Comparison

Ichimoku vs Shift Note

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

Head to head
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

About

Shift Note

Features
Read full description

Fill a whole month of shifts in one go, and know when to sleep around your nights. Type your rotation once (for example D D E E N N OFF OFF), pick a start date, and Shift Note fills the calendar for as many months as you need. Today and tomorrow sit at the top in large type, and the Sleep tab shows a plan for the week ahead. Made for nurses, factory and plant crews, firefighters, police, paramedics, call center teams and anyone on a rotating schedule. WHAT IT DOES • Pattern fill: start date + repeating pattern fills months at once • Tap any day to change the shift, saved instantly • Monthly summary: count of each shift type and total hours • Sleep plan: suggested bedtime, nap window and last-caffeine time around night shifts and quick turnarounds • Custom shift types: your own names, short codes, colors and start/end times • Home Screen widgets: small shows today and tomorrow; medium adds the next 7 days and today's sleep line • Lock Screen widgets: inline, rectangular and circular • iCloud backup: your schedule restores on any device signed in with the same Apple ID • Dark mode first, large readable type • Available in 17 languages PRIVACY AND NO FUSS • No sign-up, no login • Your schedule stays on your device and in your own iCloud backup; there is no account and no server of ours • No ad pops up when you open the app. A small banner keeps it free. The sleep plan is general guidance for shift workers, not medical advice. If you have a sleep disorder or health concern, talk to a doctor.

Screenshots

Ichimoku4 screens
Shift Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shift Note at none against Ichimoku's 7. Shift Note also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). Ichimoku's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, 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. Shift Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ichimoku ships an update every 3 days, Shift Note every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ichimoku versus Shift Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIchimokuShift Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNAGAKAWA MASAHIKOyosep lim

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
None

Shift Note

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ichimoku free?
Ichimoku is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shift Note free?
Shift Note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ichimoku or Shift Note have ads?
Both Ichimoku and Shift Note show ads.
Which is updated more often, Ichimoku or Shift Note?
Ichimoku ships an update every 3 days, and Shift Note every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ichimoku was updated on November 9, 2026 and Shift Note on November 10, 2026.

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