Deputy and When I Work are both shift-based workforce management platforms built for hourly, rotating-schedule businesses like retail, hospitality, and…
| Deputy | When I Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Scheduling | Scheduling |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Subscription (per-user) | subscription |
| Starting price | $5/user/month | $2.50 per user per month |
| Free plan | Not documented | Not documented |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Not documented | Not documented |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
Entry-level pricing
Deputy: Deputy's Lite plan starts from $5 USD per user per month
When I Work: When I Work's Essentials plan starts at $2.50 per user per month
For teams paying per hourly worker across dozens or hundreds of staff, a $2.50 versus $5 per-user gap compounds quickly across a payroll cycle
Auto-scheduling approach
Deputy: Deputy's auto-scheduling and demand forecasting uses historical sales or foot-traffic data to recommend staffing levels, available on Core and Pro tiers
When I Work: When I Work's Auto-Scheduler matches open shifts to employees based on availability, eligibility, and stated shift preferences
Demand-based forecasting suits variable-traffic retail or hospitality locations, while preference-based matching suits teams where staff availability, not customer demand, drives coverage
Compliance alerts
Deputy: Deputy includes automated checks that flag rest-break violations, overtime thresholds, and award or union pay-rule conflicts before a schedule is published
When I Work: When I Work's documented feature set does not include built-in labor law or award-rule compliance alerts
Businesses operating under strict break, overtime, or union award rules face real legal and financial risk if a schedule is published without those checks
Clock-in verification method
Deputy: Deputy offers tablet kiosk clock-in with photo capture to help prevent buddy punching
When I Work: When I Work offers GPS capture and geofencing on its mobile and kiosk time clock to confirm on-site punches
The two tools verify attendance in different ways, visual identity confirmation versus location confirmation, which matters depending on whether time theft or off-site clock-ins are the bigger risk
Payroll integration breadth
Deputy: Deputy integrates with Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, and ADP, and offers its own Deputy Payroll product in the US through a partnership with Paycor
When I Work: When I Work integrates with Gusto, QuickBooks Online, ADP Workforce Now, and Square Payroll, but only once the separate Time Clock and Attendance add-on is enabled
Deputy bundles payroll-ready time data into its core plans, while When I Work requires an extra paid add-on before its native payroll integrations are usable
Task and checklist management
Deputy: Deputy has a dedicated Tasking feature for assigning checklists and to-do items tied to a specific shift or location, such as opening and closing duties
When I Work: When I Work's documented features do not include a shift-linked task or checklist system
Locations that need to track operational duties, not just attendance, gain accountability from a built-in tasking tool instead of a separate app
Enterprise access controls
Deputy: Deputy's Pro tier adds custom access levels, location hierarchies, single sign-on, and a sandbox test environment
When I Work: When I Work's Premium tier adds API key access, webhooks, and SAML or SSO for enterprise sign-in
Both tools gate enterprise-grade access controls behind their top tier, so the cost of reaching SSO or deeper API access differs between the two pricing ladders
Add-on cost structure
Deputy: Deputy's add-ons such as Messaging+, Analytics+, and its HR module raise the effective per-user cost, and a minimum monthly account spend applies
When I Work: When I Work's Time Clock and Attendance functionality is a separate paid add-on with pricing available on request rather than published upfront
Both platforms' advertised per-user prices do not represent the full cost for teams that need add-on modules, which can change the total cost comparison significantly
Team communication style
Deputy: Deputy combines a company news feed with staff-to-staff messaging so managers can post shift notes and announcements alongside individual chat
When I Work: When I Work combines one-to-one and group messaging with shift reminders and announcements inside the same scheduling app
The way updates reach staff, feed-style broadcast versus direct group messaging, affects how visible shift notes are to an entire team versus specific groups
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop schedule builder | Available | Available |
| Shift templates and copy previous week | Available | Available |
| Auto-scheduling or demand forecasting | Available | Available |
| Shift swapping and open shift claiming | Available | Available |
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile clock-in | Available | Available |
| Kiosk clock-in | Available | Available |
| GPS geofencing | Not documented | Available |
| Timesheet auto-approval | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Shift-linked task or checklist management | Available | Not documented |
| In-app team messaging | Available | Available |
| Company-wide news feed or announcements | Available | Available |
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Time-off requests and approval | Available | Available |
| Employee availability submission within the app | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Labor cost or wage budgeting | Available | Available |
| Compliance alerts for breaks, overtime, or award rules | Available | Not documented |
| Custom reporting | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Native payroll provider integrations | Available | Available |
| Vendor's own payroll product | Available | Not documented |
| Dedicated HR system integrations | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| iOS and Android mobile apps | Available | Available |
| API access | Available | Available |
| Single sign-on | Available | Available |
| Sandbox or test environment | Available | Not documented |
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
When I Work is cheaper at the entry level, starting at $2.50 per user per month on its Essentials plan compared to Deputy's Lite plan starting from $5 USD per user per month, though Deputy's minimum monthly account spend and When I Work's separate Time Clock and Attendance add-on can change the real cost for a given team.
Yes, Deputy includes automated checks that flag rest-break violations, overtime thresholds, and award or union pay-rule conflicts before a schedule is published; this compliance alerting is not documented as a feature of When I Work.
Not in the same way. When I Work's Auto-Scheduler matches open shifts to employees based on availability, eligibility, and stated preferences, while Deputy's auto-scheduling and demand forecasting on its Core and Pro tiers uses historical sales or foot-traffic data to recommend staffing levels.
When I Work's lower $2.50 per user Essentials plan and transparent per-user pricing make it an easier entry point for a small, single-location shift-based team, while Deputy's Lite plan and minimum monthly account spend suit teams that also want compliance alerts and payroll integrations from the start.
Yes. Deputy integrates with Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, and ADP, and also offers Deputy Payroll in the US through a partnership with Paycor, while When I Work integrates with Gusto, QuickBooks Online, ADP Workforce Now, and Square Payroll once its separate Time Clock and Attendance add-on is enabled.
Both do. Deputy has iOS and Android apps for viewing schedules, clocking in, requesting shift swaps or leave, and receiving shift notes, and When I Work has native iOS and Android apps covering scheduling, time tracking, and messaging.
Read the full Deputy review · Read the full When I Work review