Comparison · Workforce / shift specialist

GetUp vs When I Work — which one runs your operation?

When I Work is a simple, mobile-first shift scheduling and team messaging tool for hourly teams. GetUp is the all-in-one operations panel for any company running multiple brands or multiple locations: shifts, tablet check-in, payroll, multi-company invoicing, KSeF e-invoicing, procurement, an external accountant portal and a built-in AI assistant — sector-agnostic, sized for SMBs.

Updated 2026-04When I Work HQ · Minneapolis, USAFounded 2010

The verdict in two lines

When I Work is the stronger pick when you have one location and only need shift scheduling + team messaging. GetUp is the stronger pick when you run multiple brands or locations and need shifts plus billing in one panel.

The honest summary: they aren't the same shape. When I Work is a workforce / shift specialist; GetUp is an operations panel for multi-brand / multi-location SMBs. Pick the one that matches the shape of your problem.

Feature-by-feature

How When I Work and GetUp compare

FeatureWhen I WorkGetUp
Shift schedulingYes — simple, fastYes — weekly rota, swap, multi-location
Mobile shift swapYes — best-in-class UXYes
Tablet check-inMobile only by defaultYes — shared tablet at each location
Hourly payrollWorkforce add-on (US only)Built-in, multi-company
InvoicingNoBuilt-in, multi-company
KSeF (Poland)NoBuilt-in
Accountant portalNoBuilt-in, no seat fee
Procurement / shoppingNoBuilt-in
AI assistant on tenant dataNoYes
Pricing modelPer-userFlat per-month

When each is the right pick

Pick When I Work when…

  • You have one location and only need shift scheduling + team messaging
  • Mobile-first UX for staff is your priority
  • Your accounting + invoicing already live on a separate stack

Pick GetUp when…

  • You run multiple brands or locations and need shifts plus billing in one panel
  • You need invoicing, payroll and an accountant portal alongside shifts
  • You operate in PL / TR / EU and need KSeF compliance
  • Per-user fees are starting to bite as headcount grows

Pricing

How they price

When I Work

$2.50 per user / month

Per-user across Essentials, Pro and Premium. Payroll and advanced reporting sit on Pro+.

GetUp

€69 / $79 / 299 zł flat / month

Starter is flat per-month, all modules included. Pro is €129 / $139 / 499 zł. 14-day trial, no card. Per-user fees never apply.

Switching from When I Work

Employees and shifts export from When I Work via CSV; GetUp imports both. Cutover is usually done in a weekend.

See the full When I Work alternatives breakdown

FAQ

Common questions

Is GetUp a When I Work alternative?
Yes for businesses that have outgrown shift-only scope. GetUp keeps the scheduling and tablet check-in but adds invoicing, payroll, procurement, an accountant portal and an AI assistant in the same panel.
When I Work or GetUp for a single café?
If shifts and team messaging are the only problem, When I Work's UX is hard to beat. GetUp earns its place when you also need invoicing, payroll and multi-location operations in one place.
Can I import staff from When I Work into GetUp?
Yes — CSV export from When I Work, CSV import into GetUp. Most teams cut over in one weekend.
Does When I Work do invoicing?
No. When I Work is workforce-scope only. Invoicing requires a separate tool — which is exactly what GetUp consolidates.
Pricing comparison?
When I Work starts at $2.50 per user / month for Essentials. GetUp Starter is €69 flat / month with all modules. The break-even is around 25-30 users on Essentials.

Try GetUp

Spin up GetUp on your own data — free for 14 days.

No card, no implementer, no Figma round-trip. If you're moving from When I Work, your CSVs import directly. You decide if it's the surface your operation has been waiting for.

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