# Sorted³ vs NotePlan

The clearest difference is monetization model: Sorted³ at free with in-app purchases against NotePlan's subscription. NotePlan's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 73%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sorted³ sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Sorted³ against 4.8 for NotePlan. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.1K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Sorted³'s written reviews are positive against 85% of NotePlan's.

Sorted³ ships an update every 3 weeks, NotePlan monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sorted³ | NotePlan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorted-calendar-notes-tasks/id1306893526/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | 72.6% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 138 MB | 210 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [StaySorted Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1022256486) | [NotePlan LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137020763) |

## What reviewers say

### Sorted³

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorted-calendar-notes-tasks/id1306893526)

This app unifies your calendar events and tasks into a single timeline, allowing for formatted notes and attachments. It helps you effortlessly schedule your day with features like Auto Schedule and built-in flexibility to adjust to changes.

**Highlights:** Unified timeline for events and tasks, Formatted notes and attachments, Effortless scheduling with Auto Schedule, Built-in flexibility for schedule adjustments, Widgets for iOS and macOS, iCloud Sync, Natural Language Processing

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SSPAI Member Bundle | Free | one-time |
| 14-day Extended Trial | Free | one-time |
| 14-day Extended Trial for Mac | Free | one-time |
| Buy a soda | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy a pizza | $9.99 | one-time |
| Get PRO on iOS | $14.99 | one-time |
| Get PRO on macOS Promo | $19.99 | one-time |
| Get PRO on macOS | $24.99 | one-time |
| Apple Staff Benefits Bundle | $31.99 | one-time |
| Students Benefits Bundle | $31.99 | one-time |
| Sorted³ PRO iOS + macOS | $35.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent time management and scheduling features
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🔒 Reliable syncing across devices
- 💡 Innovative auto-scheduling functionality
- 👍 Customizable task organization (lists, tags, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring issues with syncing and data loss
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported by multiple users
- 🔧 Lack of integration with other productivity apps
- 🔧 Limited calendar and weekly/monthly views
- 🔧 Difficulty managing large number of tasks

**Reported bugs**

- Sync issues causing data loss
- Crashes and freezes on launch
- Recurring tasks not behaving as expected
- Calendar integration not working as intended

**Requested features**

- Location-based reminders
- Improved calendar integration and views
- Ability to set task dependencies and priorities
- Export/backup functionality for task data
- Pomodoro timer integration


### NotePlan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629)

Organize your tasks, notes, and calendar in one unified app. Quickly plan your day with Markdown, link notes bi-directionally, and stay on top of your to-dos with powerful review and search features. Seamlessly integrates with your existing calendars and syncs across all your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Unified task, note, and calendar view, Markdown for quick task and note creation, Bi-directional note linking, Calendar integration (iCloud, Google, Exchange), Flexible recurring tasks, Global Command Bar for fast navigation, Plaintext note storage

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Personal Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $12.00 | per month |
| Personal Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| Business Class | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful note-taking and task management
- 👍 Seamless calendar and reminders integration
- 💡 Flexible and customizable workflow
- 🔒 Secure and open-format data storage
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional sync and performance issues
- 👤 Limited collaboration and sharing features

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent sync between devices
- Crashes when opening certain files

**Requested features**

- Improved iPad and mobile app experience
- Better integration with other productivity apps
- More automation and scripting capabilities
- Weekly or monthly calendar view


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sorted³ free?

Sorted³ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NotePlan free?

NotePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sorted³ or NotePlan?

NotePlan is rated higher. Sorted³ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while NotePlan averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Sorted³ or NotePlan have ads?

Neither Sorted³ nor NotePlan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sorted³ or NotePlan?

Sorted³ ships an update every 3 weeks, and NotePlan monthly. Most recently, Sorted³ was updated on October 11, 2026 and NotePlan on October 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*