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Restaurants · head to head

PAR Brink POS vs When I Work

PAR Brink POS logo

PAR Brink POS

Restaurants

Cloud point of sale for enterprise quick service chains and their franchisees

From
On request
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: PAR Brink POS the suite was assembled by acquisition, so loyalty, ordering, back office and POS still carry separate data models and administration consoles rather than one unified system.; 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: PAR Brink POS covers Enterprise menu and price control, When I Work covers Shift scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PAR Brink POS and When I Work actually diverge.

Attributes where PAR Brink POS and When I Work differ
AttributePAR Brink POSWhen I Work
Starting priceOn request$2.5/user/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Android, WindowsWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: 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 PAR Brink POS

  • Enterprise menu and price control
  • Drive through and speed of service
  • Open integration interfaces
  • Loyalty through Punchh
  • Back office through Data Central
  • Hardware range

Only in When I Work

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

What people use each for

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

PAR Brink POS

  • A franchisor standardising the point of sale across hundreds of franchised locationsnot When I Work
  • A quick service brand where drive through timing and speed of service reporting drive operationsnot When I Work
  • A chain that wants POS, loyalty and back office contracted through a single vendornot When I Work
  • A brand needing documented interfaces so its own developers can build ordering and delivery integrationsnot When I Work

When I Work

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

Where each one falls short

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

PAR Brink POS

  • The suite was assembled by acquisition, so loyalty, ordering, back office and POS still carry separate data models and administration consoles rather than one unified system.
  • Pricing and contracting assume estate scale, which leaves an individual franchisee paying enterprise rates without enterprise negotiating leverage.
  • Hardware and implementation are separate line items that typically exceed the first year of software subscription at a new site.
  • Roll outs are project managed over months, so a brand needing a system live at a site opening in a few weeks will struggle.
  • PAR is a listed company under margin pressure and has raised prices as it consolidates its acquisitions, which makes renewal costs harder to forecast across a long franchise agreement.

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

PAR Brink POS

On request
  • Brink POS$undefined/year
    • Priced per site per month under a franchisor or corporate agreement
    • Terminals, kitchen displays and drive through hardware quoted separately
    • Implementation and roll out delivered as a project

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 PAR Brink POS if

  • You need enterprise menu and price control.
  • You work on Web, Android, Windows.
  • You also want drive through and speed of service.
PAR Brink POS 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 PAR Brink POS or When I Work better?
Neither clearly leads. PAR Brink POS starts at On request 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, PAR Brink POS or When I Work?
PAR Brink POS starts at On request and When I Work at $2.5/user/month.
Does PAR Brink POS or When I Work run on more platforms?
PAR Brink POS runs on Web, Android, Windows. When I Work runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is PAR Brink POS best used for?
PAR Brink POS is most often used for a franchisor standardising the point of sale across hundreds of franchised locations, a quick service brand where drive through timing and speed of service reporting drive operations, a chain that wants pos, loyalty and back office contracted through a single vendor, a brand needing documented interfaces so its own developers can build ordering and delivery integrations. Of those, a franchisor standardising the point of sale across hundreds of franchised locations and a quick service brand where drive through timing and speed of service reporting drive operations are not what When I Work is typically brought in for.
What can PAR Brink POS do that When I Work cannot?
PAR Brink POS covers Enterprise menu and price control, Drive through and speed of service, Open integration interfaces, Loyalty through Punchh. When I Work covers Shift scheduling, Time clock, Team messaging, Availability management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PAR Brink POS: Who chooses Brink, the franchisor or the franchisee?

Almost always the franchisor, as an estate standard. The franchisee implements and pays for it.

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
PAR Brink POS: Does PAR supply loyalty as well as POS?

Yes, through Punchh, which PAR acquired. It is licensed separately from the POS.

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
PAR Brink POS: Is it suitable for an independent restaurant?

Not really. The value is in central control across many sites, which an independent does not need and still pays for.

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
PAR Brink POS: Does it work offline?

Terminals continue to operate through network interruptions, which matters in drive through environments where a stall is measured in seconds.

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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