Homebase vs When I Work: Which Is Best for Your Business in 2022?
Charlette has over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance and 2 years of partnering with HR leaders on freelance projects. She uses this extensive experience to answer your questions about payroll.
Juvy has over 10 years of content writing experience and was a licensed teacher. She has evaluated and written about dozens of payroll and HR software solutions for small business to provide the best answers to your software questions.
Homebase and When I Work both offer employee scheduling and time and attendance functions. Yet, Homebase stands out due to its additional hiring and payroll tools, plus it offers a free unlimited scheduling plan for businesses with one location. Although When I Work doesn’t offer a free plan, it comes with an affordable pay-as-you-go pricing.
When selecting one for your business, we recommend the following:
- Homebase: Best for businesses with hourly workers in one location or those wanting payroll services in addition to staff management
- When I Work: Best for growing businesses with employees across multiple locations looking for an easy-to-use and scalable staff management solution
Homebase vs When I Work Compared
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly Pricing | $0 to $99.95 | $4-8 per employee |
Employee Scheduling, Time Clock, Team Messaging | ✔ | ✔ |
Time and Attendance | Included in all plans | Included in Essential and Complete plans |
Hiring | Included in all plans | Available via integration with third-party apps |
Payroll |
| Available via integration with third-party apps |
Point-of-Sale (POS) | Available via integration with third-party apps | Available via integration with third-party apps |
Ease of Use | Excellent | Good |
Customer Support |
|
|
When to Choose Homebase
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Easy to set up and navigate | One location, one administrator for the free version |
| Can handle an unlimited number of employees | Mobile app glitches |
| Job posts, applicant tracking, and employee scheduling are included in the free option | PIN with implementation does not always work |
If you’re looking for a scheduling and time tracking solution for your hourly staff in one business location, Homebase is an excellent option. You can use Homebase’ time tracking and team messaging for free regardless of the number of employees.
We also recommend Homebase for US-based businesses looking for an employee management with payroll. Its payroll feature is available in all US states except Alaska, Indiana, and Nevada. So, whether you’re running a new business or one that’s quickly growing, Homebase helps you onboard, manage scheduling, track employee time, and pay your teams in one place.
When to Choose When I Work
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Offers a 14-day free trial | Limited reporting; only basic options are available |
| Has robust employee scheduling and time management features | Lacks phone support; email and live chat support are not available 24/7 |
| Its Small Business plan is affordably priced (monthly fees start at $2 per user) | Access to overtime alerts, POS and payroll software integrations, and mobile time clock apps with GPS enforcement cost extra |
When I Work is a good choice for growing businesses with multiple business locations looking for a scalable employee management solution. It is an easy-to-use tool and even with minimal training, managers can easily and quickly implement the program among employees.
Best in Pricing: Tied
| | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly pricing starts from |
| $2 per user; custom |
Time tracking | ✔ | Additional fee of $2 per user |
Team messaging | ✔ (paid plans) | ✔ |
Mobile clock-in | ✔ (paid plans) | ✖ |
Payroll |
| Via integration only |
Hiring | ✔ | ✖ |
If your business is in one location, you can use Homebase’ basic plan to track employee hours and create and manage employee schedules for free. Also, because of its per-location pricing, Homebase is more practical if you have many employees spread across a few locations.
However, When I Work’s lowest per-user monthly pricing of $4—is more practical when you have employees spread across many locations.
Let’s check.
For a business that has 30 employees over two locations and wants time tracking, scheduling, and messaging, the computations are:
- Homebase: Fixed monthly pricing depending on the chosen plan ranging from $39.90 to $199.90 (twice the monthly per-location pricing)
- When I Work: $120 ($4/employee x 30 employees)
Only when you have at least seven locations for the same number of employees will Homebase pricing be more expensive than When I Work.
- Homebase: Fixed monthly pricing between $139.65 to $699.95 depending on the chosen plan (seven times the monthly per-location pricing)
- When I Work: $120 ($4/employee x 30 employees)
Homebase also has more plan options and optional add-ons, which businesses can use as needed. Should a business need other features such as onboarding, document storage, and hiring advisers, its All-in-One plan is a good choice, regardless of the number of employees. With When I Work, you have to pay per user, which translates to higher expenses for more employees.
Best for Time Tracking & Attendance: Homebase
When it comes to time tracking and attendance, Homebase and When I Work have similar capabilities but when we talk about value for money, Homebase comes out on top. Both programs include time clocks to let employees clock in and out during their shifts and a mobile app for employers and employees. However, to access time and attendance features with When I Work, you need to purchase its add-on, which costs $2 per user per month.
Homebase and When I Work let you:
- Clock in with GPS enforcement and photos
- Prevent early clock-ins
- Receive overtime alerts
- Receive clock-in/out reminders
- Track breaks
- Request time off (for employees)
- Prepare time sheets for payroll
Best for Employee Scheduling: When I Work
| | |
|---|---|---|
Auto Scheduling | ✔ | ✔ |
Schedule Templates | ✔ | ✔ |
Schedule Notification | ✔ | ✔ |
Calendar Sync and Management | ✖ | ✔ |
Task Scheduling and Progress Tracking | ✖ | ✔ |
Team Calendars | ✔ | ✖ |
For employee scheduling, When I Work has an edge over Homebase due to its broader range of scheduling capabilities. Although both providers allow automatic scheduling, have convenient schedule templates, and notify employees and employers of schedule changes and approvals, only When I Work allows managers to schedule tasks and monitor progress.
Create and schedule tasks and monitor progress with When I Work. (Source: When I Work)
I also love When I Work’s simple yet effective scheduling feature that lets managers create schedules by matching qualified people to open schedules and automatically calculate labor costs to ensure the business stays within budget. The calendar sync and management features allow integrated scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging, so managers and employees send and receive real-time notifications.
Build schedules fast with When I Work by matching qualified employees.
When to Consider Homebase for Employee Scheduling
If you don’t really need to create, schedule, and monitor task progress among your employees, then Homebase is a viable solution. We recommend Homebase for single-location businesses, as users can use its basic features for an unlimited number of employees for free. Although Homebase is our top pick for best employee scheduling software, our evaluation included not only features but also other factors such as pricing, ease of use, and reporting. (When I Work didn’t make it to the list due to a lack of reports customization and phone support; here, we are just comparing features.)
Best for Ease of Use, Customer Support & Integrations: Homebase
When comparing the two providers’ ease of use, customer support, and integrations, Homebase has the upper hand. Both have user-friendly interfaces and integrate with both payroll and point-of-sale (POS) apps, but only Homebase has live phone support for immediate concerns available during business hours—9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time Mondays through Fridays. Users can also check their video tutorials and guides for troubleshooting.
When I Work only allows users to send tickets via live chat; in case of troubleshooting, you can check its library of how-to guides or read articles in its knowledge base.
In terms of integrations, Homebase also connects with more apps. Unlike Homebase, which allows integrations for all its plans, integrations with When I Work are only available when you purchase its time and attendance add-on or if subscribed to the Enterprise plan.
Homebase vs When I Work: What Users Think
- Homebase: Most Homebase users left positive reviews and pointed out that setting it up is easy. It was credited for its intuitive user interface and easy-to-navigate schedule builder, as well as robust scheduling and time tracking features and responsive customer support. However, on the flip side, some users noted mobile app glitches and issues when integrating with other apps. It has 4.6 and 4.3 out of 5 in Capterra and G2, respectively.
- When I Work: Many users who left positive When I Work reviews online highlighted its ease of setup, affordability, and efficient scheduling tools as its best features. They added that it helps them easily create schedules for multiple employees and work locations. However, some reviewers said that its mobile app can be glitchy at times. It earned 4.5 and 4.4 out of 5 stars on Capterra and G2, respectively.
Bottom Line
It’s not easy choosing between Homebase and When I Work because both are affordable and have similar features. If you have a few employees spread over multiple locations, When I Work’s robust employee scheduling options with per-employee pricing might make it the best fit. However, if you’re looking for an employee scheduling and time tracking software for a business in one location, then Homebase is a perfect choice as you can use its basic features for free. Homebase also offers fixed monthly pricing by location that’s optimal for businesses with many employees across a few locations.
