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NotePlan VS ByDesign

Compare NotePlan VS ByDesign and see what are their differences

NotePlan

Make plans inside an individual markdown note for every day in your calendar. Use it as a journal for your daily tasks and plan todos in advance. For Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Alternatives Is it good?
ByDesign

ByDesign is the only planner you’ll ever need — combining tasks, calendar, notes, and habits with AI scheduling, goal planning, and guided courses. Stay organized, achieve more, and design your future.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial $8 / Monthly (Pro plan , AI plan , AI Plus plan , Annual plan)
Alternatives Is it good?
EatAWhale
A habit and interest tracker for everything you care about. Set your own cadence, daily to monthly, and streaks follow your schedule. Buy once for $21, no subscription. sponsored

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, NotePlan seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 36 times since March 2021.

social mentions
36 vs 0
Productivity popularity
73% vs 27%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 107

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

NotePlan
ByDesign
Website noteplan.co bydesign.io
Pricing
Open source
Freemium Free trial $8 / Monthly (Pro plan , AI plan , AI Plus plan , Annual plan) Official pricing
Listed in
Note Taking Productivity Todos Task Management Journal +2
Daily Planners Task Management Event Management Calendar And Scheduling Calendar App Productivity +3

About NotePlan and ByDesign

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

NotePlan
ByDesign

No description of NotePlan yet.

ByDesign is an AI-powered productivity platform that brings tasks, calendars, notes, goals, and scheduling together in one workspace. It helps users organize their daily work, manage their time, and stay focused on their priorities. With the AI Planning Assistant, users can turn goals into...

Read more about ByDesign

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

NotePlan 7 features
ByDesign 9 features
  • Markdown Support
    NotePlan supports Markdown, allowing users to write notes in a clean and easy-to-format manner.
  • Calendar Integration
    It integrates seamlessly with your calendar, providing a consolidated view of notes, tasks, and events.
  • Task Management
    Users can manage tasks and to-do lists directly within the app, making it great for productivity.
  • Cross-Platform Sync
    NotePlan offers cross-platform syncing, enabling access to notes on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices.
  • Daily Notes
    The concept of daily notes helps in journaling and keeping track of daily activities.
  • Tagging System
    An efficient tagging system helps in organizing and finding notes quickly.
  • Quick Capture
    The quick capture feature enables jotting down thoughts and tasks swiftly.

Possible disadvantages

  • Price
    NotePlan is not free and may be considered expensive for casual note-takers.
  • Learning Curve
    The extensive features might require some time for new users to learn and adapt.
  • Limited Platform Availability
    It’s only available on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, leaving out Windows and Android users.
  • No Web Access
    There is no web access, which can be a limitation for some users who prefer browser-based tools.
  • No Collaboration Features
    NotePlan lacks robust collaboration features, which makes it less suitable for team projects.
  • AI Planning Assistant
    Helps users organize tasks, events and habits , break goals into actionable steps, and plan their schedules with AI assistance
  • Task Management
    Create, organize, prioritize, and manage tasks in one workspace.
  • Calendar Management
    Manage daily schedules, appointments, and events
  • Google Calendar Integration
    Connect Google Calendar to view and synchronize supported events and changes with ByDesign.
  • Apple Calendar Integration
    Connect supported Apple calendars to manage events and schedules alongside ByDesign.
  • Two-Way Calendar Sync
    Keep supported calendar changes synchronized between ByDesign and connected external calendars.
  • Kanban Board
    Organize tasks visually into stages such as To Do, In Progress, and Completed.
  • Goal Planning
    Break larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks and action steps.
  • AI Scheduling Preview
    Review AI-suggested schedule changes before accepting or cancelling them.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

NotePlan
ByDesign

Overall verdict

  • Overall, NotePlan is a good choice for those who prefer a minimalist yet powerful tool for managing notes and tasks. It effectively caters to individuals looking for a cohesive system that integrates note-taking with scheduling, making it a viable option for personal and professional productivity needs.

Why this product is good

  • NotePlan is a well-regarded productivity tool because it combines the functionalities of note-taking, to-do lists, and a calendar in a single application. Its strengths include seamless integration with macOS and iOS, Markdown support for note formatting, and an intuitive interface that makes it easy to manage tasks and notes. Users appreciate its focus on personal productivity and the ability to link notes with tasks and calendar events, which aids in organizing projects and daily plans efficiently.

Recommended for

    NotePlan is particularly recommended for users who are deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem and prefer using apps that offer robust integrations with iOS and macOS. It is ideal for people who like using Markdown for note-taking and those who want a lightweight app that can manage tasks and notes simultaneously in a linked manner. Additionally, individuals who value a clean, distraction-free interface for productivity will likely find NotePlan to be a good fit.

No analysis of ByDesign yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

NotePlan 4 videos + Add
ByDesign 1 video + Add

NotePlan 3 Review

More videos

  • - Noteplan 3 - Link your Notes with Apple's Reminder and Calendar App
  • - Walkthrough of NotePlan 3 — Notetaker, calendar, digital bullet journal all in one app
  • - The Best Bullet Journal App | NotePlan 3 Review

The Best AI Calendar App of 2026?

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
NotePlan
ByDesign
73% 73%
Productivity
27% 27%
63% 63%
Task Management
37% 37%
100% 100%
Note Taking
0% 0%
0% 0%
Project Management
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing NotePlan and ByDesign.

What makes your product unique?

ByDesign's answer:

ByDesign brings tasks, calendars, notes, goals, and AI-powered planning together in one workspace. Its AI Planning Assistant helps users organize their schedules, break goals into actionable tasks, and preview suggested changes before applying them. ByDesign also supports calendar integrations, helping users manage their work and schedules in one place.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

ByDesign's answer:

People should choose ByDesign if they want to manage their tasks, calendars, notes, and goals in one place instead of switching between multiple tools. Its AI Planning Assistant helps users plan their work, organize tasks, and make schedule changes with less manual effort. ByDesign combines everyday productivity tools with AI-assisted planning to make managing work easier and more organized.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

ByDesign's answer:

ByDesign is designed for students, professionals, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and busy individuals who want to manage their time and work more effectively. It is especially useful for people who handle multiple tasks, manage busy calendars, set personal or professional goals, and want AI assistance with planning and organization.

What's the story behind your product?

ByDesign's answer:

ByDesign was created to make productivity and planning simpler by bringing important everyday tools into one workspace. Managing tasks, calendars, notes, and goals across different applications can be time-consuming. ByDesign aims to solve this problem by combining these tools with an AI Planning Assistant that helps users organize tasks, plan schedules, and turn their goals into actionable steps.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

ByDesign's answer:

ByDesign uses modern web technologies and AI services to deliver its productivity and planning features. Its technology stack includes JavaScript-based frontend and backend technologies, database and API integrations, and AI models that support the Planning Assistant and tool-based actions. The platform also integrates with external calendar services to help users manage their schedules.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

ByDesign's answer:

ByDesign is designed for individuals and professionals who want to improve their productivity, manage their schedules, and organize their goals. We are focused on helping users simplify their daily planning and manage their work more efficiently.

User comments

Share your experience with using NotePlan and ByDesign. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

NotePlan 36 mentions
ByDesign 0 mentions
  • Ask HN: YAML or Markdown for Personal Notes?
    Https://noteplan.co, if you're on a macOS/iOS device. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What Process/Applications Do You Use for Todo/Knowledge Management?
    I'm using NotePlan (https://noteplan.co) and loving it. It's a macOS/iOS app (there's a somewhat limited Web version). IMO, the best balance between PKM and task manager/calendar management. I've also tried Amplenote... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: How do you manage ideas, tasks, notes and other stuff?
    I've been using NotePlan (https://noteplan.co) with the Projects + Reviews plugin. It's been a game changer for me. The (almost) perfect combination of tasks + notes. I also manage my personal stuff with it. It's a paid macOS app but,... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago

View more

Tracking ByDesign since Oct 2026.

Alternatives to NotePlan and ByDesign

When comparing NotePlan and ByDesign, you can also consider the following products.

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