Comparison

Amber vs Shift Calendar

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

Head to head
About

Amber

A Markdown notes app designed for efficient writing and a clear reading experience. Organize notes in folders, search your library, and sync across Apple devices. Includes built-in tutorials for easy onboarding.

Highlights
  • Markdown styling as you type
  • Folder organization
  • Fast writing and calm reading view
  • Search across library
  • Photo attachments
  • iCloud syncing across devices
Features
Read full description

Your writing should stay yours—and remain easy to open with other tools. Amber is a Markdown document app that stores regular .md files in iCloud Drive. You can see the originals in the Files app on iPhone and iPad or in Finder on Mac, so your work never depends on a proprietary document format. Natural to write, clear to read Markdown markers appear when you need them, while headings, lists, quotes, links, images, checkboxes, and code blocks stay easy to read. Reading Mode lets you select and copy without worrying about accidental edits. Editing Mode gets you straight back to writing. Tables you can edit in place Amber turns Markdown tables into clear, editable grids. Change cells, add or remove rows and columns, choose header rows or columns, and adjust alignment without leaving the document. The source remains regular Markdown. Stay oriented in long documents Jump to any section with the heading navigator, or fold a heading to see only the shape of your document. Find within the current file, search your entire library, use line numbers, and move back or forward between documents. Keep a growing library organized Recent Documents, Favorites, and folders keep important files close. Choose a destination before creating a document or folder, then rename, move, delete, and restore items with a familiar flow on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Recover from accidental changes Amber can keep earlier contents in version history on the current device. Preview an older version, compare it with the current document, and restore the one you need. History is stored separately on each device rather than in iCloud, and its storage limit is under your control. Continue across iPhone, iPad, and Mac Your documents sync through iCloud Drive. Capture a thought on iPhone, shape a longer draft on iPad, and work with the original files in Finder on Mac. No separate Amber account is required. Amber includes an interface and built-in guides in Korean, English, Japanese, and Russian. Terms of Use and EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://drfranken.net/apps/amber/privacyPolicy_en.html

About

Shift Calendar

Plan rotating work schedules, track overtime pay, and sync shifts to your phone calendar. This app supports complex rotation patterns and automatically calculates earnings, working offline for convenience.

Highlights
  • Smart rotation engine for any shift pattern
  • Overtime and pay tracking
  • Syncs with Google Calendar and Apple Calendar
  • Offline functionality
  • Color-coded calendar views
  • Home screen widgets
  • Dark mode for OLED screens
Features
Read full description

The shift calendar trusted by nurses, firefighters & security workers. Plan your rotating shifts, track overtime pay, and sync everything to your phone calendar — in 3 taps. SMART ROTATION ENGINE Set up any pattern — 2 days on, 2 nights, 2 off — and fill your calendar instantly. Supports 12-hour shifts, split shifts, and custom rotation cycles that repeat forever. OVERTIME & PAY TRACKING See exactly what you'll earn each month. Hourly rate × hours worked = no more guessing. Track overtime, holiday pay, and night differential automatically. SYNC EVERYWHERE Your shifts appear in Google Calendar and Apple Calendar automatically. Change a shift in one place, it updates everywhere. Works offline — perfect for hospitals, stations, and factories with no signal. BUILT FOR SHIFT WORKERS ◦ Color-coded calendar with month, week, year & list views ◦ Add notes and memos to any shift ◦ Smart reminders that account for your commute time ◦ Home screen widgets — see your next shift at a glance ◦ True black OLED dark mode for night shifts ◦ Works in 20+ languages including Arabic (RTL) WHY SHIFT WORKERS SWITCH TO US Unlike other shift apps, we don't lock basic features behind a paywall. Free users get a full calendar with sync. Pro unlocks unlimited shift types, advanced stats, and PDF export. Download now — your next shift is already waiting. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Amber4 screens
Shift Calendar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shift Calendar at Free against Amber's $2.99. Shift Calendar also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). Amber's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

Shift Calendar is free to download; Amber costs $2.99 up front. Shift Calendar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Amber asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Amber against 5.0 for Shift Calendar. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Amber ships an update fortnightly, Shift Calendar every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on August 29, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Amber versus Shift Calendar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAmberShift Calendar
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings25 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDONGWOOK LEEYUSUF CAKMAK

Customer experience

Amber

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Shift Calendar

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Amber

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Shift Calendar

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Pro yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime (IAP)$34.99

Questions

Is Amber free?
Amber costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shift Calendar free?
Shift Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Amber or Shift Calendar?
Amber and Shift Calendar are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do Amber or Shift Calendar have ads?
Neither Amber nor Shift Calendar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Amber or Shift Calendar?
Amber ships an update fortnightly, and Shift Calendar every 5 days. Most recently, Amber was updated on August 29, 2026 and Shift Calendar on September 15, 2026.

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