Can I vibecode When I Work?

KINDA · weekend project
price $2.5/moyou'd save $30/yrbuild time closest consolation build: multi-daycategory 🧑‍💼 hrreplaced by 0 people

The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For When I Work, build a small shift schedule, availability form, and swap approval workflow. The hard boundary is mobile apps, time clock, notifications, scheduling edge cases, and support, plus compliance, payroll, and regulated integrations.

the prompt
Build a personal replacement for When I Work in an empty repository.
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, and Docker Compose; do not offer alternative stacks.
The core loop is: build a small shift schedule, availability form, and swap approval workflow, maintain approvals and records, and export data without calculating payroll or making employment decisions.
Make the first run work locally with one documented command.
Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward.
Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials.
Implement employees, teams, roles, documents, leave requests, equipment, onboarding tasks, and acknowledgements.
Use least-privilege roles and log every read or change to sensitive records.
Add approval workflows, expiry reminders, export, retention, deletion holds, and encrypted backups.
Keep compensation fields optional and never calculate payroll, taxes, benefits, or statutory filings.
Provide a data dictionary and explain which fields should not be stored without legal review.
Ship Docker Compose, health checks, disaster recovery, and an emergency-access procedure.
Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states.
Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs.
Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path.
Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps.
Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane.
Deliberately leave out payroll calculation or money movement.
Deliberately leave out automated hiring decisions or applicant scoring.
Deliberately leave out tax, benefits, immigration, identity, and global-employment compliance.
Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter) or copy it raw · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR

why people still pay

People still pay for When I Work because HR platforms survive because mistakes affect pay, benefits, immigration, and legal obligations, not because forms are difficult to render. The recurring cost buys sensitive data, access, retention, audit, payroll calculations, filings, benefits, employment law, incident response, and support, not just the visible interface.

what you lose

xmobile apps, time clock, notifications, scheduling edge cases, and support

xpayroll rails

xtax and labor-law compliance

xbenefits integrations

xidentity checks and global employment infrastructure

share on X ↗"I just replaced When I Work ($2.5/mo) with one prompt"
the escape hatch

Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.

Sling FreeSchedules, availability and manager-approved swaps for 30 people; the time clock costs extra.$0free7shifts CompA small roster, availability form and approved shift trades for one 15-person location.$0freeConnecteam Small Business PlanScheduling, availability and shift changes for ten people; employee eleven ends the free plan.$0free

all 3 free alternatives to When I Work →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

the numbers

When I Work pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
essentials$2.50/user$2.38/userScheduling and team messaging; price per user/month
pro$5/user$4.75/userExpanded scheduling, controls, and reporting; price per user/month
premium$8/user$7.60/userAdvanced scheduling and workforce controls; price per user/month

free tierno free tier; 14-day trial with no card

billingmonthly + annual (annual is prepaid and 5% lower)

hidden costsTime Tracking & Attendance is a separately toggled add-on with no public price on the live plan table. Annual plans cannot reduce seats or downgrade until within 30 days of renewal, use manual renewal, and are non-refundable.

verified 2026-08-10 · source ↗

questions
Can I vibecode When I Work?

Kinda. The core of When I Work is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: mobile apps, time clock, notifications, scheduling edge cases, and support, payroll rails. Read the honest list above before committing.

How much does When I Work cost?

When I Work costs about $2.5/month (Essentials, checked 2026-07-31), which is $30 per year.

What do I lose by replacing When I Work?

Honestly: mobile apps, time clock, notifications, scheduling edge cases, and support; payroll rails; tax and labor-law compliance; benefits integrations; identity checks and global employment infrastructure. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to When I Work?

Yes: Sling Free (Schedules, availability and manager-approved swaps for 30 people; the time clock costs extra.) 7shifts Comp (A small roster, availability form and approved shift trades for one 15-person location.) Connecteam Small Business Plan (Scheduling, availability and shift changes for ten people; employee eleven ends the free plan.) All 3 curated free alternatives are at canivibecodeit.com/when-i-work/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.

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