Pocket Informant vs TimeBlocks

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

TimeBlocks

• People who like to decorate a calendar the way they would a paper diary
• Keeping events, to-dos, habits and memos in one phone app
• Friends, couples and families sharing a group schedule

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.

TimeBlocks

• The free version carries ads. Removing them is a Premium function, as are auto sync, search across all periods and file attachments.
• The US App Store also lists coin packs from $1.99 for 10 coins to $13.99 for 200 coins, separate from the Premium subscription.
• The vendor's site has no price list, so the prices here come from the US App Store listing and the web calendar may be priced differently.
• The vendor lists phone, tablet and web versions but no separate Mac or Windows app. Its landing page defaults to Korean, with English, Chinese and Japanese in a language menu.

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.

TimeBlocks

Drag-and-drop monthly calendar

Events are entered from a quick input window on the calendar screen and moved by dragging. The month view expands as the number of events grows.

To-do, habit and memo lists

Unfinished to-dos roll over to the next day, habits are logged on a mini calendar, and memos hold plans that have no time yet, organized by month.

Connections to other calendars

Links to Google, Apple and Naver calendars, Google Keep and Apple Reminders. Support for all connections is listed among the Premium functions.

Group schedules

A schedule can be shared with friends or family, with a different access level for each participant and real-time alerts when something changes.

Themes, stickers and fonts

An in-app store offers themes, stickers, date backgrounds and fonts for decorating the calendar. The vendor's site counts more than 1,000 items.

Widgets

Home screen widgets include a monthly calendar, a weekly calendar, today's list, a habit list and a to-do list. The vendor's site counts 7 kinds.

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.

TimeBlocks

• Free$0

  The calendar, to-do, habit and memo features with ads, without the functions on the Premium list.

• Premium Account (Monthly)$2.99

  per month

  Removes ads and adds auto sync, to-dos and habits on the calendar, search across all periods, file attachments, color labels and all connections.

• Premium Account (Annual)$29.99

  per year

  The same Premium functions billed once a year.

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.

TimeBlocks

• Annual discount

  About 16% less on the annual Premium plan

  The US App Store lists Premium Account at $2.99 monthly and $29.99 annually. Twelve monthly payments would come to $35.88.