Sling vs When I Work: Pricing, Free Plans and Which One Delivers More

Sling vs When I Work: What Sets Them Apart

Sling gives you scheduling for 30 users at zero cost. When I Work charges from the first user but includes time tracking and messaging in every plan. The free-vs-paid tradeoff is the core of this comparison.

Sling was acquired by Toast in 2022 and continues to operate as a standalone product with tighter restaurant integrations. When I Work stays industry-neutral. This page covers pricing, feature gaps, and where each platform underdelivers based on actual user feedback.

Sling Overview

Sling started as a budget-friendly scheduling tool and joined the Toast ecosystem in 2022. The free plan covers up to 30 users with shift scheduling, time-off requests, and team messaging. That makes it one of the most generous free tiers in the space.

Paid plans are priced aggressively: Premium at $1.70/user/month (annual) adds time tracking, overtime alerts, and labor cost reporting. Business at $3.40/user/month adds advanced scheduling, task management, and kiosk clock-in. A 30-person team on the Business plan pays about $102/month.

The Toast acquisition means restaurant-specific POS integrations are getting tighter. For non-restaurant businesses, Sling still works but the roadmap increasingly favors food service.

When I Work Overview

When I Work takes a focused approach: scheduling, time clock, and team messaging in one clean interface. No hiring, no payroll processing, no HR compliance. The product does three things and does them without clutter.

No free plan exists. Pricing runs $2.50-3/user/month for single-location scheduling, $5/user/month for multi-location. A 14-day trial lets you test before committing. The per-user model means costs scale predictably - a 30-person team pays $75-150/month.

Reviewers consistently praise the scheduling interface as one of the fastest to learn. The main complaints: no offline mode, clock-in freezes on poor connections, and no phone support.

Sling Pricing vs When I Work Pricing

This is where Sling holds a clear advantage. A 20-person team on Sling Premium pays $34/month. The same team on When I Work Standard pays $50-60/month. On the free plan, Sling costs nothing for basic scheduling; When I Work costs $50-60/month for the equivalent.

The gap narrows at higher tiers. Sling Business at $3.40/user is close to When I Work at $2.50-5/user. But Sling gates time tracking behind the paid plan, while When I Work includes it from the start. If time tracking is essential, the free plan advantage disappears.

Scheduling and Time Tracking

When I Work includes scheduling, time clock, and shift swapping on every plan. The auto-scheduler factors in availability, labor rules, and overtime thresholds. Shift trading between employees can be set to require manager approval or run automatically.

Sling includes scheduling on the free plan but reserves the time clock for Premium and above. If you need employees to clock in and out through the app, the free plan will not cover it. The scheduling interface itself is clean but less polished than When I Work according to side-by-side reviews.

For restaurants already using Toast, Sling pulls sales data for labor forecasting on the Business tier - a feature When I Work does not match.

Integrations and Ecosystem

Sling integrates with Toast POS natively and connects to other systems through Zapier. The Toast integration is the strongest selling point for restaurant operators already in that ecosystem. Outside of Toast, the integration options are limited.

When I Work has a broader integration marketplace: Square, Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks, Paychex, and others. For businesses that need scheduling data to flow into an existing payroll or POS system, When I Work offers more flexibility out of the box.

Why Shifton Is Worth Considering as a Sling Alternative and When I Work Alternative

Sling gates time tracking behind paid plans. When I Work has no free tier at all. Shifton includes scheduling, time tracking, task management, and reporting on every plan - including the free one.

Free for up to 10 users with full feature access. Paid plans start with a 30-day trial. Available in 40+ languages, serving 100+ industries. No per-location charges, no feature tiers that force upgrades for basic functionality like time tracking.

For teams that want a complete scheduling toolkit without choosing between free-but-limited and paid-but-focused, Shifton covers the gap.

Who Should Choose What

Sling is the obvious pick for restaurants on Toast that want free scheduling for up to 30 users. The Toast integration and aggressive pricing make it hard to beat in that specific niche. Just know that time tracking costs extra and the product roadmap favors food service.

When I Work is the better choice for multi-industry teams that need scheduling, time tracking, and messaging in one tool from day one. The per-user pricing is predictable, the interface is fast, and the integrations are broader.

Shifton makes sense if you want time tracking included on the free plan, support for 40+ languages, and no feature gating. Free for up to 10 users, 30-day trial on paid plans, used across 100+ industries.

The Bottom Line

Sling wins on price for restaurants. When I Work wins on completeness for everyone else. If neither model works for your team, Shifton offers all features on every plan - free for up to 10 users with no industry restrictions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sling still a separate product after Toast acquired it?

Yes. Sling continues to operate as a standalone scheduling platform. The Toast acquisition in 2022 added tighter POS integration for restaurants but did not merge or sunset the product.

Does Sling free plan include time tracking?

No. The free plan covers scheduling, time-off requests, and messaging for up to 30 users. Time tracking, overtime alerts, and labor cost reporting require the Premium plan at $1.70/user/month.

Which is better for non-restaurant businesses?

When I Work. It is industry-neutral with broader integrations. Sling increasingly focuses on restaurant workflows through the Toast ecosystem. For businesses outside food service, When I Work or Shifton are better fits.

Can Shifton replace Sling or When I Work?

For scheduling, time tracking, and team management - yes. Shifton includes all three on every plan, including the free tier for up to 10 users. It does not have Toast POS integration (Sling advantage) but covers more industries and languages.