Comparison

Shift Planner vs Shift Calendar

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

Head to head
About

Shift Planner

Features
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Shift Schedule is a convenient calendar for anyone who works shifts or follows an irregular schedule. The app helps you plan work shifts, days off, vacations, and personal events in one clear calendar. Create your shift cycle onceβ€”for example, day shift, night shift, recovery day, and day offβ€”and the app will automatically build your schedule for the selected period. Features: β€’ create custom shift cycles; β€’ generate schedules based on repeating patterns; β€’ add personal events to your schedule; β€’ set shift start and end times; β€’ choose colors for different shift types; β€’ receive notifications and reminders; β€’ account for breaks; β€’ view upcoming shifts and events; β€’ track total, day, night, and holiday work hours; β€’ add vacations, days off, and empty days; β€’ view shifts and events in a Home Screen widget; β€’ use light and dark appearance modes. The app is suitable for doctors, nurses, security staff, drivers, manufacturing and retail employees, service workers, and anyone who does not follow a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule. Shift Schedule helps you stay in control: see upcoming workdays, plan vacations in advance, add personal events, and quickly check how many hours are scheduled for the month. Plan your shifts without the chaosβ€”everything important is always in sight.

About

Shift Calendar

Features
Read full description

Your shift pattern, set up once. Your whole month, clear at a glance. Backshift is a shift calendar for people whose week doesn't start on Monday: nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters, factory and warehouse crews, security officers, care workers and anyone on a rotating schedule. BUILD YOUR ROTATION ONCE Two days, two nights, four off? Build it step by step and your calendar fills itself: this month, next month, every month. Start from a ready pattern (2 days Β· 2 nights Β· 4 off, 24 on Β· 48 off, three shifts 3Γ—8, 5 on Β· 2 off) or build your own with any shift types, hours and unpaid breaks, like a 14 on Β· 7 off oilfield hitch. Swapped a shift, took PTO or called in sick? Change that one day without touching the rest, and add a note if you like. YOUR MONTH IN COLOR Every shift type gets its own color band across the month. Spot three nights in a row or four days off before anyone asks "are you free on the 14th?" Prefer a list, light mode or larger text? It's all there. HOURS AND ESTIMATED PAY Enter your hourly rate and Backshift shows the month's hours, overtime and estimated earnings on one clean page. Night, overtime, Sunday and holiday premiums follow the percentages you set. When a shift ends you get one question; skip it and the shift counts as planned. It's a personal estimate of your paycheck, not a pay stub or payroll. CHECK YOUR PAY STUB Paid monthly? Choose the month and enter the gross amounts from your pay stub. Backshift compares them with the shifts you worked and shows, line by line, where base pay, a premium or the gross total doesn't match, with the math behind each line. Only gross amounts are compared; net pay, taxes and deductions aren't included. Part of Backshift Pro. WITHOUT OPENING THE APP During a shift, open the app once and the time left counts live on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, with your estimated pay too on Pro. Widgets show your month and your next shift. On Apple Watch, check your week and see your next shift right on your watch face. Get a reminder before every shift, at the time you choose. SHIFTS FOR TWO Share your calendar with one person and see both rotations side by side. The days you're both off are highlighted. Your pay and notes are never shared. NIGHT SHIFT GUIDE Short articles on daytime sleep, caffeine timing and winding down, each with its real sources listed. General wellness information, not medical advice. EXPORT A monthly PDF report, plus a calendar file (.ics) for any calendar app. MADE FOR 3 AM Dark mode first, high-contrast colors, numbers that line up. Your data stays on your device and syncs with your own iCloud. Back up and restore anytime. Available in 36 languages. FREE AND PRO The calendar, the rotation builder, the live timer, widgets and Apple Watch are free, forever. Backshift Pro adds your weekly and monthly pay with past months and comparisons, the pay stub check, export, unlimited shift types, calendar sharing and the night shift guide. The yearly plan starts with a 1-week free trial. If Pro ends, your calendar and records stay. Choose monthly, yearly or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage them in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Shift Planner4 screens
Shift Calendar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shift Planner at none against Shift Calendar's 3. Shift Calendar's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Shift Calendar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Shift Planner asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shift Planner ships an update every 3 weeks, Shift Calendar weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Shift Planner versus Shift Calendar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShift PlannerShift Calendar
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β€” better
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size5 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDmitriy MenyakinCAN BAYRAKTARBASI

In-app purchases

None

Shift Planner

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Shift Calendar

Subscriptions2
  • Backshift Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Backshift Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Backshift Pro Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is Shift Planner free?
Shift Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shift Calendar free?
Shift Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shift Planner or Shift Calendar have ads?
Neither Shift Planner nor Shift Calendar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shift Planner or Shift Calendar?
Shift Planner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shift Calendar weekly. Most recently, Shift Planner was updated on October 31, 2026 and Shift Calendar on October 31, 2026.

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