Comparison

Visual Calendar vs Escape

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

Head to head
About

Visual Calendar

Visually displays your activities on a monthly calendar. Easily add and track all-day events, shifts, or habits with color-coded tags and icons. A simple, detail-free way to manage your schedule.

Highlights
  • Visual monthly calendar display
  • Add and track all-day events
  • Color-coded tags for activities
  • Icon customization for tags
  • Simple two-step process
Features
Read full description

Visual Calendar is a simple but beautiful app that visually displays different activities on a monthly base. It is a perfect visual aid to add and track all-day events, shifts, habits or any other activities you would like to do simply and quickly without getting lost in details. Only 2 steps you need to do: 1, Create various tags you need by selecting colors and icons 2, Add tag(s) to the day(s) on the calendar view That’s all. Nothing more. Enjoy!

About

Escape

Capture, organize, and develop your ideas visually or in an outline format. Transform concepts into actionable tasks and projects with intuitive tools for planning, styling, and collaboration. Share your work in various formats to get things done.

Highlights
  • Jot down notes, images, links, and tasks
  • Switch between mind map and outline views
  • Rearrange, edit, and merge ideas
  • Turn ideas into prioritized tasks
  • Style mind maps with custom layouts and markers
  • Share maps as image, text, PDF, and more
  • Collaborate on tasks
Features
Read full description

Escape is your place to jot down notes & ideas, connect and develop them, and get things done. WHAT'S YOUR NEXT IDEA? • Jot down & Collect Notes, images, links or tasks, drop them all in a mind map. Start an outline for an organized, structured view, and switch to mind map to visually rearrange ideas or add new ones. • Plan & Organize Information is ever changing and your app should help you stay on top of things. Rearrange, edit, merge or highlight with intuitive gestures. Instantly switch between outline and mind map. Focus on details by unfolding branches. • Get Things Done Turn ideas into tasks and projects. Prioritize, sort, group and add task completion percentage. • Style Your Mind Map Create expressive maps with beautiful automatic layout, intuitive markers, Apple Pencil sketches and various text styles. Your mind map looks perfect out-of-the-box. • Share and Collaborate Easily share your maps with others as image, text, MD, OPML, PDF or MMAP. Collaborate on tasks with non-mind mapping users, by exporting the map as PDF with clickable checkboxes. ESCAPE The app comes out of the box with a full set of mind mapping features, completely free. • Create and edit topics • Fold and reorganize • Add images and markers • Add links and supplementary topic notes • Add tasks and set completion percentage and priority • Import MD, OPML, MMAP, text • Export outline text, MMAP • Widgets • Dark Mode ESCAPE PRO PRO add-on is available as in-app subscription. It gives access to all the advanced features like Outlining and Batch Actions. It is available as monthly and yearly subscription. Try all the features with a free 30-day trial. • Outlining: create your document using a hierarchical, organized approach • Batch Actions: work faster by sorting and styling topics in batches • Text Styles: highlight meaning with various text styles • Draw: sketch and annotate using Apple Pencil or your finger • Tasks: roll-ups, automatically sort and cross off tasks • Map structures: Mind Map, Org Chart • Export: MD, OPML, PDF, PNG image • Share Tasks: export PDF with checkboxes • Deep Black Theme: custom dark theme to protect your eyes during late-night sessions • Siri Shortcuts and App Actions * Escape for macOS requires a separate subscription. QUESTIONS? Reach out with questions any time at support@escapeapp.cloud, on Reddit (r/EscapeApp), Bluesky (@escapeapp.cloud), or on X (@EscapeMindMap). Terms of Use: https://escapeapp.cloud/terms.html

Screenshots

Visual Calendar4 screens
Escape4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Escape at Free against Visual Calendar's $0.99. Escape also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.6) and review sentiment (79% vs 57%). Visual Calendar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On update cadence, ads and device support 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

Escape is free to download; Visual Calendar costs $0.99 up front. Escape sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Visual Calendar asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Escape holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 42 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Visual Calendar's written reviews are positive against 79% of Escape's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Visual Calendar ships an update every 2 months, Escape every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Visual Calendar versus Escape: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVisual CalendarEscape
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating2.6 (9 ratings)4.4 (42 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews79.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings942 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMate SzokeBogdan Gherasim

Customer experience

Visual Calendar

All ratings9 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral22.2%
Negative44.4%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative36.5%

Escape

All ratings41 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral2.4%
Negative12.2%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive79.3%
Neutral3.4%
Negative17.2%

Bugs and requests

Visual Calendar

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • Tagged days missing/entries gone
  • Deletes data daily
  • Cannot delete/edit entered calendar items
  • New version wipes data
  • New version won't work on phone
Show 18 more
  • Nothing shows up on calendar after adding
  • Background color options not working
  • Support link does not work
  • Keyboard never appears
  • App is abandoned with no future support
  • Bug that kicks you out when deleting preset tag
  • Fades in and out between different activities, not showing all at once
  • Cannot edit preloaded tags
  • Cannot go over certain mark limitations on calendar
  • Background too dark
  • Syncs only 'All Day' appointments
  • App freezes and/or kicks user off
  • App crashes every time it's used
  • Does not import all calendar appointments
  • Fails to show imported calendar events
  • Cannot insert anything
  • Unstable
  • App randomly exits

Requested features

22 requests
  • Ability to delete/edit events
  • Sync with other calendar apps
  • Add time to tags/events
  • Reminders/notifications
  • Repeat function for tasks
Show 17 more
  • Support for larger screens/iPhone 5
  • Backup and restore functionality
  • Create multiple calendars
  • Import custom icons/photos
  • Notes associated with events
  • Emojis for icons
  • List views, week views
  • Timed events
  • Customize events (e.g., 'work 8-5pm')
  • Export to PDF/image
  • Stereotypical hourly event calendaring
  • Dark mode option
  • Word-wrap for event text
  • Default opacity slider higher
  • Match tags to synced activities
  • Choose Monday as start of week
  • Add alarms

Escape

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Visual Calendar

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Escape

Subscriptions2
  • PRO Monthly$1.491 Month
  • PRO Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Visual Calendar free?
Visual Calendar costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Escape free?
Escape is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Visual Calendar or Escape?
Escape is rated higher. Visual Calendar averages 2.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Escape averages 4.4 from 42 ratings.
Do Visual Calendar or Escape have ads?
Neither Visual Calendar nor Escape shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Visual Calendar or Escape?
Visual Calendar ships an update every 2 months, and Escape every 3 months. Most recently, Visual Calendar was updated on November 1, 2026 and Escape on November 2, 2026.

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