Comparison

NotePlan vs OmniFocus 4

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

Head to head
About

NotePlan

Organize your tasks, notes, and calendar in one unified app. Quickly plan your day with Markdown, link notes bi-directionally, and stay on top of your to-dos with powerful review and search features. Seamlessly integrates with your existing calendars and syncs across all your Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Unified task, note, and calendar view
  • Markdown for quick task and note creation
  • Bi-directional note linking
  • Calendar integration (iCloud, Google, Exchange)
  • Flexible recurring tasks
  • Global Command Bar for fast navigation
  • Plaintext note storage
Features
Read full description

Having trouble planning your day, managing your to-do list, and organizing your notes? Always jumping between apps and losing track of what to do and where you put things? Say hello to NotePlan! NotePlan lets you manage everything in one place: your tasks, notes, and calendar. Perfect for project managers, designers, researchers, writers, students, or anyone who wants to be organized and efficient. QUICKLY PLAN YOUR DAY WITH MARKDOWN • Plan your day by seeing your calendar, notes, and tasks in a single view • Create tasks and notes quickly with Markdown • Add #tags to organize tasks and notes • Use @mentions to find people • Reschedule to-do items easily • Create flexible recurring tasks • Work faster with autocomplete BUILD YOUR NETWORK OF NOTES • Create your own network of notes • Organize any way you want to: from simple folders over P.A.R.A. to a Zettelkasten system • Bi-directional notes: link your calendar and your notes in any direction, automatically • Cross-reference and link notes easily STAY ON TOP OF THINGS WITH REVIEW • Search all tasks and notes, instantly • See all open tasks with the click of a button • Get a list of overdue to-do items • See upcoming tasks at a glance • Create custom filters with your own queries using status, #tags, @mentions, or even text SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH YOUR CALENDAR • Create events and reminders right in NotePlan • Support for iCloud, Google, and Exchange calendars • Time-block tasks on your calendar simply by typing AVAILABLE ON MAC, IPHONE & IPAD • Sync everything between your Apple devices • Use any sync method you like: CloudKit or iCloud Drive • A single subscription for all your devices OPEN, PRIVATE & FAST • All your notes are stored in plaintext so you're never locked in • Your information is private and cannot be accessed • Enjoy lightning speed thanks to local files and native apps ANY THEME YOU WANT • Choose from a variety of built-in themes • Work with light or dark versions • Create your own custom theme SHORTCUTS FOR MAXIMUM SPEED • Extended Markdown syntax support with customization options • Move around without ever leaving the keyboard • Find everything with the Global Command Bar NotePlan is developed independently and prioritizes user features and requests. We have long-term roadmaps and listen to customers to improve the apps. - - - - - Price may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. After purchase, manage your subscriptions in App Store Account Settings. - - - - - Email: hello@noteplan.co Web: noteplan.co Discord: https://discord.gg/D4268MT Twitter: NotePlanApp Reddit: reddit.com/r/NotePlanApp Learn NotePlan course: https://noteplan.eo.page/newsletter Terms of use: http://noteplan.co/tos/ Privacy policy: https://noteplan.co/privacy/

About

OmniFocus 4

This task management application helps busy professionals organize and prioritize their work. It offers a unified interface across multiple Apple devices, allowing users to create, organize, and focus on tasks efficiently. A free trial is available.

Highlights
  • Unified interface across Apple devices
  • Task creation and organization
  • Perspectives Bar for navigation
  • Focus mode for specific projects
  • Secure, end-to-end encrypted sync
  • Universal cross-platform purchase
Features
Read full description

OmniFocus is powerful task management software for busy professionals. With tools to help tame the chaos, you can focus on the right tasks at the right time. Two-week free trial! OmniFocus 4 introduces a modernized, unified interface across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Centered around your task outline, OmniFocus 4 brings a consistent experience, optimized for each device type, to all of your Apple devices. Easily create tasks anytime–from anywhere–and organize them with projects, tags, and dates. Quickly navigate OmniFocus on any device using the Perspectives Bar, Quick Open, and Back and Forward history. With Pro, use Focus to help focus your attention on specific projects or folders, and customize OmniFocus to only display the information most relevant to you. New to OmniFocus? The simple, efficient OmniFocus 4 interface will help you discover and implement a trusted system that works and grows with you. Upgrading from a previous version of OmniFocus? In OmniFocus 4, discover enhanced versions of all the powerful task management features you already rely on, along with new features that will level-up your workflow. Omni offers a free and secure sync service, protected with end-to-end encryption, ensuring only devices you authorize can access your data. And now, for the first time ever, OmniFocus is available as a universal cross-platform purchase: get full access to OmniFocus 4 on your Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro with a single license purchase. Accomplish more every day–anywhere you go–with OmniFocus 4.

Screenshots

NotePlan4 screens
OmniFocus 44 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NotePlan at 4.8 against OmniFocus 4's 4.0. NotePlan also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 53%) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 343). OmniFocus 4's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and OmniFocus 4 sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NotePlan holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 343 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of NotePlan's written reviews are positive against 53% of OmniFocus 4's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NotePlan ships an update monthly, OmniFocus 4 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
NotePlan versus OmniFocus 4: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotePlanOmniFocus 4
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better4.0 (343 ratings)
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews — better52.6% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K — better343
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size210 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNotePlan LLCThe Omni Group

Customer experience

NotePlan

All ratings1,506 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews476 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral4.6%
Negative10.3%

OmniFocus 4

All ratings343 ratings
Positive70.6%
Neutral7.6%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews445 reviews
Positive52.6%
Neutral13.9%
Negative33.5%

User reviews

NotePlan

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful note-taking and task management
  • 👍 Seamless calendar and reminders integration
  • 💡 Flexible and customizable workflow
  • 🔒 Secure and open-format data storage
  • 👍 Responsive and helpful developer

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Occasional sync and performance issues
  • 👤 Limited collaboration and sharing features

OmniFocus 4

From 343 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Streamlined and better than ever
  • 🔒 End-to-end encrypted
  • 👍 Universal interface across devices
  • 🚀 Powerful task management features
  • 👍 Customizable perspectives

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy, crashes, and laggy
  • 👎 Clunky and confusing user interface
  • 👎 Degraded user interface compared to previous version
  • 🐛 Sync issues and slow synchronization
  • 👎 Lacks important features like time-sensitive notifications

Bugs and requests

NotePlan

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inconsistent sync between devices
  • Crashes when opening certain files

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved iPad and mobile app experience
  • Better integration with other productivity apps
  • More automation and scripting capabilities
  • Weekly or monthly calendar view

OmniFocus 4

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • View options button not working consistently
  • Custom perspectives not persisting in sidebar
  • App crashing on launch
  • Drag and drop functionality issues
  • Incorrect task completion when adding new tasks
Show 1 more
  • Inconsistent behavior when changing due dates

Requested features

6 requests
  • Markdown support in notes
  • Gantt view for projects
  • Ability to reorder perspectives in the sidebar
  • Print to PDF with due dates and completed dates
  • Natural language processing for task creation
Show 1 more
  • Board view for projects

In-app purchases

8 purchases

NotePlan

Subscriptions8
  • Personal Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Personal Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Personal Monthly1 Month trial$11.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Personal Monthly2 variants$12.001 Month
  • Personal Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Personal Annual7 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Year
  • Personal Annual1 Month trial$119.991 Year
  • Business Class1 Month trial$199.991 Year
10 purchases

OmniFocus 4

Subscriptions2
  • Legacy Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Legacy Subscription$99.991 Year
One-time8
  • Upgrade to v4 from v1-v3$37.49
  • Upgrade v4 to Pro from v1-v3$37.49
  • Unlock Standard (Mac Promo)$56.00
Show 5 more
  • Unlock Standard$74.99
  • Upgrade from Standard to Pro$74.99
  • Upgrade to v4 Pro from v1-v3$74.99
  • Unlock Pro (Mac Promo)$111.99
  • Unlock Pro$149.99

Questions

Is NotePlan free?
NotePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OmniFocus 4 free?
OmniFocus 4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NotePlan or OmniFocus 4?
NotePlan is rated higher. NotePlan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while OmniFocus 4 averages 4.0 from 343 ratings.
Do NotePlan or OmniFocus 4 have ads?
Neither NotePlan nor OmniFocus 4 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NotePlan or OmniFocus 4?
NotePlan ships an update monthly, and OmniFocus 4 every 3 weeks. Most recently, NotePlan was updated on October 15, 2026 and OmniFocus 4 on October 17, 2026.

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