Comparison

Shift Calendar vs Rotaro

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

Head to head
About

Shift Calendar

Features
Read full description

Set your rotation once and see the whole year ahead. SIMPLE Pick your pattern โ€” 4 on 4 off, 2-2-3, DuPont, twelve-hour days and nights, rotating three shifts โ€” 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 โ€ข When your next shift starts, and how long until it does โ€ข A whole month on one screen โ€ข Your shifts in the iPhone Calendar, kept up to date โ€ข A reminder before every shift, even offline โ€ข Hours worked and estimated pay โ€ข A home screen widget โ€ข Backup and restore, to move to a new phone โ€ข 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 โ€” 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/

About

Rotaro

Features
Read full description

Rotaro shows your shift pattern on one calendar, so you always know when you work next. โ€ข Build any rotation โ€” 2-2-2, 4 on 4 off, 12-hour shifts, anything โ€ข Name your own shift types, set times and colours โ€ข Change a single day when you swap or take leave โ€ข Reminders before a shift, only on days you actually work โ€ข Works offline, no account, nothing leaves your phone Free with ads. One purchase removes them for good.

Screenshots

Shift Calendar4 screens
Rotaro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Shift Calendar at none against Rotaro's shown. Rotaro's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Shift Calendar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Rotaro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shift Calendar ships an update every 3 weeks, Rotaro every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Shift Calendar versus Rotaro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShift CalendarRotaro
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days โ€” better
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS16.416.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size45 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeranil sancarMartin Polacek

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shift Calendar

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

Rotaro

One-time1
  • Rotaro Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Shift Calendar free?
Shift Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rotaro free?
Rotaro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shift Calendar or Rotaro have ads?
Rotaro shows ads; Shift Calendar does not.
Which is updated more often, Shift Calendar or Rotaro?
Shift Calendar ships an update every 3 weeks, and Rotaro every 2 days. Most recently, Shift Calendar was updated on October 2, 2026 and Rotaro on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons