Comparison

PreShifter vs CostHammer

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

Head to head
About

PreShifter

This app streamlines restaurant operations by providing real-time updates, menu management, and team communication. It helps managers plan shifts, share information instantly, and foster better team collaboration for smoother service and increased profitability.

Highlights
  • Pre-shift planning and updates
  • Real-time communication
  • Dynamic menu management
  • Two-way team messaging
  • Organized team chat
Features
Read full description

Every system in your restaurant records the shift. POS records what sold. Scheduling records who worked. Payroll records what it cost. Nothing runs the shift itself. PreShifter does. PreShifter is the real-time operating system for restaurant service. It replaces the printed pre-shift sheet, the group text, the whiteboard, and the "did anyone tell the closers?" with one app the entire team actually opens. Built by New York hospitality veterans with decades on the floor, not by a software company guessing what a Friday night feels like. BUILD THE PRE-SHIFT IN MINUTES The PreShift Builder turns your daily briefing into a living document. Add new items, specials, 86s, item counts, sections and table assignments, reservation counts, prep lists, side work, POS updates, events and announcements. Tap Publish and every team member gets a push notification with the full brief on their phone. When the night changes, update one entry and the whole team sees it instantly. Archive past PreShifts for reference. KEEP THE MENU CURRENT, ALWAYS Menu Manager is the single source of truth for every dish and drink. Ingredients, allergens, recipes, availability, and photos, searchable and sortable from any station. A new special goes in once and shows up for every server before the first table sits. No more allergen guesses at table 12. ONE CHAT FOR THE WHOLE TEAM Team Chat keeps service communication in one thread the entire staff can see. Text and photos, real-time, with admin controls to keep it clean and professional. No personal numbers, no lost group texts, no "I never got that message." TWO-WAY, NOT TOP-DOWN Staff can submit menu items and PreShift updates directly from the floor. Managers approve with one tap and the update goes live for everyone. The bartender who noticed the last bottle of mezcal, the server who caught the typo on the special: their intel makes the whole team better. BUILT FOR HOW RESTAURANTS ACTUALLY WORK - Roles that make sense: managers run the restaurant, staff join the team - Invite staff by name or approve their join requests - Staff can hold memberships at multiple restaurants and switch between them - Push notifications for new PreShifts, approvals, and messages - Sign in with Apple, Google, or email - Light and dark mode - Works on iPhone and iPad WHO IT'S FOR Full-service restaurants, bars, cafes, and small groups. GMs and owner-operators who are tired of repeating themselves. Chefs who want the floor to know what's 86'd before a guest orders it. Servers and bartenders who want to walk in already knowing the plan. WHY IT WORKS Pre-shift is the highest-leverage twenty minutes in a restaurant, and most places run it on paper and memory. PreShifter makes it consistent, instant, and impossible to miss. Fewer mistakes at the table. Faster alignment across FOH and BOH. Managers get their time back. Guests get a team that knows the menu. PreShifter sits on top of the tools you already use. It does not replace your POS, scheduling, or reservations. It runs the part of the day they don't touch. FREE FOR STAFF. MANAGERS SUBSCRIBE. Team members always use PreShifter free. Managers who create a restaurant choose a plan sized to their team: - Core: up to 25 team members - Pro: up to 60 team members - Pro Max: unlimited team members Monthly and annual plans available. Annual plans include two months free. Subscriptions are billed to your Apple ID and renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.preshifter.com/preshifter-privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.preshifter.com/preshifter-terms-of-service/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Questions or want a walkthrough for your team? support@preshifter.com

About

CostHammer

Streamline construction business operations with tools for lead management, estimates, contracts, and project tracking. Features include 3D room scanning, on-glass signatures, and real-time profit calculation. Organize all project documents and photos in one place for efficient tax season preparation.

Highlights
  • 3D room scanner
  • Estimate-to-contract pipeline
  • On-glass signatures
  • Project vital signs progress tracker
  • Smart photo storage
  • Document vault
  • Real-time profit tracker
Features
Read full description

If you aren't tracking every penny, you're losing money. Period. CostHammer isn't just a tool — it's your entire office, your project manager, and your CPA in your pocket. **NEW: AI THAT BUILDS THE ESTIMATE FOR YOU** Just describe the job in plain words — "kitchen remodel, 12 cabinets, 40 sq ft of counters, new sink" — and CostHammer drafts the whole estimate. Review it, adjust the numbers, done. Runs right on your iPhone: private and works offline. **ESTIMATES YOUR WAY** Tap items from your price catalog, or just type the work and your price — "Tile install, $2,000." No catalog needed. Build a full estimate in under a minute. **ESTIMATE-TO-CONTRACT PIPELINE** Turn a lead into an estimate, then convert it to a professional contract in one tap. Scope, payment schedule, and terms auto-filled. **ON-GLASS SIGNATURES** Get the contract signed right on your iPhone. No printers, no "I'll email it later." Change orders get signed on the spot too. **THE DIGITAL JOB TRAILER** Before/after/progress photos, blueprints, permits, and receipts — every project's files organized in one folder, 24/7. **REAL-TIME PROFIT TRACKER** Track every dollar in and out — material buys to sub payments — and see your exact margin on the fly. **3D ROOM SCANNER** Walk a room, scan it in seconds, keep the 3D model in the project folder. Measurements done before you leave the site. **TAX SEASON MADE EASY** Pull a full archive of any project — every expense, receipt, and payment in one clean report. Your accountant will love you. **TRY IT FREE FOR 7 DAYS** — everything unlocked, no card required. Don't leave your margins to chance. If you aren't tracking, you're losing. Download CostHammer and nail your numbers. Privacy Policy: https://www.gbgconstructioninc.com/costhammer/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.gbgconstructioninc.com/costhammer/terms-of-use

Screenshots

PreShifter4 screens
CostHammer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CostHammer at every 3 weeks against PreShifter's every 19 months. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. PreShifter sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month and CostHammer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PreShifter against 5.0 for CostHammer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PreShifter ships an update every 19 months, CostHammer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
PreShifter versus CostHammer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPreShifterCostHammer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB5 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPreShifter LLCGBG INC

Customer experience

PreShifter

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

CostHammer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

PreShifter

Subscriptions10
  • Starter Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$49.991 Month
  • Standard Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$79.991 Month
  • Pro Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$109.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Pro+ Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$149.991 Month
  • Enterprise Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$229.991 Month
  • Starter Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$529.991 Year
  • Pro+ Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$799.996 Months
  • Standard Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$849.991 Year
  • Enterprise Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$999.996 Months
  • Pro Plan: Full Access14 Days trial$999.991 Year
2 purchases

CostHammer

Subscriptions2
  • CostHammer Monthly$14.991 Month
  • CostHammer Annual$149.991 Year

Questions

Is PreShifter free?
PreShifter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CostHammer free?
CostHammer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PreShifter or CostHammer?
PreShifter and CostHammer are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do PreShifter or CostHammer have ads?
Neither PreShifter nor CostHammer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PreShifter or CostHammer?
PreShifter ships an update every 19 months, and CostHammer every 3 weeks. Most recently, PreShifter was updated on September 25, 2026 and CostHammer on August 19, 2026.

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