WhenToWork vs When I Work

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Our analysts compared WhenToWork vs When I Work based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Employee Scheduling Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

WhenToWork Software Tool

Product Basics

WhenToWork is a cloud-based solution that helps businesses create and manage schedules for hourly workers. It offers a free mobile app that supports time tracking, allowing employees to punch in and out of work remotely.

The platform’s standout feature is its one-click scheduling that uses a proprietary algorithm to generate optimal shift schedules, minimizing conflicts and reducing human error. With just a few clicks, you can create efficient work plans that ensure your team is adequately staffed at all times.

Employees can easily input their preferred, disliked and unavailable work times, allowing managers to make informed decisions when creating schedules. This feature enhances employee satisfaction and minimizes scheduling conflicts by ensuring that employees are working shifts that align with their availability and preferences.

This platform lets you prioritize clear communication and accountability within your team. It automatically sends notifications to employees when their shifts are created or updated, ensuring everyone stays informed. This enhances employee engagement and reduces the risk of missed shifts.

WhenToWork offers a 30-day trial period, allowing you to test the platform’s suitability for your scheduling needs. Its paid plans start from $38 per month, with pricing based on the number of employees and the subscription duration. Unlike other platforms, it doesn’t offer tiered plans based on features — every plan includes the full toolkit.

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When I Work is a cloud-based platform that helps design, communicate and track work schedules for hourly workers. It replaces the hassle of spreadsheets and paper schedules with a user-friendly interface for creating and publishing schedules in minutes. You get features like drag-and-drop tools, schedule and timesheet templates, customizable automation, and reporting.

It offers built-in time tracking, communication tools and payroll integrations. Employees can clock in and out directly through the native app. They can also swap shifts and submit time-off requests from their profiles. It lets you access timesheets, identify labor cost trends and control overtime expenses.

Team messaging helps you coordinate staff members and avoid over or understaffing during peak seasons. While pricing varies based on company size and required features, the platform offers a free trial and multiple subscription tiers. This allows you to choose a plan that fits your budget and specific needs.

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$40 Monthly
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$2.50/User, Monthly
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
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Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
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FAQ
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Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Effortless Schedule Management: WhenToWork’s scheduling toolkit is its highest-rated module, with an 89 rating from our analysts. From ad-hoc adjustments to automated scheduling, the platform provides a flexible, efficient solution. It also offers features like break scheduling, color-coded schedules and configurable options that improve the overall scheduling process.
  • Efficient Reporting: Rated 81 by our analysts, the platform’s reporting toolkit is its second highest-rated module. It offers customizable dashboards and pre-built reports to meet your unique reporting requirements. With the ability to create custom reports, apply filters and generate visualizations, you can easily drill down into data, identify trends and make data-driven decisions. Additionally, WhenToWork's report scheduling and sharing capabilities streamline communication and collaboration.
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  • Top-Ranked Scheduling Solution: When I Work stands out as a leader in employee scheduling, with an analyst rating of 85 in our research. This puts it alongside industry heavyweights like Deputy (87) and 7Shifts (86). It offers a comprehensive set of features, including scheduling, time tracking and team communications, all of which are ready to use immediately, reducing setup time.
  • Effortless Shift Management: Our research shows that When I Work offers 96% of tools for creating and managing employee shifts out-of-the-box. These include everything from creating recurring shift templates and customizing layouts to features like open shift bidding and automatic vacant shift assignment. You can also add feedback, task notes, swap shifts and receive automated reminders.
  • Powerful Mobile App: The mobile app keeps everything you need for streamlined scheduling at your fingertips. It offers mobile scheduling, time tracking, geofencing, customizable push notifications and built-in chat for easy team communication.
  • Seamless Integrations: When I Work scored 92 for integrations in our analysis, effortlessly connecting with a wide range of business tools. These include accounting solutions like QuickBooks Online, Google and Apple Calendars, HR and payroll software like Rippling and Gusto, Square POS systems, and integration platforms as a service (iPaaS) such as Zapier and Tray.io.
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  • Flexible Scheduling: You get multiple scheduling views, task templates and drag-and-drop tools to create different types of recurring schedules for multiple locations.
  • Import/Export: It lets you import shifts via Excel and .CSV files or export schedules in Excel format.
  • Automated Assignments: You can define rules to automatically assign shifts based on employee preferences and availability.
  • Employee Self-Service: Design unique portals for each team member based on their seniority, job roles and access requirements. Employees can log in via desktops or the mobile app to view and swap schedules, receive messages, and submit time off requests.
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  • Employee Scheduling: Create work schedules in one click based on employee availability and eligibility. View team availability, manage time off and track shift trades from one place. Allow employees to pick up and trade shifts while boosting workplace efficiency and productivity. Schedule multiple teams across job sites while preventing unnecessary overtime.
  • Time and Attendance: Track attendance, time off and breaks while turning any internet-connected device into an online time clock. Integrate schedules to control costs while applying pay rules. Implement an online time clock with a GPS facility for uniform clock-ins and outs across devices. Let remote employees log in and out using any device while receiving attendance data in real time.
  • Timesheets: Record weekly attendance changes into timesheets while setting differential pay rates for multiple positions. Monitor labor costs while auditing time records with labor distribution reports. Audit and approve timesheets from mobile or desktop while preventing overtime before it happens. Configure paid and unpaid breaks on schedule and time clock.
  • Shift Planning: Plan, swap and approve shifts using a mobile or desktop while empowering teams to collaborate on schedules. Ensure cost-effective shift coverage while creating schedules that work for the entire team.
  • Scalability: Start with a single team or location and scale to multiple teams across geographical locations as per business growth. Schedule multiple teams across various job sites.
  • Push Notifications: Send important messages to the entire staff in one go. Employees get email and text alerts for missed logins or outs. Notify all employees when you update or create new schedules.
  • Geo Check-In: Use GPS tracking and live map views to ensure that employees log in from their designated job sites. Monitor field staff’s real-time location, eliminating the need for employees to update their locations constantly in the office.
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Product Ranking

#5

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

#3

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

61
86
52
74
62
78
79
91
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Schedule Management
Mobile Capabilities
Leave and Absence Management
Integrations and Extensibility
Security and Compliance
Shift Management

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

WhenToWork
When I Work
+ Add Product + Add Product
Collaboration Employee Management Leave And Absence Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting And Analytics Schedule Management Security And Compliance Shift Management Time And Attendance Management 52 62 79 55 67 81 89 37 82 27 74 78 91 98 84 83 88 89 89 77 0 25 50 75 100
50%
0%
50%
63%
13%
24%
58%
0%
42%
75%
0%
25%
63%
25%
12%
88%
0%
12%
53%
0%
47%
93%
0%
7%
67%
0%
33%
89%
0%
11%
83%
0%
17%
83%
0%
17%
85%
0%
15%
85%
0%
15%
33%
0%
67%
89%
0%
11%
79%
5%
16%
89%
0%
11%
26%
0%
74%
74%
0%
26%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

30%
0%
70%
90%
0%
10%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 226 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1454 reviews
89%
of users recommend this product

WhenToWork has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 89% when considering 226 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

90%
of users recommend this product

When I Work has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 1454 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.7 (15)
5.0 (11)
4.3 (93)
4.4 (286)
4.5 (114)
4.5 (1093)
4.5 (4)
4.4 (64)

Awards

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When I Work stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Ease of Use: Users praised the platform’s user-friendly interface and ease of use across all user types. Its intuitive navigation simplifies shift management, schedule swaps and coworker communication. The platform also provides useful "how-to" videos, making it easier for users to understand the system without needing live support.
Better Customization and Flexibility: Users appreciated the ability to customize schedules, permissions and worker roles. It’s easy to switch shifts and see assigned shifts in one place.
Easy Reporting: The one-click report generation feature helps users manage budgets and track employee hours. This is especially helpful for administrators manually comparing scheduling costs with budgetary constraints.
Improved Remote Workability: Reviews highlight the benefit of accessing the software from any mobile device, making it convenient for teams to check schedules, receive notifications and streamline internal communications.
Simple Implementation Process: Users from small and medium businesses appreciated the software’s lightweight nature. It requires minimal IT involvement and can be deployed quickly across multiple departments.
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Intuitive and Efficient: Users appreciate the user-friendly interface and comprehensive features that centralize managing all scheduling needs from a single app.
Prompt Customer Support: Users report getting timely and helpful assistance from the vendor’s support team through live chat and email.
Enhanced Employee Experience: The app boosts staff productivity by offering them flexible tools to control their work schedules.
Improved Integration and Accessibility: Most users have had a positive experience connecting the platform with other necessary third-party tools.
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Lack of Live Support: Live representatives are unavailable, especially during troubleshooting. Instead, the platform relies on video tutorials, which may not be sufficient in urgent situations.
Complicated Staff Availability Settings: Some reviewers found the "date specific" availability options frustrating, as it often caused confusion when scheduling in advance. Also, the inability to fully turn off certain options, like the "dislike" function, can complicate determining worker availability.
Limited Enterprise Features: Users from larger businesses noted that the platform lacks advanced enterprise-level security settings and integration support, making it less ideal for organizations with complex needs.
Cluttered Interface: The schedule display can sometimes be confusing or cluttered, particularly when many shifts are on the board. This makes it harder to quickly view and understand schedules at times.
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Pricing and Transparency Issues: Users have complained about the vendor’s pricing practices, which include hidden costs and a lack of clear information before signing up.
App Glitches: Users reported issues with iPhone and Android apps, particularly with tasks like staff punch-ins and location tracking using the phone’s GPS.
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WhenToWork is a user-friendly online scheduling solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Its intuitive interface and straightforward features make it a viable option for businesses looking to ditch paper trails and digitize their scheduling operations.My experience with WhenToWork began with a simple sign-up process that required minimal information. The platform guided me through a brief onboarding process, where I provided details about my business and team members. While the onboarding process was straightforward, I noticed the business category list didn’t offer many options for construction-related industries.Upon accessing the web platform, I was greeted by a somewhat outdated design that felt reminiscent of an earlier era. While the layout was clean and easy to navigate, a modern update could benefit its overall aesthetic. The main menu has sections for schedules, employees, trades, time off, messaging, reports and current on-duty employees.The mobile app, however, offers a more streamlined experience with a user-friendly interface. It provides quick access to schedules, shift trades, time off, messaging, staff information and a link to the full web version. The app's dashboard offers a clear overview of assignments, time off, shift trades and messages.The messaging features are designed for efficient team communication. You can send and receive messages, create urgent alerts, and post on a bulletin board. The “Reports” section offers customizable reporting options, allowing you to generate reports based on various criteria and export them for further analysis.Overall, WhenToWork is a suitable option for businesses with basic scheduling needs. Its user-friendly interface, straightforward features and robust reporting capabilities make it a viable choice for organizations that prioritize simplicity and ease of use. However, businesses seeking a more modern and feature-rich platform may need to explore other options.

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According to the reviews, users praise When I Work’s user-friendly design and all-in-one features for scheduling and time tracking. The customer support team is another win — responsive and helpful via chat and email. However, the pricing structure is a point of contention for some users, with complaints about hidden fees and a lack of transparency before signing up.What truly set it apart was its affordability for small and medium businesses. The starter plan, costing just $1.50 per location per month, offers unlimited employee scheduling and auto-scheduling — features usually reserved for top-tier plans in competitors like 7Shift and Homebase.However, communication features are restricted. During testing, I could send individual and group messages, but there's no bulletin board or newsfeed functionality, and message read receipts are absent.Security is another concern. The platform lacks biometric clock-in options, opening the door to potential time theft through buddy punching. Additionally, it doesn’t support geofencing or GPS tracking. I couldn’t remotely track staff shifts to ensure they were following established procedures.Overall, When I Work offers a compelling solution for small and medium businesses with a user-friendly interface, robust features and a budget-friendly starter plan. However, be mindful of the pricing concerns and other limitations, which can be a problem for growing teams and businesses.

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