# NotePlan vs Chronicling

The clearest difference is monetization model: Chronicling at freemium against NotePlan's subscription. Chronicling also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). NotePlan's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 185) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.4). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Chronicling sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for NotePlan against 4.8 for Chronicling. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NotePlan has 1.5K ratings behind it against 185, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of NotePlan's written reviews are positive against 79% of Chronicling's.

NotePlan ships an update monthly, Chronicling every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NotePlan | Chronicling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629/reviews) | [4.8 (185 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chronicling-life-tracker/id6445992145/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 185 |
| Positive reviews | **85.1% of reviews** | 79.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 210 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NotePlan LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137020763) | [Rebecca Owen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1675314775) |

## What reviewers say

### NotePlan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Personal Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $12.00 | per month |
| Personal Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| Business Class | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent sync between devices
- Crashes when opening certain files

**Requested features**

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


### Chronicling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chronicling-life-tracker/id6445992145)

This app provides a flexible way to monitor habits, health, mood, and daily activities. It offers customizable tracking options, quick logging methods, and insightful data visualization to help users identify patterns and maintain consistency. Secure syncing and data export are also available.

**Highlights:** All-in-one habit and health tracking, Fully customizable categories, Fast and effortless logging, Smart reminders for goals, Detailed data logging (notes, numbers), Visual insights and trends, Private and secure iCloud sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NotePlan free?

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

### Is Chronicling free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NotePlan or Chronicling?

NotePlan and Chronicling are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.5K and 185 ratings respectively.

### Do NotePlan or Chronicling have ads?

Neither NotePlan nor Chronicling shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NotePlan or Chronicling?

NotePlan ships an update monthly, and Chronicling every 2 weeks. Most recently, NotePlan was updated on October 15, 2026 and Chronicling on October 12, 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.*