# Spark vs Check The Dose

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Check The Dose at none against Spark's 2. Check The Dose also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Spark's advantage is ratings volume (7.5K vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spark sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Check The Dose asks for nothing beyond the download.

Check The Dose holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spark has 7.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Spark's written reviews are positive against 100% of Check The Dose's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spark | Check The Dose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spark-shift-calendar/id390915382/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/check-the-dose/id1388403466/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 74.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [E.L.K. Equities LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775442602) | [Check The Dose](https://appshunter.io/developer/1388403465) |

## What reviewers say

### Spark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spark-shift-calendar/id390915382)

This app simplifies shift work for professionals like first responders and healthcare workers. It offers full customization, secure cloud syncing, and streamlined shift trading. Plan your life and stay organized with instant visual cues and reliable support.

**Highlights:** Full shift customization, Secure cloud sync, Streamlined shift trades, Instant visual cues, Comprehensive shift coverage, User-friendly interface

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription Renewal | $0.99 | one-time |
| Initial Annual Subscription | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent calendar app
- 👍 Easy to use and set up
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 💡 Customizable and feature-rich
- 👍 Great for shift work and emergency services

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 💰 Subscription model and pricing issues
- 🔧 Needs more frequent updates
- 🔧 Compatibility issues with newer devices
- 🔧 Lack of certain features (e.g., widgets, dark mode)

**Reported bugs**

- Login and authentication problems
- Data loss and sync issues after updates
- Unreliable performance on some devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to sync with more calendar services
- More customization options
- Improved user interface and design
- Ability to view past schedules and events


### Check The Dose

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/check-the-dose/id1388403466)

This app provides customizable, automated medication and equipment dosing guides for pre-hospital and hospital providers. It offers access to updated databases, checklists, reference materials, and contact lists, with features for drip rate confirmation and filtered medication views.

**Highlights:** Customizable automated dosing, Web-based database updates, Upload checklists and reference materials, Contact list with door codes, Drip rate confirmation, Filtered medication views

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spark free?

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

### Is Check The Dose free?

Check The Dose is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Spark or Check The Dose?

Check The Dose is rated higher. Spark averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while Check The Dose averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Spark or Check The Dose have ads?

Neither Spark nor Check The Dose shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spark or Check The Dose?

Spark ships an update every 5 weeks, and Check The Dose every 5 weeks. Most recently, Spark was updated on October 22, 2026 and Check The Dose on October 3, 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.*