School Assistant vs Shovel
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
School Assistant
Free school planner for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
Free
Shovel
Study planner that checks if you have time for every task
Free trial · from $39/yr
Where they differ
- School Assistant is free. Shovel starts at $39 per year ($3.25 per month), or $9.79 billed monthly.
- School Assistant has a free plan. Shovel does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only School Assistant lists a macOS app.
- Only Shovel lists a web app.
- Only Shovel lists an Android app.
- Shovel also covers time blocking and calendar.
In commoniOSAI featuresTasks
At a glance
| School Assistant | Shovel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $39 per year ($3.25 per month), or $9.79 billed monthly |
| Free plan | The whole app is free: the listing says there are no subscriptions, paywalls, premium features or ads. A tip jar offers optional in-app tips from $0.99 to $4.99. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial on both the monthly and yearly plans. Billing starts after the trial unless it is cancelled. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Sun Apps, LLC | How To Study Smart, LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | shovelapp.io |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
School Assistant
- Students on Apple devices who want a planner at no cost
- Class schedules that alternate between A and B weeks
- Checking assignments and the next class from an Apple Watch
Shovel
- College students planning a full semester of readings, assignments and exams
- Students whose school uses Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Google Classroom
- Students who want a warning before they run short of study time
Worth knowing
School Assistant
- Apple devices only: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. No Android, Windows or web version is listed.
- There is no calendar view inside the app. The developer chose to show schoolwork in Apple Calendar through Sync to Calendar.
- The Siri AI integration is limited to supported devices, and Smart Create depends on Apple Intelligence.
- Sun Apps is run by a single developer, according to its About page.
Shovel
- There is no free plan. Access needs a paid subscription once the 7-day trial ends.
- The phone apps are companions: an account has to be set up in the web app first, and the vendor says not to use the mobile app on tablets.
- On computers and tablets Shovel is installed from the browser as a progressive web app, not as a native desktop program.
- The US App Store lists two "Lifetime plan" in-app purchases, at $13.99 and $46.99, that the website's pricing page does not mention.
Key features
School Assistant
- Schoolwork
- Assignments and tests carry a class, due date, links, notes, subtasks and reminders, can be sorted several ways, and move to an archive when completed.
- Schedule
- Classes are listed for each day with teacher and room, or a link for online classes. The schedule can switch automatically between two weeks or manually between up to ten.
- Classes
- Each class has its own page for the teacher's name and email, a class code, links and notes, with an icon and a color that carry over to schoolwork.
- Apple Watch app and widgets
- The Watch app shows schoolwork, the schedule for any day, and the current and next class with time left. Home Screen widgets show assignment counts and the current and next class.
- Siri AI, Shortcuts and Smart Create
- Version 5 lets Siri AI on supported devices answer questions about schoolwork and create it, adds Shortcuts actions, and turns pasted text into entries with Apple Intelligence.
- iCloud sync and Sync to Calendar
- Data syncs automatically across devices over iCloud, and schoolwork can be shown in Apple Calendar through the Sync to Calendar feature.
Shovel
- Syllabus upload and school sync
- AI Syllabus Upload turns a PDF syllabus into tasks and events, and courses can sync live with Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Google Classroom.
- Planning tasks into study time
- Each task is assigned to specific study blocks, so a due date becomes a plan for what to work on, when and for how long.
- The Cushion
- Compares the study time available before each deadline with the time the task is estimated to need, and plots every task above or below a zero line.
- Schedule of available time
- Classes, activities, meals and personal time are blocked out to reveal the hours left for studying. Events can repeat every set number of weeks.
- Time estimates and timer
- Reading time is calculated per task, exam and assignment estimates can be adjusted as work progresses, and a built-in timer records time spent on each task.
- External calendars
- Google, Apple and Outlook calendar events can be shown inside Shovel, and the Shovel calendar can be shared out to those calendars.
Plans
School Assistant
Free$0
Every feature on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. Tips of $0.99 to $4.99 are optional and unlock nothing extra.
Shovel
Yearly$39
per year, shown as $3.25 per month paid yearly
Full access for a year after a 7-day free trial. The page labels it a limited-time back-to-school offer and gives no end date.
Monthly$9.79
per month
Full access billed monthly after a 7-day free trial, cancellable at any time. The page shows $9.79 beside a crossed-out $19.99.
Ways to pay less
School Assistant
No public discounts listed.
Shovel
- Annual discount
About 67% less on the yearly plan
The pricing page lists $9.79 per month or $39 per year. Twelve monthly payments would come to $117.48. The yearly price is labelled a limited-time back-to-school offer.
