Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Lineup.ai vs When I Work

Lineup.ai logo

Lineup.ai

Restaurants

AI-powered restaurant forecasting

From
$79/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: Lineup.ai pricing is per location per month, costs increase with each additional location; 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: Lineup.ai covers AI sales forecasting, 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 Lineup.ai and When I Work actually diverge.

Attributes where Lineup.ai and When I Work differ
AttributeLineup.aiWhen I Work
Starting price$79/month$2.5/user/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20192010

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 Lineup.ai

  • AI sales forecasting
  • Labor optimization
  • Schedule suggestions
  • Weather integration
  • Event tracking
  • Reporting
  • Toast
  • 7shifts

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.

Lineup.ai

  • Forecasting restaurant sales and building labor schedulesnot When I Work

When I Work

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

Where each one falls short

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

Lineup.ai

  • Pricing is per location per month, costs increase with each additional location
  • No free tier available; only 30-day risk-free trial with refund guarantee

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

Lineup.ai

$79/month
  • Forecasts Only$79/month
    • Unlimited users and employees
    • Automated AI-generated forecasts
    • Custom Labor Allowance Budget
  • Forecasts + Scheduling$149/month
    • All Forecasts Only features
    • Schedule builder
    • Automated scheduling

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 Lineup.ai if

  • You need ai sales forecasting.
  • You also want labor optimization.
Lineup.ai 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 Lineup.ai or When I Work better?
Neither clearly leads. Lineup.ai starts at $79/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, Lineup.ai or When I Work?
Lineup.ai starts at $79/month and When I Work at $2.5/user/month.
Does Lineup.ai or When I Work run on more platforms?
Lineup.ai runs on Web. When I Work runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Lineup.ai best used for?
Lineup.ai is most often used for forecasting restaurant sales and building labor schedules. Of those, forecasting restaurant sales and building labor schedules is not what When I Work is typically brought in for.
What can Lineup.ai do that When I Work cannot?
Lineup.ai covers AI sales forecasting, Labor optimization, Schedule suggestions, Weather integration. When I Work covers Shift scheduling, Time clock, Team messaging, Availability management. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lineup.ai: How much does Lineup.ai cost per location?

Forecasts Only plan is $79 per location per month. Forecasts + Scheduling plan is $149 per location per month. Both offer 10% discount with annual commitment.

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
Lineup.ai: Does Lineup.ai offer a free trial?

Yes, Lineup.ai offers a risk-free 30-day trial with a refund guarantee if forecasts do not meet expectations. No credit card required.

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
Lineup.ai: Can I add more locations later?

Yes, customers can start with as many locations as needed and add more locations at any time at the monthly rate.

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
Lineup.ai: What integrations does Lineup.ai support?

Lineup.ai integrates with Toast, Brink POS, Square, Clover, Snowflake, and Omnivore.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Lineup.ai

More on When I Work

Keep looking

Other head to heads