9 Best When I Work Alternatives for 2023
When I Work is a popular employee scheduling software that offers time and attendance features as an add-on. Intuitive and offering a mobile app and by-user pricing, it’s a good choice for growing businesses with multiple locations. However, it may not be the best for all businesses—single locations with many employees, seasonal businesses, and companies with greater compliance needs may want to consider other options.
We looked at several providers to find the best When I Work alternatives for your small business. These are the top nine:
- Best overall: Homebase
- Best for retailers needing forecasting tools: Deputy
- Best for businesses with multiple departments: Buddy Punch
- Best for restaurants and businesses that hire minors: 7shifts
- Best for seasonal and tourist businesses that may close part of the year: ZoomShift
- Best for very small businesses on a small budget: Sling
- Best for highly regulated industries and locations: SocialSchedules
- Best for professional industries like medical: Humanity
- Best for construction and field service industries: ClockShark
When I Work Alternatives Compared
Paid monthly plan starting at* | Autoscheduling | Labor planning tools | Time clock tools | Mobile app scores (out of 5 stars) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $2.50 per user | ✓ | ✓ | Separate plan or in higher combined plan | Android: 4.7 iOS: 4.8 |
 | $24.95 per location | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Android: 4.4 iOS: 4.8 |
 | $3.50 per user ($25 minimum) | Premium and higher plans | ✓ | As a separate plan or in the premium and Flexi plans | Android: 4.7 iOS: 4.8 |
 | $19 base + $3.49 per user | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | Android: 4.5 iOS: 4.9 |
 | $34.99 per location (30 employees) | Highest plan only | ✓ | ✓ | Android: 4.6 iOS: 4.8 |
 | $2.50 per active user | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | Android: 4 iOS: 2.8 |
 | $2 per user | Highest plan only | ✕ (Labor costing reports only) | Premium and Enterprise plans (but not in free plan) | Android: 4.4 iOS: 4.7 |
 | $15.99 per location | ✕ | Premium and Enterprise plans | Premium and Enterprise plans | Android: 3.8 iOS: 4.6 |
 | Custom quote, $100 minimum | In higher plans | In higher plans | May cost extra | Android: 4.7 iOS: 4.9 |
 | $16 base + $7 per user | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | Android: 3.5 iOS: 3 |
*Not counting discounts for annual contracts
Pros
- Autocheduling in all plans
- Intuitive interface and highly rated mobile app
- Unique on-demand pay option
- Forecasting tools
Cons
- Time clock costs extra
- No free plan
- Does not let you record time per project
What we like:
When I Work is a very popular scheduling software. Its basic plan is for scheduling only and is among the least expensive on the market—but it costs more when you add a time clock. Users find it easy to use and rate it 4.47 out of 5, averaged over multiple user-review sites. Its forecasting and autoscheduling tools are available in all plans.
The mobile app has excellent ratings, with GPS tracking, shift swapping, time off requests, and more. Managers can even text employees when contacting them via the app is not enough. Managers can see who looked at their schedule as well.
One standout, which we did not find in any When I Work competitor, is the ability to pay employees immediately. On-Demand Pay by Clair lets you give employees a Clair debit card to send pay immediately. Most companies need payroll software for this functionality.
Homebase: Best Overall When I Work Alternative
Pros
- Easy to set up and navigate
- Has a free plan for one business with up to 20 employees
- Feature-rich platform; comes with job postings, applicant tracking, time tracking, and staff scheduling
- Time clock apps included in free plan
- Good customer support
Cons
- One location, one administrator for the free version
- Mobile app glitches; complaints about login issues
- Slightly higher learning curve
- Time off tracking in higher plans only
What we like:
Homebase ranked No. 1 in our free employee scheduling software and best employee scheduling software guides because of its comprehensive scheduling, time tracking, and payroll features that small business owners find convenient and affordable. Employers can quickly and easily build their workers’ schedules in just a few clicks and share them with the team in minutes using the Homebase mobile app.
What makes Homebase different from When I Work is its free scheduling and time tracking plan for businesses with a single location (with up to 20 employees), as well as its feature-rich platform that even comes with payroll, job posting, and hiring tools.
Homebase Pricing
Homebase differs from When I Work in that it charges by location with unlimited users. Its excellent free plan includes time clocks and hiring, as well as basic scheduling. You can try out the advanced tools with a 14-day free trial.
- Basic (Free): One location (with up to 20 employees), scheduling, time clocks, messaging, time tracking
- Essentials ($24.95/month/location): Free plan plus team communication and advanced scheduling and time tracking
- Plus ($59.95/month/location): Essentials plan plus time off limits, PTO tracking, permissions
- All in One ($99.95/month/location): Plus plan plus onboarding, labor costing, HR, compliance
Payroll add-on ($39/month + $6 per user/month): Includes tax filings, employee onboarding, and unlimited payroll runs. This price is on par with other dedicated payroll software.
Homebase’s schedule offers multiple views. (Source: Homebase)
Homebase Features
- Unlimited scheduling: Unlike When I Work (as well as several on this list), Homebase doesn’t charge per employee. You can create as many work shifts as you want and need. Plus, its paid plans allow you to have as many employees in one location as you like for a reasonable fee.
- Feature-rich software: Homebase comes with a comprehensive set of online HR tools. Aside from employee time tracking and scheduling, it includes hiring, job posting, onboarding, and team messaging solutions.
- Robust labor and schedule reporting: In addition to its drag-and-drop online schedule builder, shift swaps requests, auto-scheduler tool, automated alerts, and mobile apps, Homebase has a wide range of customizable reports that can help you gain insight into work shifts, labor expenses and percentages, attendance-related performance, and sales (if synced with a POS). Although When I Work lets you create custom reports, the options are more limited.
- Compliance tools: With Homebase, you automatically get the standard breaks and overtime settings for the state where your business operates. The software also captures and stores schedule edit histories, including previously run time sheets and reports, for either 90 days or four years (SocialSchedules, by contrast, saves for seven years, and most don’t list how long). This makes it easy for you to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and recordkeeping requirements.
Deputy: Best for Retailers Needing Forecasting Tools
Pros
- Efficient scheduling tools
- Affordable plans with separate packages for time tracking and employee scheduling
- Unlimited 24/7 customer support
- Strong mobile app
- Available in 100 countries
Cons
- Free scheduling tier only for US-based businesses and is limited only up to 100 timesheets and 100 shifts scheduling
- Monthly plans have a minimum spend requirement
- Occasional mobile app glitches reported by users
- Both scheduling and time and attendance require Premium plan
What we like:
Deputy is a good scheduling option for retailers or other businesses with shared hourly and shift workers across different locations. You can either manually create shifts that assign employees to different work sites and departments or use its AI-powered scheduler to build demand-based and labor-optimized work shifts. Further, if your employees request to swap shifts online, the system automatically transfers their department and worksite data after the requests have been approved.
Like When I Work, Deputy has a highly rated mobile app and charges extra for time clock tools. However, if you only need time clocks, it has a separate plan for that, too. This is unique among the When I Work competitors on our list.
Deputy Pricing
Since Our Last Update: Deputy has increased its prices.
Deputy is more expensive than When I Work and has a minimum monthly spend of $25. It has discounts for charities, nonprofits, and community organizations that meet their criteria, and has a 31-day free trial.
- Free (only for US-based businesses): Limited to 100 timesheets and 100 shifts monthly
- Scheduling only ($3.50/user/month): Unlimited shifts, auto-scheduling, PTO management, newsfeed, tasking, POS integration, 24/7 email support
- Time and Attendance only ($3.50/user/month): Unlimited time sheets, payroll integration, POS integration, PTO management, newsfeed tasking, 24/7 email support
- Premium ($4.90/user/month): Scheduling and Time & Attendance plans, plus reporting
- Flexi ($2.50/active employee/week, 50 cents/inactive employee/week): Same features as Premium; best if <50% of employees are active at a time
- Enterprise ( For businesses with more than 250 employees; custom): Premium plan, plus advanced demand planning and analytics, training, location procedures, custom implementation, dedicated enterprise support, training, and certification management
Deputy‘s interface makes it easy to get to schedules, tasks, reports, and more. (Source: Deputy)
Deputy Features
- Forecasting: Deputy provides tools that let you predict staffing needs based on trends in sales, deliveries, appointments/reservations, and other signals you can set. You set the rules, and it will ensure you have the minimum required number of people. It can also use the forecasting tools when automatically creating a schedule; most software just give you an analysis.
- Employee communications: Read notifications tell you who saw your posted announcements. Everyone can send updates, make comments, and collaborate on the mobile app. Workers can trade shifts with qualified teammates. Like 7shifts, Deputy can record and post videos. The mobile app earned 4.7 out of 5 on Android and 4.8 out of 5 on iOS—tied with When I Work and second only to Humanity.
- Labor compliance tools: Deputy has smart wage and hour compliance tools like meal and rest breaks settings, schedule notifications, and compliance alerts. Like SocialSchedules, Deputy helps businesses in Fair Work Week jurisdictions stay compliant by recording schedule amendments, calculating the required predictability pay, and capturing an employee’s consent to change. It’s superior to When I Work for compliance.
- Flexible time tracking: In addition to scheduling solutions, you get time clock apps that allow you to track employee attendance and manage your workforce from any mobile device, including the Apple Watch, an option that’s not available in other providers in this guide. Its apps for tablets even support touchless clock-ins, enabling your employees to start and end their shifts through facial recognition and voice commands.
Buddy Punch: Best for Businesses With Multiple Departments
Pros
- Simple to learn and use
- Standalone time tracking solution that’s affordably priced
- Multiple clock-in/out options; supports PIN code, facial recognition, QR code, and username with password time entries
- Drag-and-drop scheduler works on mobile
Cons
- Lacks client billing functionalities
- No online timer for easy tracking of billable hours
- No phone support
- No free plan
What we like:
Buddy Punch is a cloud-based time tracking software designed to streamline how you monitor employee time and attendance. Its scheduling tool allows users to specify locations, positions, and job codes to employee shifts, making it a good option for businesses with multiple departments. It also features an online time clock with apps that work on web browsers and mobile devices.
Like When I Work, it doesn’t have a free plan. It lacks scheduling in its standard plan but does offer time and location clock-in/clock-out tools. Plus, it lets salaried employees record time spent on specific tasks or projects, something When I Work does not do.
Buddy Punch Pricing
Since our last update:
Buddy Punch changed its pricing to a base fee plus a by-user fee.
Buddy Punch differs from When I Work in that it starts with a base fee and then adds a by-user fee. Further, to get scheduling, you need to purchase the Pro plan (When I Work lets you purchase either time clock software as an add-on). It has a 14-day free trial, after which it starts charging.
- Standard ($19 base fee + $3.49 per user monthly): Unlimited administrators, basic GPS tools, time off tracking, reports, schedule alerts and reminders, job tracking, break planning, and payroll integrations
- Pro Plan ($19 base fee + $4.49 per user monthly): Standard plan, plus employee scheduling, shift trades, schedule templates and notifications, availability management, and time off reporting
- Enterprise (custom): Pro plan, plus single-sign-on and API access
The Buddy Punch dashboard is clean and easy to follow. (Source: Buddy Punch)
Buddy Punch Features
- Employee scheduling: Buddy Punch has a drag-and-drop scheduler like When I Work that lets you create, edit, assign, and share work shifts with employees. The scheduler even works on mobile devices, allowing you to easily manage employees even while on the go. In addition to specifying the exact time range, you can add specific locations, positions, and job codes to employee shifts.
- Multiple clock-in/out options: In addition to PIN code and facial recognition scans, Buddy Punch supports QR code and username with password clock-ins/outs. Buddy Punch is the only software on this list that can handle these two-time entry types. It also has an automatic punch-out feature that automatically clock-outs employees when their schedules end, something When I Work lacks.
- Time tracking controls: Buddy Punch lets you specify the exact time per day—instead of only the number of minutes—that your staff can clock in/out before and after their shift. Most on our list only have early clock-in prevention. This is useful if your employees have different work shifts, but you didn’t get Buddy Punch’s plan with scheduling tools. Buddy Punch also has geofencing and geolocation tracking, including device and IP address locks.
- Time entry duration tool: Buddy Punch may not have an online timer for tracking hours on projects, but it has a “duration entry” feature that allows your salaried employees to log in the total hours they spend on clients (such as meetings or client support). When I Work and the others on our list lack this project management/costing tool.
7shifts: Best for Restaurants & Businesses That Hire Minors
Pros
- Intuitive interface
- Machine learning auto-scheduler tool
- Robust reports and POS integration options
- Includes compliance and overtime rules
Cons
- Free plan covers scheduling for only 30 employees and one location; doesn’t include auto-scheduling, POS integrations, and customer support
- Lacks phone support; has live chat and email support but available only in paid plans
- Occasional mobile app glitches and integration issues reported by users
What we like:
7shifts is one of the top restaurant scheduling software, but its features make it a good choice for a wide range of industries, including businesses that hire minors. You can use 7shifts for rules-based scheduling, manager log books, group communications, and shift swapping. It also has features for setting work-hour limitations that are beneficial when dealing with minors, who may have more work-hour restrictions than other employees.
Unlike When I Work, it offers a free plan and by-location pricing, which can make it cheaper if you have plenty of employees. While it has an auto-scheduler, like When I Work, and can integrate with a wide range of payroll and POS systems, you have to subscribe to its higher tiers in order to access these functionalities.
7shifts Pricing
Since Our Last Update:
7shifts has removed the Appetizer plan and has increased the maximum number of employees for its free plan (from 10 to 30). The Entree plan, formerly billed at $43.99 is now $34.99 per location monthly—or $29.99 with annual billing.
Like Homebase, 7shifts charges per location, but it limits the number of employees in the Comp and Entree plans. When I Work is cheaper until you get to 14 employees (nine if you want time tracking as well). 7shifts offer discounts for franchise or multiple locations. It had a 14-day free trial.
- Comp (Free): Single location, up to 30 employees, scheduling, time off, time clock, team chat, hiring tools, employee engagement tracking, employee health checks, live support for 60 days
- Entrée ($34.99/location/month): Comp plan, still 30 employees, plus unlimited scheduling templates, shift notes, labor budgeting. Break and tips tracking, wage-based roles, timecard sync with POS, PTO requests, SMA notifications, read receipts, API access, unlimited live support
- The Works ($76.99/location/month): Entrée plan, plus unlimited employees, weather, stations and advanced budgeting, optimal labor tool, department-based budgeting, geofencing, advanced timeclock and compliance tools, overtime/break/punch alerts, state-based compliance tools, payroll integration, manager log book, shift feedback, labor expectation reporting
- Gourmet ($150/location/month): The Works plan, plus operations overview, machine learning auto-scheduler, non-cloud POS integration, task management, operations overview reports, dedicated account management, and implementation services
It also has add-ons, but these are not available for the Comp plan. Prices are per location per month:
- Operations overview ($6.99): Track labor performance and engagement across all locations
- Task management ($12.99): Daily checklist management
- Tip Pooling ($24.99): Create, calculate, and track tip pools
- Manager Log Book ($14.99): Customizable digital log book
- Tip Payouts ($46.99 + 75 cents per transaction): Instantly pays dips to employee debit accounts
7shifts Features
- Smart employee scheduling: Included in 7shifts’ Gourmet tier, its machine-learning employee scheduling tool automatically creates work shifts based on your business’ workforce demands, labor cost and sales forecasts, and overtime compliance requirements, including your employees’ skills, schedule availability, and approved PTO.
- Restaurant-friendly tools: In addition to tip reporting, 7shifts has real-time labor reports and restaurant performance dashboards that provide a birds-eye view of your entire business operations including how all your restaurants are performing and which locations may need extra attention. Other software in this list lack this type or level of detail in reporting.
- Robust integrations: 7shifts integrates with over 50 third-party software, including 20+ POS solutions like Aloha, Micros, Dinerware, Square POS, Revel, POSitouch, Squirrel Systems, and Heartland Restaurant POS. This puts it ahead of all on our list.
- Compliance tools: Along with audit logs, automated alerts, break and overtime settings, and early clock-in prevention, 7shifts can also help you to avoid assigning “clopen” shifts. This ensures that employees get ample rest between schedules instead of working a closing shift and then an opening shift immediately the following day.
ZoomShift: Best for Seasonal Industries
Pros
- Syncs with other calendar apps
- Shift rules
- Easy to use
- Can put plans on hold in off-seasons
Cons
- No free plan
- Few integrations
- Mobile app said to be slow in loading
What we like:
ZoomShift is a scheduling and time tracking software that is great for small businesses in the agricultural, construction, and tourist industries, which have seasonal highs and lows. It allows you to plan shifts for weeks or months ahead to make sure you have everything covered during peak or low seasons.
Zoomshift is cheaper than When I Work, as its starter plan includes scheduling and time clocks, but the scheduling at this level lacks templates. Further, it can let you pause your subscription while retaining your data. Zoomshift lacks auto-scheduling, which When I Work and most of the others have.
ZoomShift Pricing
ZoomShift’s starting price is similar to When I Work’s but it also includes the time clock tools. It allows you to pause your account if you don’t need it while retaining the information. It also has a 14-day free trial, but no free plan.
- Starter ($2.50 monthly per active user): Scheduling templates, time off and availability, shift swap, time clock, timesheets, payroll report, PTO and break tracking, reminders, calendar app sync
- Premium ($5 monthly per active user): Starter, plus overtime warnings, shift rules, geofencing, history and change reports, custom role permissions
- Enterprise (Custom): For businesses over 100 employees, and includes Premium features, plus priority support and migrating assistance, personalized onboarding, manager calls, custom employee training videos.
Zoomshift has a simple interface. (Source: Zoomshift)
ZoomShift Features
- Seasonal features: The seasonal planning and ease of use make it a good choice for staff that only works at certain times of the year, like the college student that serves tables over the summer. If you close down for parts of the year, ZoomShift lets you pause your account while retaining your information.
- Scheduling: Of all those on our list, Zoomshift is the most basic. You can copy schedules or save schedules as a template, as many as you like. You can sync the schedule with Google Calendar, iCal, and Outlook. The time tracker is integrated, making time sheets easy, as well as enabling you to set clock-in/out rules and set up geofencing. You can track missed shifts, late arrivals, and more.
- Employee communications: Like other providers in this list (except Buddy Punch), ZoomShift lets you offer open shifts and allows employees to trade shifts. It alerts managers about overtime and breaks of shift rules (like clocking in early) and has event announcements, group chats, and direct messages.
- HR and payroll functions and integrations: You can set rules to restrict hours and get alerts when an employee is approaching overtime. In addition, you can approve time sheets and create payroll reports, which you can download as CSV or XLS for putting into a payroll program. Like with When I Work, you can build other reports, but customizations are few. It also lacks integrations into other software.
Sling: Best for Very Small Businesses on a Budget
Pros
- Easy to use
- Free plan
- Unlimited locations and employees per plan
- Labor costing and forecasting included
Cons
- Autoscheduling in highest plan only
- No forecasting tools
- Free version does not include a time clock
What we like:
Sling is a scheduling and time clock software with strong communication and tasking features. Sling didn’t make our list of the best overall employee scheduling software, but it did earn a high rating in our best restaurant scheduling software due to its great pricing, strong tasking features, and competitive scheduling rules and communications tools.
Sling offers a free plan with basic scheduling tools that can be used for unlimited locations, employees, and managers, unlike Homebase’s free plan, which is limited to just one location.
Sling’s basic plan is half the price of When I Work’s and includes a time clock. You need the Business plan for autoscheduling, but its price is similar to When I Work with time tracking.
Sling Pricing
Sling is the least expensive on our list when you consider per-person costs—and unlike When I Work, it includes time clocks. It also has a free plan, which lacks the time clock. If you want auto-scheduling, then you need the more expensive Business Plan, which is still on par with When I Work for price.
- Free: Shift templates, schedules, and alarms, shift availability, time off requests, news sharing, mobile (but not mobile clock-in), unlimited everything
- Premium ($2/user/month): Free plan plus mobile time clock, timesheets, early clock-in prevention, shift swaps, unavailability tagging, group messaging, budgeting, labor cost management, clopening prevention, overtime tracking, Google calendar sync
- Business ($4/user/month): Premium plan plus auto-assigning, kiosk time clock, reports, salary support, no-shows, late arrivals, task management, PTO management, labor/sales/payroll reports, employee document storage
Sling has easy to use scheduling for desktop and mobile. (Source: Sling)
Sling Features
- Task features: Openings, closings, deep cleans, and inspection preps all work better when the staff knows exactly what to do. Just like When I Work, Sling offers a robust tasking function that lets you assign tasks to individuals or teams, create and save task templates for recurring duties, and provide manager feedback.
- Scheduling: You’ll find most of the tools on Sling in other providers in this guide, but we especially liked how it tracked unavailability and time off because you can use it for compliance as well, like making school hours unavailable for your employees who are minors. The time clock lets you set limits on when early employees can clock in and will automatically clock them out at the end of the shift.
- Employee communications: Like Deputy and 7shifts, Sling offers both messaging and an interactive news feed, so you can keep your employees up to date on the latest news, whether it’s a new policy or a reminder. Employees can use the app to request shift swaps and get reminders about shifts and clocking in. The app is not as highly rated as When I Work’s, however.
- HR & payroll functions and integrations: It’s easy to tackle payroll by approving timesheets on desktop or mobile and exporting them to your payroll processor or as an XLS or CSV. Like When I Work, it integrates with popular restaurant POS systems like Toast, Square, and Restaurant Manager, as well as Gusto for payroll.
SocialSchedules: Best for Highly Regulated Industries
Pros
- User-friendly with a simple and visually appealing interface
- Robust compliance tools
- Its free tier includes access to restaurant-specific candidate search tools
- Paid plans include manager logbooks
Cons
- Free plan covers only 10 scheduled workers and one department in one location
- Overtime reports included in paid plans; multi-location scheduling and dedicated customer support available only in highest option
- Mobile app is glitchy; desktop and mobile apps don’t always sync properly
- Starter plan does not have a time clock
What we like:
SocialSchedules (formerly OpenSimSim) allows you to create compliance rules that will guide your scheduling options and help you avoid penalties. It sends notifications and mobile alerts for overtime and breaks that don’t comply with state and local labor laws and allows you to store schedule histories and reports for up to seven years.
SocialSchedules is a great When I Work alternative if you have jobs that depend on certifications, or you are in high-compliance industries. While you need the Premium plan, the certification management tools are excellent, and the price is still cheaper than When I Work if you have more than 10 employees per location.
SocialSchedules Pricing
SocialSchedules has a limited free plan, but it’s more limited than Homebase’s. Like Homebase and 7shifts, it charges by location and is less expensive. It has a free 14-day trial of its paid plans.
- Basic (Free): Mobile app, scheduling, messaging, availability and PTO management, 10 workers, one location, 28 days’ cloud storage for reports, minimal compliance tools (Max days/hours, public holidays)
- Starter ($15.99/month/location): Basic plan, plus unlimited workers, two departments per location, one year cloud storage, multiple locations management, blackout days, department budget, overtime tracking, manager logbooks
- Premium ($39.99/month/location): Starter plan for unlimited workers, five departments, and five years’ cloud storage, plus time and attendance, POS/payroll integration, labor law compliance, certification management, advanced reports, sales forecasting, break notifications, time clock with clock out questions and notifications, timecard approvals
- Enterprise (Custom): Premium plan with unlimited workers and departments per location, seven years’ cloud storage, designated support contact, custom API, custom reports, custom features, AI-generated sales forecasting
SocialSchedules has shift templates and locked days. (Source: SocialSchedules)
SocialSchedules Features
- Smart shift management: SocialSchedules lets your employees drop shifts (along with requesting shift swaps) if they need to. However, your managers can lock important workdays to prevent schedules from being swapped and dropped.
- Strong labor laws compliance: SocialSchedules automatically allocates paid/unpaid breaks based on actual worked hours, applies penalties for missed meal breaks, and stops the send-outs of schedules with compliance breaches. It also provides cloud storage for edit histories and reports for up to seven years. Only SocialSchedules allows you to add certification-related scheduling and time-tracking rules, enabling you to enforce work shifts that require employees with specific certifications.
- Multiple employee availability sets: SocialSchedules allows your employees to create multiple availability sets that show when they are available and unavailable to work. Each set contains start and end dates and can be repeated on a weekly or biweekly basis.
- Certification management: Like 7shifts, SocialSchedules offers certification management. While available only in its higher tiers, this helps you track the training sessions that employees need to attend and the expiration dates of certification programs (if applicable). When I Work lacks this.
Humanity: Best for Medical & Other Professional Industries
Pros
- Custom reporting
- Strong compliance tools
- Works for multiple locations
- Auto-scheduling checks qualifications, seniority, and preferences in addition to availability and position
Cons
- No free plan
- Need to spend at least $100 per month on any plan
- No social media-style group communication function
- Must call for a quote
What we like:
While Humanity can work anywhere When I Work does, we like it for larger institutions, especially those whose positions depend on specific certifications or qualifications. Its scheduling software is easy to use, but also offers strong compliance tools (like SocialSchedules) and the ability to swap shifts without a lot of manager interaction.
Like When I Work, it does not have a free plan. It’s the only one on our list that does not share pricing online and specifically calls out healthcare facilities and universities in its client list. Like When I Work, you may have to pay extra for timeclock software.
Humanity Pricing
Humanity is the only When I Work alternative on our list that does not list its pricing online. The last estimate we received was for $3.50 per person with a minimum of $100. It may vary depending on the number of users you have and the tools you need. Contact Humanity for a custom quote.
Humanity lets you make schedules by person or position.
Humanity Features
- Certification and qualification tools: Humanity tracks certifications, and lets you set rules for auto-scheduling that take these into account. It also considers these during shift swaps, so that two employees cannot trade shifts unless they meet the certification requirements. When I Work lacks these tools, while SocialSchedules is the closest competitor to Humanity here.
- Auto-scheduling: Like When I Work and about half the competitors on our list, Humanity has auto-scheduling, but it offers more variations than the others. You can autofill by template or previous week, and fill by using the existing staff, randomizing staff assignments, or replacing all staff with new assignments. Humanity will check that employees meet the rules for the shift and position.
- Reports: Humanity stands out with its reporting tools, not only offering schedule and time clock reports, but also reports on the employee level, such as upcoming work anniversaries, unavailabilities, and skills tracking. Like When I Work, if there’s a report you need and don’t see, you can build it yourself.
- Compliances: While others on our list let you create rules for keeping compliant with labor and other laws, Humanity has staff that tracks federal, state, and local labor laws—and when these change, the staff updates the software so you are always compliant even if you didn’t know the law changed.
ClockShark: Best for Construction & Field Service Industries
Pros
- You can activate/deactivate employees; ClockShark will bill you only for active users
- Good customer support
- Supports online payments from clients
- Spanish-language supported
Cons
- Facial recognition scans require a dedicated time tracking device
- Invoicing and online client payments are available only in Pro
- Expensive
What we like:
With its mobile apps that include geofencing and the ability to track hours to projects, ClockShark is our choice for a When I Work alternative for construction, plumbing, landscaping, and other field-service industries, especially those that work on contract. Like When I Work and its alternatives, ClockShark includes employee scheduling and time-off management.
ClockShark is far more expensive than When I Work—and is one of the most expensive on our list. However, it has a unique stopwatch-style time tracker that is great for tracking time by project. Its mobile app is the worst rated on our list, while When I Work ties with Deputy for the second best.
ClockShark Pricing
Clockshark, like Buddy Punch, has a base fee plus a user fee. The base fee is cheaper, but the user fee is much more expensive. While primarily a time clock tool, all plans include scheduling. ClockShark only charges for users that are active on the days they are active. You can get a free trial of the Pro plan for 14 days.
- Standard ($16 base + $7 per user monthly): Time and attendance tracking, GPS tracking, job and task tracking, Spanish language support, scheduling, manager roles and approvals, third-party integrations
- Pro ($30 base + $9 per user monthly): Standard plan, plus PTO tracking, multi-department controls, advanced job costing controls, clock-out questions
As of this writing, new customers get 50% off the monthly price for the first six months of service.
ClockShark’s scheduler is simpler than most but easy to use. (Source: ClockShark)
ClockShark Features
- Bilingual capable: Of all the schedulers on our list, only ClockShark can work in English and Spanish. Deputy is internationally available but does not mention working in multiple languages as needed.
- Scheduling: ClockShark’s scheduling tool is simpler than When I Work’s or others on our list. However, it does let you create tasks, upload task-related files and images, and add descriptions of work that needs to be done, and directions to the job site. With GPS, you can see where employees are when they clock in and out.
- Stopwatch time clock: In addition to a standard clock-in/clock-out tool, employees can set a stopwatch to track how much time is spent on a project. This is an excellent tool for workers who handle multiple projects in a day, and is unique to this list, although Buddy Punch does let your employees record times they track elsewhere.
- Job costing and quotes: While others on our list have labor costing tools, only ClockShark has job costing that can also take into account job quotes. ClockShark’s Pro tier includes the ability to create custom job quotes, attach documents and photos and send them to clients. You can even invoice and get paid using ClockShark.
How We Evaluated
Since When I Work is mainly an employee scheduling software with optional time and attendance features, we considered software that offers similar functionalities. We also looked at software that competes on pricing and ease of use. Then, we selected those that met the same basic needs as When I Work but offered something more or different to address specific needs.
When I Work Alternatives Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Perhaps not. If you have very simple needs, you can get by with Excel sheets. Check out our in-depth guide on how to schedule employees—we also provide a template for you to use.
Yes! Check out our guide to the best free scheduling software.
Scheduling software is for creating and filling shifts and may include shift swaps, tasks, and time off management. Meanwhile, time tracking software involves clocking in and out for the shifts—although it, too, may include shift communication skills.
In addition to price and basic tools, look for the extras that you will actually use. Too many tools can mean a higher learning curve, while too simple a software will not be able to grow with you. If you have special needs like scheduling minors, look for tools that help you stay compliant with child labor laws, for example. Automations can save you time once they are set up as well.
If you have staff working off-site or work with millennials and GenZ, a reliable mobile app is important. Finally, consider integrations and what kind of reports you want to download.
Bottom Line
When I Work is a great tool for managers and business owners to make employee scheduling fast and easy. However, it may not meet all your needs, whether for budget or tools. The When I Work competitors on our list fill different use cases so that you can pick the best option for your business.
Overall, however, we found Homebase to be the best alternative as it has robust time tracking and employee scheduling features like When I Work, but also offers an excellent free plan. Its per-location pricing may also benefit growing or large businesses. So if you are looking for a different choice from When I Work that covers the basics and more, give Homebase a try.
