Deputy vs When I Work (2026)
Compliance-grade scheduling against approachable scheduling.
Pricing and review data verified 2026-08-24 · Sourced from Capterra
The verdict
Deputy wins where award interpretation, breaks and overtime compliance matter. When I Work wins on simplicity and price for teams without those obligations.
No credit card required · ClockIt is one of the products compared here, and we say plainly below where Deputy is the better choice.
At a glance
| Deputy | When I Work | ClockItThird option | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capterra rating | 4.6 (773) | 4.5 (1,300) | 4.6 (135) |
| Starting price | $9 Per User, Per Month | $2.5 Per User, Per Month | $2.99 Per User, Per Month |
| Free plan | No | No | Free version available |
| Best for | Multi-site shift operations with real award, break and overtime compliance needs. | Shift teams whose main pain is building and communicating the schedule. | Teams of 10–100 that want a physical clock on the wall as well as an app, without a per-site hardware contract. |
| Not for | Small teams that will never use the compliance engine they are paying for. | Buyers who want attendance included rather than priced as a second module. | Freelancers billing hours to clients — a solo timer does that job with less setup. |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Deputy | When I Work | ClockIt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | — | Yes |
| Time clock / punch in | Yes | Add-onPriced as a separate module | Yes |
| Shared kiosk mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Biometric hardware | PartialFace verification on kiosk, no hardware terminals | No | Yes |
| GPS tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geofencing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shift scheduling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shift swaps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PTO / leave management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overtime rules | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll export | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | — | — | — |
| API access | Yes | — | Yes |
“—” means we could not verify that feature for that product, not that it is missing.
What users actually say
The highest-rated and most critical review we found for each product, quoted verbatim.
Deputy 4.6 / 5 from 773 Capterra reviews
“Good value and secure, but payrooll accuracy needs improvement”
Deputy is very user-friendly and makes scheduling and time tracking straightforward. The mobile app is convenient for clocking in and out, and schedules are clearly displayed, which helps reduce confusion. I also appreciate how it centralizes shift management , making communication between staff and management more efficient. From a value-for-money perpective, it offers solid features for managing teams and reducing manual scheduling work.
Max D., Night Audit · Hospitality · April 23, 2026 · Capterra
“Deceptive conduct”
Unless you own an iOS device, do not purchase this software. there is half functionality, and the support may aswell be non-existent, but deputy is more than happy to charge full price for half available software.
Trent O., Director · Security and Investigations · June 22, 2023 · Capterra
When I Work 4.5 / 5 from 1,300 Capterra reviews
“Love WIW and It's Ease of Use”
I really appreciate the flexibility in how you can view the schedule, especially after it’s been published. The ability to set recurring availability is a huge plus. It’s also very user-friendly when it comes to moving and editing shifts. The planning and organizational features make it easy to build and compare different schedule layouts. I like that employees can drop or split shifts, and the chat feature is very helpful for communication. Being able to add comments, lunches, and other notes directly onto shifts is another great feature too. Overall, it’s a very functional and intuitive system.
Mallory S., Clinical Operations Manager · Hospital & Health Care · February 12, 2026 · Capterra
“Wasnt fit for the job I needed”
There were some frustrating technical issues when the application tried to capture my location using celular data, neglecting the main purpose of the application to manage my job.
Soren M., Coach · Entertainment · December 26, 2025 · Capterra
A closer look
Deputy
Deputy is one of the most capable shift-scheduling platforms available, with demand-based scheduling, break and overtime compliance, and a kiosk that can verify punches by face. It is especially strong on award interpretation in markets like Australia and the UK, which is a genuine differentiator for regulated employers. That capability comes with a per-user price and a configuration burden that a five-person team will feel without ever using the features that justify it.
Strengths
- Best-in-class compliance and award interpretation
- Face-verified kiosk punches and GPS
- Scales cleanly across many sites
Limitations
- Priced and configured for larger operations
- Setup effort is significant for a small team
Available on: Web, Android, iPhone/iPad · Support: Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live rep), Chat
When I Work
When I Work is built around getting a schedule out and keeping a team informed about it — availability, swaps, notifications and messaging are the core. Attendance is a separate time-clock module, which means the advertised per-user price is not what an employer needing both will actually pay. For teams whose problem really is scheduling rather than time theft, it is a clean fit.
Strengths
- Very approachable scheduling and shift communication
- Low advertised per-user entry price
- Reliable mobile experience for staff
Limitations
- Time clock is priced as an add-on to scheduling
- No biometric hardware support
Available on: Web, Android, iPhone/iPad · Support: Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live rep), Chat
Where ClockIt fits
ClockIt is an employee time clock and attendance platform that pairs a web and mobile app with physical biometric terminals. It is one of the few products in this category that talks to fingerprint and face terminals directly over the ZKTeco ADMS push protocol, so punches from a wall-mounted device land in the same timesheet as mobile and kiosk punches. Scheduling, leave, overtime rules and payroll-ready exports are included rather than tiered, and there is a free plan you can start on without talking to sales.
Worth a look if neither Deputy nor When I Work solves your actual problem — most often because you need a fingerprint or face terminal on the wall rather than a tablet, or because scheduling and leave are priced as extras elsewhere.
Common questions
Is Deputy or When I Work cheaper?
Deputy starts at $9 Per User, Per Month. When I Work starts at $2.5 Per User, Per Month. Compare the total for the modules you actually need rather than the headline seat price — several products in this category price the time clock separately from scheduling.
Which has better reviews, Deputy or When I Work?
On Capterra, Deputy rates 4.6 from 773 reviews and When I Work rates 4.5 from 1,300 reviews, captured 2026-08-24. Ratings across this category cluster tightly, so review volume tells you more about maturity than quality.
Do Deputy or When I Work support biometric time clocks?
Deputy: Face verification on kiosk, no hardware terminals. When I Work: no. ClockIt connects directly to ZKTeco and eSSL fingerprint and face terminals over the ADMS push protocol, so hardware punches land in the same timesheet as app and kiosk punches.
Try ClockIt alongside your shortlist
No credit card required · Free plan available