# Countdowns & Widgets vs Shift Calendar Rota Planner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shift Calendar Rota Planner at none against Countdowns & Widgets's 2. Shift Calendar Rota Planner also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 24 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdowns & Widgets sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Shift Calendar Rota Planner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdowns & Widgets ships an update every 24 months, Shift Calendar Rota Planner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdowns & Widgets | Shift Calendar Rota Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Size | 20 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thuyet Luong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655884965) | [Qun Cao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655069600) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdowns & Widgets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdowns-and-widgets/id6502430103)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Access | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Lifetime Access | $9.99 | one-time |


### Shift Calendar Rota Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-calendar-rota-planner/id6775181177)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdowns & Widgets free?

Countdowns & Widgets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shift Calendar Rota Planner free?

Shift Calendar Rota Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Countdowns & Widgets or Shift Calendar Rota Planner have ads?

Both Countdowns & Widgets and Shift Calendar Rota Planner show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdowns & Widgets or Shift Calendar Rota Planner?

Countdowns & Widgets ships an update every 24 months, and Shift Calendar Rota Planner every 4 days. Most recently, Countdowns & Widgets was updated on October 3, 2026 and Shift Calendar Rota Planner on October 18, 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.*