30 up to $60 at 60 to 79 staff; larger teams get a quote.
• The pages read describe scheduling, messaging and labor cost, and do not list a time clock.
• It is built for restaurants and hospitality; the site does not address other industries.
• The site pricing page could not be read, so the prices come from the pricing section and FAQ on the home page.

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.

Schedulefly

Schedule builder

Schedules are created, copied and published quickly, and staff get schedules and changes by text and email.

Shift trades and time off

Employees can give up, pick up and trade shifts with manager approval, and managers see availability and time-off requests while building the schedule.

Labor cost preview

Entering forecast sales shows scheduled labor dollars and projected labor cost as a percentage of sales before publishing.

Team messaging

Announcements, reminders and schedule updates go out by text and email instead of group chats.

Manager logbook and crib sheet

Fly Notes is a shared manager logbook, and the Daily Crib Sheet summarizes who is working, manager notes, reminders and staff birthdays.

Multi-location dashboard

One login moves between every restaurant in a group, with communication across locations.

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.

Schedulefly

• Up to 19 staff$30

  per month for up to 19 staff

  All features included, month to month with no contract.

• 20-39 staff$40

  per month for up to 39 staff

  Same features. The price rises with the number of staff.

• 40-59 staff$50

  per month for up to 59 staff

  Same features. The price rises with the number of staff.

• 60-79 staff$60

  per month for up to 79 staff

  Same features. Restaurants with 80 or more staff are asked to call for a quote.

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.