Search "best app for shifts" and almost every result is built for employers — the business pays, a manager builds the roster, and you're just slotted in. But if you're a casual worker juggling one or more jobs, you need the opposite: something that tracks *your* shifts and *your* real pay, no matter who you work for. Here's an honest look from the worker's side.
What a casual worker actually needs (vs an employer)
- Track your own shifts across multiple employers — not just one roster.
- See real earnings, including penalty rates for nights and weekends.
- Keep your own record as a check against what the boss says you worked.
- Not depend on your employer adopting any particular system.
- Be free — casual pay is tight enough already.
The popular apps — and who they are really for
Homebase, Deputy and When I Work are excellent — for businesses. They are scheduling and time-clock tools the employer pays for and controls. As a casual employee you might clock in with one, but you can’t use it to track pay across several jobs, and you don’t own the data.
| Tool | Built for | Who pays | Multi-employer | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase | Employers | The business | No | Free ≤20 staff, then ~$30/mo |
| Deputy | Employers | The business | No | ~$5.50 / user / mo |
| When I Work | Employers | The business | No | ~$2.50–$5 / user / mo |
| Gridwise / Para | Workers (gig, US only) | The worker | — | Free + paid |
| MyVisaTracker | Workers (visa days only) | The worker | No | Free |
| Orary | Workers (any job) | The worker | Yes | Free |
The pattern is hard to miss: the big names are built for employers — the business pays and the manager runs the roster. Orary is built for the worker: you own it, it’s free, and it follows you across every job.
The gap: worker-side tools
Notice the pattern — almost everything is employer-side. The handful of worker-first tools are narrow: gig apps like Gridwise are US-focused and only for drivers; visa trackers only count days. There's very little for the everyday casual worker who just wants to log shifts and know what they earned.
That gap is exactly why Orary exists: it’s free and worker-side, works across multiple employers, calculates earnings with your own rates (day/afternoon/night/weekend), handles delivery and gig income, and — uniquely — tracks your Australian Working Holiday Visa 88-day progress alongside everything else.
How to choose
- If you manage a team → Homebase, Deputy or When I Work.
- If you drive gig in the US → Gridwise or Para.
- If you only need visa-day counting → a basic visa tracker.
- If you’re a worker who wants shifts + real pay in one place (and the 88 days if you’re on a WHV) → Orary.
Track your shifts and real earnings across every job — free, no credit card.
Try Orary free