When I Work pricing: Standard at $2.50 per user, Advanced at $6, per-team cost math, and where it fits against competitors

When I Work pricing could not be simpler: $2.50 per user per month for scheduling, $6 per user per month for scheduling plus time tracking. No hidden fees, no per-location charges, no feature-gated add-ons within each plan. A 14-day free trial requires no credit card. For small businesses evaluating scheduling tools, the pricing transparency and the $2.50 entry point make When I Work the most affordable purpose-built scheduling option on the market.

This pricing breakdown covers what each plan includes, where the per-user pricing creates value versus where it starts to lose competitiveness at scale, how When I Work compares to Deputy, Homebase, and 7shifts on price, and how to use the 14-day trial effectively to choose between Standard and Advanced.

Written by Maya PatelFact-checked by ChandrasmitaLast updated Mar 22, 2026

Use this When I Work pricing page to understand what buyers actually pay, what changes the cost, and what to verify before procurement.

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When I Work pricing overview: what the published plans cost and the per-team math

At $2.50 per user per month, When I Work Standard is the cheapest paid scheduling platform available. A 30-person restaurant pays $75/month for a purpose-built scheduling tool with a mobile app that employees rate highly. A 50-person retail operation pays $125/month. No competitor matches this price point for scheduling-specific functionality — Deputy's cheapest plan is $6/user, Homebase's paid plans start at $24.95/location, and Connecteam starts at $29/month for up to 30 users.

The Advanced plan at $6/user adds time tracking, which is the primary upgrade trigger. If you need employees to clock in and out through When I Work, you need Advanced. At $6/user, When I Work Advanced matches Deputy's pricing but includes fewer features — no auto-scheduling, no break compliance, no labor-to-revenue tracking. The $6 price point is where When I Work stops being the cheapest and starts being the simplest — you are paying for the clean interface and mobile app quality rather than feature depth.

The per-user pricing scales linearly with no published volume discounts. A 200-person team on Advanced pays $1,200/month. At that scale, the pricing approaches platforms with more capabilities — Deputy at $1,200/month (same price, more features) or Homebase at $99.95/location (potentially cheaper for multi-location businesses). The linear scaling means When I Work's pricing advantage erodes as team size grows. The sweet spot is 10 to 75 employees where the per-user cost is affordable and the simplicity advantage is most valuable.

There are no per-location fees, which is a meaningful advantage for multi-location businesses. A 5-location restaurant group with 15 employees per location pays $6 x 75 = $450/month on Advanced. Homebase at $24.95–$99.95 per location would cost $124.75–$499.75/month for 5 locations. The per-user model favors businesses with fewer employees per location. The per-location model favors businesses with many employees per location.

Standard: $2.50/user/month (Shift scheduling, team messaging, availability management, shift swapping, open shift posting, schedule templates, mobile app)

Advanced: $6/user/month (Everything in Standard plus time clock, attendance tracking, overtime alerts, labor cost tracking, timesheet export, payroll integration, reporting)

Pricing source: official pricing page, verified 2026-03-17.

How to evaluate When I Work pricing before you talk to sales

When I Work pricing should be evaluated in the context of team size, operating complexity, and the commercial metric that makes cost rise over time.

Buyers should use this page to understand more than the headline price. The real decision usually depends on implementation scope, support level, add-on exposure, and whether the pricing model still makes sense once the team grows.

Clarify whether cost scales by employee count, recruiter seats, payroll runs, locations, or another metric.
Confirm what implementation, premium support, compliance, or service add-ons do to total spend.
Model pricing against the actual team size and operating complexity expected over the next 12 months.

When I Work plan breakdown: Standard at $2.50 vs Advanced at $6 per user

Start with the 14-day trial on the Advanced plan even if you think Standard is sufficient. Testing time tracking costs nothing during the trial, and having hands-on experience with the time clock helps you make an informed plan decision. If you determine that your POS system or existing time tracking solution handles clock-in adequately, downgrade to Standard at purchase.

Choose Standard if you already have a separate time tracking solution (through your POS, payroll provider, or another tool) and only need When I Work for scheduling. Choose Advanced if you want scheduling and time tracking in one platform with payroll integration for timesheet export.

When I Work Standard — scheduling at $2.50/user/month

Standard includes the full scheduling workflow: shift creation on the visual weekly grid, employee assignment, schedule publishing with push notifications, shift swapping with approval workflows, open shift posting, availability management, time-off requests, schedule templates, and team messaging. The plan does not include time tracking — no clock-in, no timesheets, no payroll integration. At $2.50/user, a 50-person team pays $125/month for a clean, purpose-built scheduling tool that employees actually enjoy using. This is the plan for businesses that handle time tracking through another system and only need When I Work for schedule management.

When I Work Advanced — scheduling plus time tracking at $6/user/month

Advanced adds mobile clock-in with GPS verification, web clock-in, geofencing, timesheet management, overtime alerts, labor cost tracking during schedule building, attendance reporting, and payroll integration (ADP, Gusto, Paychex, QuickBooks, Square Payroll). At $6/user, a 50-person team pays $300/month for an integrated scheduling and time tracking solution. The upgrade from Standard is driven by whether you need When I Work to handle time capture. The labor cost tracking shows projected costs as you build the schedule, which helps managers stay within labor budgets. The payroll integration eliminates manual timesheet export.

When I Work cost considerations: linear scaling, missing features, and total solution math

Linear per-user scaling with no volume discounts makes When I Work expensive at 150+ employees

The per-user pricing is simple but unforgiving at scale. A 200-person team on Advanced pays $1,200/month with no volume breaks. At that price, Deputy ($1,200/month with more features) and Homebase ($99.95/location with unlimited employees per location) become competitive or cheaper while offering more capability. Model your cost trajectory at 12 and 24 months — the pricing that works at 30 employees may not work at 150.

No break compliance creates risk for businesses in regulated states

When I Work does not track or enforce meal and rest break requirements. For businesses in California, Oregon, Washington, and other jurisdictions with complex break laws, this gap creates compliance exposure. The 'savings' from When I Work's lower per-user price can be wiped out by a single break compliance violation. Deputy includes break compliance tools at the same $6/user price. Factor compliance risk into your total cost comparison.

Adding separate tools for payroll, HR, and hiring increases total stack cost

When I Work is exclusively scheduling and time tracking. If you need payroll, HR, hiring, or training capabilities, you are buying additional tools — Gusto for payroll, BambooHR for HR, etc. The combined monthly cost of When I Work plus separate tools may exceed what Homebase or Connecteam charge for an all-in-one platform. Calculate your total tool stack cost, not just the scheduling tool cost.

How When I Work pricing compares to Deputy, Homebase, and 7shifts

When I Work vs Deputy on pricing and feature depth

When I Work Standard at $2.50/user is cheaper than Deputy at $6/user. When I Work Advanced at $6/user matches Deputy's price. At the same $6/user, Deputy provides more: auto-scheduling, break compliance, labor-to-revenue tracking (with POS integration), and demand forecasting. When I Work provides a simpler, cleaner interface with a better mobile app. For businesses that need operational depth, Deputy delivers more value at $6/user. For businesses that value simplicity, When I Work's interface is worth the feature trade-off.

When I Work vs Homebase on pricing models

When I Work charges per user ($2.50 or $6). Homebase charges per location ($0 free, $24.95–$99.95 for paid features). For a 50-person team at 2 locations, When I Work Advanced costs $300/month and Homebase Essentials costs $49.90/month. Homebase is dramatically cheaper for businesses with many employees per location. However, Homebase's free plan includes basic scheduling and time tracking — potentially eliminating the need for any paid scheduling tool. When I Work wins on scheduling interface quality and mobile app experience.

When I Work vs 7shifts for restaurants

7shifts is the scheduling platform built specifically for restaurants, with tip pooling, labor compliance, and POS integration. 7shifts pricing starts at $34.99/month/location for the Entrée plan. For a single-location restaurant with 30 employees, When I Work Advanced costs $180/month versus 7shifts Entrée at $34.99/month. 7shifts is significantly cheaper per location and includes restaurant-specific features. For food service businesses, 7shifts is almost always the better value.

When I Work pricing buyer checklist: Standard vs Advanced and trial strategy

Start the 14-day trial on Advanced to test both scheduling and time tracking

The trial is free on both plans. Starting on Advanced lets you evaluate the full platform. If you decide the time clock is unnecessary, downgrade to Standard at purchase. You cannot evaluate what you have not tried.

Compare total solution cost, not just scheduling tool cost

If you need When I Work plus Gusto for payroll plus BambooHR for HR, add up all subscriptions. Compare the total against Homebase, which includes scheduling, time tracking, hiring, HR basics, and optional payroll in one platform.

Test shift swapping with real employees during the trial

Have at least two employees swap a shift during the trial to verify the workflow matches your approval preferences. Shift swapping is one of When I Work's most valued features — validate it works for your team.

Check break compliance requirements for your operating states

If you operate in California, Oregon, Washington, or NYC, When I Work's lack of break tracking creates compliance risk. Verify whether this gap is acceptable or whether you need Deputy's break compliance tools.

Model the per-user cost at your projected team size in 12 months

The pricing that is affordable at 30 employees may be expensive at 100+. Calculate your projected cost and compare against per-location alternatives that become more economical at larger team sizes.

Frequently asked questions about When I Work pricing

When I Work pricing is the simplest and most affordable in the scheduling category. The Standard plan at $2.50/user is unbeatable for businesses that only need scheduling. The Advanced plan at $6/user is competitive for scheduling plus time tracking but offers less feature depth than Deputy at the same price. The platform's value is strongest for teams of 10 to 75 hourly workers where simplicity, mobile app quality, and low cost are the priorities. Above 100 employees, the linear pricing and missing features (break compliance, auto-scheduling, labor analytics) make When I Work less competitive against platforms that offer more depth per dollar.

Frequently asked questions

Question 1

How much does When I Work cost for a 50-person team?

Standard plan: $125/month ($2.50 x 50 users). Advanced plan: $300/month ($6 x 50 users). Both plans are billed per user with no per-location charges. The 14-day free trial is available for both plans with no credit card required.

Question 2

Does When I Work have a free plan?

No. When I Work does not offer a free plan. The Standard plan starts at $2.50/user/month and the Advanced plan at $6/user/month. A 14-day free trial is available. For free scheduling, Homebase offers a Basic plan at no cost with scheduling and time tracking included (with limitations).

Question 3

What is the difference between When I Work Standard and Advanced?

Standard ($2.50/user) includes scheduling, team messaging, availability management, and shift swapping. Advanced ($6/user) adds time clock, attendance tracking, overtime alerts, labor cost tracking, timesheet export, payroll integration, and reporting. The key difference: Standard does not include time tracking. If you need time tracking from When I Work, you must be on Advanced.

Question 4

Is When I Work cheaper than Deputy?

When I Work Standard at $2.50/user is cheaper than Deputy's cheapest plan at $6/user. When I Work Advanced at $6/user matches Deputy's pricing but includes fewer features — no auto-scheduling, no break compliance, and less detailed labor analytics. When I Work is cheaper for basic scheduling. Deputy delivers more value per dollar at the $6 price point.

Question 5

Does When I Work offer volume discounts for large teams?

When I Work does not publish volume discounts. The per-user pricing scales linearly — a 200-person team on Advanced pays $1,200/month with no apparent break. For large teams, per-location pricing models like Homebase ($24.95–$99.95/location) may be more economical depending on your employee-to-location ratio.

Question 6

Is the When I Work 14-day trial enough to evaluate the platform?

Yes. The 14-day trial is generous for a scheduling tool. Start the trial on the Advanced plan to test both scheduling and time tracking. Build one complete weekly schedule, have employees download the mobile app, test shift swapping with two employees, and run the time clock for at least one full week. You will have a clear sense of whether the platform fits your operations within 14 days.

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