Comparison

Shiftpad 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

Shiftpad

Features
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Shiftpad is the rotating shift planner for nurses, factory workers, retail staff, and anyone working irregular shift patterns. Set up your rotation once and your calendar fills in automatically β€” no manual entry day by day. UNLIMITED SHIFT TYPES Create Early, Late, Night, or any custom shift β€” each with its own color, start/end time, break duration, and hourly pay rate. Unlike competitors, there is no cap on the number of shift types in the free tier. ROTATION PATTERNS Choose from Panama (2-2-3), 3-on-4-off, Continental (Konti), or build a fully custom rotation. Set an anchor date and the app projects your schedule months ahead. Override any day with a single tap. OVERNIGHT SHIFTS β€” HANDLED CORRECTLY Night shifts crossing midnight are shown with the correct duration, pay calculation, and reminder timing. PAY & HOURS SUMMARY View your total hours and estimated earnings per week or month, broken down by shift type. Overtime is flagged when you exceed your configured weekly threshold. SHIFT REMINDERS Local notifications fire before each upcoming shift β€” choose your lead time: 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, or 12 h before start. GERMAN-FIRST Full German localization. The app name changes to "Schichtplaner" on German-language devices. Pre-loaded German shift names: FrΓΌhschicht, SpΓ€tschicht, Nachtschicht. FREE WITH ADS β€” PRO REMOVES THEM Shiftpad is free and ad-supported. Every scheduling feature stays free. The optional Pro upgrade (subscription or one-time lifetime purchase) simply removes ads and supports development. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lid-web-privacy.web.app/shiftcalendar-privacy-policy-ios.html

About

Shift Calendar

Features
Read full description

Set your rotation once and see the whole year ahead. SIMPLE Pick your pattern β€” 4 on 4 off, 2-2-3, DuPont, twelve-hour days and nights, rotating three shifts β€” then tap the day of the cycle you are on today. Done. No sign-up, no account. YOUR OWN ROTATION Nothing on the list fits? Build a cycle of any length yourself. Hospital rotas, irregular rotations, on-call. WHAT YOU GET β€’ When your next shift starts, and how long until it does β€’ A whole month on one screen β€’ Your shifts in the iPhone Calendar, kept up to date β€’ A reminder before every shift, even offline β€’ Hours worked and estimated pay β€’ A home screen widget β€’ Backup and restore, to move to a new phone β€’ In 31 languages Without a purchase you see this month's calendar and your next shift. Other months, editing days, your own rotation, Calendar sync, reminders, hours and pay, the widget and backups come with Shift Cycle Pro, an in-app purchase. CHANGES Swapped a shift? Tap the day and change it. Add a note. Your rotation stays intact around it, and your Calendar and reminders follow. WHAT WE PROMISE A lifetime purchase stays a lifetime purchase. We will not move it to a subscription later, and we will never put ads in this app. We never see your shifts. No server, no account, no tracking β€” your rotation stays on your phone. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://anilsancarr-web.github.io/shiftcycle-site/privacy/

Screenshots

Shiftpad4 screens
Shift Calendar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Shift Calendar at none against Shiftpad's shown. Shift Calendar also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. Shiftpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Shift Calendar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Shiftpad versus Shift Calendar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShiftpadShift Calendar
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.216.4 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size17 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMuge Akalinanil sancar

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Shiftpad

Subscriptions2
  • Shiftpad Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Shiftpad Pro (Yearly)$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Shift Calendar Pro Lifetime$39.99
2 purchases

Shift Calendar

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Pro$24.99

Questions

Is Shiftpad free?
Shiftpad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shift Calendar free?
Shift Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shiftpad or Shift Calendar have ads?
Shiftpad shows ads; Shift Calendar does not.
Which is updated more often, Shiftpad or Shift Calendar?
Shiftpad ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shift Calendar every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shiftpad was updated on October 9, 2026 and Shift Calendar on October 2, 2026.

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