# Homework Pal vs Open Planner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Homework Pal at none against Open Planner's 3. Homework Pal also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 11). Open Planner's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 83%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Open Planner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Homework Pal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Open Planner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Homework Pal has 1.3K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Homework Pal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Open Planner's.

Homework Pal ships an update weekly, Open Planner every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Homework Pal | Open Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homework-pal/id1340538392/reviews) | **[5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-planner/id6615063437/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 83.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chris Houston](https://appshunter.io/developer/1340538391) | [OPEN PLANNER LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1818474969) |

## What reviewers say

### Homework Pal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homework-pal/id1340538392)

Easily manage your schoolwork with this straightforward assignment tracker. Organize upcoming due dates, create assignments and courses, and view all assignment details at a glance. Color-coded courses help you stay on top of your studies.

**Highlights:** Overview of upcoming assignment due dates, Create assignments and courses, Color-coded courses, Edit assignments and courses, Mark assignments as done

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for staying organized
- 💯 Great for tracking assignments
- 🎨 Useful color-coding feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with dark mode and recent updates
- 🗓️ Lack of calendar/scheduling features
- 🕰️ No option to set specific due times
- 🗑️ Deleted user data with app updates

**Reported bugs**

- White text on white background in dark mode
- Assignments disappearing after app updates
- Unable to edit due dates for existing assignments

**Requested features**

- Add calendar view and scheduling options
- Implement recurring assignments and reminders
- Allow users to select preferred week start day
- Add option to view assignments by class or due date


### Open Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-planner/id6615063437)

This AI-powered app simplifies school scheduling by automatically generating your calendar from uploaded syllabi. Enjoy unlimited uploads, website and mobile access, and real-time notifications. A subscription is required after the initial free uploads.

**Highlights:** AI-powered calendar creation, Syllabus upload, Unlimited syllabus uploads, Real-time notifications, Full website access, Full mobile app access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open Planner Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Open Planner 6-Month | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| Open Planner Yearly | $23.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Homework Pal free?

Homework Pal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Open Planner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Homework Pal or Open Planner?

Open Planner is rated higher. Homework Pal averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Open Planner averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.

### Do Homework Pal or Open Planner have ads?

Neither Homework Pal nor Open Planner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Homework Pal or Open Planner?

Homework Pal ships an update weekly, and Open Planner every 10 days. Most recently, Homework Pal was updated on October 15, 2026 and Open Planner on September 24, 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.*