Comparison

Shift Calendar vs Countdown

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

Head to head
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 Ā· 2 nights Ā· 4 off, 24 on Ā· 48 off, three shifts 3Ɨ8, 5 on Ā· 2 off) or build your own with any shift types, hours and unpaid breaks, like a 14 on Ā· 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/

About

Countdown

Features
Read full description

Countdown turns your calendars into a clear, bold countdown of the days left until every date that matters — work deadlines, birthdays, bills, trips and exams. • Big, glanceable numbers: "12 days", "Tomorrow", and hours and minutes on the final day. • A timeline drawn to scale, so busy weeks look busy. • Imports from Apple Calendar, Google, Exchange and Reminders — every event, only the calendars you pick, or just the ones matching keywords like "deadline", "birthday" or "exam". • Birthdays from your contacts, always the next one, with the age. • Categories and tags with their own colors, icons and reminder schedules. • Widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, StandBy and Mac desktop, with a done button. • Live Activities count down the final hours on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island — automatically on the day, or pin anything. • Siri and Shortcuts: "How many days until my next deadline?" • Syncs through your own iCloud. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. Try everything free for 7 days — nothing is charged automatically. Then unlock Countdown for life with one purchase, shared with your family through Family Sharing. In English and Spanish.

Screenshots

Shift Calendar4 screens
Countdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shift Calendar at weekly against Countdown's monthly. Shift Calendar also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Shift Calendar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Countdown 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 weekly, Countdown monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Shift Calendar versus Countdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShift CalendarCountdown
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCAN BAYRAKTARBASIMiguel Rosa Zazo

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
1 purchases

Countdown

One-time1
  • Countdown Lifetime$8.99

Questions

Is Shift Calendar free?
Shift Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Countdown free?
Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shift Calendar or Countdown have ads?
Neither Shift Calendar nor Countdown shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shift Calendar or Countdown?
Shift Calendar ships an update weekly, and Countdown monthly. Most recently, Shift Calendar was updated on October 29, 2026 and Countdown on November 1, 2026.

Other comparisons