Comparison

CNC Flow vs Shift Planner

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

Head to head
About

CNC Flow

Features
Read full description

CNC Flow is the smart scheduling and production management app built specifically for CNC machine shops. Whether you run 3 machines or 40, CNC Flow automates the complex job of assigning work, minimizing costs, and making sure every deadline is met. SMART AUTO-SCHEDULING Add your machines, parts, and jobs โ€” then tap Optimize. The scheduling engine tests thousands of machine assignment combinations to find the lowest-cost plan that meets all your deadlines. It handles multi-operation parts, setup time batching, and deadline-aware interleaving automatically. VISUAL GANTT TIMELINE See your entire production laid out on a per-machine Gantt chart. Setup time, production runs, and deadline conflicts are color-coded and easy to read. Lock assignments you want to keep, and let the engine optimize everything else. REAL-TIME SHOP FLOOR TERMINAL Operators log production directly from any device. Track parts produced, setup runs, scrap, and leave notes for the next shift. Timer-based tracking makes it easy and accurate. COST OPTIMIZATION CNC Flow calculates material, labor, machine, tool, and maintenance costs for every job. JOB REPORTS & ANALYTICS Get detailed cost breakdowns per job. Compare estimated vs. actual times, track operator efficiency, and transfer real production data back to part settings for better future estimates. MULTI-OPERATION PARTS Model parts with sequential operations (Op 10, Op 20, etc.) across different machine types. Assign multiple machine alternatives per operation and let the optimizer choose the best one. OPERATOR MANAGEMENT Define operators with hourly costs, weekly rotation schedules, and date overrides. CNC Flow uses this data to calculate labor costs and machine availability accurately. WORKS EVERYWHERE Use CNC Flow on your iPhone, iPad, or any web browser. Data syncs across all devices in real time. Landscape mode optimized for data-heavy views. Built by a CNC professional who understands the shop floor. CNC Flow is the tool you wish you had โ€” simple enough to start in minutes, powerful enough to run your entire production. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shift Planner

Features
Read full description

Timepio brings shift planning, time tracking, team management, and task control into one app โ€” so you can stop juggling WhatsApp groups, spreadsheets, and paper schedules. EVERYTHING YOUR TEAM NEEDS โ€” ONE APP Timepio replaces the chaos of scattered tools with a single, clean workspace. Schedules, time tracking, tasks, vacation requests, and team communication โ€” all in one place. Your team opens one app and has everything they need for their workday. SHIFT PLANNING & SCHEDULING Build weekly schedules in minutes. Assign shifts, copy last week's plan, and publish with one tap. Your team gets notified instantly and can confirm their shifts right in the app. Color-coded calendar shows confirmed, pending, and draft schedules at a glance โ€” you always know exactly where things stand. SHIFT SWAPS BETWEEN EMPLOYEES Employees can request shift swaps directly with their colleagues โ€” no phone calls, no confusion. The manager approves or declines with one tap. Both sides see the swap status in real time. It just works. LIVE TIME TRACKING One tap to clock in, one tap to clock out. The live dashboard shows who's working right now, who's on break, and total hours this week. Overtime and breaks are calculated automatically โ€” no more manual counting at the end of the month. FULL TEAM CONTROL Your entire team on one screen. See who's active, on vacation, available, or clocked in. Manage roles, positions, and individual working hours. Invite new members in seconds โ€” they're set up immediately. TASK MANAGEMENT Assign tasks with priorities, due dates, and file attachments. Track everything from open to done. Team members comment, attach photos, and update progress directly on each task. Overdue items are flagged automatically. It's project management built right into your shift planner. VACATION & ABSENCE MANAGEMENT Employees request time off in the app. Managers approve with one tap. The vacation calendar shows all requests with color-coded dots โ€” approved, pending, sick days. Balance tracking included. No more paper forms or email chains. TEAM COMMUNICATION โ€” NO MORE WHATSAPP Post announcements your whole team sees. Send direct messages to individual employees. Read receipts show who's seen what. Handover notes between shifts keep everyone in the loop. One app replaces your WhatsApp group, notice board, and email threads. REPORTS THAT ACTUALLY HELP Monthly reports with planned vs. actual hours, overtime, breaks, and holiday hours โ€” per employee and for the whole team. Export as CSV or PDF for payroll or compliance. Real numbers, not guesswork. BUILT FOR REAL BUSINESSES Restaurants, cafรฉs, bakeries, retail stores, hotels, healthcare, cleaning companies, warehouses โ€” if your business runs on shifts, Timepio fits. From a small cafรฉ with 5 people to a company with hundreds of employees. WORKS ON EVERY DEVICE Use Timepio on your iPhone, iPad, or any browser. Data syncs instantly. Employees check schedules, clock in, swap shifts, and chat from wherever they are. SUBSCRIPTION PLANS Timepio offers two subscription plans via In-App Purchase: โ€ข Personal โ€” individual time tracking. โ€ข Business โ€” shift planning for teams up to 10 employees. Monthly or yearly. Yearly saves 17%. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Terms of Use: https://my.timepio.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://my.timepio.app/privacy

Screenshots

CNC Flow4 screens
Shift Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Shift Planner at 13.0 against CNC Flow's 15.1. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. CNC Flow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.00 per month and Shift Planner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
CNC Flow versus Shift Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCNC FlowShift Planner
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Daily
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size37 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHakon TorveHave a nice day

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CNC Flow

Subscriptions3
  • CNC Flow Starter$49.001 Month
  • CNC Flow Pro$99.991 Month
  • CNC Flow Shop$199.991 Month
4 purchases

Shift Planner

Subscriptions4
  • Personal Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Business Monthly$24.991 Month
  • Personal Yearly$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Business Yearly$249.991 Year

Questions

Is CNC Flow free?
CNC Flow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shift Planner free?
Shift Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CNC Flow or Shift Planner have ads?
Neither CNC Flow nor Shift Planner shows ads.

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