Comparison

Shift Worker vs Shift Planning Calendar

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

Head to head
About

Shift Worker

This app helps shift workers manage their complex schedules with a clear, colorful calendar. Easily input rotations, view shifts at a glance, and receive timely reminders. Share your schedule with others and track your work hours.

Highlights
  • Clear, colorful shift calendar
  • Quick roster entry and rotation filling
  • Customizable shift icons and colors
  • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
  • Shift sharing with family and friends
  • Shift statistics (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Shift Worker is the calendar built for shift work. See every shift at a glance, fill a month in seconds and never miss a start time, whether you work rotating shifts, night shifts, 12-hour days or a fixed roster. A regular calendar isn't made for shift work. Shifts that don't fit the Monday-to-Friday week are hard to read, slow to enter and easy to lose among appointments. Shift Worker turns your roster, rota or work schedule into a clear, colourful calendar you can read in a glance. Switch between shift icons and a timeline view that shows when each shift starts and ends, with overnight shifts running across midnight, so you can see your shift flow at a glance. It's made for nurses, paramedics, police, firefighters, security, hospitality, retail, factory and warehouse staff, and anyone else who works shifts. NEW IN SHIFT WORKER 2.0 • A completely redesigned calendar: cleaner, faster and easier to read • New shift icons: ten shapes, ten colours and your own codes and times • Light and dark mode, or follow your iPhone • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets that show your next shift • Reminders before every shift, plus Day Ahead and Week Ahead notifications (Premium) • Calendar Sync puts your shifts in any calendar on your iPhone (Premium) • Stats show your hours, shift mix and short breaks by week, 2 weeks or month (Premium) • Week Ahead widget (Premium) • Prefer the original look? The Classic Calendar is still available ENTER YOUR ROSTER IN SECONDS Pick a shift, then tap the days. A whole month takes seconds and a whole year takes a few minutes. Or add a rotation, like 2 Earlies, 2 Lates, 2 Nights then rest, and Shift Worker fills the calendar for you, up to 3 years ahead in one go. YOUR SHIFTS, YOUR WAY Create as many shift types as you need by combining icons with letters or numbers: suns and moons for day and night shifts, stars for leave, in any colour you like. Add colourful notes to any date, show week numbers or an alternating Week 1 / Week 2 pattern, and use 12-hour or 24-hour time. SHARE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS Create multiple calendars to see family and friends' shifts, share your month as an image by message, email or social media, and import shifts from other Shift Worker users to see everyone in one app. SHIFT WORKER PREMIUM (OPTIONAL SUBSCRIPTION) Everything in the app is included with your purchase except these Premium features: • Reminders before every shift, plus Day Ahead and Week Ahead notifications • Calendar Sync keeps your current and future shifts up to date in the calendar you choose • Stats for hours, shift mix and short breaks • The Week Ahead widget Choose a monthly or yearly plan. Prices are shown in the app in your local currency. No ads. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shiftworkerapp.com/privacy/

About

Shift Planning Calendar

This app simplifies shift work management for individuals. It allows for quick entry of recurring shifts, comparison of schedules with friends, and easy sharing of your work calendar via email or as a lock screen image.

Highlights
  • Quick shift input with icons
  • Compare schedules with friends
  • Auto-create email of shifts
  • Bluetooth shift exchange
  • Calendar snapshot for lock screen
  • All features available from start
Features
Read full description

This app provides powerful support for people who do shift work. This app was created based on comments like these. • Entering shifts on the calendar one by one is a lot trouble. > By using the Shift Input Function, you can fill in shifts for a whole month in less than 30 seconds. • I want to view shifts for me and my friends side by side when we're planning a day to hang out together. > By using the Shift List Function, you can quickly find out which day is best for everyone. • Writing emails when I want to tell my friends and family my shifts is difficult. > With the Autocreate Email Function, you can automatically create an email of your shift schedule with one touch. • I want to check my shifts quickly on the lock screen. > With the Calendar Snapshot Function, you can easily create an image of your calendar that can be used for the standby display. *** Main Features *** * You can use all of the features right from the start without having to purchase any add-ons. • Shift Input Mode You can fill in shifts on the calendar with simple one touch controls using icons. • Shift List Function You can manage shifts for multiple other users, and compare shifts for you and your friends on a single list. • Autocreate Email Function Creates an email of your work schedule with one touch. • Bluetooth Shift Exchange Function Exchange your shift information by bringing your iPhone/iPod Touch close together, similar to IR communication. • Calendar Snapshot Function Creates an image of your calendar that you can use as your lock screen or wallpaper. You can check your shifts quickly on your lock screen. • Launch App with URL Scheme open:ShiftWorkingCalendar open:shift *** User Reviews *** * Very helpful app. Makes life easier for shift workers. * Easy to use. Great for odd shifts. Love the icons. * Thanks it's easy to use and free * Absolutely fantastic. * Very handy for me and quick to use Easy to email to others * Very convenient. Nice app. * Glad a shift planner is free, without any adverts. * Just what I have been waiting for. Up till now, I have had to write shifts on calendar for my wife to see, and help plan. A simple email now does it all, great!

Screenshots

Shift Worker4 screens
Shift Planning Calendar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shift Planning Calendar at Free against Shift Worker's $1.99. Shift Planning Calendar also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (83% vs 46%). Shift Worker's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 weeks) and chart position (#184 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Shift Planning Calendar is free to download; Shift Worker costs $1.99 up front. Shift Worker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Shift Planning Calendar sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shift Planning Calendar holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shift Planning Calendar has 817 ratings behind it against 103, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Shift Worker's written reviews are positive against 83% of Shift Planning Calendar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shift Worker ships an update every 6 days, Shift Planning Calendar every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Shift Worker versus Shift Planning Calendar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShift WorkerShift Planning Calendar
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (103 ratings)4.7 (817 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.1% of reviews82.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings103817 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
Best chart rank#184 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProduction Shed Pty LtdKosuke Hamada

Customer experience

Shift Worker

All ratings103 ratings
Positive65.0%
Neutral15.5%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews462 reviews
Positive46.1%
Neutral20.8%
Negative33.1%

Shift Planning Calendar

All ratings811 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews844 reviews
Positive82.9%
Neutral10.4%
Negative6.6%

User reviews

Shift Worker

From 103 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent for shift workers
  • 📅 Easy to organize schedules
  • 🎨 Customizable icons and colors
  • 🧭 Helpful for managing complex rotations
  • 🤝 Useful for couples/families to align schedules

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes when adding notes
  • 📝 Limited note display
  • 🔄 Lack of sync between devices
  • 🗓️ Issues with iOS updates deleting data
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding support

Shift Planning Calendar

From 817 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Customizable icons
  • 👍 Helps stay organized
  • 👍 Great for shift work
  • 👍 Convenient to have schedule on phone

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with data transfer on new device
  • 🔒 Concerns about paid subscription
  • 💡 Could use more icon options
  • 💡 Wish it had more features like sharing calendar

Bugs and requests

Shift Worker

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when trying to add notes
  • Notes disappearing after iOS updates
  • Calendar dates/days not displaying correctly
  • Inability to export/import schedules

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to view full notes
  • Implement iCloud/calendar sync
  • Allow multiple shift entries per day
  • Add recurring note/reminder features
  • Develop Apple Watch app integration

Shift Planning Calendar

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Shift data not transferring to new device
  • Paid subscription not recognized on new device
  • Calendar not displaying properly on larger screens

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to repeat/copy shifts
  • Automatic shift pattern generation
  • Integration with other calendars
  • More customization options
  • Notifications for upcoming shifts

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shift Worker

Subscriptions2
  • Shift Worker Premium Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Shift Worker Premium Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
10 purchases

Shift Planning Calendar

One-time10
  • Icon Set [theme01]$0.99
  • Icon Set [theme02]$0.99
  • Icon Set [theme03]$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Icon Set [theme04]$0.99
  • Icon Set [theme05]$0.99
  • Calendar Frame [theme01]$0.99
  • Calendar Frame [theme02]$0.99
  • Calendar Frame [theme03]$0.99
  • Reasonable Icons Set [theme01~05]$2.99
  • Upgrade$3.99

Questions

Is Shift Worker free?
Shift Worker costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Shift Planning Calendar free?
Shift Planning Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shift Worker or Shift Planning Calendar?
Shift Planning Calendar is rated higher. Shift Worker averages 3.7 out of 5 from 103 ratings, while Shift Planning Calendar averages 4.7 from 817 ratings.
Do Shift Worker or Shift Planning Calendar have ads?
Neither Shift Worker nor Shift Planning Calendar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shift Worker or Shift Planning Calendar?
Shift Worker ships an update every 6 days, and Shift Planning Calendar every 5 weeks. Most recently, Shift Worker was updated on November 13, 2026 and Shift Planning Calendar on November 10, 2026.

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