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Restaurants · head to head

Tock vs When I Work

Tock logo

Tock

Restaurants

All-in-one reservation and events platform

From
$199/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: Tock tock To Go pickup/delivery takes a 3% cut of orders from restaurants, with the separate $5 to $10 delivery charge passed to the consumer, per a case study reproduced on the vendor's own site (Internet Archive capture, 25 December 2022); 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: Tock covers Reservations, 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 Tock and When I Work actually diverge.

Attributes where Tock and When I Work differ
AttributeTockWhen I Work
Starting price$199/month$2.5/user/month
Founded20142010

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 Tock

  • Reservations
  • Prepaid bookings
  • Event ticketing
  • Experiences
  • Table management
  • CRM
  • Toast
  • Stripe

Only in When I Work

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

Both cover

  • Square
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Tock

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

Where each one falls short

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

Tock

  • Tock To Go pickup/delivery takes a 3% cut of orders from restaurants, with the separate $5 to $10 delivery charge passed to the consumer, per a case study reproduced on the vendor's own site (Internet Archive capture, 25 December 2022)

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

Tock

$199/month
  • Basic$199/month
    • Reservations
    • Basic features
  • Plus$699/month
    • Events
    • Prepaid
    • Marketing
  • ProFree
    • 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 Tock if

  • You need reservations.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want prepaid bookings.
Tock 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 Tock or When I Work better?
Neither clearly leads. Tock starts at $199/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, Tock or When I Work?
Tock starts at $199/month and When I Work at $2.5/user/month.
Does Tock 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 Tock best used for?
Tock 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 Tock do that When I Work cannot?
Tock covers Reservations, Prepaid bookings, Event ticketing, Experiences. When I Work covers Shift scheduling, Time clock, Team messaging, Availability management. Both handle Square, Web support, Ios support, Android 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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Related pages

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