Comparison
Convey vs When I Work
When I Work is one of the oldest shift scheduling apps. Convey is the newest take: text-first, AI-drafted, flat-priced. Here's the honest matchup.
Feature matrix
Compared against public information on When I Work's pricing and feature pages. Anything we couldn't verify is marked "see pricing page".
| Feature | Convey | When I Work |
|---|---|---|
| SMS schedule delivery (no app) | primary channel | partialSMS available, app primary |
| Employee app required | ||
| AI weekly schedule generation | Claude Sonnet | partialauto-scheduler |
| Free tier | up to 10 employees | see pricing page |
| Pricing model | $19/mo flat, unlimited | per-user, tiered |
| Target market | small restaurants, bars, cafes | hourly teams, many verticals |
| Time clock / timesheets | planned | |
| Payroll integrations | ||
| Drag-and-drop grid editor | ||
| Shift swap / callout coverage | AI-ranked | |
| Team messaging | partialSMS only | |
| Works on any phone (even flip phones) | ||
| Mobile app for managers | partialmobile web | |
| Restaurant-specific features (tips, roles) | partialroles yes, tips no | partial |
| Free trial for paid tiers | Free plan, no trial needed | see pricing page |
Comparison last reviewed April 2026. Competitor pricing and features change frequently — always verify on their official pricing page before deciding.
When When I Work is the better choice
When I Work has more than a decade of polish, a broad set of integrations, and a cross-vertical feature surface — retail, healthcare, hospitality, staffing. If you need time clock, timesheets, and payroll export all in one, they're a safe pick.
Their manager and employee apps are refined and their feature set is deep. If your staff already lives in native mobile apps, that's a plus.
When Convey is the better choice
If you've ever said "half my staff won't install the app", Convey is built for you. Schedules arrive as texts. Employees tap a link, see their week, done. No install, no password, no onboarding meeting.
The AI writes your draft. Flat $19/mo. Free under ten people. If scheduling a small team is the actual pain, Convey takes it to zero.
FAQ
- Is When I Work better than Convey?
- When I Work is better if you need a mature, vertical-agnostic scheduling tool with time clock, timesheets, and payroll integrations for any kind of hourly team. Convey is better if your team is small, SMS is your preferred channel, and you want AI to draft the schedule.
- Does When I Work support SMS?
- When I Work has offered SMS notifications in various plans, but the core experience is their mobile app. Convey is built SMS-first — there is no app to install, ever.
- Which is cheaper?
- When I Work's per-user pricing scales with headcount. Convey is a flat $19/mo for unlimited employees, with free up to 10. For most small restaurants and bars, Convey is significantly cheaper.
Try Convey free
Free up to 10 employees. $19/mo flat after that. No credit card.
Also see: vs 7shifts · vs Homebase · vs Deputy