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Restaurants · head to head

Compeat vs When I Work

Compeat logo

Compeat

Restaurants

Restaurant back office and accounting

From
$350/month
Rated
-
When I Work logo

When I Work

Restaurants

Scheduling and time tracking made simple

From
$2.5/user/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Compeat the Internet Archive's capture of Compeat's homepage on 9 January 2020 confirmed the restaurant management suite is sold only via 'Request Demo', bundling distinct modules named Accounting, Inventory, Intelligence, Logbook, Labor, Schedule, Compeat Pay, Compeat Advantage and Ctuit Radar, with no price figure published for any.; When I Work aPI key access, webhooks and SAML single sign on require the Premium plan at $8 per user per month
  • They diverge on capability: Compeat covers Accounting, When I Work covers Shift scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Compeat and When I Work actually diverge.

Attributes where Compeat and When I Work differ
AttributeCompeatWhen I Work
Starting price$350/month$2.5/user/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19982010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Compeat

  • Accounting
  • Inventory
  • Recipe costing
  • Labor scheduling
  • AP/AR
  • Financial reporting
  • Major POS systems
  • Payroll providers

Only in When I Work

  • Shift scheduling
  • Time clock
  • Team messaging
  • Availability management
  • Shift swapping
  • Mobile apps
  • QuickBooks
  • ADP

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Compeat

  • Point of Salenot When I Work
  • Order Managementnot When I Work
  • Inventory Controlnot When I Work
  • Staff Schedulingnot When I Work

When I Work

  • Scheduling hourly shift workers across locationsnot Compeat
  • Time clock and timesheet capture for payrollnot Compeat
  • Handling shift swaps, availability and time off requestsnot Compeat

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Compeat

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Compeat's homepage on 9 January 2020 confirmed the restaurant management suite is sold only via 'Request Demo', bundling distinct modules named Accounting, Inventory, Intelligence, Logbook, Labor, Schedule, Compeat Pay, Compeat Advantage and Ctuit Radar, with no price figure published for any.

When I Work

  • API key access, webhooks and SAML single sign on require the Premium plan at $8 per user per month
  • Scheduling rules, role permissions and custom reporting require the Pro plan at $5 per user per month
  • There is no free plan; the trial lasts 14 days
  • Enterprise arrangements are priced by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Compeat

$350/month
  • Standard$350/month
    • Accounting
    • Inventory
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full features

When I Work

$2.5/user/month
  • Standard$2.5/user/month
    • Scheduling
    • Messaging
  • Advanced$6/user/month
    • Time clock
    • Labor forecasting

Which should you pick?

Choose Compeat if

  • You need accounting.
  • You also want inventory.

Choose When I Work if

  • You need shift scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time clock.

Questions people ask

Is Compeat or When I Work better?
Neither clearly leads. Compeat starts at $350/month and When I Work at $2.5/user/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Compeat or When I Work?
Compeat starts at $350/month and When I Work at $2.5/user/month.
Does Compeat or When I Work run on more platforms?
Compeat runs on Web. When I Work runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Compeat best used for?
Compeat is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what When I Work is typically brought in for.
What can Compeat do that When I Work cannot?
Compeat covers Accounting, Inventory, Recipe costing, Labor scheduling. When I Work covers Shift scheduling, Time clock, Team messaging, Availability management. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

When I Work: What is the pricing structure?

Plans start at $2.50 per user per month, billed in user tiers of five, with pricing that scales flexibly with team size.

Source
When I Work: Are there long-term contracts required?

No long-term contracts, no hidden surprises, and no enterprise-only paywalls. The platform scales as your business grows without binding agreements.

Source
When I Work: Is there a free trial available?

Try When I Work free for 14 days with full access to all core features. No credit card is required for the trial period.

Source
When I Work: Can I adjust or cancel my plan anytime?

You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time and adjust your plan at any time or use hibernation options during seasonal downtime.

Source
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