Comparison

ActiveAlert vs FireSync Shift Calendar

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

Head to head
About

ActiveAlert

This app provides essential call details directly on your smartphone, eliminating the need to manually record information or enter addresses while driving. It automatically maps alarm locations, facilitates real-time response coordination, and organizes past and current calls.

Highlights
  • Real-time call details on smartphone
  • Automatic alarm location mapping
  • Real-time response coordination map
  • Access photos and documents
  • Converts dispatch data
  • Manage past and current calls
Features
Read full description

ActiveAlert helps you respond to calls faster by getting the essential details right in your smartphone. No more copying down dispatch information or trying to enter an address while driving. - Uses Apple Push instead of SMS - Automatically maps alarm location - Coordinate response with others using real-time map - Access relevant photos and documents from your phone - Converts hard-to-read dispatch data into legible sections - Manage past and current calls

About

FireSync Shift Calendar

This app is a comprehensive calendar designed for firefighters, offering robust shift tracking, event management, and cloud integration. It allows users to manage trades, overtime, and personal events, with features like CertTracker and Expenditure tracking. It also syncs with other calendars and devices for seamless organization.

Highlights
  • Firefighter shift schedule tracking
  • Event management (trades, overtime, personal)
  • Cloud integration with FireSync Enterprise™
  • CertTracker and Expenditure tracking
  • Customizable shift editor
  • Year and month calendar views
  • Report generation and emailing
Features
Read full description

FireSync is not merely a Firefighter Shift Calendar, it's also a full-featured calendar app with powerful cloud-enabled features just for firefighters. Whether or not you want to keep track of your trades, overtimes, or just your kid's soccer practices, FireSync can do it all. It also includes many powerful features such as CertTracker, Expenditures, and is fully integrated with FireSync Enterprise™ and TheHouse™ cloud services. Before you buy another shift calendar app ask yourself: 1. Do you have to pay an annual subscription for the calendar? Not with us! We support firefighters by letting you keep more of your hard-earned money. Is there a better way? 2. Is it also a full-featured calendar app? FireSync isn’t just a firefighter shift calendar, it’s also a full-featured calendar app that fully integrates with your phone's calendars. FireSync events are saved to your calendar and can be seen on other phone's using the same calendar account (e.g. phones used by family members). FireSync is more than a good firefighter calendar. It’s a good calendar app period! 3. Will you find yourself staring at the app for 15 minutes just figuring out how to use it? FireSync has a sleek modern design that is intuitive to use. 4. Does it include powerful cloud-enabled features? If your fire department uses FireSync Enterprise™ or TheHouse™ you can view all of the additional data and applets shared by your department or station from within FireSync. !!! SHIFT SUPPORT !!! FireSync supports any 24-hour shift schedule that repeats on a predictable cycle. FIRESYNC COMES PRELOADED WITH THE SHIFT CYCLES FOR OVER 1,400 FIRE DEPARTMENTS! If you do not see your fire department no problem. Our intuitive shift editor allows you to easily create your shift schedule. You can also share it with us so that others in your firehouse or department can quickly be up and running. Although FireSync does not fully support 12-hour shifts, we have countless users using FireSync to display their 12-hour shifts. If you want to display YOUR SHIFT (not all shifts) you can create 12-hour shifts. Kelly and Debit Days. Does your fire department use Kelly and Debit days? No problem. FireSync allows you to show both Kelly and Debit days. You can define them by rule or by specifying specific dates. FLSA: FireSync allows users to add FLSA periods to their calendar. Other Features: 1. Ability to add and track ordinary events, trades, overtime, comp time, benefit days, incidents and training. Since FireSync is also a full-featured cal you can also see these events on other calendars and other devices sharing the same calendar account (e.g. spouse). FireSync is your all-in-one calendar app. 2. Sleek reports that give you the info you need at a mere glance. View your shift trades, overtimes, comp time, benefits accrued or used, training and fire incidents with ease. You can also email your reports. 3. The ability to view your calendar in a year view, month view, month-list view, or day view. With FireSync you aren't just looking at your shift cycle. You can see all of your fire and non-fire events. 4. CertTracker to keep track of your training certificates. 5. Expenditure tracking. FireSync Shift Calendar is the shift calendar firefighters deserve. Get the word out to your brothers and sisters in your firehouse and IAFF local. *FireSync is the exclusive property of ForceReadiness.com. It solely developed FireSync and is responsible for its functionality. Firefighters First Credit Union has agreed to sponsor the app in order to provide it to all firefighters at no cost.

Screenshots

ActiveAlert4 screens
FireSync Shift Calendar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: FireSync Shift Calendar at 4.8 against ActiveAlert's 4.1. FireSync Shift Calendar also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 55%) and ratings volume (9.1K vs 738). ActiveAlert's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FireSync Shift Calendar holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FireSync Shift Calendar has 9.1K ratings behind it against 738, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of ActiveAlert's written reviews are positive against 69% of FireSync Shift Calendar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ActiveAlert ships an update every 8 days, FireSync Shift Calendar every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ActiveAlert versus FireSync Shift Calendar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterActiveAlertFireSync Shift Calendar
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (738 ratings)4.8 (9.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.2% of reviews69.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7389.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB176 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperActive911ForceReadiness.com

Customer experience

ActiveAlert

All ratings738 ratings
Positive75.9%
Neutral9.5%
Negative14.6%
Written reviews134 reviews
Positive55.2%
Neutral17.9%
Negative26.9%

FireSync Shift Calendar

All ratings9,095 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive69.2%
Neutral8.8%
Negative22.0%

User reviews

ActiveAlert

From 738 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Constant map updates
  • 🚀 Reliable app
  • 👍 Helpful information
  • 👍 Useful features like map markers and personnel details
  • 👍 Customizable alert tones

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Repetitive notifications that don't provide new information
  • 🐛 Inability to delete multiple alerts at once
  • 🐛 Inconsistent theme colors
  • 🐛 Slow loading times and lags
  • 🐛 Apple Watch compatibility issues

FireSync Shift Calendar

From 9.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Share capable
  • 👍 Perfect setup
  • 👍 User friendly and simple
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Convenient

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Randomly deletes events
  • 🔒 Trouble with calendar access
  • 🐛 Holiday icon disappeared
  • 🐛 Erased all info
  • 🐛 Verification not working

Bugs and requests

ActiveAlert

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Continuous paging/re-alerting issues
  • Inability to disable repeat paging
  • Alerts not working when phone is on silent
  • Crashing and freezing issues
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps

Requested features

8 requests
  • Favorites or saved calls list
  • Ability to adjust alert volume
  • More alert tone options
  • Improved map routing and integration
  • Customizable themes and color schemes
Show 3 more
  • Ability to mark on-duty/off-duty status with one button
  • Improved call details formatting and organization
  • Widgets and CarPlay integration

FireSync Shift Calendar

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Randomly deletes events
  • Trouble with calendar access
  • Holiday icon disappeared
  • Erased all info
  • Verification not working
Show 6 more
  • No longer syncs
  • Schedule won't publish
  • Crashes on iOS 13.2 update
  • App keeps crashing
  • Bug with editing events
  • Major bug with category/location fields

Requested features

11 requests
  • Color customization for days
  • Shift designation by number
  • Custom FLSA start/end dates
  • Customizable pay days
  • Shift trade feature
Show 6 more
  • Debit day scheduling
  • Ability to share calendar with others
  • Dark mode
  • Shift color customization
  • Shift swap/back-to-back trade option
  • Ability to see which shift you're on

In-app purchases

None

ActiveAlert

No in-app purchases

None

FireSync Shift Calendar

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ActiveAlert free?
ActiveAlert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FireSync Shift Calendar free?
FireSync Shift Calendar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ActiveAlert or FireSync Shift Calendar?
FireSync Shift Calendar is rated higher. ActiveAlert averages 4.1 out of 5 from 738 ratings, while FireSync Shift Calendar averages 4.8 from 9.1K ratings.
Do ActiveAlert or FireSync Shift Calendar have ads?
Neither ActiveAlert nor FireSync Shift Calendar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ActiveAlert or FireSync Shift Calendar?
ActiveAlert ships an update every 8 days, and FireSync Shift Calendar every 2 months. Most recently, ActiveAlert was updated on September 21, 2026 and FireSync Shift Calendar on September 24, 2026.

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