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Most buyers should pick When I Work.
Choose When I Work if your main need is hourly scheduling and team messaging, and you want published per-user prices starting at $2.50 per month. Its time-tracking add-on has no published price. Choose Nowsta if you need a broader workflow covering recruiting and onboarding through scheduling, time tracking and payroll. Its listed entry price is a $1,500 annual flat fee, while monthly rates and plan inclusions are unpublished. The prices are not directly comparable; When I Work is the clearer-priced default.
01Side by side
| Nowsta | When I Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1,500 annual flat fee; monthly rates unpublished | $2.50 per user/month; annual price unpublished |
| Free plan | No free plan; trial not listed | No free plan; 14-day trial |
| Best for | Hourly and contingent teams needing recruiting through payroll | Hourly teams focused on scheduling and messaging |
| Core strength | Recruiting, onboarding, scheduling, time and payroll | Scheduling, messaging, shift changes and labor planning |
| Learning curve | Not published; no learning-curve details | Not published; no learning-curve details |
| Integrations/data | Timesheet exports and labor insights; integrations not detailed | Premium API keys and webhooks; other details unpublished |
| Team/seat costs | Flat-fee pricing; seat limits not published | Per-user pricing; time-tracking add-on price unpublished |
| Support | Support details not published | Support details not published |
Nowsta Choose Nowsta if
- Choose Nowsta if you need recruiting and onboarding in the same platform.
- Choose Nowsta if payroll and labor-cost workflows matter alongside scheduling.
- Choose Nowsta if you manage hourly and contingent staff across workforce stages.
When I Work Choose When I Work if
- Choose When I Work if published per-user pricing matters.
- Choose When I Work if scheduling and team messaging are your main needs.
- Choose When I Work if a 14-day trial is useful before switching.
02Pricing compared
When I Work is easier to price: according to its pricing page, Essentials starts at $2.50 per user per month, Pro is $5 and Premium is $8. Annual prices are not published. A 14-day free trial is available, but there is no free plan. Time Tracking & Attendance is an add-on with no published price, so the listed subscription may not cover the full workflow you need.
Nowsta’s listed Basic entry price is $1,500 per month equivalent on annual billing; Advanced is $2,500 and Pro is $3,500. The pricing information describes these as annual flat fees shown as monthly equivalents, but monthly rates are not published. Plan inclusions are also not listed. These prices are not directly comparable: When I Work charges per user, while Nowsta lists flat-fee plans. Get a quote from Nowsta before comparing total costs.
03Features and depth
When I Work focuses on the hourly-team workflow: schedule employees, offer open shifts, handle swaps and time-off requests, and message staff. Its auto scheduling considers eligibility, availability and preferences. The platform also lists labor forecasting to compare scheduled hours with future demand. GPS clock-ins and geofencing are available, but time tracking and attendance are a separately priced add-on; its price is not published.
Nowsta covers a wider set of workforce tasks. Its listed tools span recruiting and onboarding, scheduling, time and attendance, payroll and labor, staff profiles, and mobile self-service. Scheduling includes AI-powered recommendations, demand forecasting, templates and shift swaps; time tools include geofencing, clock alerts and timesheet approvals. The product description also lists wage calculations, timesheet exports and labor-cost insights. That breadth may suit teams looking to manage more than schedules, but the pricing page does not spell out which features belong to each plan. For scheduling and messaging first, When I Work has the clearer fit; for recruiting through payroll, Nowsta covers more of the stated workflow.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Neither product’s published details establish how quickly a team can set it up or learn it. The review scores put When I Work slightly ahead for ease of use, 6.5 versus Nowsta’s 6 out of 10, but that is not enough to promise an effortless rollout.
The feature lists suggest a difference in scope: When I Work centers on scheduling, messaging and an optional time-tracking add-on, while Nowsta also covers recruiting, onboarding and payroll. A broader workflow can mean more configuration to plan, though the available sources do not quantify setup time. Nowsta’s plan inclusions are unpublished, so confirm which tools and support are included before switching. When I Work lists plan features more clearly, but its time-tracking add-on price remains unknown.
Questions people ask
How does Nowsta work?
Nowsta is described as workforce software for hourly and contingent teams. Its tools cover recruiting and onboarding, scheduling, time tracking, payroll and staff management, with mobile access for workers. The listed scheduling features include AI-powered recommendations, demand forecasting, reusable templates and shift swaps.
Is the When I Work app free?
When I Work does not list a free plan, but its pricing page offers a 14-day free trial. After that, published plans start at $2.50 per user per month for Essentials. Time Tracking & Attendance is an add-on, and its price is not published.
How much does Nowsta cost?
The listed Nowsta plans are Basic at $1,500, Advanced at $2,500 and Pro at $3,500 per month equivalent on annual billing. The pricing information describes annual flat fees shown as monthly equivalents; monthly rates and plan inclusions are not published. Confirm the quote and included features with Nowsta.
What does When I Work cost?
According to its pricing page, When I Work costs $2.50 per user per month for Essentials, $5 for Pro and $8 for Premium. Annual prices are not published. Enterprise pricing is custom, and Time Tracking & Attendance is a paid add-on with no published price.