# HotSchedules vs Fourth

The clearest difference is price: Fourth at Free against HotSchedules's $2.99. Fourth also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.1). HotSchedules's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 1.3) and ratings volume (67K vs 134). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Fourth 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 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HotSchedules has 67K ratings behind it against 134, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of HotSchedules's written reviews are positive against 4% of Fourth's.

HotSchedules ships an update every 2 weeks, Fourth every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HotSchedules | Fourth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (67K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotschedules/id294934058/reviews)** | [1.3 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fourth/id966542105/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **67K** | 134 |
| Positive reviews | **20.7% of reviews** | 3.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HotSchedules](https://appshunter.io/developer/294934061) | [Fourth Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/407534402) |

## What reviewers say

### HotSchedules

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Business, #5 Top Paid, #76 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


### Fourth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fourth/id966542105)

This app streamlines hospitality operations by centralizing workforce management, purchasing, and inventory. It enhances team collaboration, simplifies scheduling, and improves inventory accuracy for efficient business management.

**Highlights:** Workforce management, Purchase-to-pay, Inventory management, Shift scheduling, Holiday requests, Stock counting, Order management

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast app icon
- 👍 Works without issue

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constantly crashes
- 🔒 Authentication issues
- 👎 Unreliable
- 👎 Difficult to use
- 🔍 Lacks functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screens
- Login failures
- Scheduling issues
- Payslip access problems

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved calendar integration
- Better employee communication tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HotSchedules free?

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

### Is Fourth free?

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

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

HotSchedules is rated higher. HotSchedules averages 4.6 out of 5 from 67K ratings, while Fourth averages 1.3 from 134 ratings.

### Do HotSchedules or Fourth have ads?

Neither HotSchedules nor Fourth shows ads.

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

HotSchedules ships an update every 2 weeks, and Fourth every 3 weeks. Most recently, HotSchedules was updated on September 25, 2026 and Fourth on September 23, 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.*