Comparison

ShifRoll vs ShiftAlarm

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

Head to head
About

ShifRoll

Features
Read full description

The worst part of shift work isn't the shift โ€” it's every single night before: what shift is tomorrow, what time do I need to wake up, did I set the alarm? ShifRoll ends that loop. Enter your schedule once, and every shift's alarm arranges itself automatically. Your schedule IS the alarm. And not just shifts โ€” classes, exams, events: anything you need to show up for on time. REAL SYSTEM ALARMS ShifRoll uses the iPhone's true system alarm โ€” not a notification. It rings on silent and Do Not Disturb, with a built-in backup tone behind it. ROUTINES โ€” COMBINE YOUR SHIFTS ONCE Combine your existing shifts and rest days into a repeating routine โ€” any pattern, any length โ€” and ShifRoll fills your whole calendar with the cycle. When the roster changes, edit the routine once: every day it scheduled โ€” and every alarm โ€” updates with it. Rest days stay silent automatically. CHAINED REMINDERS & BACKUP ALARMS Stack multiple alarms and reminders on any event โ€” a shift, an exam, a big day โ€” "30 min before, 5 min before, at start," each with its own sound. Heavy sleeper? Add a follow-up alarm after the first ring, so dismissing and drifting back to sleep isn't the end of the story. A DIFFERENT SOUND FOR EVERY SHIFT Set a gentle tone for day shifts and a louder one for 3am call-outs. Sounds inherit from category down to every event, and you can override at any level. SEE IT AT A GLANCE - Home-screen and lock-screen widgets show your next event without opening the app. - Daily Digest: one morning notification summing up your whole day โ€” or a night-before preview of tomorrow. SHARE EVENTS, SEE YOUR TEAM - Connect with friends by QR code or link โ€” one tap, no codes to type. Rotate your code anytime to cut off old links. - Teams: one shared space for your ward, store, or crew. Share one link and everyone who joins sees each other's schedules, side by side in a team table. You approve every member. Joining a Team is always free; creating one requires Premium. - Share any event as a link or QR โ€” anyone can add it to their own calendar and gets notified if it changes. YOUR SCHEDULE, NEVER LOST - Your full schedule โ€” past and future โ€” backs up and restores when you switch phones. Free, automatic. - A recycle bin holds deleted events for 30 days. - Privacy option: keep your past schedule on this device only. PREMIUM (OPTIONAL) Core functions are free, forever. Premium adds the extras โ€” multi-device sync, creating Teams, more reminders per event โ€” and supports a solo developer building for shift workers. Built for nurses, healthcare staff, hospitality, flight crews, and anyone whose week never looks the same twice. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shifroll.com/privacy

About

ShiftAlarm

Features
Read full description

Import an Excel/CSV roster or build a repeating work/off pattern, then keep shifts, reminders, and hours organized in one place. ShiftAlarm is a shift calendar and alarm app for rotating schedules, night work, duty shifts, and overtime. See what you work today, know when to leave, and keep your whole month organized in one place. KEY FEATURES Today's shift and countdown See today's shift, start and end times, time until work or clock-out, and your next reminder. Shift calendar View morning, evening, night, off, and duty shifts directly on a monthly calendar. Cycle scheduling Create repeating patterns such as two days on and two days off. Preview and generate up to 365 days while choosing whether to replace or keep existing shifts. Excel and CSV import Preview and validate your existing roster before saving it. Matching shift times can be synchronized, while duplicate dates can be replaced or kept. Shift library Create, edit, and duplicate reusable shift templates for different work patterns. Overtime and work-hour statistics Record overtime or temporary duty and review regular hours, overtime, total hours, workdays, and shift distribution. Shift reminders Set wake-up, departure, and work reminders for each shift and choose a reminder sound. Home Screen widgets Check today's shift, countdown, next reminder, and weekly roster without opening the app. Holidays and languages Choose built-in holidays for Mainland China or Hong Kong, or turn them off. ShiftAlarm supports Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and English. Built for healthcare, security, manufacturing, rail, aviation, emergency services, and anyone working rotating schedules. No account is required. Your schedules and reminders stay on your device, and imported roster files are not uploaded to a server.

Screenshots

ShifRoll4 screens
ShiftAlarm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShiftAlarm at none against ShifRoll's 3. On price, update cadence, ads 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. ShifRoll sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ShiftAlarm asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShifRoll ships an update every 5 days, ShiftAlarm weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
ShifRoll versus ShiftAlarm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShifRollShiftAlarm
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days โ€” betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size54 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChi Leung Toๆ˜Ž ๅˆ˜

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ShifRoll

One-time3
  • Supporter Tip โ€” Small$1.99
  • Supporter Tip โ€” Medium$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
None

ShiftAlarm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ShifRoll free?
ShifRoll is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShiftAlarm free?
ShiftAlarm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ShifRoll or ShiftAlarm have ads?
Neither ShifRoll nor ShiftAlarm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShifRoll or ShiftAlarm?
ShifRoll ships an update every 5 days, and ShiftAlarm weekly. Most recently, ShifRoll was updated on September 23, 2026 and ShiftAlarm on September 29, 2026.

Other comparisons