Comparison

Reference. vs ShiftBell

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

Head to head
About

Reference.

Features
Read full description

Forget about it… until you need it. We've all been there: You make a note of something because you may need it later, such as a tyre pressure, a paint colour, a room measurement, warranty details, a model number... Two years later you suddenly need it, and it’s buried somewhere between old screenshots, notes, emails, messages or a scrap of paper that’s long since disappeared. Reference gives all of those little but important details one permanent home, so you always know exactly where to find them. It quietly sits in the background as you save information over time, until the day you need that one crucial piece of information quickly. That’s the day you’ll be glad you installed Reference. Perfect for storing: • Tyre pressures • Room and furniture measurements • Paint colours • Warranty information • Model numbers • Wi-Fi passwords • Appliance settings • Clothing sizes • Important dates • And anything else you’ll want to find again in the future Designed to be simple. Designed to be easy to access. Designed to be forgotten about, until needed. Create collections that make sense to you, add notes and photos, customise them with colours and icons, and find everything instantly with powerful search. Your information stays yours and works entirely on your device. No account. No sign up. No cloud storage. You can also export a local backup to your device’s Files app and import it again whenever you need it, so you never have to worry about losing information if you switch device. Free features include: • Up to 10 collections • Up to 20 items per collection • One photo per item • Powerful search • Local backup and restore • Custom colours and icons Upgrade to premium, with features including: • Unlimited collections • Unlimited items • Multiple photos per item • Tags • Additional colours and icons including personalised pictures as icons • Remove ads Save it once. Forget about it… Until you need it. Terms of Use: https://referenceapp.sumziapp.workers.dev/terms

About

ShiftBell

Features
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Tell ShiftBell your rotation once. It rings on the days you work, at the time you set for that shift. On the days you don't, it stays silent. ■ Will it handle my pattern? • Not on anyone's list? Stack blocks and build the cycle your workplace runs — 2-2-3, DuPont, four on four off, whatever it is. • Or pick one already built: – 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off (Continental) – Day, Night, Off – 2 days, 2 evenings, 2 nights, 2 off – 24 on / 48 off – 5-2 (fixed) • Handed a new schedule every month? Paint it onto the calendar day by day. • Or take a photo of the schedule (or pick one from Photos) and ShiftBell reads your shifts off it (Pro). The photo goes through our server to OpenAI to be read, and only after you agree. Not offered in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. • Need to change one day? Tap it. • Already in your iPhone calendar? Import it (Pro). • Set the start date once and the app works out every workday after it. • Presets, the cycles you build and per-day edits are all free. ■ Will it actually wake me? Free rings once, and a check records how you got up: the Confirm button, or a Math problem. Pro is the part that won't take one ring for an answer. Pick Quick Tap, Memory, Typing, Steps, Selfie, Find the open eye or Photo of a place. It comes back every minute until you pass, and turning it off doesn't end it. That is what stops the half-asleep dismissal. On iOS 26 and later, alarms ring through Silent Mode and Focus. ■ Who it is for Nurses, firefighters and paramedics. Plant swing shifts, 24/48 duty, security, logistics, aviation. Anyone whose schedule is handed to them a month at a time. ■ Your data, your choice No account, no ads, no tracking. Your schedule, alarms and journal are kept on this iPhone. A roster photo leaves it only if you choose to have it read. Wake selfies stay encrypted on this iPhone and out of your backups. Log mood and fatigue in seconds when a shift ends. Back the whole thing up to your own iCloud — we still can't read that backup. ■ Pro Pro adds: • alarms that keep ringing until you pass the check, plus seven more wake checks • your iPhone calendar's events and public holidays, plus shift import • reading your roster from a photo, up to 20 roster photos a month • custom shift types Everything else is free, including: • the commute weather briefing, read out for both ends of your shift • mood and fatigue statistics, with a PDF you can share • day templates and widgets Yearly starts with a free week. If your schedule doesn't fit yet, write to borabada77@gmail.com. Every message reaches the people who build ShiftBell. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings.

Screenshots

Reference.4 screens
ShiftBell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ShiftBell at none against Reference.'s shown. Reference.'s advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.4). On price and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Reference. sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and ShiftBell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Reference. versus ShiftBell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReference.ShiftBell
PriceFreeFree
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCHADLEY JORDAN CADMANSEONG MIN LEE

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reference.

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$9.991 Year
2 purchases

ShiftBell

Subscriptions2
  • ShiftBell Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • ShiftBell Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Reference. free?
Reference. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShiftBell free?
ShiftBell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reference. or ShiftBell have ads?
Reference. shows ads; ShiftBell does not.

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