Grades
All 1,555 tools, graded
Every tool here is graded from A to F on the same five counts, and its GPA is their average, out of 4. Sort the whole directory by grade, or narrow it to one category to see which tool comes out top. How we grade.
Grade
1,555 tools
| Tool | GPA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BitwardenPasswordsFree plan · from $1.65/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $1.65/mo |
| ClockifyTime TrackingFree plan · from $3.99/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $3.99/mo |
| ConfluenceDocs & WikisFree plan · from $6.70/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $6.70/mo |
| FirefoxBrowsersFree | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free |
| Gemini NotebookAI AssistantsFree plan · from $4.99/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $4.99/mo |
| MEGAFile StorageFree plan · from €3.33/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from €3.33/mo |
| Microsoft OneNoteNote-TakingFree plan · from $9.99/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $9.99/mo |
| NotesnookNote-TakingFree plan · from $1.99/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $1.99/mo |
| PumbleTeam ChatFree plan · from $2.49/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $2.49/mo |
| TwosNote-TakingFree plan · from $3.33/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $3.33/mo |
| VivaldiBrowsersFree | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free |
| Zoho SheetSpreadsheetsFree plan · from $2.50/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $2.50/mo |
| Zoho VaultPasswordsFree plan · from $0.90/mo | 4.0 | A | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $0.90/mo |
| CanvaPresentations · Reviewed in fullFree plan · from $14.99/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $14.99/mo |
| ChatGPTAI Assistants · Reviewed in fullFree plan · from $8/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $8/mo |
| Google DriveFile Storage · Reviewed in fullFree plan · from $1.99/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $1.99/mo |
| Microsoft OutlookEmail · Reviewed in fullFree plan · from $1.99/mo | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $1.99/mo |
| Proton PassPasswords · Reviewed in fullFree plan · from $2.99/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $2.99/mo |
| AmplenoteNote-TakingFree plan · from $7.99/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $7.99/mo |
| Apple NotesNote-TakingFree | 3.8 | A | A | A | A | B | Free |
| Apple RemindersTo-Do ListsFree | 3.8 | A | A | A | A | B | Free |
| ArcBrowsersFree | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free |
| aTimeLoggerTime TrackingFree plan · from $5.99 one-time | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $5.99 one-time |
| BlueMailEmailFree plan · from $35.99/yr | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $35.99/yr |
| BraveBrowsersFree plan · from $3.00/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $3.00/mo |
| CCleanerUtilitiesFree plan · from $44.95/yr | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $44.95/yr |
| ChatboxAI AssistantsFree plan · from $3.50/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $3.50/mo |
| DiariumJournalingFree plan · from $14.99 one-time | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $14.99 one-time |
| FlipboardRead LaterFree | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free |
| FreedcampProject ManagementFree plan · from $1.49/mo | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $1.49/mo |
| GitHub IssuesProject ManagementFree plan · from $4/mo | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $4/mo |
| GoodDayProject ManagementFree plan · from $4/mo | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $4/mo |
| GoodnotesNote-TakingFree plan · from $11.99/yr | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $11.99/yr |
| Google SlidesPresentationsFree plan · from $7/mo | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free plan · from $7/mo |
| Google TasksTo-Do ListsFree plan · from $7/mo | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free plan · from $7/mo |
| HabitifyHabit TrackersFree plan · from $29.99/yr | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $29.99/yr |
| HamsterBase TasksTo-Do ListsFree plan · from $20/yr | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $20/yr |
| InoreaderRead LaterFree plan · from $7.50/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $7.50/mo |
| InstapaperRead LaterFree plan · from $5.99/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $5.99/mo |
| JibbleTime TrackingFree plan | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan |
| JiraProject ManagementFree plan · from $9.05/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $9.05/mo |
| LiveItDaily PlannersFree plan · from $19.99/yr | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $19.99/yr |
| Memento DatabaseSpreadsheetsFree plan · from $6/mo | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $6/mo |
| Microsoft EdgeBrowsersFree | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free |
| Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheetsFree plan · from $9.99/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $9.99/mo |
| Microsoft LoopDocs & WikisFree plan · from $5.40/mo | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free plan · from $5.40/mo |
| Microsoft PowerPointPresentationsFree plan · from $9.99/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $9.99/mo |
| Microsoft To DoTo-Do ListsFree | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free |
| Microsoft WhiteboardWhiteboardsFree | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free |
| MindwtrTo-Do ListsFree | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free |
| NotabilityNote-TakingFree plan · from $14.99/yr | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $14.99/yr |
| One CalendarCalendarFree plan · from $5.99 one-time | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free plan · from $5.99 one-time |
| OpenWhisprDictationFree plan · from $6.67/mo | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $6.67/mo |
| PoeAI AssistantsFree plan · from $4.17/mo | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $4.17/mo |
| Power PlannerDaily PlannersFree plan · from $4.99 one-time | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $4.99 one-time |
| R DiscoveryAI ResearchFree plan · from $69/yr | 3.8 | A | B | A | A | A | Free plan · from $69/yr |
| Raindrop.ioRead LaterFree plan · from $28/yr | 3.8 | A | A | A | B | A | Free plan · from $28/yr |
| RemNoteNote-TakingFree plan · from $8/mo | 3.8 | B | A | A | A | A | Free plan · from $8/mo |
| ScreenZenFocusFree | 3.8 | A | A | A | A | B | Free |
| SimplenoteNote-TakingFree | 3.8 | A | A | B | A | A | Free |
What the five grades mean
The same five counts for every tool, whichever category it is in.
- Value for money
- What the paid plans cost against what they give, and against what rivals charge for the same.
- Free plan and trial
- How far a person gets without paying, and how fairly the limits are drawn.
- Features
- How much it does for the job it is for, and how well its own documentation shows it doing it.
- Ease of use
- How quickly a new user is productive, going by its onboarding, its help pages and what users report.
- Platforms and integrations
- Which devices it runs on, what it connects to and whether it has an API.
Where the grades come from
66 of these tools also have a review written out in full.
A grade is worked out from the facts in a tool’s listing, which are read from the vendor’s own pages and dated, and from what users say about it in public app stores. Nobody is paid to grade a tool and no vendor can buy a grade. Each of the five letters has its reason written beside it on the tool’s page, so a number you disagree with can always be argued with on the facts.
If a fact behind a grade is wrong or out of date, tell us which and we will check it against the vendor’s own pages.
Common questions
- What is a GPA here?
- Each tool gets a letter from A to F on five counts: value for money, the free plan and trial, features, ease of use, and platforms and integrations. An A is worth 4 points and an F none, and the GPA is the average of the five, out of 4. Every letter has the reason for it written beside it on the tool's own page.
- Who decides the grades?
- ToolGPA does. They are our own judgement, made from each vendor's own pages and from what users say in public app stores, applied the same way to every tool. They are not a vendor's claim, not a store rating, and no vendor can pay for one.
- Why are so many tools graded B?
- The counts are deliberately plain: a tool that has a fair free plan, charges about what its rivals charge and runs on the usual platforms lands in the middle. The grades sort out the clearly generous from the clearly mean, rather than splitting hairs between two good tools.
- Can a grade change?
- Yes. A grade rests on the facts in a tool's listing, and when a price, a free plan or a platform changes, the grade is worked out again. Each review shows the date it was graded.