# Shovel Study Planner vs MAT Practice Test Prep

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shovel Study Planner at every 5 weeks against MAT Practice Test Prep's every 4 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shovel Study Planner sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and MAT Practice Test Prep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, MAT Practice Test Prep every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shovel Study Planner | MAT Practice Test Prep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (195 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shovel-study-planner/id1467742357/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **195** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [How To Study Smart, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467742356) | [iAPPSSTUDIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830642259) |

## 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


### MAT Practice Test Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mat-practice-test-prep/id6757627663)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium Access | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Premium Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Get Lifetime Access | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shovel Study Planner free?

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

### Is MAT Practice Test Prep free?

MAT Practice Test Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Shovel Study Planner or MAT Practice Test Prep have ads?

Neither Shovel Study Planner nor MAT Practice Test Prep shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shovel Study Planner or MAT Practice Test Prep?

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, and MAT Practice Test Prep every 4 months. Most recently, Shovel Study Planner was updated on October 1, 2026 and MAT Practice Test Prep on September 11, 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.*