Amplenote vs NotePlan

Amplenote

• People who want notes, to-dos and a calendar in one app
• Turning meeting notes into prioritized, scheduled tasks
• Users who want a free plan that syncs across all their devices

NotePlan

• Apple users who plan their day in notes next to calendar and reminders
• People who time-block tasks around their meetings
• Markdown fans who want plain-text files they control

Amplenote

• Prices here come from the US App Store listing; the vendor's own pricing page could not be read, and web checkout prices may differ.
• Two-way calendar sync and the native desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux need Pro or higher; the free plan uses the web app or a PWA.
• Publishing notes and password-encrypted Vault Notes are part of the Unlimited plan and above.
• The App Store also lists a separate Ample Agent Pro purchase at $7.99 a month.

NotePlan

• There is no free plan: once a trial or subscription ends, notes become read-only.
• Native apps exist only for Mac, iPhone and iPad; Windows and other systems use the web version.
• Sync runs mainly through Apple's CloudKit and is tied to an Apple ID, which the web version also signs in with.
• The monthly plan's free trial lasts 3 days, compared with 7 days on the annual plan.

Amplenote

Jots, Notes, Tasks and Calendar

Four connected modes take an idea from a quick jot to a note, a task and a slot on the calendar. All four are available on the free plan.

Tasks inside notes

To-dos live in the notes they come from, can recur at flexible intervals or stay hidden until later, and can be marked urgent or important.

Calendar sync

Pro and higher plans connect Google, Outlook or Apple calendars, either importing events only or also publishing scheduled tasks back to them.

Bidirectional links and tags

Notes link to each other in both directions, and nested tags form a hierarchy that can be browsed like folders.

Vault Notes and publishing

On the Unlimited plan, notes can be encrypted with a password that is never sent to the servers, or published to the web as pages.

Offline use on any device

Mobile apps keep working offline in new or cached notes and sync later. Computers use the web app, an installable PWA or the desktop app on Pro.

NotePlan

Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly notes

Every day gets its own note for tasks and meeting notes, and each week, month and year has one too, for targets, reviews and goals.

Apple Calendar and Reminders

Calendar events and reminders appear beside the daily note. Checking off a reminder in NotePlan also checks it off in Apple Reminders.

Time blocking

Drag a task onto the timeline to turn it into a time block next to your meetings, so you can see what fits in the day.

Project notes and kanban

Project notes hold briefs, decisions and next steps, link to daily work in both directions, and can be grouped into columns as a kanban board.

Plain Markdown files

Notes are plain Markdown files on your device that work offline and can be taken out as one folder. Sync uses your own iCloud account.

Spaces

Shared workspaces for teams or families with shared daily and weekly notes, folders and kanban boards, usable in the apps or in a browser.

Amplenote

• Personal$0

  The free plan: sync across unlimited devices and access to Jots, Notes, Tasks and Calendar.

• Pro$7.99

  per month, or $69.99 per year, on the US App Store

  Adds two-way sync with Google, Outlook or Apple calendars, the sidebar Peek Viewer, tag sharing and the native desktop app.

• Unlimited$11.99

  per month, or $119.99 per year, on the US App Store

  Adds publishing notes to the web, Vault Notes encrypted with your own password and appearance customization.

• Founder$24.99

  per month, or $239.99 per year, on the US App Store

  Adds early access to new features and 10 times the votes on the supporter feature board.

NotePlan

• Individual$8.33

  per month, billed annually ($99); $12 billed monthly

  Full access on Mac, iPad, iPhone and the web, with calendar and reminders, iCloud sync, Spaces, plugins, themes and templates.

• Small Team$19.99

  per month, for up to 5 members

  One shared subscription and a single invoice for up to 5 members. Guests invited to a Space are not billed.

• Business Team$69.99

  per month, for up to 25 members

  The same shared subscription and single invoice for up to 25 members.

Amplenote

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing costs 17% to 27% less

  At US App Store prices, a year of Pro is $69.99 against $95.88 paid monthly, Unlimited is $119.99 against $143.88, and Founder is $239.99 against $299.88.

NotePlan

• Annual discount

  Save 31% with annual billing

  The annual plan is $99 a year, which works out to $8.33 a month against $12 on the monthly plan. NotePlan labels this a 31% saving.

• Other savings

  Team subscriptions for 5 or 25 members

  A shared subscription covers up to 5 members for $19.99 a month or up to 25 for $69.99, which NotePlan says is cheaper than separate individual subscriptions.