Workzenly makes time clock, scheduling, PTO and payroll software, and it appears in this list as one option. We researched every product on its own website on November 7, 2026. No company paid to be included. Features and prices change, so check each vendor’s site before you buy.
The best When I Work alternatives for most US small businesses are Homebase if you want a free plan, Sling if you want the lowest per-user price, Connecteam for teams in the field, and 7shifts for restaurants. This list compares nine apps like When I Work on what they cost, whether they include a time clock, and whether they can run payroll.
When I Work is shift scheduling software for hourly teams. Its Essentials plan costs $2.50 per user per month and includes auto scheduling, shift swaps, OpenShifts and team messaging. Time tracking and attendance is an add-on you switch on, and there is no built-in payroll: it connects to payroll providers and promotes a partner offer with Rippling. There is a 14-day free trial but no free plan.
People look for When I Work competitors for four common reasons: they want a free plan for a small team, they want payroll in the same app as the schedule, the per-user bill grows with a large part-time staff, or they run a restaurant and want tip pooling. Each tool below is labeled with the buyer it suits best.
Top picks at a glance
HomebaseBest for a free plan at one location
SlingBest for the lowest per-user price
ConnecteamBest for field and deskless teams
7shiftsBest for restaurants
WorkzenlyBest for schedule, time, PTO and payroll in one app
DeputyBest for multi-location compliance
When I Work competitors compared
| Tool | Best for | Free plan or trial | Starting price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase | a free plan at one location | Free plan: 1 location, up to 10 employees | $24 per location/month billed annually ($30 monthly) | Web, iOS, Android, tablet time clock |
| Sling | the lowest per-user price | Free plan up to 30 users; 15-day trial of paid plans | $1.70 per user/month billed annually ($2 monthly) | Web, iOS, Android |
| Connecteam | field and deskless teams | Free for up to 10 users; 14-day trial | $29/month for the first 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic) | Web, iOS, Android, kiosk app |
| 7shifts | restaurants | Free Comp plan: 1 location, up to 15 employees; 14-day trial | $39.99 per location/month billed annually (Essentials, teams up to 30) | Web, iOS, Android |
| Workzenly | schedule, time, PTO and payroll in one app | Book a demo | Book a demo | Employee app, shared tablet clock |
| Deputy | multi-location compliance | Free trial up to 31 days, no free plan | $5 per user/month (Lite); $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans | Web, iOS, Android |
 Buddy Punch | time tracking first, scheduling second | 14-day free trial, no free plan | $4.99 per user/month + $19 base fee, billed annually | Web, iOS, Android, kiosk |
 Gusto | payroll with basic scheduling | No free plan listed | $49/month + $6 per person (Simple); scheduling is on Plus or a $6 per person add-on | Web, iOS, Android |
 QuickBooks Time | businesses already on QuickBooks | No free plan; 30-day free trial of the base fee | $20/month base + $10 per user/month (Time Premium) | Web, iOS, Android, kiosk |
- Best for
- a free plan at one location
- Free plan or trial
- Free plan: 1 location, up to 10 employees
- Starting price
- $24 per location/month billed annually ($30 monthly)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, tablet time clock
Homebase is the closest swap for a single-location shop that wants to stop paying per user. Its free Basic plan covers scheduling and time tracking for one location and up to 10 employees, and paid plans are priced per location with unlimited employees instead of per head. That makes the bill predictable for a store or cafe with a large part-time roster.
Where When I Work leans on partners for payroll, Homebase sells its own payroll add-on at $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid, fed by the same timesheets. The app also covers hiring, onboarding and team messaging. Clock-ins can run on a phone or a shared tablet, with PIN, photo and GPS options.
Strengths
- Free Basic plan with scheduling and time tracking for one location and up to 10 employees
- Paid plans are priced per location with unlimited employees
- Payroll add-on for $49/month plus $6 per employee paid
- Hiring, team messaging, onboarding and HR tools in the same app
Drawbacks
- The free plan stops at 10 employees and one location
- PTO controls, departments and permissions start on the Plus plan ($56 per location/month billed annually)
- Payroll, Tip Manager ($25) and Task Manager ($13) cost extra each month
- Best for
- the lowest per-user price
- Free plan or trial
- Free plan up to 30 users; 15-day trial of paid plans
- Starting price
- $1.70 per user/month billed annually ($2 monthly)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
Sling, now part of Toast, is the budget pick. Its free plan handles shift scheduling, time-off requests, available shifts and messaging for up to 30 users, which is a much larger free team than most rivals allow. Premium costs $1.70 per user per month on annual billing, below When I Work’s $2.50 entry price.
Premium adds the time clock with geofencing, timesheets and labor cost tools such as overtime tracking and budgets. Business adds kiosk clock-in, attendance reports, PTO management and task lists. Sling does not run payroll, so you export hours to a payroll provider as you would from When I Work.
Strengths
- Free plan for up to 30 users with shift scheduling, time-off requests and messaging
- Paid plans from $1.70 per user/month billed annually
- Labor cost tracking, overtime tracking and budgeting on Premium
- Now part of Toast, the restaurant point-of-sale company
Drawbacks
- Time clock, geofencing and timesheets need the paid Premium plan
- Kiosk clock-in, attendance reports and PTO management are on the Business plan
- No built-in payroll processing
- Best for
- field and deskless teams
- Free plan or trial
- Free for up to 10 users; 14-day trial
- Starting price
- $29/month for the first 30 users, billed annually (Operations Basic)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, kiosk app
Connecteam suits crews that work away from one front door: cleaning, home care, construction and field service. Its time clock records GPS-verified clock-ins, lets you geofence each job site and offers a kiosk app for a shared tablet. Scheduling includes shift templates, open shifts, swaps and AI auto-scheduling that considers availability and labor laws.
The free Small Business plan gives up to 10 users all hubs, with limits such as one time clock and one schedule. Beyond that, Connecteam charges per hub: Operations (scheduling and time clock) starts at $29 a month for the first 30 users on annual billing, with Communications and HR & Skills sold separately. Teams of about 30 can come out cheaper than per-user pricing, but adding hubs adds cost.
Strengths
- Free Small Business plan for up to 10 users with all hubs, limited to one time clock and one schedule
- GPS-verified clock-ins, geofenced work areas and a shared-tablet kiosk app
- Shift templates, open shifts, shift swaps and AI auto-scheduling
- Separate hubs for team chat, HR documents and training
Drawbacks
- Priced per hub, so scheduling, chat and HR each add a subscription
- The free plan ends at 10 users
- Paid plans charge a flat fee for the first 30 users plus a fee for each extra user
- Best for
- restaurants
- Free plan or trial
- Free Comp plan: 1 location, up to 15 employees; 14-day trial
- Starting price
- $39.99 per location/month billed annually (Essentials, teams up to 30)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
7shifts is built only for restaurants, which shows in its features: tip management, a manager log book, labor compliance tools and PTO accruals. If your When I Work schedule is mostly front-of-house and kitchen shifts, it speaks your language out of the box. The free Comp plan covers basic scheduling for one location with up to 15 employees.
Paid plans are priced per location, not per user. Essentials is $39.99 per location per month on annual billing and adds basic time clocking and team messaging; Pro at $79.99 adds labor compliance and advanced clocking. 7shifts Payroll is a US-only add-on that turns timesheets, tips and PTO into pay runs and is included in Premium.
Strengths
- Built for restaurants, with tip management, labor compliance and a manager log book
- Free Comp plan for one location with up to 15 employees
- Labor compliance tools and PTO accruals on Pro ($79.99 per location/month billed annually for teams up to 30)
- US payroll add-on that turns timesheets, tips and PTO into pay runs
Drawbacks
- The free plan covers scheduling only; time clocking starts on Essentials
- Employee caps per location: 30 on Essentials and 60 on Pro
- Tip management and payroll are included only on Premium ($134.99 per location/month billed annually, or $179.99 for teams of 31 or more)
- Best for
- schedule, time, PTO and payroll in one app
- Free plan or trial
- Book a demo
- Starting price
- Book a demo
- Platforms
- Employee app, shared tablet clock
Workzenly is our product, so read this entry with that in mind. It is built for US hourly teams that want the schedule, the time clock, PTO and payroll in one system rather than a scheduler connected to separate payroll. Managers build shifts with swaps, employees clock in on a phone or a shared tablet with GPS and geofencing, and approved hours flow into payroll.
Employees get one app for their shifts, PTO balance and pay stubs, and new hires sign onboarding forms in it. Documents and performance reviews live in the same records. We do not publish prices, so the way to see cost and fit is a demo built around your own team.
Strengths
- Scheduling, time clock, PTO and payroll share one set of employee records
- Phone or shared-tablet clock-in with GPS and geofencing
- Pay stubs, e-signed onboarding forms and documents in the employee app
- Performance reviews in the same system
Drawbacks
- No published price; you get a quote on a demo call
- No self-serve free plan
- More than you need if you only want a free schedule for one small team
- Best for
- multi-location compliance
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial up to 31 days, no free plan
- Starting price
- $5 per user/month (Lite); $30 monthly minimum on monthly plans
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
Deputy fits operators with several sites and stricter labor rules. Every plan includes labor law compliance tools, and Core adds advanced compliance, auto-scheduling, demand forecasting, wage budgets and biometric clocking. Lite costs $5 per user per month and Core $6.50, both above When I Work’s entry price, with a $30 minimum per invoice on monthly plans.
Deputy can also handle pay: Deputy Payroll, enabled by Paycor, is available in the US on annual Core and Pro plans for $8 per user per month plus a $49 base fee. An HR add-on covers hiring, onboarding and documents. Deputy offers a free trial of up to 31 days and no free plan.
Strengths
- Labor law compliance tools on every plan, with advanced compliance on Core
- Auto-scheduling, demand forecasting and wage budgets on Core ($6.50 per user/month)
- Biometric time clocking on Core
- US payroll add-on enabled by Paycor, plus an HR add-on at $2 per user/month
Drawbacks
- No free plan
- $30 minimum per monthly invoice on monthly plans
- Payroll needs an annual Core or Pro plan and costs $8 per user/month plus a $49 base fee
- Best for
- time tracking first, scheduling second
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no free plan
- Starting price
- $4.99 per user/month + $19 base fee, billed annually
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, kiosk
Buddy Punch comes at the problem from the time clock side. If your main headache is accurate hours rather than building the rota, it is a strong option: GPS on punches, time-off tracking and payroll integrations come on Starter, and Pro adds geofencing, QR code scanning, PIN and kiosk punches, offline mode and multiple pay periods.
Scheduling is included on Pro ($6.99 per user per month plus a $19 base fee on annual billing) and is a $1 per user add-on on Starter. Starter itself is $4.99 per user per month plus the $19 base fee. There is a 14-day free trial with no credit card and no free plan.
Strengths
- GPS on punches, time-off tracking and payroll integrations from the Starter plan
- Geofencing, QR code scanning and PIN or kiosk punches on Pro
- Scheduling included on Pro and a $1 per user add-on on Starter
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
Drawbacks
- No free plan
- A $19 monthly base fee on every plan
- Real-time GPS tracking is a $2 per user add-on below the Advanced plan
- Best for
- payroll with basic scheduling
- Free plan or trial
- No free plan listed
- Starting price
- $49/month + $6 per person (Simple); scheduling is on Plus or a $6 per person add-on
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
Gusto is a payroll company first, which makes it a When I Work alternative only for a specific buyer: a small team whose real need is payroll, with scheduling as a side task. Every plan runs full-service payroll with tax filings and unlimited pay runs. Time tracking and scheduling are included on Plus, and Simple users can add them with Time & Attendance Plus for $6 per person per month.
Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person and covers payroll, basic PTO policies and holiday pay. Plus costs $80 a month plus $12 per person and adds time tracking, scheduling and multi-state payroll. If you build complex rotating schedules every week, a dedicated scheduler will give you more tools.
Strengths
- Full-service payroll with tax filings and unlimited payroll runs on every plan
- Time tracking and scheduling included on the Plus plan
- Basic PTO policies and holiday pay on Simple
- Employee and employer mobile apps
Drawbacks
- No free plan
- On Simple, time tracking and scheduling are a $6 per person add-on; Plus costs $80/month plus $12 per person
- Scheduling is part of a payroll product, not a dedicated shift-planning tool
- Best for
- businesses already on QuickBooks
- Free plan or trial
- No free plan; 30-day free trial of the base fee
- Starting price
- $20/month base + $10 per user/month (Time Premium)
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, kiosk
QuickBooks Time, from Intuit, is the natural pick when your books already live in QuickBooks Online, which it requires. Hours flow into QuickBooks for payroll and job costing, and both plans include scheduling, a time kiosk and the Workforce mobile app. Both plans also include time off, alerts and photo attachments.
Time Premium lists at $20 a month base plus $10 per user per month, with the base fee discounted for the first three months at the time of writing. Time Elite ($40 base plus $12 per user) adds project tracking, mileage tracking and timesheet signatures. It costs more per head than When I Work but removes manual hour entry for QuickBooks users.
Strengths
- Hours flow into QuickBooks Online for payroll and invoicing
- Scheduling and a time kiosk are included on both Time plans
- Time off, alerts and photo attachments on Time Premium
- Project tracking, mileage tracking and timesheet signatures on Time Elite
Drawbacks
- Requires a QuickBooks Online account
- A monthly base fee on top of the per-user fee
- Time Elite costs $40/month base plus $12 per user/month
How we chose these tools
We started from the products that US buyers compare with When I Work on review-site category pages and vendor comparison pages, then checked each one on its own website on November 7, 2026. We left When I Work itself out of the ranking, since every entry is one of the When I Work alternatives.
Our criteria
- Shift scheduling for hourly teams, either as the core product or as a real included feature.
- A US website with a published pricing page, so you can confirm the numbers yourself.
- A mobile app for employees to see shifts and request changes.
- A clear answer on the time clock and on payroll: built in, add-on, or integration only.
- No ratings, review scores or paid placements. Drawbacks are facts from the vendor’s own pages.
How to choose an app like When I Work
The right choice among When I Work alternatives usually comes down to billing, the time clock and payroll. Start with how you are billed. Per-user pricing (When I Work, Sling, Deputy, Buddy Punch) is cheap for small teams and grows with every seasonal hire. Per-location pricing (Homebase, 7shifts) favors one busy store with many part-timers. Flat team pricing (Connecteam) sits in between. Multiply each quote by your real headcount, including managers, before you compare.
Then work through this checklist with your own schedule open:
- Overtime alerts. Under the federal FLSA, non-exempt employees earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The scheduler should warn you before you publish a shift that pushes someone past 40. California also has daily overtime after 8 hours, covered in our guide to California overtime law.
- Breaks. There is no federal meal-break rule, but several states require them. Check that the app can schedule and track unpaid breaks the way your state requires.
- Predictive scheduling. Oregon and cities including Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia have fair workweek rules for certain employers, with advance notice and premium pay for late changes. If you operate there, ask how the app records notice dates and schedule changes.
- Time clock and records. The FLSA requires you to keep payroll records for at least three years and time cards for two. Look for GPS or geofenced clock-ins if staff start at job sites, and a shared tablet kiosk if they share a front door. Our list of free time clock apps covers clock-only options.
- Payroll path. Decide whether hours should export to your current payroll provider or run through payroll in the same app. Fewer hand-offs mean fewer missed punches on pay day.
- Templates. If you are still on spreadsheets, try a free weekly schedule template first to map your shifts, then load that pattern into any app on this list during its trial.
For a wider list that is not built around When I Work, see our guide to the best employee scheduling apps, or the best restaurant scheduling apps if you run a kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to When I Work?
Homebase and Sling are the strongest free options. Homebase’s free Basic plan covers scheduling and time tracking for one location and up to 10 employees. Sling’s free plan covers scheduling, time-off requests and messaging for up to 30 users, but its time clock needs a paid plan. Connecteam is free for up to 10 users.
When I Work vs Homebase: which is cheaper?
It depends on headcount. When I Work charges per user, from $2.50 per user per month, so 20 employees cost about $50 a month before the time tracking add-on. Homebase charges per location, with Essentials at $24 per location per month on annual billing for unlimited employees, and a free plan for up to 10 employees at one location.
Does When I Work include payroll?
No. When I Work connects to payroll and POS systems through integrations and promotes a partner offer with Rippling, but it does not run payroll itself. If you want payroll in the same app as the schedule, Homebase, 7shifts, Deputy, Buddy Punch and Gusto sell payroll as a plan or add-on, and Workzenly includes payroll with scheduling and the time clock.
Which When I Work competitor is best for restaurants?
7shifts is built only for restaurants, with tip management, labor compliance tools, a manager log book and a US payroll add-on. Its free Comp plan covers one location with up to 15 employees. Sling, now owned by Toast, and Homebase are also widely used by restaurants and cost less for very small teams.
Can I move my schedule from When I Work to another app?
Most apps let you import employees from a spreadsheet, so export your staff list and positions from When I Work first. Shift history usually does not carry over, so rebuild one typical week as a template in the new app, run both apps side by side for a pay period, and compare hours before you cancel.