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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When I Work

No public discounts listed.

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.