Homebase vs When I Work
Short answer: Homebase costs less for one location of 10 or fewer people who need just the schedule: its Basic plan is free, and When I Work has no free plan. For the time clock, labor reports and paid time off at one location, When I Work costs less up to 47 people: $2.50 a user, against $120 a month for Homebase All-in-One.
Shift Amp schedules your whole team for free, at any size and at every location. Pro adds the time clock, labor reports and paid time off for $2 a member a month, with no location fees.
Head to head
| Homebase | When I Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Basic: 1 location, up to 10 employees (stronger) | None; a 14-day free trial |
| How it’s priced | Per location, unlimited employees on paid plans | Per user: $2.50, or $5 with several locations |
| Labor reports | All-in-One, $120 a location | Every plan, from $2.50 a user |
| 25 people at 1 location, with reports | $120 a month on All-in-One | $62.50 a month (stronger) |
| 60 people at 1 location, with reports | $120 a month on All-in-One (stronger) | $150 a month |
| 25 people at 3 locations, with reports | $360 a month on All-in-One | $125 a month (stronger) |
Which to choose
Homebase, When I Work or Shift Amp?
Here’s who each one suits.
Choose Homebase if…
- You run one location with 10 or fewer people and need just the schedule and a time clock. Homebase Basic covers both for free.
- You have a large team at one location and need labor reports. All-in-One is $120 a month per location, whatever the headcount, so from 49 people it costs less than When I Work.
Choose When I Work if…
- You need the time clock, labor reports and paid time off for fewer than 48 people at one location. When I Work is $2.50 a user, against $120 a month on Homebase All-in-One.
- You run several small locations. When I Work’s $5 a user costs less than $120 per location while each site has fewer than 24 people.
- You want shift trades, availability and automatic scheduling on the entry plan. When I Work includes them from $2.50 a user.
Choose Shift Amp if…
- You want your whole team on the schedule for free, whether that’s 8 people or 80, at one location or ten. Shift Amp’s Free plan has no cap.
- You want shift swaps, availability, open shifts and messaging included. They’re all on the Free plan.
- You want the time clock, a kiosk, labor reports and paid time off without a location fee. Pro is $2 a member a month, less than When I Work’s $2.50.
- You want to try everything first. Every new team gets 14 days of everything, Pro included.
No credit card required.
Pricing
Is Homebase cheaper than When I Work?
It depends on your team size, your locations and what you need. Try your numbers, with Shift Amp alongside.
What you need
Monthly cost for 20 people
$96 a month billed annually
$2.50 a user a month
$2 per member a month, with no location fees
When I Work costs less than Homebase here: $50 a month against $120. Shift Amp Pro comes to $40, $10 a month less than When I Work.
| Team size | Homebase | When I Work | Shift Amp | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | All-in-One | One location | Several locations | Free | Pro | |
| 5 people | $0 | $120 | $12.50 | $25 | $0 | $10 |
| 10 people | $0 | $120 | $25 | $50 | $0 | $20 |
| 15 people | Over the 10-user cap | $120 | $37.50 | $75 | $0 | $30 |
| 25 people | Over the 10-user cap | $120 | $62.50 | $125 | $0 | $50 |
| 50 people | Over the 10-user cap | $120 | $125 | $250 | $0 | $100 |
| What’s included | 1 location, up to 10 employees. Basic scheduling, time clock and messaging. | Unlimited employees. Labor cost reports, paid time off, onboarding and HR. | Scheduling, time clock, messaging and labor reports. | Adds unlimited locations, labor sharing and custom reports. | The schedule, swaps, messaging and shift tasks, at any team size. | Adds the time clock, timesheets, labor reports and paid time off. $2 a member. |
Homebase prices each location, with unlimited employees on paid plans; availability, time-off requests and shift trades start on Essentials, $30 a month per location. Billed annually, All-in-One is $96 a month per location. When I Work takes 5% off for annual billing, paid up front, and doesn’t refund cancellations.
Feature by feature
How do the features compare?
We show Homebase on its free Basic plan and on All-in-One, the plan with its labor cost reports, and When I Work on its plans for one location and for several. Where a feature needs a paid plan, we name the plan.
| Feature | HomebaseBasic and All-in-One | When I WorkOne location and Several locations | Shift AmpFree and Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | |||
| Schedule builderBuild the week, then publish it. | Free Basic plan | Every plan | Free plan |
| AvailabilitySee who can work while you place shifts. | Essentials and up | Every plan | Free plan |
| Shift swapsYour team trades shifts in the app. | Essentials and up | Every plan | Free plan |
| Open shiftsPost shifts your team can claim. | Essentials and up | Every plan | Free plan |
| Time tracking | |||
| Mobile time clockClock in from a phone. | Free Basic plan | Every plan, with GPS | Pro |
| Kiosk time clockA shared device by the door. | Free Basic plan | Every plan | Pro |
| GeofencingCheck where people clock in. | Essentials and up | GPS clock-in, every plan | Pro |
| Attendance trackingNo-shows, sick days and late arrivals. | Plus and up | Every plan | No-shows and sick days on Free, full tracking on Pro |
| Labor costs | |||
| Labor reportsHours and wages over any period. | All-in-One | Standard reports, every plan | Pro |
| Paid time off balancesApprove time off against what is left. | Plus and up | Every plan | Pro |
| Team | |||
| Group messagingThreads for a team or location. | Free Basic plan | Every plan | Free plan |
| Shift tasksAttach the work to the shift. | Add-on, $13 a location | Every plan | Free plan |
| iOS and Android appsFor managers and their teams. | Every plan | Every plan | Free plan |
Why Shift Amp
Where Shift Amp comes out ahead
Whether you run one small location or several, here’s where you get more for less.
Free for your whole team
- Shift Amp
- Free for the schedule at any team size, at every location.
- Homebase
- Free for one location of up to 10 employees.
- When I Work
- No free plan. $2.50 a user from the first.
Swaps and availability included
- Shift Amp
- Both on the Free plan, with open shifts and messaging.
- Homebase
- Shift trades, open shifts and availability start on Essentials, $30 a month per location.
- When I Work
- Included, on a paid plan from $2.50 a user.
Reports without a location fee
- Shift Amp
- $2 a member for the time clock, labor reports and paid time off, at any number of locations.
- Homebase
- Labor cost reports come with All-in-One, $120 a month per location.
- When I Work
- $2.50 a user, or $5 with several locations.
No credit card required.
Switching
From Homebase or When I Work to Shift Amp
Three steps, and you can run both for a week before you move everyone over.
- 1
Start your free account
Add your locations and positions. No credit card needed.
- 2
Bring your team over
Export your team list, save it as a CSV and import it, up to 200 people per file.
- 3
Build and publish the week
Rebuild your current week once, save it as a template, then publish.
FAQ
Homebase vs When I Work, answered.
Is Homebase cheaper than When I Work?
For one location of 10 or fewer people who need just the schedule, yes: Homebase Basic is free, and When I Work has no free plan. With the time clock and labor reports, When I Work usually costs less: $2.50 a user at one location, against $120 a month per location on Homebase All-in-One, which costs less only from 49 people at one location.
How does Shift Amp compare to Homebase and When I Work?
Shift Amp is free for the schedule at any team size, with shift swaps, availability, open shifts, messaging and shift tasks included. Pro adds the time clock, labor reports and paid time off balances for $2 a member a month, with no location fees.
Is Homebase free?
Yes, for one location of up to 10 employees, on its Basic plan, which includes basic scheduling and a time clock. Its paid plans cost $30, $70 or $120 a month per location, with unlimited employees.
Does When I Work have a free plan?
No. It has a 14-day free trial with no credit card, then $2.50 a user for one location or $5 for several.
Want more detail? Read our guide, When I Work vs Homebase: Do You Need HR Tools Too?.
Try Shift Amp on your week.
Scheduling is free for your whole team at any size, and every new team gets 14 days of everything, Pro included.
No credit card required.
How we compared
Facts verified . We checked each product’s public plans and features using the vendors’ own pricing pages and help centers. Homebase and When I Work are trademarks of their owners. Shift Amp is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.
Sources
- Homebase, Pricing. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Homebase, Free Employee Time Clock. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- When I Work, Pricing. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- When I Work, Switching to a Different Plan. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- When I Work, Setting Up a Time Clock Terminal. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- When I Work, Terms of Service. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
- Shift Amp, Pricing. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.