restaurant scheduling software

Homebase vs When I Work

Homebase and When I Work are the two general hourly-workforce apps an independent restaurant most often lands on when it leaves the spreadsheet behind. Neither is restaurant-specific the way 7shifts is, and that is the point: both are broad shift-team tools that happen to suit a small food-service operation. Homebase is the wider all-in-one, folding scheduling, a time clock, payroll, and hiring into one app with a genuinely free single-location tier. When I Work is the more focused scheduler, built around shifts, time tracking, and team messaging, and priced per user.

So the choice here is not restaurant depth, it is pricing shape and how much you want living in one app. Homebase bills per location (free Basic, then paid plans from roughly $24 to $96 per month per location billed annually, payroll extra), so the cost tracks your number of sites. When I Work bills per user (around $2.50 each per month, time tracking often extra), so the cost tracks your headcount. On a 3-5% net margin business where wages are the largest controllable line, the tool that is cheaper for your specific shape, and that your crew will actually open, is the one that pays. On AI, both are honest and shallow; neither is trying to out-forecast a restaurant-native tool.

Homebase compared with When I Work, dimension by dimension
	Homebase	When I Work
Pricing model	HomebasePer location. A genuinely usable free Basic tier for a single location, then paid plans (Essentials, Plus, All-in-One) from roughly $24 to $96 per month per location billed annually, with payroll a separate add-on. The bill tracks your number of sites, not your crew size. Confirm current pricing with the vendor.	When I WorkPer user. Plans start around $2.50 per user per month, with the time clock typically an added per-user cost, so the bill tracks headcount and climbs across multiple locations. Confirm current pricing with the vendor.
Free tier	HomebaseYes, and it is the draw. A single-location operator can run scheduling, a time clock, and messaging on the free Basic tier indefinitely, paying only when they want payroll, hiring, or the advanced tools.	When I WorkNo free tier. Pricing starts at the per-user plan, so even the smallest team pays from day one, though a very small crew can still land cheaper than a paid per-location plan.
Scope beyond scheduling	HomebaseAll-in-one workforce. Scheduling, time clock, payroll, and hiring live in one app, so a small operator can run most of their labor admin without stitching separate tools together.	When I WorkFocused. Scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging are the core; payroll and the rest are handled through integrations, which keeps the app simpler but means more pieces to connect.
Forecasting and AI depth	HomebaseAI-assisted scheduling that auto-builds shifts from staff availability and labor budgets, plus AI-assisted hiring. Much of the platform (GPS and photo time clock, overtime alerts, shift reminders) is straightforward automation, not AI.	When I WorkRules-based auto-scheduling, labor forecasting, and overtime alerts, kept intentionally light. Neither tool matches a restaurant-specific forecaster like 7shifts here; both are shallow on AI, and both are honest about it.
Time clock and buddy punching	HomebaseA mobile and kiosk time clock with GPS, photo verification, and PIN codes to stop buddy punching, plus overtime alerts, aimed at tightening labor cost right at the punch.	When I WorkA built-in time clock with scheduling and messaging attached; solid for tracking hours, though the anti-buddy-punching controls are lighter than Homebase's kiosk and photo setup.

Homebase profile When I Work profile Scheduling buyer guide

The verdict

Which one, and the catch either way.

Bottom line

Both are generic hourly-workforce apps, not restaurant-specific ones (if you want that, 7shifts is the purpose-built option), so the choice here is really about pricing shape and how much you want in one app. Pick Homebase if you run a single location or a small group and want scheduling, a time clock, payroll, and hiring in one low-cost or free app, with the per-location model working in your favor as the crew grows. Pick When I Work if you want a cleaner, more focused scheduler with messaging, are comfortable handling payroll through integrations, and the per-user math beats a per-location plan for your headcount. In a sector running a roughly 4% quits rate and made up overwhelmingly of small-business operators, the right answer is usually the tool your team will actually use and you can actually afford. Whichever you land on, neither runs the guest-facing side of the restaurant.

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Questions

What buyers ask.

Homebase or When I Work for a small restaurant?

Both work, and the deciding factor is pricing shape. Homebase bills per location and has a free single-location tier, so a small independent can run scheduling, a time clock, and messaging at no cost and add payroll later. When I Work bills per user, which can be cheaper for a very small crew but climbs as you add staff or sites. Map your headcount and locations against each model before deciding.

Is Homebase really free?

The Basic tier is genuinely free for a single location and covers scheduling, a time clock, and team messaging. Payroll, hiring, and the advanced scheduling and compliance tools sit on the paid plans (roughly $24 to $96 per month per location billed annually). It is a real free tier, not a trial, though multi-location and payroll are where the cost comes in. Confirm current pricing with the vendor.

Do I need a restaurant-specific tool like 7shifts instead?

If tip pooling, restaurant payroll, and POS-fed demand forecasting matter to you, a purpose-built tool like 7shifts (55,000 restaurants / 1.5M workers) will fit a kitchen better than either general app. If you mainly need clean scheduling, a time clock, and low cost, Homebase or When I Work are simpler and often cheaper.

Keep comparing

Other scheduling matchups.

7shifts vs HotSchedules 7shifts vs Homebase When I Work vs 7shifts Deputy vs 7shifts Sling vs Homebase HotSchedules vs Homebase

References

Every figure on this page drills down.

4 sourced statistics cited here across 4 publications. Each number links to the research hub, and each entry there links out to its primary source.

Term Labor cost percentage Tool Homebase Tool When I Work Tool 7shifts

Your next service / Ready when you are

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