# Special Dates vs Next Shift

The clearest difference is update cadence: Next Shift at daily against Special Dates's every 3 months. Next Shift also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Special Dates's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Special Dates sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Next Shift sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, Next Shift daily. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Special Dates | Next Shift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-dates/id1532853488/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ernesto Fernández Calles](https://appshunter.io/developer/548312732) | [Ismail Semih PEHLIVAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883501275) |

## What reviewers say

### Special Dates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-dates/id1532853488)

Easily save and track important dates with a minimalist countdown widget. This app helps you remember upcoming events like birthdays or bills, syncing them across your devices.

**Highlights:** Save important dates, Track days remaining, Periodic event saving, Birthday reminders, Bill tracking, iOS 14 widget support, Cross-device syncing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cake | $2.99 | one-time |
| Party | $4.99 | one-time |


### Next Shift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-shift-work-countdown/id6805859767)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7-Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Lifetime Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Special Dates free?

Special Dates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Next Shift free?

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

### Do Special Dates or Next Shift have ads?

Neither Special Dates nor Next Shift shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Special Dates or Next Shift?

Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, and Next Shift daily. Most recently, Special Dates was updated on November 3, 2026 and Next Shift on October 31, 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.*