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Restaurants · head to head

Lightspeed Restaurant vs When I Work

Lightspeed Restaurant logo

Lightspeed Restaurant

Restaurants

One restaurant POS to power it all

From
$69/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
When I Work logo

When I Work

Restaurants

Scheduling and time tracking made simple

From
$2.5/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lightspeed Restaurant starts at $69 a month for Starter, rising to $189 for Essential and $399 for Premium; 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: Lightspeed Restaurant covers Floor plan management, 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 Lightspeed Restaurant and When I Work actually diverge.

Attributes where Lightspeed Restaurant and When I Work differ
AttributeLightspeed RestaurantWhen I Work
Starting price$69/month$2.5/user/month
Founded20052010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Lightspeed Restaurant

  • Floor plan management
  • Tableside ordering
  • Menu management
  • Staff management
  • Delivery integration
  • Advanced reporting
  • Uber Eats
  • DoorDash

Only in When I Work

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

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Lightspeed Restaurant

  • 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 Lightspeed Restaurant
  • Time clock and timesheet capture for payrollnot Lightspeed Restaurant
  • Handling shift swaps, availability and time off requestsnot Lightspeed Restaurant

Where each one falls short

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

Lightspeed Restaurant

  • Starts at $69 a month for Starter, rising to $189 for Essential and $399 for Premium
  • The kitchen display system is charged separately at $30 per screen per month
  • Lightspeed Reservations, reservation integrations and Lightspeed Tasks are add-ons on every tier below Enterprise rather than included features
  • Integrated payments are fixed to a default configuration on Starter, with custom configuration only from Essential upwards
  • Card processing rates and hardware costs are not published, and the vendor notes prices vary by business and industry

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

Lightspeed Restaurant

$69/month
  • Starter$69/month
    • Customizable POS
    • Menu manager
    • Floor plans
  • Essential$189/month
    • All Starter features
    • Lightspeed AI
    • Tempo service pacing
  • Premium$399/month
    • All Essential features
    • Advanced inventory management
    • Raw API access

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 Lightspeed Restaurant if

  • You need floor plan management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tableside ordering.
Lightspeed Restaurant review

Choose When I Work if

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

Questions people ask

Is Lightspeed Restaurant or When I Work better?
Neither clearly leads. Lightspeed Restaurant starts at $69/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, Lightspeed Restaurant or When I Work?
Lightspeed Restaurant starts at $69/month and When I Work at $2.5/user/month.
Does Lightspeed Restaurant or When I Work run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Lightspeed Restaurant best used for?
Lightspeed Restaurant 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 Lightspeed Restaurant do that When I Work cannot?
Lightspeed Restaurant covers Floor plan management, Tableside ordering, Menu management, Staff management. When I Work covers Shift scheduling, Time clock, Team messaging, Availability management. Both handle QuickBooks, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lightspeed Restaurant: How much does Lightspeed Restaurant POS cost?

Pricing starts at $69 per month for the Starter plan, $189 for Essential, and $399 for Premium. Enterprise plans require custom quotes.

Source
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
Lightspeed Restaurant: What does the Kitchen Display System cost?

Kitchen Display System screens cost $30 per month and are available to add on any plan.

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
Lightspeed Restaurant: What's included in the Premium plan?

The Premium plan at $399 per month includes advanced inventory management, raw API access, full multi-location support, and revenue center customization for hotels.

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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