Compare/Head to head

Tickin vs When I Work

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Tickin

$1.60/employee/mo Free tier

Attendance, breaks and leave tracked inside Slack or Microsoft Teams, with approvals in a tap and a daily who's-out report. Free for up to 10 employees, then from $1.60 per employee a month billed annually. Best for small remote and hybrid teams that want HR basics where they already chat.

Where Tickin fits

  • Remote and hybrid teams that already run their day in Slack
  • Small companies that want free attendance and leave for up to 10 people
  • Teams that want payroll fed by the same hours later

When I Work

$2.50/user/mo Free trial

Shift scheduling and time clocks for hourly teams. Essentials starts at $2.50/user/mo.

Where When I Work fits

  • Single-location hourly employers
  • Small retail, food, and healthcare teams
  • Managers who want clocks next to the roster
  • Teams feeding timesheets to Gusto, ADP, or QuickBooks

At a glance

DetailTickinWhen I Work
Starting price$1.60/employee/mo$2.50/user/mo
Free tier✓Yes–No
Free trialNot on recordYes
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underTime & attendance, Leave management, PayrollTime & attendance, Workforce management
CapterraNot enough reviews4.5 from 1,300 reviews

Where they pull apart

Tickin

Stands out: Everything runs from one /tickin command in Slack or Teams, so staff clock in and request leave where they already chat, and it is free for teams of up to 10.

Watch out: Microsoft Teams support is only on the $4.80 Scale plan, and paid prices are quoted billed annually. Payroll starts on Growth.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that do not use Slack or Teams
  • Microsoft Teams shops that want a cheap plan
  • Large enterprises that need an HRIS with deep integrations

When I Work

Stands out: A public $2.50/user/month seat for single-location scheduling, with payroll and POS connectors on paid plans.

Watch out: Multi-location work jumps to Pro at $5/user/month. Premium at $8 is the scaled tier. This is not an ATS.

Not the right fit for

  • Multi-brand restaurant groups that need 7shifts-style labor vs sales
  • Enterprise Fair Workweek programs
  • Buyers who need recruiting in the same app

Pros and cons

Tickin

  • Free for up to 10 employees
  • Works inside Slack with one /tickin command
  • Monitoring off by default
  • Microsoft Teams only on the Scale plan
  • Paid prices are billed annually
  • No published API

When I Work

  • Public start at $2.50/user/mo
  • Scheduling and clocks in one seat
  • Payroll connectors including ADP, Gusto, and QuickBooks
  • Paid seats begin at $2.50/user/mo rather than a free forever plan
  • Multi-location is a higher tier
  • No recruiting or ATS

What each one costs

Tickin

$1.60/employee/mo

Free covers attendance and leave for up to 10 employees, with no card. Starter is $1.60 per employee a month for any team size and adds overtime tracking, Growth is $2.40 and adds payroll, payslips, shift scheduling, multi-level approvals and CSV export, and Scale is $4.80 and adds projects and tasks, Microsoft Teams and weekly pay cycles. Paid prices are billed annually. Add-ons on paid plans include a desktop app with idle detection and GPS check-in, optional productivity monitoring and Tickin Meet video calls. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 30 Oct 2026

When I Work

$2.50/user/mo

Essentials from $2.50/user/mo, with a free trial. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 18 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Tickin cheaper than When I Work?
Tickin starts lower, at $1.60/employee/mo against $2.50/user/mo for When I Work. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Tickin or When I Work for free?
Tickin carries a free tier on our listing. When I Work offers a free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Tickin alternatives All When I Work alternatives Every Time & attendance tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 30 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?