# Shovel Study Planner vs Assignment Planner

The clearest difference is rating: Assignment Planner at 4.6 against Shovel Study Planner's 4.1. Assignment Planner also leads on device support (5 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shovel Study Planner sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Assignment Planner sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Assignment Planner holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 195 and 138 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Shovel Study Planner's written reviews are positive against 57% of Assignment Planner's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shovel Study Planner | Assignment Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (195 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shovel-study-planner/id1467742357/reviews) | **[4.6 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/assignment-planner/id1534441344/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **195** | 138 |
| Positive reviews | 52.3% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [How To Study Smart, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467742356) | [John Zeglarski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1253194900) |

## 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


### Assignment Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/assignment-planner/id1534441344)

Easily track homework and assignments with a planner focused on due dates. Receive timely notifications to ensure you never miss a deadline. This app syncs across all your devices, including Apple Watch, for seamless organization.

**Highlights:** Track homework and assignments, Focus on due dates, Plan ahead for deadlines, Receive assignment notifications, Syncs across all devices, Mark assignments as complete on Apple Watch

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personality Pack | $1.49 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 📚 Effective assignment and exam tracking
- 🎨 Color-coded subjects for organization
- 🔔 Customizable notification settings
- 💰 Free to use with no paywall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Persistent notification delivery failures
- 🐛 Date picker freezes and becomes unresponsive
- 🐛 App crashes when setting due dates
- 🐛 Sync issues across devices
- ⚠️ Notifications turn off unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- Date picker unresponsive on mobile and desktop
- App freezes when modifying assignment due dates
- Notifications fail to send despite being enabled
- Notifications disable themselves after being set
- Forced app crashes requiring computer restart

**Requested features**

- Cross-device synchronization via iCloud
- Apple Watch app support for adding assignments
- Recurring/repeating assignments feature
- Calendar view integration
- Subject folder organization by year/semester


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shovel Study Planner free?

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

### Is Assignment Planner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shovel Study Planner or Assignment Planner?

Assignment Planner is rated higher. Shovel Study Planner averages 4.1 out of 5 from 195 ratings, while Assignment Planner averages 4.6 from 138 ratings.

### Do Shovel Study Planner or Assignment Planner have ads?

Neither Shovel Study Planner nor Assignment Planner shows ads.

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

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, and Assignment Planner every 5 weeks. Most recently, Shovel Study Planner was updated on October 1, 2026 and Assignment Planner on September 28, 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.*