Comparison

University Notes vs Exam Countdown & Study Planner

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

Head to head
About

University Notes

This app allows students to create handwritten and typed study notes with advanced features for memorization and review. It includes tools for highlighting, masking, and layering content to aid in learning and exam preparation.

Highlights
  • Handwritten and typed notes
  • Memorization tools (masking, highlighting)
  • Layered questions and answers
  • PDF annotation
  • Note organization with folders
  • Drawing and diagram tools
Features
Read full description

Handwritten notes for studying, active recall, and exam prep Turn the notes you already take into study material you can actually use. Write by hand or type, organize class and lecture notes, annotate PDFs, build study guides, hide key information, and test yourself before quizzes, midterms, finals, entrance exams, and professional certification exams. Use your own notes for active recall, review, and exam preparation instead of simply storing information. □ 4 ways to study with your own notes 1. Memorize key information with colors Write important words, definitions, formulas, dates, or vocabulary in orange, blue, or other colors using handwriting or keyboard text. Place the Memorization Sheet over your notes to hide the answers. Try to recall the information first, then reveal it to check yourself. Long-press the icon to change the sheet color. 2. Hide highlighted sections for active recall Highlight important sentences, diagrams, anatomy charts, or sections of PDF textbooks and lecture materials. In Memorization Mode, choose which highlighter colors are hidden. For example, use yellow for regular emphasis and red for material you want to memorize. 3. Keep questions and answers on separate layers Write questions, answers, and explanations on different layers. Hide the answer layer, test yourself, rewrite your response, and practice the same digital worksheet again. 4. Cover answers with digital tape Use the Tape tool in Memorization Mode to cover definitions, formulas, vocabulary, answers, or sections of PDFs without changing your original note colors. Tap a tape strip to reveal just that answer, or use the Memorization Sheet to cover several areas at once. □ Review faster with the floating Memorization Sheet Instead of revealing highlighted areas one by one, drag the floating Memorization Sheet over your notes. Only the area beneath the sheet is hidden, making it useful for tables, lecture PDFs, study guides, vocabulary lists, diagrams, and exam materials. □ Practical note-taking tools ・Handwriting and keyboard input ・Multiple pens and highlighters ・Tabs for switching between notebooks ・Ruler, compass, and shapes ・Stickers, sticky notes, and comments ・Detailed eraser settings, including deleting only highlighter marks ・Categories, folders, and subfolders ・Chapters for separating lessons or topics □ Write directly on PDFs Annotate PDFs with handwriting or keyboard text. If a PDF does not leave enough room for notes, extend the right side of the page to create extra space for annotations, solutions, explanations, or review notes. □ Use handwriting and typing together Write by hand or select where you want to type and enter text directly without creating a text box first. □ Keep your notes organized Sort notes with categories, folders, and subfolders, and add chapters inside a notebook to separate lessons, topics, or units. □ Notebook templates Choose from built-in templates including blank paper, ruled paper, grid paper, and handwritten To-Do pages. You can also reuse layouts you create for study sheets, daily reports, professional logs, or exam review pages. □ Recommended for ・High school students taking notes and preparing for tests ・College students organizing class notes, lecture materials, and study guides ・Students working with PDF textbooks and course materials ・Medical, nursing, and pharmacy students ・Students preparing for entrance exams or professional certification exams ・Anyone who wants handwriting, typing, PDF annotation, and memorization tools in one digital notebook Write it down, hide what you want to remember, recall it from memory, and check your answer. Use the notes you already created for active recall, review, and exam preparation.

About

Exam Countdown & Study Planner

This app helps students organize their academic life with an exam countdown, study planner, and focus timer. It breaks down syllabi, tracks progress, and encourages consistent study habits to boost productivity and achieve academic goals.

Highlights
  • Exam countdown timer
  • Study tracker & syllabus manager
  • Study timer & Pomodoro focus
  • AI study planner
  • Daily to-do list & task manager
  • Daily study streaks & motivation
Features
Read full description

Know exactly what to study today — and how many days you have left. Exam Countdown & Study Planner puts your exam countdowns, syllabus tracker and focus timer in one app. Track every chapter, study in focused sessions, and build a streak that keeps you going. Upgrade to AI Pro and Diya, your AI study assistant, plans every study day from today until your exam and quizzes you on what you've learned. EXAM COUNTDOWNS Add every exam and see the days, hours and minutes left at a glance. Put a countdown widget on your iPhone or iPad Home Screen so exam day never sneaks up on you. STUDY PLANNER, DAY BY DAY UNTIL YOUR EXAM (AI Pro) Pick the date you want to finish the syllabus, and Diya plans every day from today until then, with revision cycles before the exam. • Fits around your life: tell it the hours school or coaching already takes, your longest study session, and anything else (for example, "I'm weak at organic chemistry") • Keep one day a week free to catch up • Warns you up front if the syllabus can't fit, instead of the night before • See today's tasks or the full month calendar • Fell behind? Push today's tasks to tomorrow, or rebuild the plan around what you've already done • Add a short-term target, like a unit test on chapters 4–6 • Manual edits are unlimited, earlier versions are saved, and you can write your own week instead SYLLABUS & CHAPTER TRACKER Add your subjects and chapters, then check them off as you study. See how much of each subject you've covered and what's still left before the exam. FOCUS TIMER Study with a Pomodoro timer, a goal-based session or a simple stopwatch. Choose your focus length and number of cycles, and every session is logged to the chapter you studied. Calming focus atmospheres help you settle in and stay in the zone. STREAKS, GOALS & STUDY HISTORY Set a daily study goal, build your streak, and see where your hours go with charts and a full study history. TO-DO LIST Keep homework and assignments in one place with due dates, and set tasks to repeat daily, weekly or monthly. DAILY REMINDERS • Morning brief: today's plan and to-dos in one notification • Evening check-in, only when tasks are unfinished or your streak is at risk • Exam milestones 30, 7 and 1 day before each exam MEET DIYA, YOUR AI STUDY ASSISTANT (AI Pro) • Chat with Diya about what to study next. Diya can add tasks and adjust your plan for you. • AI quizzes for every chapter show what you really know • Past-paper analysis highlights the chapters that matter most • Import your syllabus automatically instead of typing it in • Cloud backup and sync across all your devices BUILT FOR • High school and college students • SAT, ACT, AP, MCAT, LSAT and bar exam prep • Finals week, entrance exams and professional certifications • Anyone who wants a countdown, syllabus tracker and focus timer in one app Available in 10 languages. FREE, PERSONALIZE (LIFETIME) & AI PRO Exam countdowns, the syllabus tracker, focus timer, streaks, to-dos and reminders are free, with no ads. Personalize (lifetime) unlocks all widgets, focus atmospheres and ID card styles, plus data import and restore. AI Pro adds Diya, the AI study planner, AI quizzes, past-paper analysis, full syllabus import and cloud sync. Stop guessing what to study next. Download Exam Countdown & Study Planner and walk into exam day prepared. Payment charged to your Apple account. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled 24-hours before the current period ends. Account charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the period end. Manage subscriptions in App Store settings. Any unused free trial is forfeited upon purchase. Privacy Policy: https://lazybyte.in/privacy-policy/exam-countdown--study-planner Terms of Use (EULA): https://lazybyte.in/terms-and-conditions/exam-countdown--study-planner

Screenshots

University Notes4 screens
Exam Countdown & Study Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Exam Countdown & Study Planner at 5.0 against University Notes's 4.5. University Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (14 vs 1). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Exam Countdown & Study Planner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. University Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Exam Countdown & Study Planner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: University Notes has 14 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

University Notes ships an update every 3 days, Exam Countdown & Study Planner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
University Notes versus Exam Countdown & Study Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversity NotesExam Countdown & Study Planner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (14 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size169 MB94 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperFoodmenu.world Inc.Ikramul Hossain Mondal

Customer experience

University Notes

All ratings14 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral25.0%
Negative8.3%

Exam Countdown & Study Planner

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

University Notes

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Exam Countdown & Study Planner

Subscriptions2
  • Ai Pro (Monthly)3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Ai Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Exam Countdown Premium$3.99

Questions

Is University Notes free?
University Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Exam Countdown & Study Planner free?
Exam Countdown & Study Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, University Notes or Exam Countdown & Study Planner?
Exam Countdown & Study Planner is rated higher. University Notes averages 4.5 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Exam Countdown & Study Planner averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do University Notes or Exam Countdown & Study Planner have ads?
Neither University Notes nor Exam Countdown & Study Planner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, University Notes or Exam Countdown & Study Planner?
University Notes ships an update every 3 days, and Exam Countdown & Study Planner every 4 days. Most recently, University Notes was updated on October 1, 2026 and Exam Countdown & Study Planner on September 24, 2026.

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