Homebase vs When I Work: An Honest Comparison for 2026

If you're looking for scheduling software, there's a good chance you've narrowed it down to two names: Homebase and When I Work.

They're both solid products. Millions of teams use them. And the internet is full of comparison articles that don't actually help you choose because they're written by one of the two companies or a generic review site that hasn't touched either product.

This is a different kind of comparison. I'll walk you through what each tool actually does well, where each one falls short, how the pricing really works (it's more complicated than the pricing pages suggest), and whether either one is actually the best fit for your team. or if there's a third option worth considering.

The Quick Version

If you're in a hurry, here's the summary:

Now let's dig into the details.

Scheduling Features

This is what you're here for, so let's start here.

When I Work: The scheduling powerhouse

When I Work has a real edge in scheduling. It's clearly where they've invested the most. You get:

• Auto-scheduling that builds schedules based on availability, roles, and labor targets
• Schedule templates you can save and reuse week to week
• Instant notifications when schedules change. both manager and employee side
• Shift swapping that employees can initiate from the app
• Open shift posting where you publish available shifts and employees claim them
• Availability management built directly into the scheduling workflow

The auto-scheduling is genuinely useful if you have a lot of employees and complex rotation patterns. You set the rules once, and the system generates a schedule you can then fine-tune.

Homebase: Gets the job done

Homebase's scheduling works well for most small businesses, but it's more basic. You get drag-and-drop scheduling, shift templates, and notifications. The Plus plan ($56/location/month) adds auto-scheduling.

Where Homebase falls behind is in the details. It lacks some scheduling niceties that When I Work includes by default. things like task scheduling, calendar sync, and the depth of the shift management tools.

That said, for a coffee shop or retail store with 10-15 employees and straightforward shift patterns? Homebase scheduling is perfectly fine.

The verdict on scheduling

When I Work wins this round. If scheduling is your primary concern and you have complexity to manage (multiple roles, rotating patterns, lots of part-timers), When I Work gives you more tools.

Time Tracking

Homebase: Included on every plan

Time tracking is baked into Homebase from the free plan up. Employees clock in and out from their phone, a shared tablet, or a computer. You get GPS verification, break tracking, and timesheet exports. It's not the most sophisticated time tracking on the market, but it's solid and it's included in your subscription.

When I Work: Costs extra

When I Work charges an additional $1.50/user/month for time and attendance. That's on top of your scheduling subscription. For a 25-person team, that's $37.50/month extra just for clock-in/clock-out functionality.

The time tracking itself is comparable to Homebase. mobile clock-in, GPS, break tracking, timesheets. The features are similar. The difference is one costs extra and one doesn't.

The verdict on time tracking

Homebase wins. Getting time tracking included at no extra cost is a meaningful advantage, especially for small businesses watching every dollar.

Payroll

Homebase: Built-in but not free

Homebase has an integrated payroll system. Timesheets flow directly into payroll, overtime is calculated automatically, and you can run payroll from the same platform. It's convenient.

The catch: payroll is an add-on at $35/month base + $5 per active employee. For a 20-person team, that's $135/month for payroll alone. on top of your scheduling subscription.

When I Work: Not built in

When I Work doesn't have payroll at all. You'll need a separate payroll provider (Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks, etc.) and connect it via integration. The upside is you might already have a payroll provider you like. The downside is one more tool to manage and potential sync headaches.

The verdict on payroll

Homebase wins if you want everything in one place. If you already have a payroll provider you're happy with, this might not matter to you.

Pricing: Where It Gets Interesting

This is where the comparison gets tricky, because these two products use completely different pricing models.

Homebase pricing (per location)

Homebase charges per location. If you have one busy restaurant with 40 employees, the Essentials plan is $24/month total. That's incredibly cheap per employee.

But if you have 3 locations? Now you're at $72/month on Essentials, or $168/month on Plus.

When I Work pricing (per employee)

When I Work charges per user. For a small team, this is manageable. A 10-person team on Essentials with time tracking: $40/month. Not bad.

But costs scale linearly with headcount. That same plan for 50 employees: $200/month. And that's before you add Pro features.

The math for your team

Let's run some real scenarios:

Scenario 1: One location, 15 employees

• Homebase Essentials: $24/month
• When I Work Essentials + time tracking: $60/month
• Homebase saves $36/month

Scenario 2: One location, 40 employees

• Homebase Essentials: $24/month
• When I Work Essentials + time tracking: $160/month
• Homebase saves $136/month

Scenario 3: Three locations, 10 employees each

• Homebase Essentials: $72/month (3 × $24)
• When I Work Essentials + time tracking: $120/month (30 × $4)
• Homebase saves $48/month

Scenario 4: Five locations, 8 employees each

• Homebase Essentials: $120/month (5 × $24)
• When I Work Essentials + time tracking: $160/month (40 × $4)
• Homebase saves $40/month

The pattern: Homebase generally wins on price, especially for single-location businesses with larger teams. When I Work becomes more competitive (though rarely cheaper) when you have many locations with very few employees each.

Ease of Use

Homebase: The simpler experience

Homebase gets consistently high marks for being easy to set up and find your way around. The interface is clean, the learning curve is minimal, and most managers can start building schedules within minutes of signing up. For someone who's never used scheduling software before, Homebase is a safe bet.

When I Work: Powerful but slightly steeper curve

When I Work is well-designed, but the depth of its features means there's a bit more to learn. Several user reviews mention a learning curve in the first week or two. Auto-scheduling rules, template setup, and the various scheduling views take some time to click.

Once you're past that initial period, When I Work feels natural. But it's worth knowing that the ramp-up is real.

The verdict on ease of use

Homebase wins for teams that want to start fast with minimal training. When I Work is fine once you learn it, but "fine once you learn it" is a lower bar than "easy from day one."

Customer Support

Homebase

24/7 email support across all plans. Phone and chat support during business hours, Monday through Friday. They also maintain a solid knowledge base with how-to guides.

When I Work

Support is available 7 days a week through a ticketing system. Multiple user reviews mention slower response times, especially on lower-tier plans. They do have a library of training videos and help articles.

The verdict on support

Homebase wins. 24/7 email with phone and chat options beats a ticketing system that can feel slow.

Integrations

Homebase

Integrates with 25+ tools including popular POS systems (Square, Toast, Clover), payroll platforms (Gusto, ADP, Paychex), and job boards. Integrations are available on all plans.

When I Work

When I Work offers integrations with payroll providers and POS systems, but here's the catch: integrations are only available when you add the time and attendance module. That means you're paying extra just to unlock the ability to connect with other tools.

The verdict on integrations

Homebase wins. Integrations on all plans, no add-on required.

Where Each Tool Falls Short

Let's be honest about the weaknesses.

Homebase limitations

• Scheduling features are more basic compared to When I Work, especially on lower plans
• Per-location pricing hurts multi-location businesses
• Payroll is an expensive add-on. $35/month base plus per-employee fees
• Free plan is limited to 10 employees at one location
• No task or project management tools

When I Work limitations

• Time tracking costs extra on every plan
• No built-in payroll. you need a separate tool
• No hiring or onboarding tools
• Integrations locked behind paid add-on
• Customer support can be slow
• Cost scales quickly as your team grows

So Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Homebase if:

• You have one location (the free plan is genuinely useful)
• You want payroll, hiring, and scheduling in one tool
• Simplicity matters more than scheduling power
• You're on a tight budget with a larger team at one location

Choose When I Work if:

• You have multiple locations and need powerful scheduling
• Auto-scheduling is important to your workflow
• You already have a separate payroll provider you're happy with
• Advanced scheduling features are worth paying more for

A Third Option Worth Considering

Here's the thing about Homebase vs When I Work: they're both trying to be a lot of things. Homebase is becoming an HR platform. When I Work is building toward enterprise workforce management. Both are accumulating features, complexity, and cost.

If you're a small team. say 5 to 50 employees. and what you actually need is scheduling and time tracking that just works, there's a case for something simpler.

Turnozo was built for exactly this use case. No payroll module. No hiring platform. No enterprise features you'll never touch. Just scheduling and time tracking, done well.

Here's how it stacks up:

Turnozo doesn't try to compete with Homebase on HR features or When I Work on enterprise scheduling. It competes on simplicity, speed, and price for small teams that need the basics done really well.

The pricing is flat and predictable. €2.47 per employee per month. That covers scheduling and time tracking. No add-ons, no per-location fees, no surprise charges as you grow.

If that sounds more like what you need than an all-in-one HR platform, it's worth trying. The 30-day trial is free and cancel anytime.

The Bottom Line

Homebase and When I Work are both strong products that have earned their user bases. Homebase is the better value for most small businesses, especially single-location teams. When I Work has the edge in scheduling features for more complex operations.

But don't assume those two are your only choices. The scheduling software market has gotten much more competitive, and newer tools like Turnozo are proving that you don't need to pay for a Swiss Army knife when all you need is a sharp blade.

Try the one that matches how your team actually works. Not the one with the longest feature list. the one that solves your specific problem with the least friction.

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Related Reading

• This is one matchup. For the full landscape, see our complete scheduling software comparison.
• Best Homebase Alternatives. if Homebase isn't cutting it
• Best When I Work Alternatives in 2026. 7 alternatives compared, not just these two
• How to Create an Employee Schedule. works no matter which tool you choose
• Employee Scheduling Best Practices. 9 rules that actually work

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