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LeadChange Group

When I Work vs Deputy

When I Work9.0/10

Deputy9.2/10

Scored in Employee Scheduling Software

The short answer

When I Work costs $2.50 per user a month for one location and $5 for several, with no setup fees. Deputy starts at $5 per user a month on its annual Lite plan, and Core adds auto-scheduling, demand forecasting and biometric clocking for $6.50.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 12 sources, most recently checked

When I Work

Starting price
$2.50/user/mo1
Best for
Hourly, shift-based teams in restaurants, retail and healthcare

Choose When I Work if

  • You want the lower price: $2.50 per user a month for one location.
  • You want auto scheduling, shift swaps and team messaging in every plan.
  • You want no contract and no setup fee.
  • You run payroll in Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll, Paychex or OnPay.

What When I Work costsWhen I Work alternatives

Deputy

Starting price
$5/user/mo (billed annually)2
Best for
Shift-based businesses, from single locations to franchises and enterprises

Choose Deputy if

  • You schedule under fair workweek or other labor law rules.
  • You want demand forecasting and wage budgets in the schedule.
  • You want payroll from the same vendor: Deputy Payroll enabled by Paycor, in the US.
  • You need ISO 27001 as well as SOC 2 Type 2.

Deputy plans and pricesDeputy scheduling alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

When I Work wins 1Deputy wins 22 ties

When I Work vs Deputy by dimension
DimensionWhen I WorkDeputy
PricingWhen I Work is $2.50 per user a month for one location and $5 for several, with no setup fees. Deputy is $5, $6.50 or $9 per user a month on annual billing, and monthly plans carry a $30 minimum spend per invoice. None1$2.50/user/mo$5/user/mo (billed annually)
CapabilitiesEach documents 9 of the 11 items on our scheduling checklist, including open shifts, swaps and auto-scheduling. Deputy adds fair workweek compliance; When I Work adds skills and certification management. Auto scheduling, Open shifts, Shift swapping, GPS clock-in with geofencing, Prevent early clock-ins, Team messaging and announcements, Labor forecasting, Time-off and availability management, Overtime and break tracking, Skills and certification management, Task management19 of 11 core capabilities9 of 11 core capabilities
IntegrationsDeputy names ADP, Gusto, Paychex, Paycom, Paycor, Xero, BambooHR, HiBob and point-of-sale systems. When I Work lists 11 integrations, including Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll and QuickBooks Online. ADP, Gusto, Paychex, Paycom, Paycor, Xero, Clover, Square, Lightspeed, BambooHR, HiBob, QuickBooks38 documented (vendor says 11)15 documented
SecurityDeputy states ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2. When I Work states SOC 2 Type II. Yes4SOC 2SOC 2, ISO 27001
Fit and supportBoth sell from small businesses to enterprises. When I Work includes live support in every plan; Deputy has 24/7 live chat on Pro. Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises1Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprisesSmall businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises

When I Work or Deputy: what matters most to you?

We match on verified product facts for this need, never on who pays us.

Key differences

Where When I Work and Deputy differ (3)
AttributeWhen I WorkDeputy
DeploymentCloud, mobile5Cloud6
Support channelsHelp center, Ticket submission, Live customer support124/7 live chat (Pro), phone, customer success manager (Core), dedicated customer success manager (Pro), help center2
HeadquartersMinneapolis, MN, USA7Sydney, Australia6
Show 10 attributes where they are the same
Where they are the same (10)
AttributeWhen I WorkDeputy
Pricing modelPer user1Per user2
Price transparencyPublished1Published2
Free trial18
Free plan12
Contract termMonthly1Monthly2
Best forSmall businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises1Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises9
Mobile appsiOS, Android7iOS, Android2
API1011
Webhooks1011
SOC 2 Type II124

Price by headcount

  • When I Work Single location or schedule$2.50/user/mo1
  • Deputy Lite (billed annually)$5/user/mo2
Estimated list price per month by scenario
EmployeesWhen I Work Single location or scheduleDeputy Lite (billed annually)
10$25/mo (lowest)$50/mo
50$125/mo (lowest)$250/mo
200$500/mo (lowest)$1,000/mo

The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.

Monthly cost of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing, at the annual rate where marked.

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. When I Work is $2.50 per user a month for one location and $5 for several, with no setup fees. Deputy is $5, $6.50 or $9 per user a month on annual billing, and monthly plans carry a $30 minimum spend per invoice.

Capabilities. Each documents 9 of the 11 items on our scheduling checklist, including open shifts, swaps and auto-scheduling. Deputy adds fair workweek compliance; When I Work adds skills and certification management.

Integrations. Deputy names ADP, Gusto, Paychex, Paycom, Paycor, Xero, BambooHR, HiBob and point-of-sale systems. When I Work lists 11 integrations, including Rippling, Gusto, Square Payroll and QuickBooks Online.

Security. Deputy states ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2. When I Work states SOC 2 Type II.

Fit and support. Both sell from small businesses to enterprises. When I Work includes live support in every plan; Deputy has 24/7 live chat on Pro.

Neither one?

7shifts

7shifts has the highest LeadChange Score in Employee Scheduling Software after excluding these two (9.2/10).

7shifts review

Frequently asked questions

Is When I Work cheaper than Deputy?

Yes, at list price. Deputy is $5 per user a month on annual Lite, $6.50 on Core and $9 on Pro. When I Work is $2.50 per user for one location and $5 for several. For 20 staff at one site, that is $50 a month with When I Work and $100 with Deputy Lite.

What is the Deputy app used for?

Scheduling shifts, clocking time and checking hours against labor law rules. Staff use the iOS and Android apps to see shifts, swap them and clock in. HR, payroll by Paycor, messaging and analytics are add-ons.

Which is better for retail scheduling, When I Work or Deputy?

It depends on your labor rules. Deputy lists fair workweek compliance, labor law checks and demand forecasting. When I Work lists retail among its industries and costs less per user.

Do When I Work and Deputy build schedules with AI?

Both auto-schedule. Deputy AI is in every plan and adds labor forecasting. When I Work includes auto scheduling and labor forecasting in every plan.

Is When I Work or Deputy more secure?

Both state SOC 2 Type II; Deputy also states ISO 27001:2022 and lists TX-RAMP Level 2. Each keeps a public trust center.

Who are When I Work’s main competitors?

Among the scheduling apps we review, we also compare When I Work with Homebase, Connecteam and 7shifts. Against Deputy, When I Work’s case is the lower price; Deputy’s is compliance rules and forecasting.

Do When I Work and Deputy offer a free trial?

Yes, both list a free trial.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    39 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 8, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

When I Work or Deputy? Your answer in 3 questions

Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices.

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When I Work vs Deputy

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Sources

The 12 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. When I Work wheniwork.com/pricing“When I Work pricing starts at just $2.50 per user per month for single-location teams” “When I Work pricing is simple. No setup fees, no feature restrictions”
  2. Deputy deputy.com/pricing“Lite Everything you need to get started with scheduling and time tracking $5 per user per month (USD excl. all applicable taxes) billed upfront or in monthly installments” “Single Sign-On (SSO) Dedicated Customer Success Manager* Sandbox Environment 24/7 Live Chat”
  3. Deputy deputy.com/integrations“Also integrate non-cloud POS Sales data via CSV files saved in Dropbox”
  4. Deputy trust.deputy.com“ComplianceCyber EssentialsISO/IEC 27001:2022SOC 2 Type 2TX-RAMP Level 2”
  5. When I Work wheniwork.com/security“we utilize industry standard open-source technologies and Amazon Web Services (AWS) managed services with a hardened configuration”
  6. Deputy deputy.com/about“With the advent of the cloud, Steve and Ashik saw the potential impact Deputy could have in any workplace, anywhere” “SydneyOur HQ is a melting pot of teams across Design, Engineering and Product”
  7. When I Work wheniwork.com/about“420 North 5th St” “Google Play Store”
  8. Deputy deputy.com/features“Up to 31 days, no credit card required”
  9. Deputy deputy.com“Tackle today’s challenges andtomorrow’s opportunities with DeputySingle locationMulti locationFranchiseEnterprise”
  10. When I Work apidocs.wheniwork.com/external/index.html“The When I Work API is thorough, flexible, and restful” “Find out more about Webhooks at our Help Center or contact our Customer Care team for assistance”
  11. Deputy developer.deputy.com/docs/getting-started-with-the-deputy-api“This can allow a developer to build integrations which are not currently possible via the RESTful API” “Deputy also allows users and developers to setup webhooks within Deputy”
  12. When I Work trust.wheniwork.com“ComplianceSOC 2 Type II”

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.