Connecteam vs When I Work: a scheduler priced per user or an all-in-one app
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Connecteam Reviews · Updated November 1, 2026
Disclosure: this site reviews Connecteam and earns a commission if you sign up for it through our links. Connecteam is one option below, and we say where it isn't the right fix.
Pick When I Work if scheduling and a time clock are all you need and your team is small. It is one product with one per-user price, auto scheduling and forecast tools start on its entry plan, and at 11 or 12 people it costs less than Connecteam's geofencing tier.
Pick Connecteam if you also want forms, checklists, training, onboarding, and chat in the same app, or once your team passes a dozen people. Its price is flat for the first 30 users, so a 40-person team pays $74 a month on annual billing against $160 on When I Work with time tracking. The downsides: three hubs to price, features locked in higher tiers, and no phone support.
Connecteam vs When I Work at a glance
| Compared on | Connecteam | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per hub, flat for the first 30 users, then per extra user. Operations hub: Basic $29, Advanced $49, Expert $99 a month billed annually ($35, $59, $119 monthly) | Per user. Essentials $2.50, Pro $5, Premium $8 a month; $4, $7, $10 with the Time Tracking & Attendance add-on. The page does not say whether these are annual or monthly rates |
| Free plan | Small Business Plan: up to 10 users, all hubs, no payroll integration. Limited plan: up to 30 users, basic features | None shown publicly |
| Free trial | 14 days of Expert, no credit card | 14 days, no credit card |
| Payroll | Integrations only (Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex Flex, ADP, PrismHR, MYOB) | Payroll and POS integrations; promotes Rippling with six months free. Its own payroll page redirects to the homepage |
| Training and forms | Courses and quizzes (HR & Skills hub); unlimited forms and checklists on every Operations tier | No training or forms builder found; shift tasks and document sharing; compliance training through Rippling's LMS |
| Team chat | Personal and group chat on every plan, including Limited | In-app messaging and announcements on Essentials |
| GPS and geofence | GPS stamps on Basic; geofence on Advanced (10 sites) and Expert (unlimited); location tracked only while clocked in | GPS clock-in and geofencing through the Time Tracking & Attendance add-on |
| Trustpilot, like for like | Collected through a link Connecteam shares: 4.67 (49 reviews, Sep 21 to 29, 2026) | No invited reviews. 5 unprompted reviews from 2022 to 2025, too few to compare |
| Capterra | 4.6 (5,322 reviews) | 4.5 (1,300 reviews) |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-11-01. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
What Connecteam and When I Work cost for a 15- and a 40-person team
When I Work charges for each user. Connecteam charges one price per hub for the first 30 users and a per-user fee after that. Small teams tend to pay less on When I Work; larger ones pay less on Connecteam.
Assumptions
- Headcount includes managers; we count everyone who logs in as a user.
- Published list prices on 2026-11-01, before tax, with no promotions. For Connecteam, the first figure is the monthly cost on annual billing and the figure in brackets is month-to-month. When I Work shows one price per plan and does not say which billing period it applies to.
- The job: scheduling, a time clock with geofencing, and team chat. When I Work needs its Time Tracking & Attendance add-on for the time clock; Connecteam starts geofencing at Advanced.
- When I Work's FAQ gives different figures, $2.50 per user for single-location teams and $5 for multi-location businesses, and says every plan includes time and attendance. We used the plan cards, which charge extra for it.
| Plan | 15 people | 40 people | How we got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecteam Operations Basic | $29 ($35) | $37 ($45) | Flat to 30 users, then $0.80 ($1.00) per extra user: $29 + 10 × $0.80 |
| Connecteam Operations Advanced | $49 ($59) | $74 ($89) | $49 + 10 × $2.50; monthly $59 + 10 × $3.00 |
| When I Work Essentials, no time clock | $37.50 | $100 | 15 or 40 × $2.50 |
| When I Work Essentials + time tracking | $60 | $160 | 15 or 40 × $4.00 |
| When I Work Pro + time tracking | $105 | $280 | 15 or 40 × $7.00 |
With a time clock, When I Work Essentials costs $4 per user, so it undercuts Connecteam Advanced's $49 only at 11 or 12 people. At 13 people it is $52. Past 30 users, each extra person adds $2.50 on Connecteam Advanced against $4 on When I Work. At 10 people or fewer, Connecteam's Small Business Plan is free, though without the payroll integration. Some reviewers switched for price, and others complain about Connecteam's costs past 10 users. Our Connecteam pricing page and free vs paid guide go through each tier.
“We used When I Work for years for scheduling and the prices kept going up.”Connie R., G2, Jul 2025
“I dislike being nickel and dimed for every feature past the 10 members part.”Vidya P., G2, Dec 2025
Payroll: both hand off to another provider
When I Work's pricing page promotes Rippling as its preferred partner, with the first six months of Rippling free for new When I Work customers. Its own payroll page, wheniwork.com/payroll, now redirects to the homepage, and the pricing page shows no price for a When I Work payroll product. We could not confirm whether one is still sold.
Connecteam has no payroll product either. Paid plans export hours to Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex Flex, ADP, PrismHR, or MYOB, and the free Small Business Plan leaves the integration out. If payroll inside the same app matters, look at Homebase, which sells built-in US payroll.
How much of the job each app covers
When I Work is a scheduling tool first. Essentials includes auto scheduling, multi-week and multi-location scheduling, templates, forecast tools, open shifts and swaps, messaging, document sharing, and payroll and POS integrations. We found no hiring, onboarding, e-sign, forms builder, or training of its own.
Connecteam adds unlimited forms and checklists on every Operations tier, courses and quizzes, onboarding, documents with e-sign, a knowledge base, and recognition. It is also harder to price, with three hubs that each have their own tiers, and some reviewers say they could not tell what each tier includes. Auto-scheduling is on its Expert tier. If your team will clock in by location, our location tracking guide covers the 2026 “Always” location setting some employees object to.
“I like that scheduling, time tracking, and communication are all in one place, so nothing slips through the cracks.”Vakula C., G2, Jan 2026
“Unclear Pricing, difficulty in understanding the interaction between the three modules”jon e., G2, Jan 2026
“Time clock is great. The push notification for admin alerts don't always work, and they need to allow you to schedule breaks.”customer, Trustpilot, Aug 2022
Connecteam vs When I Work reviews
There is no like-for-like Trustpilot comparison here. When I Work's Trustpilot profile is small, and our pull found 5 unprompted reviews from 2022 to 2025 and no invited ones. Connecteam's 49 most recent reviews collected through its own link average 4.67. On Capterra, Connecteam has 4.6 from 5,322 reviews and When I Work 4.5 from 1,300. Our Capterra and G2 pages quote Connecteam's critical reviews, and the methodology explains how we sample.
Where When I Work wins
- A lower entry price per user: scheduling from $2.50, and $4 with time tracking, which is less than Connecteam Advanced for teams of 11 or 12.
- Auto scheduling, forecast tools, and multi-location scheduling on the entry plan. Connecteam puts auto-scheduling on Expert.
- One product with one per-user price. Connecteam's three hubs and tiers confuse some buyers.
- Six months of Rippling free for new customers who want payroll, benefits, and HR from its partner.
Still deciding? See the best When I Work alternatives, how When I Work stacks up against Homebase and Deputy, or start a 14-day Connecteam trial with no credit card.
Connecteam vs When I Work FAQ
Is Connecteam or When I Work cheaper?+
It depends on team size. When I Work lists Essentials at $2.50 per user a month, or $4 with its Time Tracking & Attendance add-on. Connecteam's Operations hub is $49 a month billed annually for up to 30 users on Advanced, its geofencing tier. With a time clock, When I Work is cheaper at 11 or 12 people ($44 or $48). From 13 people Connecteam Advanced is cheaper: $49 against $60 at 15 people and $74 against $160 at 40. Teams of 10 or fewer can use Connecteam's Small Business Plan for free.
Does When I Work have a free plan?+
Not one it shows publicly. Its pricing page offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Connecteam has a free Small Business Plan for up to 10 users with all hubs (no payroll integration), a free Limited plan for up to 30 users with basic features, and a 14-day trial of its Expert tier with no credit card.
Does When I Work or Connecteam include payroll?+
Neither runs payroll inside its own app today, as far as their pricing pages show. When I Work integrates with payroll systems and promotes Rippling, offering new customers six months of Rippling free; its own payroll page now redirects to the homepage. Connecteam exports hours to Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Paychex Flex, ADP, PrismHR, and MYOB.
Is When I Work only a scheduling app?+
Mostly. When I Work covers scheduling, a time clock with GPS and geofencing (through its add-on), team messaging, document sharing, and tasks. We found no forms builder, training courses, onboarding, or e-sign of its own; it points to Rippling's LMS for compliance training. Connecteam includes forms and checklists, courses and quizzes, onboarding, and documents with e-sign, spread across three hubs.