Comparison

ShiftSleep vs Shift Meal Timer

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

Head to head
About

ShiftSleep

This app helps shift workers optimize sleep and recovery by providing personalized schedules for sleeping, waking, and caffeine intake. It also offers driving safety alerts, fatigue tracking, and a library of sleep sounds. Features include timed reminders and shift management tools.

Highlights
  • Personalized sleep and wake times
  • Caffeine cutoff reminders
  • Driving safety alerts
  • Fatigue tracking and recovery planner
  • Extensive sleep sound library
  • Shift schedule management
  • Guided breathing sessions
Features
Read full description

Don't know when to sleep after your shift? You're not alone. Most shift workers push through exhaustion, guessing when to sleep, drinking coffee at the wrong time, waking up worse. ShiftSleep changes that. Enter your shifts and get a clear plan: when to sleep, when to wake, when to stop caffeine, plus reminders at each step. HOW IT WORKS 1. Enter your shifts (manual, templates, rotation patterns, or OCR scan your roster) 2. Get your optimal sleep window, wake time, and caffeine cutoff 3. Receive timed reminders: caffeine cutoff, wind-down, bedtime, pre-shift 4. Track your sleep and see your fatigue level over time No complicated setup. No guessing. SAFE DRIVE HOME (NEW) Long commute after a night shift? ShiftSleep checks your fatigue risk before you drive: - Driving safety alert when your shift ends - Fatigue risk score based on shift length, sleep debt, and commute time - Built-in Power Nap timer (15-30 min) with smart alarm - 4 safety levels: Safe, Caution, Nap First, Rest Required - Because getting home safely matters most SHIFT-AWARE SLEEP PLANNING Every recommendation adapts to YOUR shift schedule: - Night shift: extended caffeine cutoff, light-avoidance, adjusted recovery - Day shift: morning light exposure, standard sleep-wake cycle - Evening shift: post-work wind-down, balanced alertness - Rotating / 12h shifts: recalculates daily as your schedule changes - Chronotype-aware: early bird or night owl, your plan adjusts 4 SMART REMINDERS Perfectly timed notifications that move with your shift schedule: - Caffeine cutoff: stop coffee before it ruins tonight's sleep - Wind-down: start your pre-sleep routine - Bedtime: your optimal sleep window is now - Pre-shift: time to get ready for work Shift changes? Reminders auto-update. Zero maintenance. FATIGUE TRACKING AND RECOVERY PLANNER - 14-day sleep debt calculator with quality adjustments - 4 fatigue levels: Low, Moderate, High, Critical - Recovery planner: how much extra sleep you need and for how many nights - Track consecutive low-sleep days and see improvement 160+ SLEEP SOUNDS FOR DAYTIME SLEEP Curated for shift workers sleeping during the day: - Broadband masking, rain, water, nature, cozy, air/fan, drone and more - Mix unlimited tracks with individual volume control - Save unlimited custom mixes - 15 core sounds available offline BREATHING SESSIONS - 8 guided sessions using the 4-7-8 breathing technique - Presets: falling asleep, quick nap, pre-shift focus, post-shift unwind SHIFT SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT - 7 shift types: Day, Evening, Night, Custom, Day Off, Leave, On Call - 8 rotation patterns: 3on/4off, Panama, Continental, Pitman, DuPont and more - Bulk schedule up to 12 months ahead - OCR scanner: photograph your printed roster - Import from your system calendar APPLE WATCH - Haptic wrist alarm with escalating vibration: wakes only you - Nap timer with Digital Crown control (5-120 min) - View next shift and sleep plan at a glance WIDGETS AND EXPORT - 3 Home Screen widgets: Next Shift, Sleep Plan, Sleep Score - Export as PDF, ICS, or share card image FREE vs PRO Free: Shift calendar, daily sleep plan, 4 smart reminders, 15 core sounds, 4-7-8 breathing, 14-day trends, HealthKit import. PRO: Safe Drive Home, 160+ sounds, unlimited mixer, 8 breathing sessions, rotation setup, OCR scan, calendar sync, fatigue insights, recovery planner. SUBSCRIPTION - Annual: $39.99/year with 7-day free trial (best value) - Monthly: $6.99/month - Lifetime: $99.99 one-time purchase Payment charged to Apple ID at purchase confirmation. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled 24 hours before current period ends. Manage in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shiftsleep.app/privacy

About

Shift Meal Timer

Features
Read full description

Stop eating breakfast at 4 AM because your shift ended and you have no idea what to call this meal. Shift Meal Timer gives night shift workers and 12-hour shift workers a structured four-meal schedule built around their actual hours. Every night shift worker knows the problem: your body wants food at strange times, you skip meals because you do not know if it counts as lunch or dinner, and the coffee you drank at 3 AM is still keeping you awake at 9 AM. Generic meal apps assume you wake up at 7 AM and sleep at 11 PM. You do not. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick your shift pattern: 12hr Night, 12hr Day, 8hr Day, 8hr Evening, Rotating, or Custom. 2. Set your usual sleep time and average sleep duration. 3. Shift Meal Timer calculates four meal windows tuned to your hours: Pre-shift Main, Mid-shift Meal, Late-shift Snack, Post-shift Wind-down. A caffeine cutoff is set six hours before sleep. Set up in under a minute. No account required. No tracking. CORE FEATURES Four-Meal Schedule Each meal slot shows the time, meal type, and food suggestions. Meals falling between midnight and 6 AM are tagged Light protein-focused with a dark background so you can see at a glance which ones are night-shift meals. Caffeine Cutoff A red indicator shows the latest time you should stop caffeine before your sleep window. Protects your daytime sleep on rotating shifts. Work Day and Off Day Toggle Switch between your shift schedule and a fixed off-day schedule (7:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 6:30 PM) with one tap. Next-Up Countdown The bottom bar always shows the next upcoming meal with a live countdown so you know what to grab and when. Notifications Local push notifications fire 15 minutes before each meal. Toggle individual meals on or off. No server, no tracking. PRO FEATURES Upgrade to Pro for deeper tools: - Check-in: log whether you ate or skipped each meal - Adaptation Report: your schedule shifts based on your hunger signals and skip patterns over 30 days - History: monthly calendar view of your eating record - Custom notification timing (5 to 60 minutes before each meal) - Multiple shift presets and quick switching - Caffeine cutoff adaptation based on your sleep quality PRIVACY FIRST - No account, no login, no email required - All data stored locally on your device using Hive - No tracking, no ads, no third-party analytics - RevenueCat handles subscription transactions only; no personal data sent Shift Meal Timer provides meal-timing guidance based on your shift schedule and general nutrition principles. It is not a substitute for medical or dietary advice from a qualified clinician or registered dietitian. Adapt the suggestions to your personal needs and consult a clinician or registered dietitian for individual recommendations. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ShiftSleep4 screens
Shift Meal Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ShiftSleep at fortnightly against Shift Meal Timer's every 2 months. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ShiftSleep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Shift Meal Timer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShiftSleep ships an update fortnightly, Shift Meal Timer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
ShiftSleep versus Shift Meal Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShiftSleepShift Meal Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer阳 李JUHWAN PARK

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ShiftSleep

Subscriptions2
  • ShiftSleep Monthly$6.991 Month
  • ShiftSleep Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • ShiftSleep Lifetime$99.99
1 purchases

Shift Meal Timer

Subscriptions1
  • Pro — Full Access7 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is ShiftSleep free?
ShiftSleep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shift Meal Timer free?
Shift Meal Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShiftSleep or Shift Meal Timer have ads?
Neither ShiftSleep nor Shift Meal Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShiftSleep or Shift Meal Timer?
ShiftSleep ships an update fortnightly, and Shift Meal Timer every 2 months. Most recently, ShiftSleep was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shift Meal Timer on October 14, 2026.

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