TempGuru vs Qwick
One is a gig app. One is accountability.
Both will put workers on-site.
The difference shows up at 6am when someone doesn't.
TempGuru vs. Qwick comes down to model, compliance, and vendor stability. TempGuru is a network of pre-vetted partner agencies with an agency-backed 99% fill rate, W-2 workers across all 300+ US and Canadian markets, one contract, one invoice, and a named coordinator on every order. Qwick is a gig marketplace built primarily for F&B roles in approximately 20 US metros — workers self-select shifts, no agency SLA, mixed W-2/1099 classification by state. Qwick also entered bankruptcy proceedings in late 2025. For multi-city event producers who need compliance certainty and a fill guarantee, the model difference matters before you sign.
- TempGuru places W-2 workers in every market. Qwick's classification is mixed — W-2 in CA, CO, IL, NY; independent contractor in most other states.
- TempGuru's 99% fill rate is backed by a partner agency under SLA. Qwick's advertised 98% is marketplace-dependent — fill depends on who's available when your shift goes live.
- TempGuru covers 300+ US and Canadian markets across all event types. Qwick is built for F&B roles in approximately 20 US metros.
- Qwick entered bankruptcy proceedings in late 2025. Verify current service commitments directly before making them part of any event plan.
- TempGuru means one contract, one invoice, one named coordinator. Qwick means workers self-managing through an app with no agency backstop.
Here's what each one actually is.
Not the pitch. The model. One routes your order to an accountable agency. One posts a shift and hopes someone claims it. That difference is what determines whether you're making calls at 6am.
TempGuru
TempGuru is not a platform. It's a network of pre-vetted partner agencies operating under SLA agreements across 300+ US and Canadian markets. One contract. One invoice. One human coordinator per order — for every role, every city, every event type.
That includes hospitality staff. And registration. And brand ambassadors. And setup and breakdown. If your event needs it, we staff it — under the same structure, the same accountability, the same fill rate guarantee.
Qwick
Qwick is a gig marketplace. Workers create profiles, browse open shifts, and self-select. There is no agency layer. No SLA. When your shift goes live, fill depends on who happens to be available and willing to claim it.
Built primarily for F&B roles — servers, bartenders, line cooks — in approximately 20+ US metro markets. Worker classification varies by state: W-2 in California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York; independent contractor elsewhere.
Note: Qwick entered bankruptcy proceedings in late 2025. Verify current operational status and service commitments directly before booking.
the risk.
State enforcement has accelerated. California AB5.
A 2024 settlement requiring Qwick to reclassify California workers and pay $2.1 million in restitution to the San Francisco City Attorney.
More cases behind that one.
For a multi-city event producer, mixed classification isn't a footnote.
It's two different employment structures under one vendor — and different liability exposure in each state your event lands.
TempGuru is built around the answer. W-2. Insured agencies. Every market.
At a glance.
No scoring tricks. The difference in what each model delivers on event day.
| Feature | TempGuru | Qwick |
|---|---|---|
| Worker Classification Who's the employer of record? | ✓ W-2, all markets | Mixed — W-2 in CA, CO, IL, NY; 1099 elsewhere |
| Fill Rate What happens when someone doesn't show? | ✓ Agency-backed 99% | Advertises 98% — marketplace-dependent, not SLA-backed |
| Day-of Coordinator Who do you call at 6am? | ✓ Named coordinator per order | On-site team leads for some bookings. No named coordinator. |
| Accountability Layer Who's under contract to perform? | ✓ Partner agency under SLA | No dedicated agency layer |
| Role Scope What can you staff? | ✓ Full event — registration, BAs, hospitality, setup, crowd control | Food and beverage focused |
| Market Coverage Where can you deploy? | ✓ 300+ US & Canada markets | ~20 US metro markets |
| Billing How many invoices? | ✓ One contract. One invoice. No bidding. | Gig marketplace — workers self-select open shifts |
| Urgent Staffing How fast can you confirm? | ✓ 2–3 days in select markets | Depends on worker availability |
| Vendor Stability Are they operational? | ✓ Operating since 2018 | Entered bankruptcy proceedings, late 2025 |
The question worth asking
before you book.
This isn't a technicality. It's the single biggest compliance exposure in event staffing — and the one most producers encounter for the first time at the worst possible moment.
TempGuru
Every worker placed through TempGuru is employed as a W-2 employee by a pre-vetted partner agency. Proper tax withholding, workers' comp coverage, employment law compliance across every market — handled by the agency, not passed to you.
When something goes wrong on-site, there's a coverage structure. There's an employer. There's accountability at every level. Not a terms-of-service page.
Qwick
Qwick's worker classification varies by market. W-2 employment is required in California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York — states that have enforced stricter classification laws. Independent contractor classification applies in other states.
For a multi-city event producer, that's not a minor footnote. It means two different employment structures under one vendor, with different liability exposure in each state your event lands.
In 2024, Qwick settled a $2.1 million suit brought by the San Francisco City Attorney for AB5 misclassification — reclassifying all California workers as W-2 and paying restitution to affected workers. Documented public record. Ask the question. Get the answer in writing.
What the number means
at 6am.
Every staffing platform promises workers. The interesting part is what they promise to do about it when nobody shows.
TempGuru
TempGuru doesn't rely on workers browsing a feed and hoping someone claims your shift. Every order routes to a pre-vetted partner agency in the relevant market — an agency with an SLA, a track record, and accountability if they miss.
Confirmation within 24–48 hours. Named staff. Named day-of contact. Most events confirm 2–4 weeks out. Urgent backfills available in select markets with 2–3 day turnaround.
Qwick
Qwick advertises a 98% fill rate. The number isn't the issue. The question is what backs it up.
Qwick's model posts your shift. Workers browse it. Someone claims it — or they don't. There's no agency holding accountability on the back end. No SLA. No structure obligated to absorb the risk when a worker cancels the morning of.
Whether Qwick's advertised fill rate is contractually guaranteed is not publicly documented. The structure behind the number is what determines whether it holds at 6am — not the number itself.
The factor most comparison
pages don't mention.
Your staffing vendor is operational infrastructure. What happens to your event if they're not?
TempGuru
TempGuru has been operating since 2018. No PE rollup. No VC-funded burn cycle. Agency-backed model, not marketplace growth at any cost.
100,000+ workers placed. 2,500+ events. The model works because the structure is built for accountability — not for scale metrics on a deck.
Qwick
Qwick entered bankruptcy proceedings in late 2025. Court-ordered restitution payments from the 2024 San Francisco settlement were reported to be in jeopardy as a result.
Qwick's site has remained operational, but the financial situation introduces real uncertainty about their ability to fulfill service commitments going forward.
If you're evaluating Qwick for an upcoming event — especially one with a long planning horizon — verify current operational status directly before making them part of the plan.
When to use which.
We're not for everyone. We'd rather you know that before you find out the hard way.
TempGuru is the right call when:
- ✓You're staffing across multiple cities or markets you don't personally know
- ✓You need the full event covered — not just the bar staff
- ✓W-2 compliance and documentation matter to your client or legal team
- ✓You've been burned by a no-show before and your client is not going through that again
- ✓You need a guaranteed fill rate — and a person who actually picks up
- ✓One contract for every market is worth something to you
Qwick may have worked when:
- →A gig marketplace model worked for your tolerance — workers self-select, no agency backstop
- →You were in one of their ~20 active US metros with strong F&B labor supply
- →Your specific need was servers, bartenders, or line cooks — not a full event crew
- →W-2 classification wasn't a contractual or compliance requirement in your markets
Given Qwick's 2025 bankruptcy proceedings, verify current operational status before planning around them for upcoming events.
What producers ask us.
What's the real difference between TempGuru and Qwick?
The model. Qwick is a gig marketplace — workers browse open shifts and self-select. There's no agency layer, no SLA, no structure obligated to deliver. TempGuru routes every order to a pre-vetted partner agency under SLA. Someone is accountable if they miss. That structural difference is what shows up at 6am. Beyond that: Qwick focuses on F&B roles in approximately 20 US metros. TempGuru staffs the full event — registration, brand ambassadors, hospitality, setup and breakdown, crowd control — across 300+ US and Canadian markets.
Does Qwick use W-2 workers?
It depends on the state. Qwick uses W-2 employment in California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York — markets that have enforced stricter worker classification laws. In other states, workers are classified as independent contractors. In 2024, Qwick settled a $2.1 million suit with the San Francisco City Attorney for misclassifying workers under AB5. TempGuru uses W-2 employment through pre-vetted partner agencies in every market, regardless of state.
Qwick advertises 98% fill rate. TempGuru is 99%. Why does the difference matter?
The number is less important than what backs it up. TempGuru's 99% is agency-backed — every order goes to a pre-vetted partner agency under SLA that is contractually responsible for fill. When a worker cancels, the agency absorbs the problem. Qwick's 98% is a marketplace average — workers self-select shifts, and fill depends on supply in each market at the time of booking. Whether Qwick's advertised fill rate is contractually guaranteed is not publicly documented. Ask the question before you sign.
I heard Qwick filed for bankruptcy. Is that true?
Yes. Qwick entered bankruptcy proceedings in late 2025. Court-ordered worker restitution payments from the 2024 San Francisco settlement were reported to be in jeopardy as a result. Qwick's website has remained operational, but the financial situation introduces meaningful uncertainty about their ability to fulfill service commitments. If you're evaluating Qwick for an upcoming event, verify current operational status directly before making them part of your plan.
Can TempGuru staff the hospitality component of my event?
Yes. TempGuru staffs hospitality roles — servers, bar staff, coat check, banquet staff — as part of full-event staffing. The difference between TempGuru and Qwick isn't that one does hospitality and the other doesn't. It's the model: Qwick is a gig marketplace — workers self-select shifts in ~20 markets. TempGuru places hospitality staff through pre-vetted partner agencies under SLA, across 300+ markets, with a named coordinator on every order. Same roles, different accountability structure.
I've used Qwick before. Why would I switch?
If it was working for your use case, the decision is straightforward. TempGuru is the call when the gig app model stops being acceptable — when you need an agency accountable for fill, not just workers who might claim the shift. Or when events get more complex, markets get less familiar, clients get less forgiving. The bankruptcy situation is also worth factoring in if you're planning several months out. We'd rather you make an informed decision than find out mid-planning that your vendor can't deliver.
How does TempGuru pricing compare to Qwick?
We're not the cheapest option. We've never pretended to be. What you're paying for is agency accountability, an SLA-backed 99% fill rate, a named day-of coordinator, W-2 workers across all markets, and one invoice regardless of how many cities are involved. If price is the only variable, we're probably not your vendor. If reliability is also a factor — especially on high-stakes events — the math usually works out differently.
What markets does TempGuru cover?
300+ US and Canadian markets — including secondary cities, conference destinations, and markets where Qwick and similar platforms don't operate. If you're producing an event somewhere, we're almost certainly there. Reach out and we'll confirm coverage and lead time for your specific market. No guessing required.
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