Empowering small businesses to succeed

Explore exclusive solutions designed to meet the unique needs of small businesses. From tailored services to budget-friendly plans, we're here to help you grow and succeed.

When To Work vs. When I Work: Comparison Table

Feature When To Work
When I Work
Target Audience Small and medium-sized businesses needing straightforward scheduling solutions. Large companies with complex scheduling needs and multiple locations.
Automated Scheduling Automatically assigns shifts based on employee availability, saving time. Offers customisable schedule templates for flexibility.
Communication Tools Basic communication via shift comments. Full in-app messaging for real-time team communication.
Payroll Integration Basic reporting only. Integrates with QuickBooks, Gusto, and other payroll systems.
Reporting and Analytics Provides reports to identify peak times and employee productivity trends. Advanced analytics with detailed reporting for scheduling and attendance.
Scalability Best suited for smaller teams with straightforward needs. Designed for large teams and multi-location setups with extensive customisation.
Pricing Fixed pricing starting at £2.8 per employee (lower rates for larger teams). First month free. Tiered pricing: £1.5–£5 per employee (basic) or £3–£7 (with time tracking). Free trial available.
Ease of Use Intuitive and simple interface for non-technical users. Feature-rich but may require a steeper learning curve.
Integration Capabilities Limited to basic reporting. Robust integrations with payroll and HR systems.
Use Cases Educational institutions, small businesses, theatres, and arts organisations. Large retailers, healthcare facilities, hospitality industry, and multi-location businesses.

Shifton — Shift Schedule Maker

Shifton will lighten your and your employees’ load with our advanced work schedule maker. No matter how complex your request is, Shifton’s schedule maker work tool will help you with it, saving you time.

Shifton’s work schedule creator has all the necessary features for managing shifts. With our automatic schedule maker, you can set up a suitable schedule using templates, with a clear interface. The shift maker will help you create it in just a few minutes, which is why it is also called the work shift schedule generator – for its ability to generate a structured framework into which you only need to input your data. You can count on our automatic employee schedule generator.

The schedule shift maker is perfect for those who need a reliable tool for automating schedule creation. Our online shift schedule maker is accessible from all popular devices.

Shifton offers tools like the shift creator and shift builder, making it the ideal job schedule maker for both a small cafe and a large corporation. With Shifton, you get a work shift maker that will be your reliable assistant in what every manager dreams of — increased productivity, employee satisfaction, and saving their own time.

Shifton — Shift Schedule Maker
What is When To Work

What is When To Work

To start comparing whentowork vs wheniwork we first need to learn more about the When To Work. It is a cloud-based tool that helps teams and businesses save time on scheduling and utilising schedules. It helps to seamlessly deal with last-minute changes in employee availability and just the smooth running of the business.

For employers, it helps them better monitor work and see changes more clearly — in employee productivity and more, including a clearer understanding of when there’s an influx of customers or conversely there are fewer people and employees prefer to take holidays. Employees, on the other hand, with an app that’s easy to use, can easily swap schemes with quick change approvals from a manager, and yes, just check schedules from their phone.<

What is When I Work?

When I Work was founded in 2010, so the platform is not new, but its creators follow the trends and stay “on the wave”. The main target audience is small and medium-sized businesses: restaurant, call centre, beauty salon, etc. The creators of When I Work emphasise firstly how easy it is to get started with it — in a few minutes, using ready-made templates. They promise to reduce chaos, help with communication and time tracking for shifts.

In 2023, the service took home several CROWD service awards and also was shortlisted in 2024 for Capterra, a huge platform for user feedback on software.

What is When I Work?

When To Work vs. When I Work: Key Features

These two tools are proven and work brilliantly, but they each have their unique features:

When To Work

Automated Scheduling: This feature helps to automatically determine an employee’s availability and assign them to an available shift. Naturally, the schedule needs to be checked and approved eventually, but it saves a significant amount of time.

Shift Substitution and Shift Approval: Within the app, an employee can take on the shifts they’re comfortable with and swiftly receive approval from a manager, without correspondence and discussions that can be hard to track later.

Schedule Change Notifications: There’s nothing more frustrating and counterproductive than being prepared for a shift that someone else has taken over.

Comprehensive reporting tools: With these, for example, a restaurant can easily spot peak times to which it will allocate the most vetted employees.

Convenient mobile app: On average, up to 90 per cent of employees check their schedules via their phone.

When I Work

Easy team communication with in-app messaging: This service provides more comprehensive in-app discussion capabilities, making it easier to discuss and approve details here.

Time and Attendance Tracking: Sometimes you need to know exactly when an employee arrived at work and when they finished their workday – the software can do this. This can greatly reduce errors in rates and payroll.

Payroll integration with specialised platforms like QuickBooks: This integration greatly simplifies calculations and filling out tax returns.

Manage multiple locations: With multiple locations, especially in different countries, coordination is particularly challenging. When I Work features can assist with this.

Customisable Schedule Templates: Create your own templates and save them if the ready-made ones aren’t a perfect fit.

When To Work vs. When I Work: Similarities

  1. Cloud-Based Operation for Remote Access.
  2. Mobile Apps for Both iOS and Android.
  3. Shift-Swapping and Trade Functionalities.
  4. Notifications for Schedule Updates.
  5. Tools for Employee Availability Tracking.
  6. User-Friendly Interfaces Designed for Non-Technical Users.

When To Work vs. When I Work: Differences

Of course, it’s important to know the commonalities, but it’s even more crucial to comprehend the differences between whentowork vs wheniwork to make a choice:

Target Audience:

  • When to work: Small and medium-sized companies choose it for its simplicity of features, interface, and overall accessibility. A boutique with 10 employees can use it to quickly manage a straightforward schedule created from a ready-made template.
  • When I Work: Large companies and organisations with multiple departments will select it. A chain store with hundreds of employees will choose it to manage complex schedules in different regions with their own specific requirements. Suitable for large teams or organisations with multiple offices.

Integration with payroll system:

  • When to Work: There is basic reporting, but little beyond that.
  • When I Work: There is integration with popular payroll systems like QuickBooks and Gusto.

Communication:

  • When To Work: You can communicate, but only in a basic format, such as a comment on a shift request.
  • When I Work: There is a full in-app messaging system.

Pricing Structure:

  • When To Work: Payment is fixed, for all functions, depending on the number of employees.
  • When I Work: There are several packages, depending on the number of functions.

These differences show that When To Work is best for simplicity and affordability, while When I Work excels in scalability and advanced functionality.

When To Work vs. When I Work: Pros and Cons

When To Work

Pros:

  • Simple, intuitive interface.
  • Cost-effective for small businesses.
  • Comprehensive scheduling and reporting features.

Cons:

  • Limited integration options.
  • Basic communication tools.

When I Work

Pros:

  • Advanced integrations with payroll systems.
  • Multi-location and large-team support.
  • Built-in communication tools.

Cons:

  • Higher pricing tiers.
  • Steeper learning curve for new users.

 

When To Work vs. When I Work: Pricing

The whentowork vs wheniwork services have slightly different approaches to pricing. When To Work has only one comprehensive package, and its price depends solely on the number of people in the company. The more people there are, the lower the fee per employee. Without discounts, it starts at about 2.8 dollars per employee (in a company with up to 10 employees) and drops to 1.6 dollars per employee in a corporation with 1,000 employees. The first month is free.

When I Work offers three plans with varying features, ranging from $1.5 per person to $5. However, if you require Time Tracking & Attendance features, the packages increase in price from $3 to $7 per person. There are also opportunities to trial all plans for free.

5 Recommendations for Choosing Between When To Work vs. When I Work

  1. Consider Your Team Size: In the wheniwork vs whentowork comparison, the latter is more suitable for large companies and multi-location setups. Running a small business? When To Work keeps things simple and cost-effective.
  2. Assess Your Budget: If you’re keeping an eye on your spending, When To Work offers clear pricing without surprises. Need advanced features and can afford a bit more? When I Work might be worth it.
  3. Look at Integration Requirements: Planning to synchronise your schedules with payroll software? When I Work provides built-in integrations for tools like QuickBooks.
  4. Consider Communication Tools: Teams that rely on constant updates and chat will appreciate When I Work’s built-in messaging.
  5. Ease of Use Matters: Not everyone on your team is tech-savvy? When To Work scores with a cleaner, simpler interface that’s easy to use.

Ten Questions You Must Ask When Choosing Between When To Work vs. When I Work

  1. What is my budget for scheduling software?
  2. How large is my team, and what are their scheduling needs?
  3. Do I require advanced payroll integration?
  4. How important are in-app communication tools?
  5. Is multi-location management a priority?
  6. Do I require detailed reporting and analytics?
  7. What level of customisation do I need in schedules?
  8. Do I require automatic conflict resolution for overlapping shifts?
  9. Will the platform integrate with my existing HR or operational tools?
  10. Is training my team on new software a concern?

When To Work vs. When I Work: Use Cases

WhenToWork use cases:

  • Educational institutions: Universities and colleges can use the software to manage class schedules and staff shifts efficiently.
  • Theatre and Arts: The Public Theater in New York City uses it to organise staff schedules for various performances and events.

Examples of When I Work use cases:

  • Retailers: Large retailers with multiple locations use When I Work, which helps them handle complex schedules across departments and integrates payroll systems for simplified administrative tasks.
  • Hospitality industry: Hotels and resorts can use the software to manage employee schedules. Considering the complexity of systemisation in this industry – all the tools of the service will be invaluable.
  • Healthcare: Hospitals and clinics with extensive staffing and varying schedules find the advanced scheduling and integration capabilities of When I Work essential for maintaining operational efficiency.

Final Thoughts on When To Work vs. When I Work: Which is Best for Business

Choosing between whentowork vs wheniwork depends on your organisation’s needs. For smaller teams focused on budget-friendly solutions, When To Work is an excellent choice. However, for larger teams requiring robust integrations and communication tools, When I Work stands out. Evaluate your priorities to make the right decision.