When I Work vs Homebase (2026)
Both lead with scheduling. The difference shows up when you add the time clock.
Pricing and review data verified 2026-08-24 · Sourced from Capterra
The verdict
Homebase includes the time clock in its free tier. When I Work prices attendance as a second module, so compare the two-module total rather than the headline seat price.
No credit card required · ClockIt is one of the products compared here, and we say plainly below where When I Work is the better choice.
At a glance
| When I Work | Homebase | ClockItThird option | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capterra rating | 4.5 (1,300) | 4.6 (1,152) | 4.6 (135) |
| Starting price | $2.5 Per User, Per Month | $30 Usage Based, Per Month | $2.99 Per User, Per Month |
| Free plan | No | No | Free version available |
| Best for | Shift teams whose main pain is building and communicating the schedule. | Single-location US hourly businesses that want scheduling, a tablet time clock and hiring in one place. | 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 | Buyers who want attendance included rather than priced as a second module. | Teams outside the US, where the payroll and compliance tie-ins do not apply. | Freelancers billing hours to clients — a solo timer does that job with less setup. |
Feature comparison
| Feature | When I Work | Homebase | ClockIt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | PartialOne location | Yes |
| Time clock / punch in | Add-onPriced as a separate module | Yes | Yes |
| Shared kiosk mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Biometric hardware | No | 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 |
“—” 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.
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
Homebase 4.6 / 5 from 1,152 Capterra reviews
“Time tracker with GPS location”
Great app to keep track of time, it integrates GPS which allows for precise location. It includes some functions to allow to communicate with your team, this is great when you need to coordinate work. It is very easy to use and intuitive, it does take a little setup, but once you have it set, it is very easy to use. It predicts your pay, and offers some options to get an advance on your paycheck.
Jesus G., Case Worker · Mental Health Care · May 1, 2026 · Capterra
“Good and Easy, but...”
There are features that would be helpful but are not included lower tier plans, but don't warrant the change in pricing to go to a higher tier. For example, overtime calculation across sites. Or another example would be attaching documents to team members. These things would help, but the price jump to turn them on is too extreme.
Davinder T., Owner · Restaurants · January 23, 2026 · Capterra
A closer look
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
Homebase
Homebase bundles shift scheduling, a tablet-based time clock, team messaging and hiring for hourly businesses, with a free tier that covers a single location. Its centre of gravity is US small business — payroll integrations, labour-law alerts and break rules are built around US requirements. The time clock runs on a shared tablet with photo capture rather than dedicated biometric hardware, and the features that matter most to multi-site operators tend to sit on the paid tiers.
Strengths
- Free tier genuinely usable for one location
- Scheduling, time clock, messaging and hiring in one product
- Deep US payroll and compliance integrations
Limitations
- Value drops sharply outside the US
- Multi-location features require higher tiers
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 When I Work nor Homebase 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 When I Work or Homebase cheaper?
When I Work starts at $2.5 Per User, Per Month. Homebase starts at $30 Usage Based, 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, When I Work or Homebase?
On Capterra, When I Work rates 4.5 from 1,300 reviews and Homebase rates 4.6 from 1,152 reviews, captured 2026-08-24. Ratings across this category cluster tightly, so review volume tells you more about maturity than quality.
Do When I Work or Homebase support biometric time clocks?
When I Work: no. Homebase: 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