When I Work vs Hubstaff

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Our analysts compared When I Work vs Hubstaff based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Time and Attendance Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

When I Work is a cloud-based platform that helps design, communicate and track work schedules for hourly workers. It replaces the hassle of spreadsheets and paper schedules with a user-friendly interface for creating and publishing schedules in minutes. You get features like drag-and-drop tools, schedule and timesheet templates, customizable automation, and reporting.

It offers built-in time tracking, communication tools and payroll integrations. Employees can clock in and out directly through the native app. They can also swap shifts and submit time-off requests from their profiles. It lets you access timesheets, identify labor cost trends and control overtime expenses.

Team messaging helps you coordinate staff members and avoid over or understaffing during peak seasons. While pricing varies based on company size and required features, the platform offers a free trial and multiple subscription tiers. This allows you to choose a plan that fits your budget and specific needs.

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Hubstaff is a time-tracking SaaS with a focus on remote work. Beyond simple punch-in and punch-out, it includes a robust accountability framework, including activity logging, screenshot taking and geofencing. Managers can build employee schedules and organize tasks while monitoring the productivity of each employee and project. It seamlessly turns logged hours into timesheets and reports, enabling payroll fulfillment and business insights.

It helps home healthcare agencies by tracking bills, time spent and manages payments while setting payment rates for each employee. It offers mobile support for iOS and Android for off-site or variable-site labor. It is deployable on Mac, Windows or Linux, and has a browser version. It has a variant pricing scale, from free to premium, with more functionality added at higher prices.
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$2.50/User, Monthly
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$4.99/User, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
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Chromebook
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Mac
Linux
Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
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Live Online
Videos
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Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Top-Ranked Scheduling Solution: When I Work stands out as a leader in employee scheduling, with an analyst rating of 85 in our research. This puts it alongside industry heavyweights like Deputy (87) and 7Shifts (86). It offers a comprehensive set of features, including scheduling, time tracking and team communications, all of which are ready to use immediately, reducing setup time.
  • Effortless Shift Management: Our research shows that When I Work offers 96% of tools for creating and managing employee shifts out-of-the-box. These include everything from creating recurring shift templates and customizing layouts to features like open shift bidding and automatic vacant shift assignment. You can also add feedback, task notes, swap shifts and receive automated reminders.
  • Powerful Mobile App: The mobile app keeps everything you need for streamlined scheduling at your fingertips. It offers mobile scheduling, time tracking, geofencing, customizable push notifications and built-in chat for easy team communication.
  • Seamless Integrations: When I Work scored 92 for integrations in our analysis, effortlessly connecting with a wide range of business tools. These include accounting solutions like QuickBooks Online, Google and Apple Calendars, HR and payroll software like Rippling and Gusto, Square POS systems, and integration platforms as a service (iPaaS) such as Zapier and Tray.io.
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  • Track Employee Productivity: Managers can evaluate and check that their employees are being efficient and productive on the clock. Activity logging, screenshots and geofencing increase employee accountability and allow managers to take action when standards aren’t being met.  
  • Gain Operations Insight: Managers can evaluate projects, tasks, employees and overall operations through metrics. Visibility into the time spent on projects allows for more accurate time and funds budgeting, and employee productivity metrics ensure the validity of data or give insight on how efficiency can be optimized. 
  • Optimize Employee Organization: Employee scheduling and task assigning allow managers to build employee schedules and handle projects. A visual employee schedule lets managers fill in gaps and account for time off.  
  • Save Time: Managers spend less time organizing employees and evaluating their operations. Customizable reports give them easy access to essential metrics, while intuitive, centralized scheduling and tasking makes tweaking and adjusting a straightforward process. 
  • Save Money: Scaled pricing lets businesses decide what level of time tracking they need and what they can afford. A free version is passable for some businesses, while some need more robust accountability features. Businesses also benefit from automating payroll, time off and project costing to accurately handle finances. 
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  • Employee Scheduling: Create work schedules in one click based on employee availability and eligibility. View team availability, manage time off and track shift trades from one place. Allow employees to pick up and trade shifts while boosting workplace efficiency and productivity. Schedule multiple teams across job sites while preventing unnecessary overtime.
  • Time and Attendance: Track attendance, time off and breaks while turning any internet-connected device into an online time clock. Integrate schedules to control costs while applying pay rules. Implement an online time clock with a GPS facility for uniform clock-ins and outs across devices. Let remote employees log in and out using any device while receiving attendance data in real time.
  • Timesheets: Record weekly attendance changes into timesheets while setting differential pay rates for multiple positions. Monitor labor costs while auditing time records with labor distribution reports. Audit and approve timesheets from mobile or desktop while preventing overtime before it happens. Configure paid and unpaid breaks on schedule and time clock.
  • Shift Planning: Plan, swap and approve shifts using a mobile or desktop while empowering teams to collaborate on schedules. Ensure cost-effective shift coverage while creating schedules that work for the entire team.
  • Scalability: Start with a single team or location and scale to multiple teams across geographical locations as per business growth. Schedule multiple teams across various job sites.
  • Push Notifications: Send important messages to the entire staff in one go. Employees get email and text alerts for missed logins or outs. Notify all employees when you update or create new schedules.
  • Geo Check-In: Use GPS tracking and live map views to ensure that employees log in from their designated job sites. Monitor field staff’s real-time location, eliminating the need for employees to update their locations constantly in the office.
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  • Timesheets: Timesheets are automatically built from employee punch-ins and punch-outs from applications or browsers. Timesheets can be edited by employees and approved or rejected by employers.  
  • Project Tracking: Time tracking can be broken down by project and task so employers can see exactly how much time is spent on each task. Individual tasks can be created by workers in-app while on the clock. 
  • Activity Tracking: Managers can track employee activity through keystrokes and mouse motion. Activity is displayed as a percentage, tracking activity for each second over a 10-minute period.  
  • Mobile Support: Mobile apps for iOS and Android allow employee tracking on the go. It can run in the background and relies on geofencing features to ensure employee productivity rather than activity levels. 
  • Scheduling: Managers can set team schedules and set employee shifts. Shifts can include hour limits, to-dos and specific task assignments. 
  • Payroll Management: It can utilize an employee’s timesheet and set pay rates to calculate paychecks. Reports of payments are automatically generated. Integrations allow pay issues to be handled completely automatically. 
  • Screenshots: The software allows for up to three screenshots to be taken within a 10-minute interval. Users and managers alike can see what screenshots were taken, and the feature is optional. 
  • Geofencing: Location services on mobile devices allow the app to track employee location and ensure they aren’t clocking in off-site. 
  • Reporting: Customizable reports give managers overarching views of their business and operations. Attendance, time off, locations and productivity trends can all be provided.  
  • Time Off Management: The software can implement time off policies, including holidays. Workers can have unique time off policies, and time off can be set by annual rates, accrual and negative balances. It also accounts for holidays. These can be implemented directly into the employee schedule.  
  • Notes: Managers and employees can leave notes on timesheet modifications, to-dos and others. Notes can be used to explain why a timesheet was altered, update progress on a project or leave a paper trail of any issues encountered. 
  • Integrations: More than 30 integrations allow in-depth and robust functionality. Integrations with platforms like Quickbooks enable payroll automation, and connections with Trello and others increase project tracking. 
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Product Ranking

#12

among all
Time and Attendance Software

#41

among all
Time and Attendance Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

79
69
83
33
78
86
98
72
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Employee Scheduling
Mobile Capabilities
Mobile Capabilities
Dashboards & Reporting

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

When I Work
Hubstaff
+ Add Product + Add Product
Compliance Dashboards & Reporting Employee Scheduling Leave & Absence Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Project Tracking Time Clocks Time Tracking 83 78 98 80 89 84 81 41 75 33 86 72 70 88 74 73 21 83 0 25 50 75 100
83%
0%
17%
17%
0%
83%
78%
0%
22%
89%
0%
11%
100%
0%
0%
67%
11%
22%
80%
0%
20%
70%
0%
30%
86%
0%
14%
86%
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14%
86%
0%
14%
57%
29%
14%
83%
0%
17%
33%
67%
0%
40%
0%
60%
20%
0%
80%
75%
0%
25%
83%
0%
17%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

63%
0%
37%
38%
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62%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1454 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 2832 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

When I Work has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 1454 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

91%
of users recommend this product

Hubstaff has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 2832 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (11)
n/a
4.4 (286)
4.5 (1260)
n/a
4.6 (1501)
4.5 (1093)
n/a
n/a
4.7 (3)
4.4 (64)
3.6 (68)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated When I Work and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Compliance. When I Work stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Compliance Award

Hubstaff stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Intuitive and Efficient: Users appreciate the user-friendly interface and comprehensive features that centralize managing all scheduling needs from a single app.
Prompt Customer Support: Users report getting timely and helpful assistance from the vendor’s support team through live chat and email.
Enhanced Employee Experience: The app boosts staff productivity by offering them flexible tools to control their work schedules.
Improved Integration and Accessibility: Most users have had a positive experience connecting the platform with other necessary third-party tools.
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Timesheet Automation: Hubstaff can automatically track time spent on tasks and projects, eliminating the need for manual timesheets. Hubstaff can also take randomized screenshots to help verify work hours.
Payroll and Invoicing: Hubstaff simplifies payroll and invoicing processes by automatically calculating employee hours and generating invoices based on tracked time. Hubstaff also offers integrations with popular payroll and accounting software.
Project Budgeting: Hubstaff helps businesses stay within budget by providing real-time insights into project costs. Hubstaff can also send alerts when projects are nearing their budget limits.
GPS Tracking: Hubstaff offers GPS tracking features for mobile teams, allowing businesses to monitor employee locations and ensure they are where they need to be. Hubstaff can also track mileage for expense reimbursement purposes.
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Pricing and Transparency Issues: Users have complained about the vendor’s pricing practices, which include hidden costs and a lack of clear information before signing up.
App Glitches: Users reported issues with iPhone and Android apps, particularly with tasks like staff punch-ins and location tracking using the phone’s GPS.
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Limited Customization: Hubstaff's reporting features may not be customizable enough for some users' needs, especially when it comes to exporting data in specific formats or generating custom reports.
Potential Privacy Concerns: Features like activity monitoring and screenshots can raise privacy concerns among employees, potentially leading to a sense of micromanagement and distrust.
Mobile App Limitations: The mobile app may lack some of the functionality available on the desktop version, which can be inconvenient for users who rely on their mobile devices for time tracking and task management.
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According to the reviews, users praise When I Work’s user-friendly design and all-in-one features for scheduling and time tracking. The customer support team is another win — responsive and helpful via chat and email. However, the pricing structure is a point of contention for some users, with complaints about hidden fees and a lack of transparency before signing up.What truly set it apart was its affordability for small and medium businesses. The starter plan, costing just $1.50 per location per month, offers unlimited employee scheduling and auto-scheduling — features usually reserved for top-tier plans in competitors like 7Shift and Homebase.However, communication features are restricted. During testing, I could send individual and group messages, but there's no bulletin board or newsfeed functionality, and message read receipts are absent.Security is another concern. The platform lacks biometric clock-in options, opening the door to potential time theft through buddy punching. Additionally, it doesn’t support geofencing or GPS tracking. I couldn’t remotely track staff shifts to ensure they were following established procedures.Overall, When I Work offers a compelling solution for small and medium businesses with a user-friendly interface, robust features and a budget-friendly starter plan. However, be mindful of the pricing concerns and other limitations, which can be a problem for growing teams and businesses.

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Hubstaff, a time-tracking and productivity management software, has attracted a range of feedback from users. While many appreciate its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, some have expressed concerns about its integration capabilities and customer support. Let's delve into the specifics. Hubstaff's strengths lie in its detailed time tracking, insightful productivity analytics, and robust reporting tools. Users find these features particularly helpful for understanding where time is spent, identifying areas for improvement, and making informed decisions. The software's ability to track employee activity, including apps used and URLs visited, provides valuable insights into work patterns and potential distractions. Additionally, Hubstaff's project management capabilities, such as Kanban boards and agile project management tools, enable teams to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration. However, some users have noted that Hubstaff's integration with other systems could be improved, limiting its compatibility with existing workflows. Additionally, there have been some reports of inconsistent customer support experiences. Hubstaff is well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses, especially those with remote teams or a need for precise project budget management. Its features cater to the specific challenges of managing a distributed workforce, providing transparency and accountability. However, larger enterprises with more complex requirements may find Hubstaff's functionality somewhat limited and may need to explore more robust solutions that offer greater customization and integration options. As the software landscape evolves rapidly, it's always recommended to check for the latest updates and reviews to make informed decisions.

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