TempClock vs When I Work: built for billed hours
When I Work is a slick app for scheduling and shift messaging. TempClock is built for the hour that has to be proven and billed, verified attendance, agency margins and signed agreements, hosted in the EU.
The short version
When I Work shines at mobile scheduling, availability and team messaging. TempClock is the better fit when the hour itself is the product: a face-verified, geofenced clock-in with a match score, agency pay and charge, a client portal and hashed agreements, with the app and database hosted in the EU.
Choose TempClock when you bill clients for hours, when UK GDPR and where your data sits matter, or when you need verified attendance and margins rather than a polished shift app.
When I Work suits fast-moving hourly teams, retail, hospitality, events, that want quick mobile scheduling, easy shift swaps and built-in team messaging, and that do not bill external clients.
TempClock and When I Work, feature by feature
12 capabilities that matter to multi-site and agency teams. An honest read of where each one lands.
Based on each product's public documentation and standard plans at the time of writing. When I Work may have changed since, if anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Coverage on the rows above
The share of the 12 features above that each tool covers fully or strongly. Counted from the matrix, not a paid benchmark.
Why teams move from When I Work to TempClock
Teams switch when the work is billed to clients, audited, or governed by UK data rules.
Proof, not just a punch
A face match with a logged score and a GPS distance turns each clock-in into evidence. A PIN or a tap on a phone proves a device was used, not who was holding it.
Hosted in the EU
When I Work is a US platform. TempClock runs the application and its database in the EU, in a data centre in France, with face matching in Ireland. The UK's adequacy regulations cover data sent to the EEA, so no extra transfer safeguard is needed. Where your data sits is set out in the privacy notice, not negotiated.
Margins, in pounds
Separate pay and charge rates resolve automatically and the margin totals as the week runs, priced and reported in sterling, not converted from a US-dollar plan.
Signed agreements, one place
Send and sign worker and client agreements inside TempClock, each with a SHA-256 hash, so there is no separate e-signing app and a record you can prove has not been altered.
Where When I Work is a strong choice
When I Work is genuinely good at what it sets out to do, and for some teams it is the right call. Here is where it earns its place.
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Mobile-first scheduling, availability and shift swaps are fast and intuitive, staff pick it up with little or no training.
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Built-in team messaging keeps shift communication in one app, which is handy for retail, hospitality and events crews.
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For US-based or international hourly teams that do not bill external clients, its feature set and pricing are well matched.
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If you do not need biometric verification, UK or EEA hosting or client billing, TempClock would be more than you require.
If your hours are billed to UK clients, or your data must stay in the UK or the EEA, the verification, margins and residency in TempClock are the deciding factors.
Weighing up another tool?
Read the other focused breakdowns, or see the full feature matrix on the comparison page.
See them all side by side on the full comparison page.
Questions teams ask before switching
Is TempClock a UK alternative to When I Work?
Does When I Work verify identity at clock-in?
Where is each product hosted, and why does it matter?
How does pricing compare?
Can we keep team messaging if we switch?
More questions? Read the full FAQ or see transparent pricing.
Know who turned up, and pay every hour right.
Face-verified clock-ins, live geofencing and payroll-ready timesheets in one system. Tell us how your shifts run and we will show you how it fits.
Hosted in the EU · Your largest site live first, with us alongside · No app needed to clock in