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It's a split decision.
Choose Gusto if you need payroll, tax filings, HR, benefits, or contractor payments in one system; Simple starts at $49/month plus $6 per person. Choose When I Work if your main need is hourly scheduling, shift swaps, time tracking, and team messaging: Essentials starts at $2.50 per user monthly and includes a 14-day trial. Neither has a free plan. These tools serve different jobs, so check add-on and per-person costs before switching.
01Side by side
| Gusto | When I Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/month + $6 per person | $2.50 per user/month |
| Free plan / trial | No free plan; trial not published | No free plan; 14-day trial |
| Best for | Payroll, HR, benefits, and compliance | Hourly-team scheduling and shift management |
| Core strength | Payroll, tax filings, and HR tools | Scheduling, time tracking, and messaging |
| Learning curve | Ease-of-use score: 7/10 | Ease-of-use score: 6.5/10 |
| Integrations / data | Time tracking syncs with payroll | API keys and webhooks on Premium |
| Team / seat costs | Simple: $49/month + $6 per person | Essentials: $2.50 per user/month |
| Support | Support score: 4/10; complaints reported | Support score: 5/10; complaints reported |
Gusto Choose Gusto if
- Choose Gusto if payroll and tax filings need to be central.
- Choose Gusto if you want HR and benefits alongside payroll.
- Choose Gusto if contractor payments belong in the same system.
When I Work Choose When I Work if
- Choose When I Work if hourly scheduling is your main need.
- Choose When I Work if shift swaps and team messaging matter.
- Choose When I Work if a lower starting price matters most.
02Pricing compared
When I Work is cheaper to start: Essentials is $2.50 per user per month, Pro is $5, and Premium is $8. Annual prices are not published; Enterprise pricing is custom. The service offers a 14-day trial, but no free plan.
Gusto Simple costs $49 per month plus $6 per person and covers basic payroll in one state. Plus is $80 plus $12 per person; Premium is $180 plus $22 per person. Gusto lists month-to-month billing and no free plan. Its time-tracking add-on, Time & Attendance Plus, has a free trial, then costs $6 per person monthly. When I Work’s Time Tracking & Attendance add-on price is not published. Compare the full per-person cost and needed add-ons, not just the starting price.
03Features and depth
These products overlap on time tracking, but they are built around different jobs. Gusto centers on payroll, tax filings, HR, and benefits. Simple includes unlimited payrolls, tax filings and payments, and basic PTO and holiday pay. Plus adds time tracking and scheduling, multi-state payroll, and contractor invoice management. Premium adds HR guidance and tools, compliance, and premium support. Gusto also supports benefits and contractor payments.
When I Work centers on hourly scheduling and team coordination. Essentials includes auto scheduling, schedule templates, multi-week and multi-location scheduling, and team messaging. Pro adds scheduling rules, role permissions, custom reporting, and time-zone controls; Premium adds API keys, webhooks, and SAML/SSO. Its listed features also cover shift swaps, time-off requests, and GPS clock-ins. Time Tracking & Attendance is a separate add-on with unpublished pricing. If payroll and tax filing are the priority, Gusto is the closer fit; if shift coverage and messaging are, When I Work is.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The learning curve depends on which work you need to manage. Gusto brings payroll, HR, and benefits into one system, but its per-person pricing and multiple plan levels make it worth checking which tier covers your needs. When I Work focuses on hourly scheduling and messaging, while time tracking has a separate add-on with no published price.
Our review scores put Gusto at 7 for ease of use and When I Work at 6.5. Those scores are close, so they do not settle the choice. Map your current payroll, scheduling, and time-clock tasks to each plan before switching, and confirm add-on costs and any migration requirements directly with the vendor; the published pricing details do not specify migration support.
Questions people ask
Can When I Work replace Gusto?
Not as a like-for-like replacement based on the listed features. When I Work focuses on scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging; its listed plans do not include payroll or tax filing. Gusto covers payroll, tax filings, HR, and benefits. A team needing both functions should confirm its setup before switching.
Is Gusto more expensive than When I Work?
Its listed starting price is higher: Gusto Simple is $49 per month plus $6 per person, while When I Work Essentials is $2.50 per user per month. The products include different functions, and When I Work’s time-tracking add-on price is not published. Compare the plan and add-ons you would actually need.
Does When I Work include time tracking?
Time Tracking & Attendance is listed as an add-on, and its price is not published. Essentials includes scheduling and team messaging, but the published plan details do not list time tracking as an included feature. Ask When I Work for the add-on cost before comparing it with Gusto’s time-tracking options.
Do either Gusto or When I Work have a free plan?
Neither product lists a free plan. When I Work offers a 14-day trial. Gusto’s trial availability is not published on the vendor's site. Gusto lists month-to-month plans that can be canceled anytime, while When I Work offers monthly and annual billing, with annual prices not published.