The When I Work Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about When I Work in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
When I Work
The Insider’s Guide
Staff scheduling with auto-fill, shift trades and an add-on time clock
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among shift scheduling apps, read from When I Work’s own pages.
Made by When I Work, Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from When I Work’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on When I Work’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade
When I Work is a scheduling app for hourly teams in restaurants, retail, healthcare and call centers. Managers fill shifts by hand, from templates or with auto-scheduling based on availability, staff trade and pick up shifts in the mobile app, and an optional time clock records hours, breaks and overtime for payroll exports.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about When I Work, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You enter the cover you need and it assigns shifts from staff availability.
- 1
Best for auto-filled schedules for hourly teams
When I Work is good at the bit managers hate: filling the schedule.
- 2
Paid plans start at $2.50 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $2.50 per user / month (Essentials, without time tracking).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Auto-scheduling
Managers enter the coverage they need and the app assigns shifts from employee availability and qualifications in one click.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 8 of 12
That is against the other shift scheduling apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace When I Work you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
When I Work at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $2.50 per user / month (Essentials, without time tracking)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- When I Work, Inc.
- Category
- Shift Scheduling
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 57,666 ratings
The report card
Best for auto-filled schedules for hourly teams
When I Work is good at the bit managers hate: filling the schedule. You enter the cover you need and it assigns shifts from staff availability. The catch is that the time clock costs extra, so the $2.50 price you see is for scheduling only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Essentials is $2.50 a user a month, so 15 staff pay $37.50 for scheduling, the middle of this category for a team that size. Add the time clock and it's $4 a user, or $60. The page doesn't say whether these are monthly or yearly rates. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. There's a 14-day trial with every feature and no credit card needed, which covers a couple of schedule cycles. |
| Features | B | Auto-scheduling from availability, templates, multi-week and multi-location schedules, forecasting, shift trades, messaging and payroll exports, with a time clock as an add-on. That's the whole job. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.79 from 57,666 App Store ratings. Swapping or picking up a shift is a couple of taps for staff. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with payroll partners such as Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll, Paychex, QuickBooks Online and OnPay, plus Zapier. API keys need Premium, and there's no desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who When I Work is for
- Great if building the schedule eats your Sunday evenings
- Handy when you share staff between several locations
- Good for call centers and retail stores juggling lots of part-timers
Who it is not for
- 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 or single sign-on without paying for Premium
Good to know
Good for
- Restaurants, retail stores and call centers scheduling hourly staff
- Managers who want shifts filled automatically from availability
- Multi-location businesses sharing staff between sites
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$2.50
A month to start, for each person
When I Work is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $2.50 per user / month (Essentials, without time tracking).
The page doesn't say whether these are monthly or yearly rates.
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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required
Read from wheniwork.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Staff scheduling with auto-fill, shift trades and an add-on time clock. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, auto-scheduling, team chat, shift scheduling, time clock, time off.
Web, iPhone and Android, with payroll partners such as Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll, Paychex, QuickBooks Online and OnPay, plus Zapier.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Rippling
- Gusto
- Square Payroll
- Paychex
- QuickBooks Online
- OnPay
- Zapier
- GoCo
When I Work is made by When I Work, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/12
Other shift scheduling apps it is graded above
When I Work's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 12) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 2 of the 12 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 13 shift scheduling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. When I Work’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 12
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 12
- BFeaturesAbove 4 of 12
- AEase of useAbove 8 of 12
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 12
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 shift scheduling apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. When I Work is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace When I Work you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade. It costs $30 a year.
What you could make
- Time off: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts.
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- A scheduler that rearranges your day as things move.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Rippling, Gusto and Square Payroll among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. When I Work’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Homebase, Sling by Toast, Deputy, 7shifts and Connecteam
The 5 tools When I Work is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Homebase
Free plan · from $24/mo
Small-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location.
- Homebase has a free plan. When I Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- When I Work also covers auto-scheduling.
- Homebase also covers payroll, job board posting and employee records.
- 2.8GPA
Sling by Toast
Free plan · from $1.70/mo
Free shift scheduling for up to 30 users, with paid time clock tiers.
- Sling by Toast has a free plan. When I Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- Sling by Toast also covers tasks.
- 2.6GPA
Deputy
Free trial · from $5/mo
Shift scheduling, time clock and labor-law tools for hourly teams.
- When I Work also covers team chat.
- Deputy also covers payroll.
- 3.0GPA
7shifts
Free plan · from $39.99/mo
Restaurant scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll, per location.
- 7shifts has a free plan. When I Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- When I Work also covers auto-scheduling.
- 7shifts also covers payroll and applicant tracking.
- 3.2GPA
Connecteam
Free plan · from $29/mo
Employee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users.
- Connecteam has a free plan. When I Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- Connecteam also covers forms.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is When I Work free?
No, When I Work is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required.
How much does When I Work cost?
When I Work lists 3 plans. Essentials: $2.50 per user / month ($4 with time tracking and attendance).
What platforms does When I Work work on?
When I Work is available on Web, iOS and Android.
How is When I Work rated?
When I Work's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 57,666 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does When I Work have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. When I Work is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does When I Work have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. When I Work is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is When I Work open source?
When I Work is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does When I Work have an API?
Yes. When I Work offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does When I Work integrate with?
When I Work's listing names Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll, Paychex, QuickBooks Online, OnPay, Zapier and GoCo.
Who makes When I Work?
When I Work is made by When I Work, Inc.
What are the alternatives to When I Work?
The closest alternatives to When I Work in our directory are Homebase, Sling by Toast, Deputy, 7shifts and Connecteam.
How does When I Work compare with other shift scheduling apps?
When I Work's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 12 other shift scheduling apps we grade, and level with 1.
Is When I Work good value for money?
ToolGPA grades When I Work C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5.65 for the category: 2 of the 12 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of When I Work?
To replace When I Work you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from When I Work’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from When I Work's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by When I Work, Inc. Prices change, so check wheniwork.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- When I Work, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/when-i-work
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "When I Work: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/when-i-work
Know someone choosing between shift scheduling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/when-i-work/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded shift scheduling apps after When I Work, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Shift Scheduling Insider's GuideEvery one of the 13 shift scheduling apps we grade, compared
- Connecteam Insider's GuideEmployee app for shifts, time clock, chat and HR, free up to 10 users3.2 GPA
- Homebase Insider's GuideSmall-business scheduling, time clock and payroll, priced per location3.2 GPA
- 7shifts Insider's GuideRestaurant scheduling, time clock, tips and payroll, per location3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what When I Work’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. When I Work is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by When I Work, Inc. Prices and plans change: check wheniwork.com before you buy.