# Countwatch vs Shift Calendar Rota Planner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Countwatch at none against Shift Calendar Rota Planner's 1. Countwatch also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Shift Calendar Rota Planner's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shift Calendar Rota Planner sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Countwatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countwatch ships an update every 9 months, Shift Calendar Rota Planner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countwatch | Shift Calendar Rota Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countwatch-countdown-watcher/id1472928999/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michal Manak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434438829) | [Qun Cao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655069600) |

## What reviewers say

### Countwatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countwatch-countdown-watcher/id1472928999)

Easily track upcoming events and never forget important dates. Set up countdowns with a headline, date, and time. A notification widget provides constant reminders of how much time remains.

**Highlights:** Event countdown tracking, Notification center widget, Simple customization, Event management, Transparent and easy to use

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shift Calendar Rota Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-calendar-rota-planner/id6775181177)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shift Planner Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countwatch free?

Countwatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shift Calendar Rota Planner free?

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

### Do Countwatch or Shift Calendar Rota Planner have ads?

Shift Calendar Rota Planner shows ads; Countwatch does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countwatch or Shift Calendar Rota Planner?

Countwatch ships an update every 9 months, and Shift Calendar Rota Planner every 4 days. Most recently, Countwatch was updated on October 9, 2026 and Shift Calendar Rota Planner on October 20, 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.*