When I Work review

When I Work is workforce management software for hourly teams, combining employee scheduling, time tracking and team messaging. Managers can build schedules, offer open shifts, send reminders and handle time-off requests or shift swaps. Employees can use the platform to check schedules and communicate with coworkers without sharing phone numbers.

The product also includes auto scheduling, which matches shifts to employees based on eligibility, availability and preferences, plus labor forecasting to compare scheduled hours with future demand. Its time clock supports attendance, breaks, time off, GPS clock-ins and geofencing. The pricing page lists Essentials at $2.50 per user per month, Pro at $5 and Premium at $8. Enterprise pricing is custom. A 14-day free trial is offered; annual prices are not published.

The main draw is a straightforward set of scheduling tools for teams that need to coordinate shifts across people and locations. The pricing page lists multi-week and multi-location scheduling, schedule templates, auto scheduling and team messaging in Essentials, which starts at $2.50 per user per month. Essentials also lists unlimited users, though its price is still per user.

Auto scheduling is intended to match shifts against employee eligibility, availability and preferences, while open shifts and shift-change tools give teams ways to manage coverage. Messaging, reminders and announcements keep work communication in the app rather than requiring staff to share personal phone numbers. The platform also has tools for time tracking and labor planning.

• Pro costs $5 per user per month and adds scheduling rules, role permissions, custom reporting and time-zone switching.
• Premium costs $8 per user per month and adds API key access, webhooks and SAML/SSO.

A Reddit thread about scheduling for a cleaning crew specifically valued When I Work’s support for multiple locations. That is a practical advantage for teams working across sites, though it does not establish that it is the best option for every multi-location business.

The headline price does not tell the whole cost story. Time Tracking & Attendance is listed as an add-on, but its price is not published. Annual billing is offered, but annual prices are also not published, so we cannot compare monthly and annual costs from the available pricing details. Enterprise pricing is custom. Teams should confirm the total before switching, especially if time tracking is a requirement.

There are also reports of gaps and workflow friction, but they are individual user accounts rather than proof of a widespread problem. One Reddit user looking for an employee “hour bank” said When I Work did not support that setup for flexible, unscheduled hours. A seasonal-business user reported being locked out of features after enabling hibernation and said they had to request old timesheets in three-month increments. Another worker described random logouts and shifts not appearing. These reports merit questions for sales or support, not assumptions that every account will have the same experience.

The pricing page does not publish a cap on locations or schedules. Check how the add-on, data access during inactive periods and your specific hours rules work before committing.

According to the pricing information checked on November 6, 2026, Essentials starts at $2.50 per user per month, Pro is $5, and Premium is $8. Enterprise pricing is custom. Essentials includes unlimited users, auto scheduling, multi-location scheduling, templates and team messaging. Pro doubles the per-user price for scheduling rules, role permissions, custom reporting and time-zone controls. Premium costs 60% more than Pro and adds API access, webhooks and SAML/SSO.

There is no free plan, but When I Work offers a 14-day trial. Monthly and annual billing are available; annual prices are not published, so we can't calculate the annual discount or compare total costs. The bigger budget question is time tracking: Time Tracking & Attendance is an add-on, and its price is not published. Don't assume the listed scheduling price includes it. Check the full quote for your team size and required features before comparing plans.

The published product information does not specify migration tools, onboarding help, import formats or data-export options. Before switching, ask When I Work how it handles employee records, schedules, time-off balances and historical time data—and what you can export if you leave. Those details matter if you need to keep payroll or compliance records outside the platform.

There is also a packaging decision to check before moving: scheduling and messaging are listed in Essentials, while Time Tracking & Attendance is a separately priced add-on with no published price. Get a quote that covers the tools you actually need, rather than comparing the base scheduling price alone.

We can't substantiate a pattern of reasons people leave from the published material: it includes no Reddit posts or comments. Treat complaints about migration, exports or billing as unverified until you check the relevant thread. Likewise, don't assume data portability or a low-effort exit; confirm both with the vendor before committing.