EPIM (EssentialPIM) vs Pocket Informant

EPIM (EssentialPIM)

• Windows users who want mail, calendar, tasks and notes in one app
• People who prefer a perpetual license to a subscription
• Small teams sharing calendars and tasks from one database

Pocket Informant

• People who want calendar, tasks, projects and notes in a single app
• Task management in the GTD or Franklin Covey style
• Users who move between iPhone, Android, Mac and a web browser

EPIM (EssentialPIM)

• The desktop app is Windows only. The iOS app includes only the Tasks and Passwords modules, and the store listings date both mobile apps' latest updates to 2023.
• Cloud sync, automatic backup, tags, templates and Sticky Notes need EPIM Pro. The free EPIM Mail edition leaves them out.
• A perpetual license includes 1 year of updates. Newer versions after that need a paid 12-month update extension.
• License prices are recorded in Indian rupees, as the pricing page displayed them to a visitor in India. US dollar prices were not shown.

Pocket Informant

• The free version is a calendar only. Tasks, projects, contacts, sync services and customization need the subscription.
• The Mac app is a separate $49.99 purchase, and the web app works through an Informant Sync account.
• There is no Windows app. Windows is covered by a $29.99 Outlook add-in that also needs an Informant Sync subscription.
• Trial length is stated differently by source: 14 days on the vendor's site and 7 days on the App Store listing.

EPIM (EssentialPIM)

Connected modules with a Today view

Mail, calendar, tasks, notes, contacts and passwords live in one Windows application, and the Today view shows upcoming events and tasks from across them.

Calendar

Day, Week, Week Agenda, Month, Year and Agenda views, with a tasks sidebar beside the schedule, custom categories and reusable event templates.

Tasks

Tasks and subtasks sit in a hierarchy and can be shown in Tree, Plain or Kanban views, with search, filters, custom layouts and templates.

Mail

A unified inbox for several IMAP, POP3 and Microsoft Exchange accounts, with mail rules, tags, advanced search and PGP encryption.

Notes and passwords

Notes are written in Markdown or rich text with images, tables and drawings. Passwords are kept in an encrypted database with a generator and Auto-Type.

Sync and portable mode

EPIM Pro syncs with Google, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Nextcloud, ownCloud and Dropbox. Portable mode runs the app and its data from a USB drive.

Pocket Informant

Calendar and tasks in one view

Day, stacked-week and month views show events and tasks together. The month view prints each event's name and time in small text instead of a dot.

Projects and task modes

Tasks can be grouped into projects with sub-tasks and checklists, and the task system can be set to Simple, GTD or Franklin Covey style.

Works with existing calendars

Reads the device's native calendars and reminders, so iCloud, Exchange, Microsoft 365 and Google accounts appear without a new account. Direct Google and Toodledo sync needs the subscription.

Natural-language entry

Type or speak a phrase such as a task with a day and time and the entry is filled in. Templates and triggers create frequently used events and tasks.

TravelAssist and geofences

Trips set the time zone for events created during travel, and geofenced locations can filter the calendar or task list and raise arrival and departure alerts.

Informant Sync

A paid sync service that keeps iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and the web app in step, and connects to Outlook on Windows through a separate add-in.

EPIM (EssentialPIM)

• EPIM MailFree

  Email, calendar, tasks, notes, contacts and passwords with the essential features, portable mode and community and email support.

• EPIM Pro (Annual Subscription)₹4,790.95

  per year, as shown to a visitor in India

  Adds sync with major cloud services, automatic backup, tags, templates and Sticky Notes. All updates are included while it renews.

• EPIM Pro (Perpetual License)₹9,587.95

  one-time, with 1 year of updates

  The same Pro features bought once. The last version received keeps working after the update year, and updates can be extended yearly.

• EPIM Pro Business (Annual)₹9,587.95

  per user / year

  Pro features plus access to shared EPIM databases and user access rights through EPIM Server, which is free to install.

• EPIM Pro Business (Perpetual)₹19,181.95

  per user, one-time, with 1 year of updates

  A one-time Business license for 1 user. Every user who connects to a shared database needs a license of their own.

• EPIM Cloud (add-on)$2.99

  per month, or $19.95 per year

  Optional service sold separately: sync across supported devices, automatic backup and browser access to calendars, contacts and tasks.

Pocket Informant

• Free$0

  Basic calendar on iOS and Android. Tasks, projects, contacts, sync services and customization are not included.

• Premium Month$3.99

  per month

  Full feature access billed monthly through the App Store. The account reverts to the free version when the subscription ends.

• Premium 3 month$9.99

  per 3 months

  The same full feature access billed every 90 days, as listed on the US App Store.

• Premium Yearly$29.99

  per year

  All calendar views, tasks, projects, contacts, email integration, weather and Informant Sync on iOS and Android.

• Informant for macOS$49.99

  one-time purchase

  The Mac app, bought separately with a 30-day free trial. Syncing Informant-only data may also need a sync subscription.

• Informant Sync for Outlook$29.99

  one-time purchase

  Outlook add-in for Windows PCs that syncs calendars, tasks and notes. It requires an active Informant Sync subscription.

EPIM (EssentialPIM)

• Education

  Educational discount for eligible customers

  The pricing FAQ says educational discounts are available to eligible customers and links to the vendor's discount pages for the terms.

• Other savings

  Competitive and volume discounts

  The same FAQ answer lists competitive discounts, for people switching from another product, and volume discounts on multiple licenses.

• Annual discount

  Save 44% on EPIM Cloud with yearly billing

  EPIM Cloud is listed at $2.99 a month or $19.95 a year, which the pricing page gives as $1.66 a month and a 44% saving.

Pocket Informant

• Annual discount

  About 37% less on the yearly subscription

  The subscription is $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Twelve monthly payments come to $47.88, so the yearly option costs about 37% less.