# Shovel Study Planner vs UpAhead

The clearest difference is update cadence: UpAhead at weekly against Shovel Study Planner's every 5 weeks. Shovel Study Planner's advantage is ratings volume (246 vs 67). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shovel Study Planner sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and UpAhead sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shovel Study Planner holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 246 and 67 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 52% and 53% positive.

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, UpAhead weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shovel Study Planner | UpAhead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (246 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shovel-study-planner/id1467742357/reviews)** | [4.1 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upahead-ai-assignment-tracker/id6754220594/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **246** | 67 |
| Positive reviews | 52.3% of reviews | **52.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 28 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [How To Study Smart, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467742356) | [UpAhead Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1847163219) |

## 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


### UpAhead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upahead-ai-assignment-tracker/id6754220594)

Organize college assignments and deadlines effortlessly. Scan syllabi or connect to your learning management system to create a unified calendar of tasks and due dates. Receive smart alerts and track your grades to stay on top of your academic workload.

**Highlights:** Automatic syllabus scanning, Organized task calendar, Smart deadline alerts, Built-in grade calculator, Calendar sync with major providers, Cross-device synchronization, Private and secure data handling

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $19.00 | per month |
| Annual Premium | $119.00 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $199.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shovel Study Planner free?

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

### Is UpAhead free?

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

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

Shovel Study Planner is rated higher. Shovel Study Planner averages 4.3 out of 5 from 246 ratings, while UpAhead averages 4.1 from 67 ratings.

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

Neither Shovel Study Planner nor UpAhead shows ads.

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

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, and UpAhead weekly. Most recently, Shovel Study Planner was updated on October 25, 2026 and UpAhead on October 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.*