ParkerPlanner vs Pencil Planner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ParkerPlanner
This app combines your calendar, to-do lists, and notes into a single, organized platform. Syncs with native iOS Reminders and Notes, allowing for tag-based organization and multiple view options for your tasks.
- Syncs with iOS Reminders
- Syncs notes across devices
- Organize notes with tags
- View todos on Month, Day, List
- Create and organize todo lists
- Syncs with native iPhone calendar
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Welcome to the all-new Parker Planner! You can now: - Sync all todos with the Reminders iOS app - Sync Notes across devices - Organize notes via tags - See todos with due dates on Month, Day, and List View - Create and organize todo lists by name - Tons more! Needless to say we're crazy excited about all these new features. Also keep in mind we're going to be updating this app regularly and making consistent improvements all the time. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Parker Planners began in 2006 as a paper planner company. Ethan Parker was a student at BYU and didn't like any of the planners at the Bookstore so he created his own. Not really intending on starting a business, he began selling planners to interested classmates until the BYU Bookstore took interest. Our products started out as pocket-sized paper planners and that’s why it converted to iPhone so well! “It’s in the day view that everything comes together, literally.” — Appadvice "To-do list, calendar, and notes app in one." — PCMag “A handy all-in-one organizational tool to make life easier.” — 148Apps *Your native iPhone calendar easily syncs with Google, Outlook, and many others. The Parker Planner will display any Calendar or Reminder that you have synced to your phone. The app now has a subscription model so we can keep and serve loyal customers. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Details on Subscription: You can choose between monthly ($1.99) or annual ($19.99) subscription. Annual gets you 17% off the cost! This subscription will auto-renew through your iTunes account. We display in the settings of the app what type of subscription you have. A link is provided to manage your subscription. You may cancel the subscription or disable auto-renew at any time. There is a trial period of 7 days (non-consecutive!) for the subscription to make sure you find Parker Planner useful. All features are available during the trial. Any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the original subscription price. Privacy Policy - http://www.parkerplanners.com/privacy-policy.html EULA - http://www.parkerplanners.com/eula.html If you have any questions please email us at plannerlove@parkerplanners.com instead of leaving a bad review on iTunes. It'll help tons more.
Pencil Planner
This app allows users to visually plan their schedules by drawing appointments directly onto a calendar. It offers an intuitive, pen-on-paper experience for effortless scheduling, making it ideal for families and couples to coordinate activities and boost overall productivity.
- Draw appointments directly on calendar
- Intuitive pen-on-paper planning
- Visual family planner
- Couple calendar for shared planning
- Boost productivity and organization
- Supports iPad stylus input
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Ditch the Text, Draw Your Schedule with Stift! Tired of typing appointments? Stift lets you unleash the power of your tablet pen. Draw your schedule directly on the calendar! Why Stift? Effortless Scheduling: Draw appointments for any day, week, or month. It's that simple! Natural Planning: Forget the keyboard frustration. Stift feels intuitive, just like using a pen on paper. Perfect for Families: Coordinate everyone's activities with a visual, fun family planner. Keep track of soccer practice, music lessons, and movie nights - all in one place! Boost Productivity: Manage your time visually and stay organized with Stift. Work together: Use the calendar as a couple calendar and plan your year together. Stift: The fun and easy way to schedule your life. Please read the licensed application end user license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ And our Terms of Service: https://www.s5t.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Pencil Planner at freemium against ParkerPlanner's subscription. Pencil Planner also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. ParkerPlanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Pencil Planner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pencil Planner holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of ParkerPlanner's written reviews are positive against 84% of Pencil Planner's.
ParkerPlanner ships an update every 6 weeks, Pencil Planner every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ParkerPlanner | Pencil Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (34 ratings) | 4.6 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.5% of reviews | 84.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matraex | TNX Apps UG |
Customer experience
ParkerPlanner
Pencil Planner
Bugs and requests
ParkerPlanner
Reported bugs
7 issues- Events not appearing consistently
- Cannot sync with Google nor Calengoo (historical)
- Deleting a list in Parker Planner also deletes in Reminders
- Cannot choose which reminder lists to hide/show
- Glitch with to-dos: won't let me delete a subject
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- Jump To Icon doesn't work (closes app)
- App crashes, freezes, and does not let me access information (historical)
Requested features
7 requests- More color options for themes
- Web platform
- Notes integration (historical)
- Calendar view with more detail (like Fantastical 2)
- Option to hide to-dos
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- Todo list by day and option to keep until completed
- Make app free instead of subscription
Pencil Planner
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ParkerPlanner
- Unlimited Access14 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Unlimited Access14 Days trial$19.991 Year
Pencil Planner
- Quarterly Pro$2.993 Months
- Yearly Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Year
- Pro$12.99
Questions
Is ParkerPlanner free?
Is Pencil Planner free?
Which has better reviews, ParkerPlanner or Pencil Planner?
Do ParkerPlanner or Pencil Planner have ads?
Which is updated more often, ParkerPlanner or Pencil Planner?
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