# HotSchedules vs Nowsta

The clearest difference is price: Nowsta at Free against HotSchedules's $2.99. Nowsta also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 21%). HotSchedules's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (67K vs 832). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Nowsta is free to download; HotSchedules costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HotSchedules holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HotSchedules has 67K ratings behind it against 832, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of HotSchedules's written reviews are positive against 38% of Nowsta's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HotSchedules | Nowsta |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (67K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotschedules/id294934058/reviews)** | [4.2 (832 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nowsta-workers/id1172538924/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **67K** | 832 |
| Positive reviews | 20.7% of reviews | **38.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HotSchedules](https://appshunter.io/developer/294934061) | [Nowsta INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1042660111) |

## What reviewers say

### HotSchedules

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotschedules/id294934058)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Business, #9 Top Paid, #87 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

This app simplifies employee scheduling and team communication. It allows for easy shift management, time-off requests, and calendar syncing. Managers benefit from faster schedule creation and performance monitoring, while teams stay connected through messaging.

**Highlights:** Shift swapping and pickup, Time off requests, Automatic calendar sync, Manager schedule building, Sales and labor monitoring, Team messaging

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient for checking schedules
- 💡 Ability to pick up and swap shifts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow loading times
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find information
- 🔄 Constant need to update app
- 💰 Paid app for employees

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues after updates
- Calendar sync problems
- Disappearing messages and data loss
- Incompatibility with dark mode

**Requested features**

- Show shift end times
- Categorize and filter inbox messages
- Ability to view full team schedules
- Automatic shift rotation algorithm
- Integrated payroll and earnings tracking


### Nowsta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nowsta-workers/id1172538924)

Manage your work schedule, accept job requests, and track your earnings. Clock in and out of shifts, communicate with your team, and set your work availability. This app requires an invitation from a company using the Nowsta platform.

**Highlights:** Accept job requests, Clock in/out of shifts, Track earnings, Set work availability, Communicate with team, Manage multiple companies

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful for organizing work
- 👍 Convenient scheduling features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Constant need to log in
- ⏱️ Slow loading times
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with sharing personal information

**Reported bugs**

- Calendar displaying incorrect dates
- Shifts disappearing from the app
- Inability to clock in/out properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to see co-workers on shifts
- Option to hide salary/wage information
- Improved calendar integration
- Notification improvements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HotSchedules free?

HotSchedules costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nowsta free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HotSchedules or Nowsta?

HotSchedules is rated higher. HotSchedules averages 4.6 out of 5 from 67K ratings, while Nowsta averages 4.2 from 832 ratings.

### Do HotSchedules or Nowsta have ads?

Neither HotSchedules nor Nowsta shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HotSchedules or Nowsta?

HotSchedules ships an update every 2 weeks, and Nowsta every 2 weeks. Most recently, HotSchedules was updated on September 27, 2026 and Nowsta on September 25, 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.*