Sling vs When I Work
Scheduling & Staffing · Features checked on the official websites, Oct 2026.
Verdict
Pick Sling if you want to schedule up to 30 people for free and pay only when you need time tracking or labor-cost tools. Pick When I Work if you want messaging, shift swaps and forecast tools on every paid plan with no contract, starting at $2.50 per user.
Who it's for
Sling
Small restaurants, bars and cafés that want a free scheduling plan.
When I Work
Hourly teams across one or more locations that want a simple paid app with no contract.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Sling | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model (checked Oct 2026) | Per user: Free, Premium $2.00, Business $4.00 /user/mo ($1.70 / $3.40 billed annually) | Per user: Essentials $2.50, Pro $5, Premium $8 /user/mo |
| Free plan | Y (scheduling for up to 30 users) | N (no free tier) |
| Free trial | 15-day trial | Two-week free trial, no credit card |
| Shift scheduling | Yes | Y (auto scheduling, schedule templates, multi-week scheduling) |
| Team messaging | Private messaging free; group messaging on Premium | Y (in-app team messaging on every plan) |
| Time tracking | Y (Premium and up) | Time Tracking & Attendance is a toggle you add to each plan |
| Labor cost vs sales | Y (Premium and up) | Forecast tools on every plan; custom unit forecasting on Pro |
| PTO requests | Y (Business) | Not highlighted |
| Contract | See vendor terms | No contracts; switch plans or cancel anytime |
✓ Yes = advertised on the vendor's official website (checked Oct 2026). "Not highlighted" means we didn't see it on the main product page. It may exist, so confirm with the vendor. Prices shown were read on each vendor's official pricing page (checked Oct 2026) and change often, so confirm current pricing with the vendor before you buy.
Sources
FAQ
Is Sling or When I Work better?
Pick Sling if you want to schedule up to 30 people for free and pay only when you need time tracking or labor-cost tools. Pick When I Work if you want messaging, shift swaps and forecast tools on every paid plan with no contract, starting at $2.50 per user.
Who should choose Sling?
Small restaurants, bars and cafés that want a free scheduling plan.
Who should choose When I Work?
Hourly teams across one or more locations that want a simple paid app with no contract.
How much do Sling and When I Work cost?
The pricing rows in the table above were read on the official Sling and When I Work pricing pages (checked Oct 2026). Prices change often and some plans are quote-based, so confirm on each vendor's official pricing page before you buy.
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