# Shifty vs Roster

The clearest difference is price: Roster at $2.99 against Shifty's $19.99. Roster also leads on chart position (#200 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). Shifty's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). On update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Shifty costs $19.99 and Roster $2.99 up front. Roster sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Shifty asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shifty holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shifty has 62 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Shifty's written reviews are positive against 71% of Roster's.

Shifty ships an update every 2 months, Roster every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shifty | Roster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shifty/id372580865/reviews)** | [3.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roster-calendar-pro/id549835644/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **62** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **89.6% of reviews** | 71.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#200** |
| Size | 5 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Supercake](https://appshunter.io/developer/372580868) | [michael heinz](https://appshunter.io/developer/292745639) |

## What reviewers say

### Shifty

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shifty/id372580865)

This app simplifies staff scheduling for small businesses and individuals. It allows you to input recurring shift patterns, staff, and duties, then easily create schedules by dragging and dropping these elements. It's designed to save significant time on daily tasks.

**Highlights:** Drag and drop scheduling, Input recurring shift patterns, Manage staff and duties, Duplicate shifts easily, Email schedule changes, Customizable layouts

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick scheduling
- 👍 Drag-and-drop functionality
- 👍 Customizable shifts and groups
- 👍 Emailing schedules to staff

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🔒 No time clock or landscape mode
- 🔒 Limited to 18 shifts per group
- 🔒 Difficulty managing time off requests

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to import data after iOS updates
- Incorrect date/time display in monthly view

**Requested features**

- Ability to view and print schedules in different formats
- Integration with calendars and time tracking
- Expanded shift and employee limits
- Mobile app version for iPhone


### Roster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roster-calendar-pro/id549835644)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Paid · Business (US App Store)

Easily input your work shifts into your calendar with customizable options for times, colors, and names. Create complex shift patterns rapidly and manage your schedule efficiently. Includes features like PDF export, iCloud sync, and automatic recurring cycle addition.

**Highlights:** Quick shift entry, Customizable shift details, Editable templates, Single tap add/delete, Monthly PDF export, iCloud data sync, Automatic recurring cycles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website+Extras | $0.99 | per month |
| Extra 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra 2 - Security | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra 3 - Overtime | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra 4 - Audio | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra 5 - Pictures | $0.99 | one-time |
| All Extras | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- 👍 Very practical for shift workers
- 👍 Good overview and clear display
- 👍 Reliable and functional
- 👍 Syncs well across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Data loss after updates or crashes
- 🐛 Sync issues with calendars
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance after updates
- 🐛 Some features not working as expected

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or closes unexpectedly
- Schedules not saving or disappearing
- Synchronization issues with iCloud/other calendars
- Updates causing new problems or breaking existing features
- In-app purchases not restoring or working

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Apple Watch support
- Export as photo/PDF
- More color options
- Better calendar view with full year display


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shifty free?

Shifty costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Roster free?

Roster costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shifty or Roster?

Shifty is rated higher. Shifty averages 4.5 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Roster averages 3.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do Shifty or Roster have ads?

Neither Shifty nor Roster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shifty or Roster?

Shifty ships an update every 2 months, and Roster every 4 months. Most recently, Shifty was updated on November 6, 2026 and Roster on November 6, 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.*