Deputy vs When I Work vs Homebase: The Best Scheduling App for Hourly Teams

The cheapest published entry price among these three is Homebase's Basic plan at $0 for one location and up to 10 employees. Past that, the choice is about how you want to be billed: When I Work starts at $2.50 per user per month, Deputy at $5 per user per month, and Homebase at $30 per location per month with unlimited employees. All figures are as of 13 October 2026 and exclude taxes.

This comparison uses each vendor's own pricing page. We have not tested the apps, so feature descriptions are the vendors' claims.

Which scheduling app is best for an hourly team?

It depends on headcount and number of locations. For one location with 10 or fewer people, Homebase Basic costs nothing. For a 20 to 60 person team at one site, Homebase's per-location pricing is hard to beat. For multi-location operators who need forecasting, labor budgets and location hierarchies, Deputy's Core and Pro tiers are built for that, and When I Work sits in the middle on price.

How much do Deputy, When I Work and Homebase cost?

Deputy and When I Work charge per user. Homebase charges per location. That one difference swings the bill more than any feature.

Two things to watch. On Deputy, "all users/administrators/supervisors are considered users", so your managers count. On Homebase, the Plus plan is currently displayed at $0 under a limited-time promotion tied to adding payroll, so the real Plus price is the struck-through $70.

What does the bill look like at 20 and 60 people?

Here is the arithmetic from the published prices, before taxes and add-ons, assuming one location. Deputy Core and When I Work Pro are the middle tiers; Homebase Essentials is its entry paid plan and Plus its middle tier.

The gap widens with headcount because Homebase does not price by employee. The counter-case: per-user plans give you features Homebase's cheaper tiers lack. Deputy Core lists auto-scheduling, demand forecasting and labor budgets. Homebase puts labor cost management on its $120 All-in-One plan.

What features does each app offer?

Each vendor lists scheduling, time tracking and team messaging. Deeper tools split by tier.

Homebase also lists onboarding, HR and compliance tools in All-in-One, including onboarding packets and e-signing. Deputy sells HR as a $2 per user add-on.

Do these apps include payroll?

No. All three treat payroll as an extra.

• Deputy: Payroll enabled by Paycor is $8 per user per month plus a $49 monthly base fee, available on annual Core and Pro plans in the US. Deputy says it cuts payroll processing time by up to 50%, which is a company claim.
• Homebase: Payroll is a $49 monthly base fee plus $6 per month per employee paid, with the first six months free.
• When I Work: The pricing page lists payroll and POS integrations in Essentials and a partner offer of six free months of Rippling payroll for new customers.

If payroll is the bigger decision, compare the payroll vendors first. See Rippling vs Deel vs Gusto and Gusto vs ADP vs Paychex on cost. If you are still on spreadsheets, this payroll roundup covers what each tool publishes on price.

What other fees should you budget for?

Published add-ons change the total.

• Deputy: Messaging+ is $1.95 per user, Analytics+ is $1.50 per user, and HR is $2 per user, each billed monthly. Pro includes Analytics+ and Messaging+. SMS sent through the platform costs 1 cent per 160 characters in the US.
• Homebase: Tip Manager is $25 per location per month, Task Manager is $13 per location per month, background checks are $30 each, and the Hiring Assistant starts at $99 per month.
• When I Work: The pricing page shows a "Time Tracking & Attendance" toggle on each plan card with no price attached. Ask sales whether it changes your per-user rate.

A fully loaded Deputy Core seat with Messaging+, Analytics+ and HR is $6.50 + $1.95 + $1.50 + $2 = $11.95 per user per month on the published monthly rates, before payroll and taxes.

Do scheduling apps help with predictive scheduling laws?

They can make compliance easier, but the legal duty stays with you. Oregon's law applies to retail, hospitality and food services employers with at least 500 employees worldwide and requires a written schedule at least 14 calendar days in advance. Changes without that notice trigger extra pay: one hour of pay for added hours or shifts, and half the regular rate for each scheduled hour lost to a cancellation.

In New York City, the DCWP says fast food employers must give workers schedules 14 days in advance and pay premiums for schedule changes or clopenings.

Deputy lists "Labor Law Compliance" in Lite and "Advanced Labor Law Compliance" in Core. When I Work lists scheduling rules in Pro. Homebase lists alerts on labor law changes in All-in-One. None of these pages names Oregon or New York City, so ask each vendor to show you how its rules handle 14-day notice and premium-pay tracking before you buy.

Which one should you choose by company size?

• Under 10 employees, one site: Start with Homebase Basic. Move up when you hit 11 people or a second location, because the Basic plan is limited to one location and 10 employees.
• 10 to 50 employees, one or two sites: Compare Homebase Essentials against When I Work Pro on a real month of schedules. Homebase will be cheaper on the invoice; When I Work adds scheduling rules and custom reporting in Pro.
• Multi-site operators with managers across locations: Deputy Core or Pro. Location hierarchies and pay centers appear on Pro, and forecasting and labor budgets on Core.
• Larger groups needing SSO or an API: When I Work Premium (SAML/SSO, API key access, webhooks) or Deputy Pro (SSO).

If your scheduling app is one piece of a wider people-ops stack, the free HRMS options for small businesses is worth reading before you add another paid tool.

What's still unclear?

• When I Work's structure. The page's FAQ says pricing starts at $2.50 per user for single-location teams and $5 for multi-location businesses, while the plan cards list multi-location scheduling in Essentials. The Time Tracking & Attendance toggle has no price, yet the FAQ says every plan includes time and attendance.
• Homebase's billing label. The pricing page shows an annual toggle and a "Save 20%" badge but does not say whether the displayed numbers are monthly or annual rates.
• Deputy's trial. The pricing page gives 30-day trials for its add-ons but no stated length for the core plans.
• Real-world performance. This article compares published pricing and feature lists only. App reliability, support speed and mobile experience are not covered here, and they matter to hourly staff who clock in from a phone.
• Compliance coverage. The legal rules above are examples, not a full list of jurisdictions. Check your own state and city rules with official sources.