Comparison

ShiftMate vs Ichimoku

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

Head to head
About

ShiftMate

Features
Read full description

Plan nurse shifts, personal schedules, and days off on iPhone and iPad. ShiftMate is a shift calendar built for nurses, nursing assistants, hospital teams, and other shift workers. Keep Day, Evening, Night, and Off shifts alongside events, notes, leave, and work alarms. SHIFT CALENDAR Add D/E/N/Off shifts and custom shift types to a clear monthly calendar. Customize colors and icons to make your schedule your own. SYNC BETWEEN iPHONE AND iPAD Use the same account to keep your shifts and plans in sync across your devices. See more of your calendar and notes at once on iPad. SHARE WITH COWORKERS Create a group to view shared schedules and check who is working the same shift. You can also share your schedule with family or a partner. EVENTS, NOTES & CHECKLISTS Keep personal plans organized beside your shifts. Save notes and check off everyday tasks. WORK ALARMS & WIDGETS Set alarms based on shift start times. Check upcoming shifts from your Home Screen with daily, weekly, and monthly widgets. LEAVE & SHIFT STATS Record leave separately and review shift counts and work patterns. Make every shift easier to plan with ShiftMate. Support: ibs.appdev@gmail.com

About

Ichimoku

This app simplifies shift work by integrating a smart alarm system with a calendar. It allows for quick shift input, automatic pattern generation, and real-time family syncing, all while minimizing battery drain. Share your schedule easily and manage your work life efficiently.

Highlights
  • Shift-linked alarm
  • Quick stamp input
  • Pattern auto-input
  • Home screen widget
  • Shareable rota
  • Real-time family sync
  • iCloud backup
Features
Read full description

"Early shift tomorrow, so 6am. Night shift the day after, so 4pm..." We free you from that nightly chore of setting alarms. Ichimoku: Shift Planner is a calendar app built for shift workers, combining shift management with an alarm clock. Put your shifts on the calendar, and the alarms, the reminders for what to bring, even a rough estimate of your pay all follow automatically. WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE ICHIMOKU - ALARMS YOU CAN'T FORGET TO SET Put "Early" on the calendar and the early-shift alarm rings that morning only. On days off it stays silent. No more forgetting, and no more being jolted awake on your day off. On iOS 26, alarms ring through AlarmKit, the same mechanism as the iPhone's Clock app. On iOS 18 and earlier we notify you instead. Either way iOS handles the timing, so the app never runs in the background and the impact on your battery is minimal. Ichimoku Premium adds original alarm tones alongside the system ones. - YOUR ESTIMATED PAY AT A GLANCE Set the hours and hourly rate for each shift, and the app totals your actual hours, night hours and overtime, then works out roughly what you earned. Choose any cut-off day from the 1st to the 28th, so totals line up with your payslip even when payroll doesn't follow the calendar month. Night and overtime premium rates, plus fixed allowances, adjust to the rules where you live. (Ichimoku Premium) - SHIFT-LINKED TO-DO REMINDERS Something you only need on night shifts? A task only for early shifts? Reminders fire only on the shifts you choose, so nothing slips through an irregular routine. - STAMP ENTRY, DONE IN SECONDS Tap one of your own shifts, then tap the dates. Far faster than a paper planner. - AUTO-FILL FOR COMPLICATED ROTATIONS Four on, two off. Day-day-night-night-off-off. Register your rotation, pick a start date, and months of shifts fill in with one tap. - CHECK IT FROM YOUR HOME SCREEN One look at the widget shows this month's shifts, with to-dos first. The weather forecast can sit alongside them, so getting ready is easier. Your Apple Watch shows this week too. - REAL-TIME FAMILY SHARING Your shifts sync automatically into your family's or partner's calendar, so "when's your next day off?" stops being a conversation. - SHARE AND EXPORT Send your schedule as a clear image by message or email, export an A4 PDF to print, or a CSV for a spreadsheet. Show or hide your memos as you prefer. Shifts can also sync to the iPhone's built-in Calendar app. - MAKE IT YOUR OWN Add typefaces by download, 16 of them covering Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai and more. Install only what you want and the app stays light. Event icons and shift colors are yours to choose, and you can even set a reminder for trash day. - YOUR DATA, LOOKED AFTER Everything backs up to iCloud. Change phones, sign in with your usual Apple ID, and it's all there. WHO USES ICHIMOKU - Nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare staff - Factory, manufacturing and engineering workers - Police officers, firefighters and armed forces personnel - Care workers and care managers - Hotel, convenience store and other around-the-clock staff AVAILABLE IN 19 LANGUAGES Alongside English, Ichimoku works in Japanese, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Hindi and more. Drop that last chore before bed, and sleep easy. Ichimoku is here for your working life. Terms of Use (EULA): https://nakawa.net/IchimokuApp/terms_en.html

Screenshots

ShiftMate4 screens
Ichimoku4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShiftMate at none against Ichimoku's 7. ShiftMate also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Ichimoku sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. ShiftMate asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShiftMate ships an update every 5 days, Ichimoku every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ShiftMate versus Ichimoku: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShiftMateIchimoku
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB109 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerjuho yiNAGAKAWA MASAHIKO

In-app purchases

None

ShiftMate

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Ichimoku

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$11.991 Year
One-time5
  • Buy me a Coffee$0.49
  • Remove Ads$1.99
  • Buy me a Lunch$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Ichimoku Premium$4.99
  • Support the Developer$19.99

Questions

Is ShiftMate free?
ShiftMate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ichimoku free?
Ichimoku is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShiftMate or Ichimoku have ads?
Both ShiftMate and Ichimoku show ads.
Which is updated more often, ShiftMate or Ichimoku?
ShiftMate ships an update every 5 days, and Ichimoku every 3 days. Most recently, ShiftMate was updated on October 27, 2026 and Ichimoku on October 24, 2026.

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