When I Work alternative: ScheduleSolve compared
When I Work and ScheduleSolve both build staff schedules. When I Work prices by user and lists time tracking, team messaging, forecast tools and payroll and POS integrations. ScheduleSolve is $0.50 per person per month with a $10 minimum. It drafts the schedule from your Must and Try to rules, explains its choices and tells only the people a change affects. It has no time clock and no messaging.
Written by Maren Vellory, Operations Manager · Updated October 19, 2026
Prices checked October 19, 2026 from wheniwork.com. Prices change; check their page for today’s price.
Price for 10, 25 and 50 people
One location, paid monthly, before tax, in USD. For When I Work, each row uses the cheapest plan on their pricing page that fits the team.
| Team | ScheduleSolve | When I Work | When I Work plan and formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | $10.00 | $25.00 | Single location or schedule (starting price): $2.50 per user per month (billing: not stated on the page) |
| 25 people | $12.50 | $62.50 | Single location or schedule (starting price): $2.50 per user per month (billing: not stated on the page) |
| 50 people | $25.00 | $125.00 | Single location or schedule (starting price): $2.50 per user per month (billing: not stated on the page) |
- ScheduleSolve: $0.50 per person per month, with a $10 minimum that covers up to 20 people (USD). Every feature is included. Paid yearly, it is 25% less. See pricing.
- When I Work, as printed: Single location or schedule (starting price): “$2.50 /user/month”.
- The When I Work page says plans start “at just $2.50 per user per month for single-location teams, and $5 per user per month for multi-location businesses”.
- The page does not say whether $2.50 is the monthly or the yearly price. It offers monthly and annual billing and a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
- On the day we checked, the page showed two layouts with different plan names. We used the starting price that both show.
Features
Only rows we could check on the When I Work pricing page. Where a feature is on some plans only, the note says which.
| Feature | ScheduleSolve | When I Work | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builds the schedule for you | Yes | Yes | “Auto Scheduling” |
| Shift swaps and open shifts | Yes | Yes | “OpenShifts and shift swapping” |
| Team messaging | No | Yes | “In-app team messaging” |
| Payroll | No | Yes | Payroll integrations. ScheduleSolve exports hours by pay code. |
| POS integrations | No | Yes | “Payroll and POS integrations” |
| Labor forecasts | No | Yes | “Forecast tools” |
When I Work has features ScheduleSolve does not have: time tracking and attendance, which When I Work lists on its pricing page, in-app team messaging, forecast tools and labor reports, and payroll and POS integrations.
What ScheduleSolve does differently
Your rules drive the draft
You write rules in two words: a Must rule always holds, a Try to rule holds when it can. “Must: at least 11 hours of rest between shifts.” “Try to: weekends are shared fairly over 12 weeks.” Press Draft and ScheduleSolve fills every shift it can by those rules. If the needs cannot be met, it leaves a gap with the reason, not a broken rule.
It explains its choices
Tap Why? on any cell to see why that person is there, or why a shift is open. Ask “Who is working Tuesday?” and the grid shows them. Each of these also works without AI, and nothing changes until a person taps to confirm.
Only the people affected are told
Post once and each person gets their shifts by email and in the staff app. After a change, only the people whose shifts changed are told, with what changed. Nobody gets a new copy of the whole schedule for one swap.
Timesheets by pay code
At the end of each pay period, ScheduleSolve shows the hours by pay code and exports them, with layouts for UKG Pro WFM (Dimensions) and Workforce Central (Kronos) and a generic CSV. It does not run payroll and has no time clock.
Which one fits your team
When ScheduleSolve fits better
- You want a full draft that keeps your rules, such as rest between shifts, days in a row and fair weekends, and that leaves a gap with a reason when a rule would break.
- You want to ask why a person works a shift, or why a shift is open, and get a plain answer.
- You have more than 4 people: at $0.50 per person with a $10 minimum, ScheduleSolve costs less per month at 10, 25 and 50 people.
- You pay through a time system such as UKG or Kronos and want the hours by pay code.
When When I Work fits better
- You want a time clock and attendance in the same app as the schedule.
- You want team chat in the app.
- You want to connect a POS or payroll system directly.
How to switch
- Export your schedule from When I Work as a spreadsheet, or copy it into Excel.
- Upload the file to ScheduleSolve. It reads the people and shifts, and asks about anything it cannot work out.
- Set your rules, press Draft, check the result and post it. Each person gets their shifts by email and in the staff app.
Not ready to switch? Try the free schedule maker with your own people and shifts first, with no account.
Questions
Is ScheduleSolve cheaper than When I Work?
For most team sizes, yes, at the prices we checked. When I Work starts at $2.50 per user per month. ScheduleSolve is $0.50 per person per month with a $10 minimum: $10 for 10 people, $12.50 for 25 and $25 for 50. Check both pricing pages for your own team.
Does ScheduleSolve have a time clock like When I Work?
No. ScheduleSolve has no time clock. It shows the hours each person was scheduled by pay code, and exports them for your payroll or time system.
Can I move my schedule from When I Work?
Yes. Export your schedule as a spreadsheet and upload it to ScheduleSolve. It reads your people and shifts and asks about anything it cannot work out.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, 7 days with no card. You can also use the free schedule maker with no account.
When I Work is a trademark of its owner. ScheduleSolve is not affiliated with it.
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