# Shovel Study Planner vs Purdue CS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Purdue CS at 100% against Shovel Study Planner's 52%. Purdue CS also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Shovel Study Planner's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (195 vs 13). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shovel Study Planner sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Purdue CS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Purdue CS holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shovel Study Planner has 195 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Shovel Study Planner's written reviews are positive against 100% of Purdue CS's.

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, Purdue CS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shovel Study Planner | Purdue CS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (195 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shovel-study-planner/id1467742357/reviews) | **[4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purdue-cs/id1507701831/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **195** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 52.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 28 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [How To Study Smart, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467742356) | [Pallav Agarwal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507701830) |

## What reviewers say

### Shovel Study Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shovel-study-planner/id1467742357)

This app helps students manage their academic workload through time-blocking and executive functioning skills. It predicts if tasks can be completed on time and allows for flexible schedule adjustments. It requires initial setup on a web platform.

**Highlights:** Time-blocking for tasks, Real-time time cushion estimates, Consolidated task management, Ideal schedule building, Rotating class schedule support, Detailed task progress tracking, Weighted grade calculation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime plan | $13.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime plan | $46.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Excellent for student organization and time management
- ⏱️ Unique time-blocking and scheduling features
- 🎓 Course and assignment-focused organization system
- 💻 Desktop/web version works reliably and comprehensively
- 🎨 Clean, minimalist, and aesthetically pleasing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Mobile app frequently crashes and becomes unresponsive
- 📱 Mobile app significantly less functional than web version
- ⚠️ App shows blank screens and fails to load content
- 🔌 Requires constant internet connection, no offline access
- 🛠️ Appears to be abandoned with no recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when attempting to edit task times
- Blank white screen on app launch
- Touch input not responding on iPad with Apple Pencil
- Tasks and calendar items disappear after login
- Tasks fail to save when entered

**Requested features**

- Push notifications for tasks and assignments
- Dark mode for mobile app
- Widget functionality that works reliably
- Offline access and offline storage
- Landscape mode for iPad


### Purdue CS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purdue-cs/id1507701831)

This app connects Computer Science students at Purdue University with events and resources. Follow student organizations, get event notifications, and view lab availability. It also provides access to department resources and opportunity updates.

**Highlights:** Follow CS student organizations, Receive event notifications, View Computer Science opportunity updates, Live lab availability view, Access common department resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shovel Study Planner free?

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

### Is Purdue CS free?

Purdue CS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shovel Study Planner or Purdue CS?

Purdue CS is rated higher. Shovel Study Planner averages 4.1 out of 5 from 195 ratings, while Purdue CS averages 4.8 from 13 ratings.

### Do Shovel Study Planner or Purdue CS have ads?

Neither Shovel Study Planner nor Purdue CS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shovel Study Planner or Purdue CS?

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, and Purdue CS every 4 months. Most recently, Shovel Study Planner was updated on October 14, 2026 and Purdue CS on October 8, 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.*