When I Work vs Workforce.com (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 Workforce.com if

• Fits if you want scheduling, time tracking and payroll from one company
• Works for a team that can say its headcount range and ask for a quote

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a posted price, as every plan is a quote
• Watch out: four packages are sold apart, All-in-One, Scheduling, Payroll and HR
• Watch out: the US, Canada and UK sites are separate, so check the one for your country
• Not for you if you need to know the phone platforms, as no store listing is named

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.

Workforce.com

• No prices are published; every plan on the pricing page has a Request Pricing button.
• The quote form asks for employee range, from 1-20 up to 500+, so cost depends on headcount.
• Four packages are sold: All-in-One, Scheduling, Payroll and HR. The site has separate United States, Canada and UK versions.
• The pages read mention an employee app but no iOS or Android store listing, so only the web version is listed.

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.

Workforce.com

Employee scheduling

Builds schedules and manages shifts, with an employee app, communications and announcements to keep staff informed.

Labor forecasting

Staffing levels are guided by sales, foot traffic and similar data, and POS integrations such as Clover and Epos Now feed sales into schedules.

Time and attendance

Captures hours, breaks and time off on timesheets, with wage and hour automation to calculate pay rates for payroll.

Payroll and benefits

The Payroll product lists full-service payroll, tax filing and benefits management, with integrations to ADP and Gusto for teams that keep their payroll elsewhere.

HR tools

Onboarding and offboarding, an HRIS with self-service, performance management and applicant tracking.

Compliance help

The site lists Fair Workweek, California and Florida compliance pages, WOTC and an attendance points system.

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.

Workforce.com

Pricing could not be confirmed. See workforce.com.