Free Shift Planner
Plan rotating shifts for your team. Choose a pattern, add your employees, and review weekly coverage before exporting your shift calendar.
Build your schedule
Plan a rotating shift schedule and export it as a calendar.
Shift hours (optional)
Team constraints (optional)
Enter your team and click Plan my shifts to build a shift calendar.
Plan Rotating Shifts Online
Planning rotating shifts by hand means repeating the same cycle, checking coverage, and correcting days off. This shift planner online lets you choose a pattern, add your employees or crews, set a start date, and generate the plan across four or eight weeks.
Use it as a shift rotation planner or work shift planner: review the full team, switch to a personal shift calendar, select a week, and adjust individual cells by clicking or dragging.
Shift Calendar Maker for Weekly Coverage
Use the generated schedule as an online shift calendar. Review the entire team, select a single employee, or switch to a specific week. This shift calendar maker and shift calendar generator can print a weekly PDF, export a PNG, create a CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, or download an ICS file for a calendar app.
Choose a Shift Pattern for Your Team
A shift pattern planner helps you see how a repeating work cycle fits your crew size and coverage needs. A rotating schedule, also called a rotation schedule, helps teams repeat day, night, and off assignments across a predictable cycle. Use the planner to compare fixed schedules, rotating schedules, 12-hour rotations, and 24-hour duty patterns before choosing one.
- 2-2-3: a four-crew, 12-hour rotation for 24/7 operations. See the 2-2-3 shift pattern.
- 2-3-2: a four-crew, 12-hour work schedule for logistics and continuous coverage. See the 2-3-2 work schedule.
- Pitman: a two-crew, 12-hour rotation for smaller teams. See the Pitman rotation.
- DuPont: a four-crew, 28-day rotation for continuous operations. See the DuPont schedule.
- 24/48 and 48/96: longer duty rotations often used by fire and emergency services. See the 24/48 shift calendar or 48/96 shift schedule.
Shift Planner vs. Roster Generator
A shift planner focuses on arranging a repeating shift pattern and checking coverage over time. A roster generator focuses on assigning employees to specific shifts. Use the shift planner when the rotation itself is the main problem; use the roster generator when you need a simple weekly staff roster.
Example rotating shift calendar
| Crew | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew A | Day | Day | Off | Off | Night | Night | Off |
| Crew B | Night | Off | Day | Day | Off | Off | Night |
Day means a day shift, Night means a night shift, and Off means a scheduled day off. This is a simple illustration; the planner expands the selected pattern across your team and date range.
Frequently asked questions
What is a shift planner?
A shift planner lays out who works which shift on which day across a repeating cycle. You pick a pattern, add your team, and it fills the schedule so you can review weekly coverage and days off.
How do I plan rotating shifts?
Choose a pattern like 2-2-3 or DuPont, add your crews, set a start date and schedule length, and generate the plan. The shift rotation planner assigns day, night, and off shifts, then you can adjust any cell by clicking or dragging.
Is there a free shift calendar maker?
Yes. This free shift calendar maker generates a schedule, lets you switch between the team and personal views, and lets you review a specific week to see coverage at a glance.
Is there a free shift planner?
Yes, this shift planner is free. There is no account, payment, or signup required to generate, review, print, or download your schedule.
Is the shift planner free?
Yes. This shift planner is free to use online. You can create a four- or eight-week plan without an account, payment, or signup.
Can I use the shift planner online?
Yes, the shift planner online runs entirely in your browser, so there is nothing to install. It works on phones, tablets, and desktops.
Can I export my shift calendar?
Yes. Print a weekly PDF, download a PNG, export the roster as CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, or download an ICS file to add shifts to a calendar app.
Which shift patterns does the planner support?
2-2-3, 2-3-2, Pitman, DuPont, 4 on 4 off, 24/48, 48/96, 5-5-4, and 4 on 2 off, plus a fixed weekly schedule.
Is there a shift calendar generator?
Yes. This tool works as a shift calendar generator: build a rotating schedule, switch between team and personal views, select a week, and export the result as PNG, CSV, ICS, or a printable PDF.
Is there a free shift planner online?
Yes. Use this free shift planner online to choose a shift pattern, add your employees or crews, and generate a four- or eight-week shift plan without an account. It is also a free shift planner and shift calendar maker for teams that need to generate, review, print, or export a schedule.
How do I make a shift calendar?
Choose a fixed or rotating pattern, add your team, set a start date, and generate the schedule. Review it by team, employee, or week, then print or export the shift calendar.
Can I use a shift planner for 24/7 coverage?
Yes. Patterns such as 2-2-3, 2-3-2, Pitman, DuPont, 24/48, and 48/96 can be used for different 24/7 coverage needs. The right pattern depends on your crew size and shift length.
Can I plan a 12 hour shift schedule?
Yes. Select a 12-hour pattern such as 2-2-3, 2-3-2, Pitman, or DuPont. The planner assigns day and night coverage with scheduled days off.
Can I use a 12 hour shift planner?
Yes. A 12 hour shift planner can map day and night coverage across patterns such as 2-2-3, 2-3-2, Pitman, and DuPont, with scheduled days off included.
Can I export a shift planner to Excel?
Yes. Use the Export menu to download the roster as a CSV file, then open it in Excel or Google Sheets for editing and sharing.
Can I edit the generated shift plan?
Yes. Click a schedule cell to cycle its assignment or drag a shift to another cell. Your changes can then be printed or exported.
What is a shift pattern planner?
A shift pattern planner helps you lay out a repeating work cycle. Choose a pattern such as 2-2-3, Pitman, or DuPont to see how day, night, and off shifts repeat across your team.