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

Pick Snap Schedule if

• Fits if you run a police, utility or care agency where a scheduler works through callouts
• Works for teams with few schedulers and many employees

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want monthly billing, as the page shows list prices per year
• Tight if you want staff to log in, since self-service is a paid add-on
• Pricey if you have many schedulers, until the volume tiers
• Watch out: the total depends on scheduler and employee counts, and packs are 5 at a time

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

Snap Schedule

• Employee self-service is a separate paid add-on, sold in packs of 5 employees.
• Pricing is by scheduler and by employee with online access, so the total depends on both counts.
• The pricing page shows list prices per year; no monthly billing option is shown.

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.

Snap Schedule

Shift management

Schedulers create and change shifts and assign duties, with compliance and labor-rule checks on the schedule.

Automated callouts

Picks eligible employees by availability, hours limits and location, contacts them one at a time and moves to the next name if there is no reply.

Overtime and open shifts

Employees can see open shifts, volunteer for extra work and take part in shift bidding.

Leave and time off

Time-off requests, accruals and balances, with employees able to see their balances in the mobile app.

Employee self-service

Mobile app or web portal for schedules and requests, with targeted messages and read confirmations.

Skills and certifications

Skill and certification tracking, plus task and break scheduling, listed among its features.

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.

Snap Schedule

• Scheduler Base Subscription$450

  per scheduler / year

  One scheduler for an unlimited number of employees; $315 each at 81 or more schedulers.

• Employee Access Add-On$36

  per employee / year, sold in packs of 5

  Lets employees view schedules, request time off, punch in and out and trade shifts; $21.60 each at 925 or more.

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.