Fire Calendar vs Life by Shift
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fire Calendar
This app helps firefighters manage their complex schedules and time off. It tracks vacation, sick time, comp time, and trades, providing accurate real-time balances and personalized reminders. Plan ahead for sellbacks and stay organized with a clean, intuitive interface designed for fire service needs.
- Comprehensive time tracking (vacation, sick, comp, overtime)
- Accurate real-time balance updates
- Customizable shift rotation patterns
- Personalized notification system
- Sellback planning tools
- Trade time tracking
- iCloud sync for data backup
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FireCal – Firefighter Time and Schedule Manager FireCal is an intuitive and reliable tool designed for firefighters to track vacation, sick time, comp time, trades, shift rotations, and sellback rules. Built specifically for real-world fire service schedules, FireCal helps you stay organized, plan ahead, and maintain accurate balances at all times. FireCal is ideal for full-time firefighters, medics, and anyone working a rotating shift schedule. Features Comprehensive Time Tracking Track all major categories of time off and schedule-related adjustments: Vacation Sick time Comp time usage Overtime worked with comp conversion Holiday and custom banks Trade time tracking (you work for them / they work for you) Easily add, edit, and view entries at any time. Accurate Real-Time Balances FireCal automatically updates your balances based on your department’s pay schedule and your recorded entries. View: Vacation balance Sick balance Comp balance Future scheduled comp time off All-time totals for each category Balances adjust instantly whenever you add or remove entries. Custom Shift Rotation Supports virtually any rotation pattern, including: A/B/C ABCD 48/96 24 on / 48 off Custom department rotation patterns Set your start date and rotation length, assign colors, and FireCal will display your shift on any date. Notification System Create personalized reminders for: Low balance alerts Approaching vacation maximums Upcoming comp time usage Sick time thresholds Notifications help you stay ahead of scheduling deadlines and benefit limits. Sellback Planning Tools Plan and schedule future vacation and sick time sellbacks: Set annual sellback limits Define sick-to-vacation conversion rules Schedule sellback events for future dates View projected balances after sellback is applied All sellback events update automatically as your balances change. Trade Tracking Record trade agreements with coworkers. FireCal tracks hours owed or earned and keeps your totals accurate and current. iCloud Sync FireCal automatically backs up your data to your private iCloud account. Your information restores automatically when you reinstall the app or switch to a new device. No accounts, no sign-ins, and no third-party data storage. Pay Period Aware Enter your last pay date, accrual rates, and maximums. FireCal uses these settings to: Accrue future hours Predict when you will hit your vacation maximum Provide accurate forecasting and planning Yearly Usage Reporting Review how much vacation, sick, comp, overtime, and holiday time you have used throughout the year. Simple and Clean Interface FireCal is designed specifically for firefighters. The interface is clean, easy to navigate, and focused on the information you need most. Why FireCal Stands Out No user accounts required Automatically synced through iCloud Designed for firefighter schedules Fast, accurate, and easy to use
Life by Shift
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Life by Shift is a scheduling app built by a shift worker, for shift workers — nurses, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers. - Visual shift calendar — tap to assign Day, Night, OT shifts - Estimated income calculator for every pay period - Holiday & special rates — long-press any shift for 1.5x, 2x, or custom multiplier - Repeat Rotation — set your schedule pattern and auto-fill your calendar - Notes on any day - 100% private — no accounts, no servers, everything stays on your device Built for 8-hour and 12-hour shift workers. Supports custom OT multipliers for workers worldwide.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Life by Shift at every 4 days against Fire Calendar's every 3 months. Life by Shift also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.1). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Fire Calendar ships an update every 3 months, Life by Shift every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fire Calendar | Life by Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christopher Tucker | Sang Woon Shin |
In-app purchases
Fire Calendar
No in-app purchases
Life by Shift
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Fire Calendar free?
Is Life by Shift free?
Do Fire Calendar or Life by Shift have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fire Calendar or Life by Shift?
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