Comparison

Simple Rota Maker vs The Wood Explorer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simple Rota Maker

This app helps you create and manage work schedules and personal appointments. It can automatically generate rolling rota patterns for multiple workers and includes a task manager for to-do lists and audio notes. Share schedules easily with dynamic links.

Highlights
  • Automatic rolling rota generation
  • Manual schedule creation
  • Integrated task manager
  • Audio note recording
  • Shareable dynamic links
  • Export rotas to spreadsheets
  • Worker availability settings
Features
Read full description

Automatically generate rolling rota patterns—perfect for scheduling multiple workers over an indefinite period. Easily create your schedule or manual rotas with a few taps—ideal for managing your work shifts, personal schedules, appointments, or customizing worker rota patterns. A powerful yet simple task manager. Organize your to-do lists alongside your work shifts to stay super productive & on top of your schedule. In a hurry? Quickly record an audio note to replay anytime. Seamlessly create tasks, assign them to workers, & share dynamic links that open the task directly on their devices, automatically saving a copy for easy access and tracking. The simplest tool to customize your work shifts, personal schedules, appointments, & timetables—or create & share rolling rotas to roster multiple workers into hourly or daily shifts, complete with a built-in task manager. -For an automated rolling shift pattern, simply enter: • The names & number of workers • Optional worker availability or exclusion dates: Specify dates when workers must work or must be away, & the app will include or exclude them as needed Done! The app generates: • A beautiful monthly calendar for 24-hour or once-a-day shifts. • A sleek weekly calendar for shifts lasting 1-23 hours. Key Features: • Ensures workers receive an equal number of shifts. • Allows multiple workers per shift. • Lets you set a daily shift end time with ease. • Handles complex rolling block patterns like ‘n’ days on ‘n’ days off seamlessly. -Export rotas to spreadsheet apps like Excel -View detailed rota breakdowns, including the number of weekdays, weekends, & hours each worker is scheduled to work, along with additional worker statistics. -Easily edit the rota to adjust shifts, give workers more or fewer shifts, or modify must-work & away dates with ease. -Take full control & create your custom rota manually in just three easy taps. -For your personal work shifts, schedules, appointments, or timetables: • Simply enter shift or schedule names, select a date range, & populate the calendar with just a tap! • View 1-3 shifts per day in a clean, easy-to-read calendar format. • annotate your custom calendar with powerful notes that expand when you tap on a date. Share dynamic links to allow coworkers to view & edit the rota. Each time a link is opened, a duplicate “.share” version of your rota is created, which can be edited & shared back & forth. From these links, workers can: • Open the rota on their device. • Download their specific shifts. • Add shifts to their device calendar. • Set shift reminders. • Download the rota as a spreadsheet. -Annotate the rota with notes that follows & updates with the dynamic link to your rota. -Enhance your notes with powerful formatting options, including headings, bold, italics, underline, & a variety of font colours. - Stay organised & in control with your all-in-one task manager—perfect for creating to-do lists, shopping lists, & assigning tasks to coworkers. Whether you’re managing personal goals or team projects, it’s the simple way to keep everything on track. -Export your rota, schedule, or shifts seamlessly to your Calendar app for effortless integration and accessibility. -Set reminders for shifts or schedules & receive notifications to stay informed when a work shift is approaching. -Access your rota & tasks from any device—your task lists & rosters are securely saved to your profile for seamless access anytime. -Long-press the name of your rota or tasks to pin them to the top of your list for quick access. -Save & rename multiple versions of your rota & tasks for easy organization & reference, with an archive page to store & access old tasks & rosters. -Save your rota as an image or print it directly for easy sharing and reference. -Start your day with daily motivational quotes delivered directly to your profile. -Enjoy an integrated games page to unwind, relax, & recharge with a variety of fun games. Need help? Email us!

About

The Wood Explorer

Access a comprehensive database of over 1,650 commercial wood species with detailed profiles, images, and scientific information. Search by name or browse by category to find specific wood types and their characteristics. Includes educational videos and a glossary for industry professionals and hobbyists.

Highlights
  • 1,650+ wood species profiles
  • Detailed scientific and common names
  • High-quality images and textures
  • Advanced search by name or description
  • Browse by taxonomy and category
  • Country-specific species data
  • Educational video library
Features
Read full description

The Wood Explorer is the world’s most comprehensive database of commercial wood species—designed for woodworkers, designers, architects, hobbyists, and industry professionals. Access 1,650+ detailed wood species profiles with scientific names, common names, synonyms, textures, colors, and country data, all curated from expert sources including the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory. Key Features: -Wood Species Browser -Explore a vast A–Z list of wood species -View full details: Scientific Name, Trade Name, Family, Synonyms, and more -Includes high-quality images and wood characteristics Advanced Search -Search by name, description, or synonyms -Instantly find the wood species you need Taxonomy & Classification Browse by family or category for deep insights Country-Specific Species Data -View species available in specific countries -Explore regional availability with ease Video Library Educational videos showing how to identify and use wood species effectively Glossary of Terms Understand technical terms and wood industry language Tree Images Gallery Browse tree images associated with each wood species

Screenshots

Simple Rota Maker4 screens
The Wood Explorer2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Simple Rota Maker at Free against The Wood Explorer's $9.99. Simple Rota Maker also leads on rating (3.0 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 41 months). The Wood Explorer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Simple Rota Maker is free to download; The Wood Explorer costs $9.99 up front. Simple Rota Maker sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. The Wood Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Rota Maker holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Simple Rota Maker's written reviews are positive against 0% of The Wood Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Rota Maker ships an update every 2 weeks, The Wood Explorer every 41 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Simple Rota Maker versus The Wood Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Rota MakerThe Wood Explorer
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better1.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews23.1% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 41 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMembers of Us LimitedLIDO PROPERTIES, LLC

Customer experience

Simple Rota Maker

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive23.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative76.9%

The Wood Explorer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Simple Rota Maker

One-time6
  • Simple Rota Maker Pro$1.99
  • Monday to Saturday Rota$2.99
  • Saturday To Sunday Rota$2.99
Show 3 more
  • Simple Rota Maker Ad Free$3.99
  • Customise day of week roster$4.99
  • Rolling Block Scheduler$9.99
None

The Wood Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Rota Maker free?
Simple Rota Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Wood Explorer free?
The Wood Explorer costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Rota Maker or The Wood Explorer?
Simple Rota Maker is rated higher. Simple Rota Maker averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while The Wood Explorer averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Simple Rota Maker or The Wood Explorer have ads?
Simple Rota Maker shows ads; The Wood Explorer does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Rota Maker or The Wood Explorer?
Simple Rota Maker ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Wood Explorer every 41 months. Most recently, Simple Rota Maker was updated on October 29, 2026 and The Wood Explorer on October 12, 2026.

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