1v1 Pricing Showdown
Homebase vs When I Work
Side-by-side pricing breakdown for Employee Scheduling Software decision-makers
Prices in USD, verified from the United States. Regional pricing may vary.
When choosing between Homebase and When I Work for your employee scheduling software stack, the right answer depends on three things: your budget, the specific features you actually use day-to-day, and your tolerance for renewal-price increases. Below we lay out the prices each vendor advertises today (verified against their live pricing pages), the plan limits that decide whether they'll fit your team, and the features that differ between them.
Homebase starts at $30/mo; When I Work starts at $2.5/mo. The cheaper headline price isn't always the cheaper total cost — renewal pricing, per-user fees, and overage charges can shift the math. Use the plan-by-plan tables below to model your actual spend.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| per location pricing | Unlimited employees per location | — |
| free tier | 1 location, 10 employees — production usable | — |
| ai scheduling | Plus+ | — |
| pto controls | Plus+ | — |
| employee onboarding | All-in-One | — |
| labor cost management | All-in-One | — |
| hr compliance | All-in-One | — |
| payroll addon | $39/mo + $6/employee | — |
| tip manager addon | $25/mo/location | — |
| task manager addon | $13/mo/location | — |
| background checks addon | $30 each | — |
| hiring assistant addon | Starting $30/post | — |
| annual discount | ~20% vs monthly | — |
| scheduling | — | All plans |
| time clock | — | All plans |
| team messaging | — | All plans |
| multi location | — | All plans |
| payroll pos integrations | — | All plans |
| unlimited users | — | All plans |
| custom reporting | — | Premium+ |
| api access | — | Premium+ |
| sso saml | — | Premium+ |
| scheduling rules | — | Premium+ |
| countries | — | 50+ countries, 200,000+ workplaces |
| free trial | — | 14 days full features no credit card |
Affiliate links — you pay the same price
Dive Deeper
When I Work
About the employee scheduling software category
Employee scheduling software in 2026 splits into three pricing philosophies. Per-user (Deputy $5-$9, When I Work $2.50-$8, Sling $0-$4) scales with employee count — best for businesses with a small, consistent roster. Per-location (Homebase $0-$120/location, 7shifts $0-$69.99/location) scales with number of worksites — best for SMB multi-location brands (restaurants, retail, salons) where 'employees per location' is predictable. Freemium-first (Sling free up to 30 users, Homebase free for 1 location with 10 employees) lets very small operators get started at $0 and upgrade when needed. The category has converged on the same core feature set (scheduling + time clock + team messaging + payroll integration), meaning differentiation now comes from vertical focus: 7shifts is restaurant-first (tip pooling, POS integration), Homebase targets SMB retail/hospitality multi-location, Deputy serves enterprise mid-market with compliance focus, When I Work is the generalist mid-market leader, Sling goes down-market with generous free tier.
How to choose between employee scheduling software options
First: what's your industry? Restaurants with tip pooling and POS integration needs: 7shifts is purpose-built. Multi-location retail/hospitality SMB (5-50 locations): Homebase (per-location pricing scales clean). Complex compliance environments (healthcare, care, trades with break/labor laws): Deputy (labor law compliance is best-in-category). Generalist growing SMB (offices, small retail, service): When I Work or Sling. Very small operation (≤30 employees, 1 location): Sling free or Homebase Basic free. Second: per-user or per-location economics? If you have 10 employees at 3 locations: Deputy Lite = $50/mo (10 × $5), Homebase Essentials annual = $72/mo (3 × $24), 7shifts Entrée ≈ $90/mo (3 × $29.99). Per-user wins for few employees per location; per-location wins for many employees per location. Third: do you need integrated payroll? Homebase All-in-One ($96/loc annual) includes payroll that's actually good; Deputy Payroll ($8/user + $49/mo base) is Paycor-powered and solid; 7shifts Payroll integrated into The Works. Standalone payroll (Gusto, Justworks) is usually better quality but adds another vendor. Fourth: how complex is your scheduling? Simple shift rotation: Sling Premium ($1.70/user annual) or When I Work Essentials ($2.50/user). Advanced demand forecasting, auto-scheduling, wage budget optimization: Deputy Core ($6.50) or 7shifts The Works. AI-powered scheduling (reads historical patterns + sales data): Homebase Plus ($56/loc annual) and Deputy Pro ($9/user).
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Homebase cheaper than When I Work?
- When I Work is cheaper starting at $2.5/mo. Homebase starts at $30/mo and When I Work at $2.5/mo.
- Does Homebase or When I Work offer a free plan?
- Homebase offers a free plan.
- Which is better, Homebase or When I Work?
- Homebase scores 8.8/10 compared to When I Work's 8.7/10 in our analysis. Homebase ranks higher on features and value, but When I Work may suit specific use cases — see the feature comparison above.
- Is Homebase cheaper than When I Work for a team of 5?
- For a team of 5, Homebase costs $30/mo (flat rate) and When I Work costs $2.5/mo (flat rate). When I Work is the cheaper option at this team size.
- Are there other employee scheduling software alternatives besides Homebase and When I Work?
- Yes. Our [Employee Scheduling Software pricing comparison](/pricing/employee-scheduling/) page covers all major providers with daily-verified prices. You can also see the [cheapest employee scheduling software](/pricing/employee-scheduling/cheapest/) for budget-focused options.