# Shift Calendar vs Payroll Calendar

The clearest difference is rating: Payroll Calendar at 5.0 against Shift Calendar's 4.2. Payroll Calendar also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). Shift Calendar's advantage is ratings volume (144 vs 8) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shift Calendar sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Payroll Calendar sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Payroll Calendar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shift Calendar has 144 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Shift Calendar ships an update every 3 months, Payroll Calendar weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shift Calendar | Payroll Calendar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-calendar-schedule/id1338193231/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payroll-calendar/id1601554918/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **144** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 51.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [章健 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1566849627) | [Knecht, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1127317529) |

## What reviewers say

### Shift Calendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-calendar-schedule/id1338193231)

Easily manage your work schedule with this app designed for shift workers. Customize your shifts, generate schedules automatically, and add important notes to your calendar.

**Highlights:** Customizable shift work, Automatic cycle scheduling, Calendar notes, Clear shift display

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calendar Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $0.99 | one-time |
| Add User | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Good for tracking shifts
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Customizable shift times
- 👍 Useful for irregular schedules

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😠 Excessive ads
- 😠 Ads interrupt workflow
- 😠 Ads in free version are frequent
- 😠 Paid version still has issues
- 😠 Limited shift cycle (31 days)

**Reported bugs**

- One year old records are missing
- Calendar does not always show the correct day
- Data not included in backups
- Recurring shifts require manual setup even in paid version
- Full-length ads for multiple date additions

**Requested features**

- Add hourly payment tracking
- Add advance payment tracking
- Add black theme (dark mode)
- Increase character limit for shift names
- Expand emoji usage for shifts


### Payroll Calendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payroll-calendar/id1601554918)

Easily manage work shifts and calculate payroll with this calendar-based application. Track multiple workplaces, hourly wages, and transportation expenses. Secure your data with screen lock and backup features.

**Highlights:** Multiple workplace management, Work shift scheduling, Detailed payroll calculation, Image attachment for schedules, Screen lock for privacy, Data backup and transfer

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| Basic (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro (Monthly) | $9.69 | per month |
| Pro (Monthly) | $12.00 | per month |
| Basic (Yearly) | $28.49 | per year |
| Basic (Yearly) | $35.49 | per year |
| Pro (Yearly) | $68.90 | per year |
| Pro (Yearly) | $85.90 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shift Calendar free?

Shift Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Payroll Calendar free?

Payroll Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shift Calendar or Payroll Calendar?

Payroll Calendar is rated higher. Shift Calendar averages 4.2 out of 5 from 144 ratings, while Payroll Calendar averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Shift Calendar or Payroll Calendar have ads?

Shift Calendar shows ads; Payroll Calendar does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shift Calendar or Payroll Calendar?

Shift Calendar ships an update every 3 months, and Payroll Calendar weekly. Most recently, Shift Calendar was updated on October 29, 2026 and Payroll Calendar on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*