Comparison

NotePlan vs FocusGrove

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

FocusGrove

This app helps you stay focused on tasks and build positive habits while breaking negative ones. It features a timer that stays on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, tracks extra focus time, and provides visual progress through history and calendars. It is designed for privacy with no ads or data selling.

Highlights
  • Lock Screen and Dynamic Island timer
  • Tracks extra focus time
  • Builds good habits
  • Breaks bad habits
  • Calendar and session history
  • Private by design
Features
Read full description

You know that feeling at the end of the day when you had a plan, real goals, things that actually mattered, and somehow... none of it happened? You weren't lazy. You were pulled. A notification here, a scroll there, the bad habit you've been meaning to break for months. Before you knew it, the day was gone. FocusGrove was built for exactly that moment the moment before everything drifts. IT STARTS WITH ONE HONEST SESSION Pick a task. Set a timer. Start. FocusGrove keeps your countdown alive right on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island so you stay in the zone without touching your phone. Run a little over time? Good. FocusGrove tracks every extra minute, because real focus rarely ends exactly on the clock. BUILD WHAT YOU WANT. AVOID WHAT YOU DON'T. Most habit apps only track what you're adding to your life. FocusGrove tracks both sides the habits you're building and the ones you're actively trying to leave behind. Late-night scrolling. Skipping workouts. That habit you keep saying you'll quit. Set your schedule, get a gentle nudge when you need it, and watch your streak grow one honest day at a time. YOUR GOALS DESERVE A DAILY HOME Not everything that matters fits neatly on a to-do list. FocusGrove gives your daily intentions a real place to live tied to actual dates and reminders that keep you accountable without overwhelming you. PROGRESS YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE It's easy to forget how far you've come. FocusGrove's calendar and session history make your consistency visible so on the hard days, you can look back and remember: you showed up before. You can show up again. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No ads. No data selling. No noise. Your habits, sessions, and goals stay on your device and in your iCloud personal, clean, and yours. Some apps track your goals. FocusGrove helps you become the person who actually reaches them.

Screenshots

NotePlan4 screens
FocusGrove4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FocusGrove at none against NotePlan's 10. FocusGrove also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (100% vs 85%). NotePlan's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 1) 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. FocusGrove asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FocusGrove holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NotePlan has 1.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of NotePlan's written reviews are positive against 100% of FocusGrove's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NotePlan ships an update monthly, FocusGrove every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
NotePlan versus FocusGrove: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotePlanFocusGrove
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.5K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.5K — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size210 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNotePlan LLCPeyman Osatian

Customer experience

NotePlan

All ratings1,506 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews472 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral4.7%
Negative10.4%

FocusGrove

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

FocusGrove

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

FocusGrove

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NotePlan free?
NotePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FocusGrove free?
FocusGrove is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NotePlan or FocusGrove?
FocusGrove is rated higher. NotePlan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while FocusGrove averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do NotePlan or FocusGrove have ads?
Neither NotePlan nor FocusGrove shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NotePlan or FocusGrove?
NotePlan ships an update monthly, and FocusGrove every 2 days. Most recently, NotePlan was updated on September 23, 2026 and FocusGrove on September 18, 2026.

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