Comparison

NotePlan vs Countdown

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

Countdown

Features
Read full description

Some dates don't feel urgent until they're gone. The warranty that ran out three weeks before the screen cracked. The passport you renewed in a panic. The car service you meant to book in spring. None of them felt like a deadline at the time — which is exactly why they get missed. Countdown keeps all of them in one list and tells you before it's too late. EVERYTHING WITH A DATE, IN ONE LIST A warranty, a passport, an insurance renewal, a vet visit and a trip all live together, ordered by what needs you soonest. Nothing hides in a folder you forgot to open. IT ASKS THE RIGHT QUESTION Pick a category and the screen changes with it. Electronics asks when you bought it and how long the warranty runs. Insurance asks when the cover started and how long it runs. A passport asks when it expires. You never fill in a generic form. THREE WAYS TO ENTER A DATE - You know the date — pick it - You know the start and the length — the end date is worked out for you - It repeats — mark it done and it rolls forward on its own REMINDERS THAT ARRIVE Choose how far ahead you want to hear about it: a day, a week, three months. Reminders arrive at 9:00 in your local time, and they work on the free plan. KEEP THE RECEIPT WITH THE DATE With the unlock, attach a photo of a receipt or document to any item. It stays in the app's own storage on your device. The app never gets access to your photo library at all — it doesn't ask for the permission, because it doesn't need it. FREE Track 10 items with one reminder each. Archived items don't count toward the limit, so you never have to delete your history to make room for something new. ONE PAYMENT UNLOCKS - Unlimited items - Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets - Repeating items that roll forward - More than one reminder per item - Receipt and document photos - CSV export One payment. No subscription. PRIVACY IS THE ARCHITECTURE, NOT A PROMISE No account. No sign-in. No analytics. No tracking. The app has no server and makes no network request except to Apple for your purchase. The app never sends your dates anywhere.

Screenshots

NotePlan4 screens
Countdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: NotePlan at 4 against Countdown's 1. NotePlan also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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 Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
NotePlan versus Countdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotePlanCountdown
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size210 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNotePlan LLCMURATHAN ORAN

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

Countdown

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
1 purchases

Countdown

One-time1
  • Tiny Countdown Pro$1.99

Questions

Is NotePlan free?
NotePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Countdown free?
Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NotePlan or Countdown have ads?
Neither NotePlan nor Countdown shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NotePlan or Countdown?
NotePlan ships an update monthly, and Countdown monthly. Most recently, NotePlan was updated on October 15, 2026 and Countdown on October 14, 2026.

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