# Spark vs Rota Calendar

The clearest difference is update cadence: Rota Calendar at every 3 days against Spark's every 5 weeks. Spark's advantage is ratings volume (7.5K vs 728) and review sentiment (75% vs 65%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spark sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Rota Calendar sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Spark against 4.7 for Rota Calendar. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spark has 7.5K ratings behind it against 728, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Spark's written reviews are positive against 65% of Rota Calendar's.

Spark ships an update every 5 weeks, Rota Calendar every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spark | Rota Calendar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spark-shift-calendar/id390915382/reviews)** | [4.7 (728 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rota-calendar-shift-planner/id430229059/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | 728 |
| Positive reviews | **74.5% of reviews** | 65.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [E.L.K. Equities LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775442602) | [JRW Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/430229062) |

## 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

**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


### Rota Calendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rota-calendar-shift-planner/id430229059)

Easily plan your life around work with this shift worker's calendar. See your schedule years in advance, customize shifts with colors and emojis, and sync with your existing calendars. Share your availability with others.

**Highlights:** Scrollable calendar view, Generate schedules up to 5 years ahead, Customizable shift colors and labels, Sync with existing calendars, Share schedules via AirDrop (iOS), Supports repeating and irregular shifts

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rota Calendar Supporter Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Platinum Special Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly: Unlimited Edits | $2.99 | per month |
| Gold Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Platinum Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Supporter Yearly: Backup Only | $19.99 | per year |
| Platinum Special Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Pro Yearly: 5 Years Cloud Sync | $29.99 | per year |
| Gold Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Platinum Yearly | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to program repeatable rota/roster pattern
- 👍 Keeps track of work and personal life
- 👍 Ideal for shift work schedules
- 👍 Syncs with other calendars
- 👍 Configurable for different shift types

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with recent updates overriding or deleting existing shifts
- 🐛 Crashes when trying to airdrop shifts
- 🐛 Inability to save individual shift changes
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔒 Concerns over subscription model and loss of functionality for previous paid users

**Reported bugs**

- Rota not properly accounting for holidays and days off
- Inability to handle complex shift patterns beyond 9 weeks
- Sync issues between iPad and iPhone versions
- Day/month display not working after recent update

**Requested features**

- Ability to share rota/schedule with partner
- More color options for shifts
- Separate view for each month
- Ability to add travel days to shifts
- Integration with Apple Watch


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spark free?

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

### Is Rota Calendar free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spark or Rota Calendar?

Spark is rated higher. Spark averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while Rota Calendar averages 4.7 from 728 ratings.

### Do Spark or Rota Calendar have ads?

Neither Spark nor Rota Calendar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spark or Rota Calendar?

Spark ships an update every 5 weeks, and Rota Calendar every 3 days. Most recently, Spark was updated on September 24, 2026 and Rota Calendar on September 19, 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.*