Looking for a free or open-source alternative to When I Work? Shiftly is the closest direct swap — MIT-licensed source on GitHub, or a $29 one-time packaged install. Since you're already auditing what you pay When I Work every month, here are four more pay-once tools from the same catalog worth a look while you're at it — different jobs, same idea: buy the software once instead of renting it forever.
1. Shiftly — replaces When I Work
Self-hosted drag-drop scheduling, swaps, open shifts and live labor cost — no per-employee fees. $29 once vs When I Work's $2.50/user/mo. Free on GitHub, or the packaged installer on Whop.
See Shiftly → · Source on GitHub
2. Rampcheck — Self-hosted role checklists, SOP library, hire portal and quizzes — no monthly seat fees.
Replaces Trainual ($99/mo). $29 once. See Rampcheck →
3. Punchcard — Self-hosted punch clock, PIN kiosk, approval queue and payroll CSV — no per-user fees.
Replaces QuickBooks Time ($10/user/mo). $29 once. See Punchcard →
4. Quizcraft — Self-hosted quiz builder with branching, server-side scoring, email-gate lead capture and CSV export.
Replaces Typeform ($25+/mo). $29 once. See Quizcraft →
5. Forumly — Self-hosted forum with categories, threads, reactions, badges, @mentions, search and real moderator tools.
Replaces Circle ($89+/mo). $39 once. See Forumly →
Why this list is worth bookmarking
Every app above is a one-time purchase with MIT-licensed source, no accounts with us and no telemetry. None of them are trying to be the next When I Work — they're trying to be the last subscription you pay for that specific job.
Try Shiftly — $29, once
Self-hosted drag-drop scheduling, swaps, open shifts and live labor cost — no per-employee fees.