Comparison

NotePlan vs Cadence

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

Cadence

Features
Read full description

Cadence — Task Tracking Most reminder apps ask you to pick a date. Cadence asks a better question: when did you last do it? Cadence is built around completion-based recurrence. Set a task to repeat every 3 months, complete it, and the clock resets from that moment — not from an arbitrary date on the calendar. Whether you're changing your air filter, rotating your tires, or staying on top of a health routine, Cadence keeps you honest. STAY ON TOP OF WHAT MATTERS Your task list automatically surfaces what needs attention. Overdue tasks and things you've never done rise to the top. Upcoming tasks stay out of your way until it's time. SEE IT AT A GLANCE Add the home screen widget to keep your most urgent tasks in view — and check them off without opening the app. ORGANIZE YOUR WAY Sort tasks into color-coded categories like Home, Auto, Health, Pets and Yard, then filter any list down to what you care about right now. KNOW YOUR HISTORY Every time you complete a task, Cadence logs it. Add notes about what you did, record how long it took, and attach photos as a record of your work. Your completion history is always one tap away. GET NOTIFIED BEFORE THINGS ARE DUE Set up per-task notifications so Cadence reminds you before something slips. Choose how many days of lead time you want — no surprises. FREE TO USE The core app is free and works completely offline. No account required, and your data stays on your device. CADENCE PRO Upgrade when you want more: • Sync across all your devices — tasks, history and photos everywhere • Shared lists for your household — invite family, see what's been done and who did it, and get notified when someone completes something • Custom categories with your own names, colors and icons $1.99 per month or $14.99 per year. Invited household members don't need their own subscription. --- Cadence is for anyone who takes recurring responsibilities seriously — homeowners, renters, parents, and anyone who's ever thought "when did I last do that?"

Screenshots

NotePlan4 screens
Cadence4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cadence at none against NotePlan's 10. NotePlan's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and device support (4 vs 1). On price and ads 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. Cadence asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NotePlan ships an update monthly, Cadence every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
NotePlan versus Cadence: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotePlanCadence
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size210 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNotePlan LLCRyan Sharp

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

Cadence

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Cadence

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NotePlan free?
NotePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cadence free?
Cadence is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NotePlan or Cadence have ads?
Neither NotePlan nor Cadence shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NotePlan or Cadence?
NotePlan ships an update monthly, and Cadence every 3 months. Most recently, NotePlan was updated on October 15, 2026 and Cadence on October 1, 2026.

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