Comparison

ICU Communication App vs NurseShift Paycheck Calculator

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

Head to head
About

ICU Communication App

Features
Read full description

This app is designed for patients who are intubated (have a breathing tube in their throat) - leaving them fully aware but temporarily unable to speak. These patients will be in hospital and in Intensive Care (ICU), High Dependency Units (HDU) and other wards. This simple communication app was designed with individuals who have lived through this experience on ICU. - The app is designed around a number of core principles that support a patient, who will potentially be distressed and possibly confused, in communicating: - The main app screen provides reassurance: patients described waking up in a state of confusion not knowing where they were and what would happen to them. - Communication can build from single words: past patients and their relatives described the person who can talk doing the majority of the work when communicating. - The app comes with some pre-defined words: these are based on the topics that patients and relatives of those who had been on ICU said were important - The words in the app can be personalised: relatives can add words specific to the individual to allow simple and quick communication of topics important to the patient. - Communication can happen over a long time: As well as communicating in the moment the app can be left with the patient and they can construct a message over a long period of time. Patients described having moments of lucidity and moments of hallucination, fatigue and confusion. - The app has multiple way of supporting novel communication: a simple keyboard allows the patient to type a message, and the app also includes 2 tools to allow hospital staff or relatives to support the patient in communicating. This app is designed to be part of a tool kit which includes staff training in partner based communication techniques as well as paper based Augmentative Communication (AAC) resources. This app was designed during research by Barnsley Hospital's Assistive Technology Team and Imperial College's Helix Centre. The app has now been released for free in order to support the response to Covid 19 and the increased incidence of patients who are being ventilated. This app is designed specifically for use in hospital environments. For those with longer term communication needs there are a range of other Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) strategies, software and apps that may be able to support.

About

NurseShift Paycheck Calculator

Track nursing shifts, calculate accurate paychecks with differentials and overtime, and estimate take-home pay before payday. Log hours, manage multiple locations, and gain year-to-date earnings insights. Syncs with your calendar and offers data export.

Highlights
  • Shift logging with auto-calculated hours
  • Accurate paycheck calculation
  • Built-in differential calculator
  • Paycheck estimator
  • Shift calendar with color-coding
  • Multiple location tracking
  • Year-to-date earnings insights
  • CSV and JSON data export
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Shift tracker + paycheck calculator for nurses. Log every 12-hour shift, differential & OT hour. See your real paycheck before payday. NurseShift is the simplest shift tracker and paycheck calculator built for RNs, LPNs, CNAs, travel nurses, and agency nurses. Log a 12-hour shift in seconds, apply the right differentials automatically, and see a clean breakdown of gross pay, overtime, and bonuses for every paycheck — before it lands in your account. WHY NURSES TRUST NURSESHIFT • Track every shift, hour, and dollar in one place — no more spreadsheets or paper notes • Calculate accurate paychecks — federal weekly 40, California daily 8 + weekly 40, or custom overtime rules • Built-in differential calculator — night, weekend, charge nurse, on-call, holiday, callback, or any custom bonus you earn • Paycheck estimator — preview gross and take-home pay before payday, then reconcile with what actually hit your account • Travel and agency nurse friendly — track shifts across hospitals, agency contracts, and per-diem assignments KEY FEATURES • Smart shift logging — day, night, evening, or custom shifts with auto-calculated hours worked, minus breaks • Beautiful shift calendar — at-a-glance roster of every shift, color-coded by location and shift type • Shift templates — save your regular 12-hour shifts and tap to add them in seconds • Multiple locations — track shifts across hospitals, clinics, agency placements, travel assignments, and PRN work • Pay periods — weekly, biweekly, or semi-monthly, with automatic workweek boundaries • Year-to-date insights — total earnings, hours worked, effective hourly rate, biggest paycheck, monthly trends, projected annual income • Payday reminders — gentle notifications when it's time to verify your paycheck • Calendar sync — mirror shifts to your iOS Calendar and import existing events as shifts • iCloud sync — your data syncs seamlessly across iPhone and iPad • Home-screen widget — today's shift and this pay period's earnings without opening the app • CSV and JSON export — for taxes, 401(k) planning, reconciliation, or your own records BUILT FOR EVERY KIND OF NURSE Whether you're a new grad figuring out how your first differentials work, a travel nurse juggling contracts across state lines, an agency nurse switching hospitals weekly, or a veteran floor RN reconciling a complex paycheck — NurseShift delivers the numbers you need in the format you want. PRIVACY FIRST NurseShift works entirely offline. Cloud sync is optional and uses your personal iCloud — we never see your shifts or your pay. No account to create, no password to remember. Your earnings data stays yours. QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? We build NurseShift for nurses who deserve better pay tools. Email support — every message reaches a real person who works on the app. ========================================================================================== • Subscription Plans: NurseShift Pro is available weekly or yearly, with a 3-day free trial on both • Manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your Apple Account Settings after purchase • Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • When you cancel, your subscription stays active until the end of the current paid period • Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription Terms of Service: https://sites.google.com/view/nurse-shift/terms Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/nurse-shift/privacy

Screenshots

NurseShift Paycheck Calculator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ICU Communication App at none against NurseShift Paycheck Calculator's 2. ICU Communication App also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). NurseShift Paycheck Calculator's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months) and chart position (#199 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support 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. NurseShift Paycheck Calculator sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. ICU Communication App asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ICU Communication App ships an update every 7 months, NurseShift Paycheck Calculator every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
ICU Communication App versus NurseShift Paycheck Calculator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterICU Communication AppNurseShift Paycheck Calculator
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#199 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBarnsley Hospital NHS Foundation TrustKhandker Tafiqul Islam

In-app purchases

None

ICU Communication App

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

NurseShift Paycheck Calculator

Subscriptions2
  • Nurse Shift Weekly Pro Subscription3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Nurse Shift Pro Yearly Subcription7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is ICU Communication App free?
ICU Communication App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NurseShift Paycheck Calculator free?
NurseShift Paycheck Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ICU Communication App or NurseShift Paycheck Calculator have ads?
Neither ICU Communication App nor NurseShift Paycheck Calculator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ICU Communication App or NurseShift Paycheck Calculator?
ICU Communication App ships an update every 7 months, and NurseShift Paycheck Calculator every 2 weeks. Most recently, ICU Communication App was updated on October 5, 2026 and NurseShift Paycheck Calculator on October 24, 2026.

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