BambooHR vs When I Work Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| BambooHR | When I Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $10/mo | $2/mo |
| Number of plans | 3 | 2 |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | per-seat | per-seat |
Core
- HR Data & Reporting
- Hiring & Onboarding
- Time Off & Benefits Tracking
- Employee Experience Tools
- HR Insights
- Compliance Intelligence
- Compliance Training: 1 Course
- On-Demand Pay
- AI Assistant
Pro
- Performance Management
- Employee Community
- Recognition & Rewards
- Compliance Training: 15 Courses
- Upgraded AI Assistant
Elite
- Compensation Management
- Custom Dashboards & Analytics
- HR Benchmarks
- Premium Services
- Compliance Training: 300+ Courses
- Advanced AI Assistant
Single location or schedule
- Employee Scheduling
- Time Tracking & Attendance
- Team Messaging
- Create schedules in minutes with Auto Scheduling
- Manage time-off requests and staff availability with ease
- Track attendance using the built-in time clock
- Message your team instantly without using personal numbers
- View standard labor reports and forecasts
- Integrate with payroll and point-of-sale (POS) systems
Multiple locations or schedules
- Employee Scheduling
- Time Tracking & Attendance
- Team Messaging
- Unlimited job sites, schedules, and locations
- Labor sharing between departments and locations
- Custom reporting and role permissions
- Multiple time zone management and shift coverage views
- Advanced privacy and data controls
BambooHR vs When I Work FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- When I Work is the cheaper option, starting at $2/mo vs $10/mo for BambooHR.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Neither has a free plan. But When I Work offers a free trial.
- How do they charge?
- Both use a per-seat model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. BambooHR: BambooHR sits in the mid-market sweet spot — not as cheap as Gusto or Rippling's entry points, but well below Workday or SAP SuccessFactors territory. They're going after SMBs that have outgrown spreadsheets but aren't ready for enterprise HR infrastructure. When I Work: At $2.50–$5.00/user/mo, When I Work is firmly in the budget-to-mid tier for workforce scheduling tools — undercutting platforms like Deputy or 7shifts at higher seat counts while targeting SMBs that don't need the full HR suite of something like Workforce.com. They're going after cost-conscious operators who want scheduling without enterprise complexity.
Still deciding? See the best BambooHR alternatives or the best When I Work alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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