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

Pick ShiftForce (ShiftNote) if

• Fits if you run a restaurant or hotel and want a manager logbook beside the rota
• Works for a business with one or two sites, as the price is per location

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you have many sites, as every location is paid for
• Skip it if you want scheduling on the $50 plan, as that plan is the logbook only
• Watch out: POS integration is listed under the $150 Enterprise plan, and setup fees may apply
• Watch out: it was renamed ShiftForce, and the pricing page still uses the ShiftNote plan names

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

ShiftForce (ShiftNote)

• Pricing is per location, so a business with many sites pays for each one; multi-location discounts are by request.
• Scheduling starts at the $100 plan; the $50 plan is the logbook without a scheduler.
• POS integration is listed under the $150 Enterprise plan, and setup fees may apply.
• ShiftNote was renamed ShiftForce, and the pricing page still uses the ShiftNote plan names.

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.

ShiftForce (ShiftNote)

Employee scheduler

Managers build schedules from templates with drag and drop, and employees can view shifts, request time off and swap shifts within rules the business sets.

Manager logbook

A daily log where managers leave notes for the next shift and track stats such as sales and labor, kept as a searchable record.

Task management

Tasks can be assigned and tracked per company, location, role or person.

Labor cost tracking

The Scheduler plan tracks labor cost against schedules; the Enterprise plan adds labor management and a custom reporting dashboard.

POS data

ShiftForce lists integrations with Toast, Square, Squirrel and NCR Aloha (through the Olo Omnivore API) to bring sales data next to labor.

Daily recap emails

Recap emails keep owners and staff informed about each day at a location without logging in.

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.

ShiftForce (ShiftNote)

• ShiftNote$50

  per location / month, billed monthly

  Daily logbook, task list, cash management, document storage, shift reports and a stats tracker. $540 a year if paid yearly.

• ShiftNote +Scheduler$100

  per location / month, billed monthly

  Adds employee scheduling, templates, labor cost tracking, shift swaps, time-off requests and a mobile app. $1,080 a year if paid yearly.

• Enterprise$150

  per location / month, billed monthly

  Adds POS integration (Toast, Aloha, Square, Squirrel), labor management and custom reporting. $1,620 a year if paid yearly.

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.

ShiftForce (ShiftNote)

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing is cheaper than monthly

  The pricing page lists $540, $1,080 and $1,620 a year per location against $50, $100 and $150 a month.

When I Work

No public discounts listed.