# Spark vs Fire Shifts

The clearest difference is rating: Spark at 4.8 against Fire Shifts's 3.8. Spark also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 37%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 27 months). Fire Shifts's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Spark holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spark has 7.5K ratings behind it against 62, 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 37% of Fire Shifts's.

Spark ships an update every 5 weeks, Fire Shifts every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spark | Fire Shifts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spark-shift-calendar/id390915382/reviews)** | [3.8 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fire-shifts/id981328955/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | 62 |
| Positive reviews | **74.8% of reviews** | 36.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 27 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 10 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [E.L.K. Equities LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775442602) | [Kevin Jordan](https://appshunter.io/developer/981328924) |

## 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


### Fire Shifts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fire-shifts/id981328955)

This app provides a free, customizable calendar for Fire and EMS personnel to manage their work schedules. Users can select from various shift types and personalize labels and colors for easy visual organization of their personal schedule.

**Highlights:** Customizable shift calendar, Multiple shift type options, Personalized labels and colors, Free updates, Works indefinitely

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and basic
- 👍 Works as intended
- 👍 Lots of shift options
- 👍 Minimal ad space
- 👍 Free app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Cannot customize colors
- 👎 Customization limited on iOS
- 👎 "Coming soon" for features
- 👎 Inconsistent across platforms (iOS vs Android)
- 👎 Yellow color not readable

**Reported bugs**

- App shows wrong year (2020 instead of 2018)
- Black screen issue
- App crashes
- App stopped working
- Calendar not highlighting current day

**Requested features**

- Ability to change shift colors
- Ability to write notes on days
- Make current day obvious
- Add white and gray colors
- Ability to change labels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spark free?

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

### Is Fire Shifts free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spark or Fire Shifts?

Spark is rated higher. Spark averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while Fire Shifts averages 3.8 from 62 ratings.

### Do Spark or Fire Shifts have ads?

Neither Spark nor Fire Shifts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spark or Fire Shifts?

Spark ships an update every 5 weeks, and Fire Shifts every 27 months. Most recently, Spark was updated on November 1, 2026 and Fire Shifts on October 24, 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.*