# Workflowy vs NotePlan

The clearest difference is monetization model: Workflowy at free with in-app purchases against NotePlan's subscription. Workflowy also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (8.2K vs 1.5K). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Workflowy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 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 Workflowy against 4.8 for NotePlan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Workflowy has 8.2K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Workflowy's written reviews are positive against 85% of NotePlan's.

Workflowy ships an update weekly, NotePlan monthly. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Workflowy | NotePlan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/workflowy-note-list-outline/id551139514/reviews) | [4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8.2K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | **88.0% of reviews** | 85.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 147 MB | 210 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FunRoutine INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/551139517) | [NotePlan LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137020763) |

## What reviewers say

### Workflowy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/workflowy-note-list-outline/id551139514)

Capture ideas, manage tasks, and organize your thoughts with an infinitely nestable system. This app offers AI assistance for summarization and brainstorming, along with collaborative features and robust search capabilities. It syncs across devices and works offline, making it a powerful tool for personal and team productivity.

**Highlights:** Infinitely nested lists, AI summarization and brainstorming, Kanban boards for task management, Real-time collaboration and sharing, Global search and filtering, Offline access and cross-device sync, Tagging and mentions

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Workflowy Pro - Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Workflowy Pro - Yearly | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best way to organize thoughts
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 👍 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Excellent for productivity and organization
- 👍 Versatile for various use cases

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional data loss issues
- 🐛 Offline mode not always reliable
- 🔋 Can be slow on mobile devices
- 👎 Limited customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Cursor sometimes gets stuck
- Syncing issues between web and mobile versions
- Inability to delete items consistently

**Requested features**

- Add ability to attach files and documents
- Improve mobile app experience
- Implement better notification and reminder system
- Add more formatting options (e.g., font styles, colors)


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Workflowy free?

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

### Is NotePlan free?

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

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

Workflowy and NotePlan are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8.2K and 1.5K ratings respectively.

### Do Workflowy or NotePlan have ads?

Neither Workflowy nor NotePlan shows ads.

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

Workflowy ships an update weekly, and NotePlan monthly. Most recently, Workflowy was updated on October 2, 2026 and NotePlan on October 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*