When I Work review

When I Work is one of the cheapest ways to get automated scheduling in a restaurant. Essentials starts at $2.50 per user per month for single-location teams and already includes auto scheduling, multi-week scheduling, schedule templates, forecast tools, OpenShifts, shift swapping and in-app messaging, along with payroll and POS integrations. Its scheduling features include calculating staff coverage based on sales and a labor budget, the core task for a manager working to a labor target. Pro at $5 adds scheduling rules, role permissions, labor sharing between locations, custom unit forecasting and callout reporting, and Premium at $8 adds API keys, webhooks and SAML single sign-on. Time tracking and attendance is a toggle you add to any plan rather than a default part of it, so price that in if you want one tool for scheduling and timesheets. The trial runs two weeks with no credit card required.

Who it is for

Small restaurants that want auto scheduling and forecast tools at a low per-user price.

Price

Essentials from $2.50 per user per month; Pro $5; Premium $8.

When I Work pricing starts at just $2.50 per user per month for single-location teams, and $5 per user per month for multi-location businesses.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Auto scheduling, schedule templates and multi-week scheduling on Essentials
• Forecast tools and staff coverage based on sales and labor budget
• OpenShifts and shift swapping with in-app team messaging
• Scheduling rules, labor sharing and custom unit forecasting on Pro
• Payroll and POS integrations on every plan

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Low entry price for single-location teams
• Strength: Auto scheduling is included on the entry plan
• Strength: Unlimited users on every plan
• Weakness: Time tracking and attendance is a separate add-on
• Weakness: Scheduling rules and custom forecasting need Pro
• Weakness: No permanent free plan

Key facts

• Essentials: $2.50 per user a month
• Pro: $5 per user a month
• Premium: $8 per user a month
• Free trial: Two weeks, no credit card

Where it ranks

When I Work is No. 5 in our Best Restaurant Scheduling Software verdict.