Comparison

Shovel Study Planner vs Narrowit

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shovel Study Planner

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
Read full description

Become a STRESS-FREE student with TIME-BLOCKING and proper EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS. **This is only a companion app. Requires account setup on our web platform shovelapp.io** Shovel is a unique study planner that will help you build a solid foundation for life. Shovel is the only study planner that will tell you if you can get every task done on time or if you need to adjust your schedule, way before you run into trouble! SHOVEL FEATURES: TIME-BLOCKING • Plan exactly WHAT task you will work on, WHEN, and for HOW LONG. TIME CUSHION • Know if you have enough time to get your task done on time, continuously in REAL-TIME. EVERY TASK FROM EVERY CLASS IN ONE PLACE • Real-time information on every task • The Time You Have Available • The Time You Need to Complete Every Task • Time Cushion Information for Every Task YOUR IDEAL SCHEDULE • Build your dream week. Block out the times when you’re busy, including 'Me-Time' for fun and personal activities and see how it affects your study schedule going forward. Shovel will tell you if you can do it all, or if you need to adjust your plan. ROTATING CLASS SCHEDULE • Create events that repeat every XX weeks with ease. DETAILED TASK MANAGEMENT • Know how long each reading will take (we do the math for you!) • Estimate how long to study for each exam • Estimate how long you need for each assignment • See how changes affect your future study time • Track your progress on every task • Move tasks to Completed or Do-Later • Adjust on the go PLANNER ON STEROIDS • Assign tasks to specific study times • Know how long you’ll work on each task and when • See which tasks you haven’t planned or how much of a task you haven’t planned yet TIMELINE OF EVERY DAY • See how you use every minute • Classes, Activities, Meals, Me Time, and Events • Even the time you spend walking to and from • Unplanned Study Times • Planned Study Times (with the tasks you plan on doing) NOTIFICATIONS • Never miss a beat. Get notified about the things you have to do, and make sure you record the things you've done. TIME EVERYTHING • Use a built-in timer to track time spent on each task WEIGHTED GRADES • Know how you're doing in each class by putting in your grades properly weighted based on your grading rubric CREATE • Tasks • Weekly commitments • Events ADJUST ON THE GO • Adjust time needed based on your progress • Adjust estimated reading times with one click and instantly see how it affects your schedule • Adjust anything in your schedule COLLEGE IN YOUR POCKET • Your entire semester at your fingertips With Shovel, there are no surprises. You’ll be in complete control of your studies. You’ll know what’s next, how long it will take, if you have time to get it done, and when you’ll get it done. Get organized and become the best student you can be. *** REQUIRES SETUP IN WEB APP FIRST*** Because college syllabi have a lot of information, the fastest way for you to get started is to set everything up on your laptop in the Shovel web-app. Sign up at: https://shovelapp.io *** QUESTIONS*** Go to our website https://shovelapp.io and use the chat. We'll be more than happy to help.

About

Narrowit

This app helps students make the crucial decision of which college to attend by tracking costs, personal preferences, and offering comparison tools. It provides financial breakdowns, loan calculators, and allows for community input through polls.

Highlights
  • Daily pulse check-ins for school preference
  • Campus visit logging and notes
  • Real-time financial cost tracking
  • Scholarship and grant logging
  • Loan repayment calculator
  • Customizable school ranking priorities
  • Community polls for decision making
Features
Read full description

Got into more than one school? That's the good news. Now comes the hard part: actually choosing. NarrowIt is built for THE decision: which school you're actually going to attend. Not where to apply. Not how to get in. Where to go. YOUR DECISION, UNFOLDING Decisions like this don't happen in one sitting. NarrowIt is a journal for the months between your acceptance letters and May 1. • Quick Pulse: one tap a day on the school that feels right today • Notes and campus visit logs, all in one timeline • "Who felt right this week" shows the pattern you can't see yourself • A confidence score that grows as your story does WHAT IT WILL REALLY COST Sticker prices lie. NarrowIt tracks what each school will cost your family, year by year. • Your real annual cost, based on in-state or out-of-state price and your family's income • Log scholarships, grants, 529 savings and family help • See how much of each year is covered, and what's left • Check each school against the 10% rule for student loans • Loan repayment calculator with adjustable rates and terms • Parent-ready cost comparison you can text to Mom A RANKING THAT LISTENS TO YOU Your match blends three things: the data, your budget and your gut. • Real cost: each match uses what YOU will pay, not a national average • Count my gut: your pulses and campus visits count for as much as you choose, from 0 to 50% • 7 priorities you control: Cost, Academics, Career Outcomes, Campus Life, Location, Diversity and Size • Real data from the U.S. Department of Education on 7,000+ schools • Every card shows why: cost after free money, and what your gut added No black boxes. Just math you can see and control. ASK YOUR PEOPLE Can't decide alone? Create a poll, share the link, and let friends and family vote. Watch results come in live. DECISION DAY When you're ready, lock it in. NarrowIt makes a shareable Decision Day card with your school and your reasons. This moment deserves to feel like something. DECISION PASS: $24.99, ONE TIME Daily check-ins, your journal, the ranking, comparisons and polls are free. Decision Pass unlocks full financial breakdowns for every school, the loan simulator, career salary analysis and parent-ready exports. One purchase. Yours forever. No subscriptions. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your journal, priorities and family finances stay on your device. No account needed for the core experience. No ads. We never sell your data.

Screenshots

Shovel Study Planner4 screens
Narrowit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Narrowit at 100% against Shovel Study Planner's 52%. Narrowit also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3). Shovel Study Planner's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (249 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Narrowit holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shovel Study Planner has 249 ratings behind it against 3, 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 Narrowit's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, Narrowit every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Shovel Study Planner versus Narrowit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShovel Study PlannerNarrowit
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (249 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings249 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB57 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHow To Study Smart, LLCiAnesthesia LLC

Customer experience

Shovel Study Planner

All ratings195 ratings
Positive75.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive52.3%
Neutral17.8%
Negative29.9%

Narrowit

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Shovel Study Planner

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • 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
Show 11 more
  • Widget shows 'log in' prompt despite being logged in
  • Notifications arrive at wrong times or not at all
  • Dropdown menus extend beyond screen on iPhone
  • App freezes when trying to resize tasks
  • SSL certificate lapsed, preventing login access
  • App crashes when typing in new task times
  • Duplicate notifications sent for single tasks
  • Calendar refresh is slow
  • Drag-to-reschedule functionality doesn't work properly
  • Free trial data disappears after trial ends without warning
  • App won't recognize password after web signup

Requested features

16 requests
  • 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
Show 11 more
  • Monthly calendar view on mobile
  • Task repeat/recurring task options
  • Ability to edit and add tasks fully on mobile
  • Integration with Google Calendar
  • Pomodoro timer feature
  • Support for 6-day school cycles
  • Non-school related task/to-do list functionality
  • Downloadable desktop app for Mac
  • In-app purchase option for premium version
  • Better iPad optimization
  • Cushion feature on mobile app

Narrowit

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shovel Study Planner

One-time2
  • Lifetime plan$13.99
  • Lifetime plan$46.99
1 purchases

Narrowit

One-time1
  • Decision Pass$24.99

Questions

Is Shovel Study Planner free?
Shovel Study Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Narrowit free?
Narrowit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shovel Study Planner or Narrowit?
Narrowit is rated higher. Shovel Study Planner averages 4.3 out of 5 from 249 ratings, while Narrowit averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Shovel Study Planner or Narrowit have ads?
Neither Shovel Study Planner nor Narrowit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shovel Study Planner or Narrowit?
Shovel Study Planner ships an update every 5 weeks, and Narrowit every 8 months. Most recently, Shovel Study Planner was updated on November 6, 2026 and Narrowit on November 9, 2026.

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