Comparison

iRescue vs Shift Happens

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

Head to head
About

iRescue

This app allows volunteer search and rescue teams to manage real-time team availability. Members can quickly book themselves on or off duty, with updates instantly visible to all team members. It helps ensure the right personnel are available for call-outs.

Highlights
  • Update availability instantly
  • View station crew availability
  • Set periods of unavailability
  • Configure work schedules
  • Receive low crew level notifications
Features
Read full description

iRescue shows your team who is available right now, and makes booking on and off a single tap. Built by an on-call firefighter for volunteer search and rescue teams. WHO'S AVAILABLE, AT A GLANCE - A live team list with everyone's status, rank and qualifications - Cover bars for every role (team leaders, drivers, first aiders and more) turn orange or red as cover drops - Low team alerts when your station falls below the levels you set YOUR STATUS IN ONE TAP - Available, delayed, unavailable, course or leave - "Back at..." timers book you back on automatically - Geofencing changes your status as you arrive at or leave the station* PLAN AHEAD - Book time off on the calendar - whole days, or from a start time to an end time - then change or cancel it any time - Set your rota once, with shift hours if you work shifts: you're only unavailable while you're at work - Set your day hour by hour: tap or drag the hours, then pick a status - See the whole team's day, with how many are available each hour CALL-OUTS THAT GET THROUGH - Mobilisation alerts that sound through silent mode and Do Not Disturb - Answer "I'm responding" straight from the alert - See who is responding and how far away they are AND MORE - Station chat, events and training - Dark mode, set for the whole team by your station or by you - Sort the team list your way, choose which view it opens on, and show ranks if you like - Face ID / Touch ID app lock - Contracted hours tracking* FOR STATION MANAGERS Station managers can run their station from the iOnCall dashboard on a computer: availability planning, rotas, crewing rules and call-out history. * Included with a subscription. Your station may already cover this for you. SUBSCRIPTION iRescue Premium is an optional auto-renewing monthly subscription that adds the features marked *, leave and course statuses, and extra statistics and alert options. - Price: £1.99 per month - Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. - The subscription renews automatically unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Privacy policy: https://irescue.ifireapp.net/privacy-policy.html Terms of use: https://irescue.ifireapp.net/app/html/terms

About

Shift Happens

Features
Read full description

Shift Happens is a free and efficient way to record your shifts, designed specifically for supporting your CPD portfolio evidence and productivity, whilst easily recording and tracking those late finishes and late mealbreaks. Key Features: - Shift record - Add, edit and view jobs you have been part of, recording interventions, medications provided and any shift issues. - Dual role app (Frontline ambulance and Nursing) - Record and log interventions and skills used depending on your role, from airway interventions to dressing changes. - Shift Happens will automatically complete a downloadable form to evidence skill competencies, compiling medications, skills and job types for each month, allowing you to support other CPD evidence. - Export a spreadsheet, compiling all mealbreak and late finish information to ease those timesheet submissions, including whether your mealbreak was at station (for frontline ambulance users). Why choose Shift Happens? - Designed for and by frontline healthcare workers. - Helps record CPD portfolio evidence and manage your timesheet information clearly. - Allows you to clearly see what skills are being used and highlights what you may need to brush up on Who’s it for? - Paramedics - ECA’s - AAPs / Technicians - Nurses - District Nurses - HCAs Disclaimer: Do not enter any identifiable, confidential, or private information into this app. The app is intended for personal use only and should not be relied upon as an official record or substitute for employer documentation. Users are solely responsible for the information they choose to input. The developer accepts no liability for any misuse, or consequences arising from the use of this app.

Screenshots

iRescue4 screens
Shift Happens4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shift Happens at none against iRescue's 1. iRescue's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. iRescue sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Shift Happens asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
iRescue versus Shift Happens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriRescueShift Happens
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKernow SoftwareROBERT DOMINIC MCGREGOR

In-app purchases

1 purchases

iRescue

Subscriptions1
  • iRescue Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
None

Shift Happens

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iRescue free?
iRescue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shift Happens free?
Shift Happens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do iRescue or Shift Happens have ads?
Shift Happens shows ads; iRescue does not.
Which is updated more often, iRescue or Shift Happens?
iRescue ships an update weekly, and Shift Happens weekly. Most recently, iRescue was updated on October 25, 2026 and Shift Happens on October 5, 2026.

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