When I Work alternatives: 3 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
Schedules, availability and manager-approved swaps for 30 people; the time clock costs extra.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup, then invite employees by email or phone to the web, iOS and Android apps
dataSchedules, availability, requests and messages in Sling's cloud account; schedules and many records export as CSV or XLS
vs When I WorkIt covers scheduling for thirty users but the free plan omits the time clock and several labor-management features.
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-11
A small roster, availability form and approved shift trades for one 15-person location.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup for one restaurant location, then invite staff to the web and mobile apps
dataEmployee profiles, schedules, availability, time-off and communications in 7shifts' cloud, with selected reports and export tools
vs When I WorkThe free plan is restaurant-specific, limited to one location and fifteen employees, and lacks a free time clock.
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-11
Scheduling, availability and shift changes for ten people; employee eleven ends the free plan.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup, then invite staff to the web and mobile apps
dataEmployee records, documents, schedules and time data in Connecteam's cloud; schedules and timesheets export to Excel, PDF, CSV or payroll-specific files
vs When I WorkIt is clean for ten users, but employee eleven ends the free plan and the product is broader than a dedicated scheduler.
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-11
last updated 2026-08-11 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Findmyshift FreeFree forever for five staff, but one week of forward planning and no shift templates is too cramped for an ongoing roster.
Homebase BasicThe free schedule is real, but availability, time-off requests and shift trades require a paid plan.
Jibble SchedulingThe scheduling product still says Coming soon.
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, ios, android | — | — |
| 7shifts Comp | proprietary, free | they host it | web, ios, android | — | — |
| Connecteam Small Business Plan | proprietary, free | they host it | web, ios, android | — | — |
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. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $30 a year.
Is there a free alternative to When I Work?
Yes: Sling Free, 7shifts Comp, Connecteam Small Business Plan. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own When I Work?
Our verdict is KINDA. 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. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at canivibecodeit.com/when-i-work.
