The Finalist Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Finalist in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Finalist
The Insider’s Guide
Day-per-page planner for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among daily planner apps, read from Finalist’s own pages.
Made by Diversion Marketing Inc · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Finalist’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Finalist’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 48 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade
Finalist is a daily planner for Apple devices that puts tasks, Apple Calendar events, Reminders, habits, notes and a journal on one page per day. A timeline view handles time blocking, and a folder of Markdown files, such as an Obsidian vault, can be attached as a notebook. There is no account to create: data syncs through the user's own iCloud.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Finalist, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's no account to create, because it syncs through your own iCloud.
- 1
Best for one page a day for Apple Calendar and Reminders
Windows and Android users should look elsewhere.
- 2
Paid plans start at $2.50 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year (US App Store).
- 3
You can try it first
Free to download with a free trial for new users; the developer suggests a week but states no exact length
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
iOS and macOS.
- 5
Daily page
Tasks, calendar events, reminders, habits, weather and journal entries share one page per day, in two designs with a layout editor and saved presets.
- 6
Timeline time blocking
Drag untimed tasks onto an hourly grid as tentative blocks, resize or move them, then tap Accept to write the times into the tasks. Free time collapses into bands.
- 7
Apple Calendar and Reminders
Events and reminders appear in the day and can be managed from either app. A task can be converted into a reminder or an event and back.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 48 of 69
That is against the other daily planner apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Finalist you could make: tasks, calendar, time blocking, habit tracking, daily notes and notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Finalist at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year (US App Store)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free to download with a free trial for new users; the developer suggests a week but states no exact length
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS
- Made by
- Diversion Marketing Inc, since 2023
- Category
- Daily Planner Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 484 ratings
The report card
Best for one page a day for Apple Calendar and Reminders
Finalist is a page-a-day planner for Apple devices that pulls your tasks, Apple Calendar, Reminders, habits and a journal onto one page, for $29.99 a year or $59.99 once. But it's Apple only, there's no free plan, the trial has no stated length, the App Store doesn't say what works if you never pay, and Siri and Plan My Day need iOS 27. Windows and Android users should look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $59.99 once, for life, covering iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, when a year of this category's middle subscription is about $72. The yearly option is $29.99, which works out at $2.50 a month. A one-time price under a year of the usual rate is what earns the A. |
| Free plan and trial | C | There's no free plan. It's a free download with a trial for new users, and the developer suggests a week without giving an exact length. The App Store listing doesn't say what still works if you never pay. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job: one page a day for tasks, events, reminders, habits, weather and a journal, a timeline for time blocking, notes with tags, and an Obsidian vault that plugs in as a notebook. The listing shows the limits, though. Plan My Day and Siri need iOS 27, and the Watch app needs watchOS 26. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.69 from about 480 App Store ratings, just under our line for an A on both the score and the number of ratings. There's no account to create, because it syncs through your own iCloud. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Apple and nothing else: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, tied into Apple Calendar, Reminders, Health and Shortcuts. The site lists no web, Windows or Android version. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Finalist is for
- Fits if you run on Apple Calendar and Reminders and want them on one page a day
- Works for Obsidian users, since dated tasks in those files show up in the planner
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as it's Apple devices only
- Not for you if you want a free plan, because the full app needs a subscription or the $59.99 lifetime purchase
- Skip it if your iPhone runs older software, since Siri and Plan My Day need iOS 27 and the Watch app needs watchOS 26
- Watch out: the trial's length isn't stated, and the vendor's own site publishes no price list
- Pricey if you pay weekly or monthly, at $2.99 a week or $4.99 a month against $29.99 a year
Good to know
Good for
- People who rely on Apple Calendar and Reminders and want one page per day
- Paper-planner users who want a journal and habit tracker beside their tasks
- Obsidian users who want dated tasks in Markdown files to show up in a planner
Worth knowing
- Apple platforms only: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. The site lists no web, Windows or Android version.
- The App Store listing says full functionality needs a subscription or the lifetime purchase, and does not say what works without one.
- The Apple Watch app requires watchOS 26, and the 4.1 release notes say Siri and Plan My Day need iOS 27.
- Prices are the US App Store in-app purchase amounts; the vendor's own site does not publish a price list.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$2.50
A month to start, paid by the year
Finalist is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year (US App Store).
A one-time price under a year of the usual rate is what earns the A.
Finalist Pro Weekly
$2.99
per week
Full functionality billed weekly, as listed among the in-app purchases on the US App Store.
Finalist Pro Monthly
$4.99
per month
Full functionality on a monthly subscription. The vendor says one subscription covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
Finalist Pro Yearly
$29.99
per year
The same subscription billed once a year, as listed on the US App Store.
Finalist Pro Lifetime
$59.99
one-time purchase
A single in-app purchase for lifetime access instead of a subscription.
Trying it first
Free to download with a free trial for new users; the developer suggests a week but states no exact length
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
About 50% less on the yearly plan
The US App Store lists Finalist Pro Monthly at $4.99 and Finalist Pro Yearly at $29.99. Twelve monthly payments come to $59.88, so the yearly plan costs about 50% less.
Stated on apps.apple.comLifetime license
Lifetime access for $59.99
Finalist Pro Lifetime is a one-time in-app purchase listed at $59.99 on the US App Store. The vendor says one license covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
Stated on apps.apple.comOther savings
Apple Family Sharing supported
The App Store listing states that Finalist supports Apple Family Sharing.
Stated on apps.apple.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Finalist Pro Yearly”, against $29.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | ₺1.299,99 | $26.44 | 12% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 499ribu | $27.91 | 7% less |
| Canada | $39.99 | $28.11 | 6% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 1,790.00 | $28.49 | about the same |
| South Africa | R599.99 | $36.29 | 21% more |
| Germany | 34,99 € | $39.21 | 31% more |
| United Kingdom | £29.99 | $39.65 | 32% more |
| Brazil | R$ 199,90 | $39.94 | 33% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: macOS and iOS
Day-per-page planner for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, notes, daily notes, tasks, time blocking, calendar, habit tracking.
Apple and nothing else: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, tied into Apple Calendar, Reminders, Health and Shortcuts.
- Daily page
- Tasks, calendar events, reminders, habits, weather and journal entries share one page per day, in two designs with a layout editor and saved presets.
- Timeline time blocking
- Drag untimed tasks onto an hourly grid as tentative blocks, resize or move them, then tap Accept to write the times into the tasks. Free time collapses into bands.
- Apple Calendar and Reminders
- Events and reminders appear in the day and can be managed from either app. A task can be converted into a reminder or an event and back.
- Notes and Markdown folders
- A Notes tab has notebooks, tags and search. A folder of Markdown files, including an Obsidian vault, becomes a notebook, and tasks in those files become Finalist tasks.
- Habits and journal
- Habits repeat automatically with streaks and a yearly heatmap. The journal takes photos and daily goals and reads activity data from Apple Health.
- Capture and Plan My Day
- Capture turns a photo, screenshot or pasted text into dated tasks, and Plan My Day drafts a schedule on the timeline. Both run on Apple's on-device models.
Where it runs
- macOS
- iOS
What it works with
- Apple Calendar
- Apple Reminders
- Apple Health
- Obsidian
- Apple Shortcuts
- Siri
- iCloud
Finalist is made by Diversion Marketing Inc, and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
48/69
Other daily planner apps it is graded above
Finalist's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 48 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 54 of 69) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 6).
Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 7 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 daily planner apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Finalist’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 54 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 6 of 69
- BFeaturesAbove 32 of 69
- BEase of useAbove 37 of 69
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 8 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 57 daily planner apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Finalist is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Finalist you could make: tasks, calendar, time blocking, habit tracking, daily notes and notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 48 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade. It costs $29.99 a year.
What you could make
- Tasks, calendar, time blocking, habit tracking, daily notes and notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Apple Calendar, Apple Reminders and Apple Health among them.
- Hooks into the device itself: an Apple Watch app.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Finalist’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Structured, Tiimo, TimeBloc, Pencil Planner and Pocket Informant
The 5 tools Finalist is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Structured
Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Visual day planner that puts tasks and events on one timeline.
- Structured has a free plan. Finalist does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Structured lists a web app.
- Only Structured lists an Android app.
- 2.4GPA
Tiimo
Free plan · from $7.00
Visual daily planner with an AI co-planner and focus timer.
- Tiimo has a free plan. Finalist does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tiimo lists a web app.
- Only Tiimo lists an Android app.
- 2.2GPA
TimeBloc
Free plan · from $19.99
Time-blocking phone app that shows the day as colored blocks.
- TimeBloc has a free plan. Finalist does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Finalist lists a macOS app.
- Only TimeBloc lists an Android app.
- 2.4GPA
Pencil Planner
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Handwritten planner for iPad and iPhone layered over your calendar.
- Pencil Planner has a free plan. Finalist does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Finalist lists a macOS app.
- Finalist can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.2GPA
Pocket Informant
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
Calendar, tasks, projects and notes in one personal organizer.
- Pocket Informant has a free plan. Finalist does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Pocket Informant lists a web app.
- Only Pocket Informant lists an Android app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Finalist free?
No, Finalist is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free to download with a free trial for new users; the developer suggests a week but states no exact length.
How much does Finalist cost?
Finalist lists 4 plans. Finalist Pro Weekly: $2.99 per week.
What platforms does Finalist work on?
Finalist is available on iOS and macOS.
Does Finalist offer any discounts?
Finalist publicly lists the following: About 50% less on the yearly plan; Lifetime access for $59.99; Apple Family Sharing supported.
How is Finalist rated?
Finalist's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 484 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does Finalist have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Finalist is listed for iOS and macOS.
Does Finalist have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Finalist is listed for iOS and macOS.
Is Finalist open source?
Finalist is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does Finalist integrate with?
Finalist's listing names Apple Calendar, Apple Reminders, Apple Health, Obsidian, Apple Shortcuts, Siri and iCloud.
Who makes Finalist?
Finalist is made by Diversion Marketing Inc. It dates from 2023.
What are the alternatives to Finalist?
The closest alternatives to Finalist in our directory are Structured, Tiimo, TimeBloc, Pencil Planner and Pocket Informant.
How does Finalist compare with other daily planner apps?
Finalist's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 48 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 10.
Is Finalist good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Finalist A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 7 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Finalist?
The plain part of Finalist you could make: tasks, calendar, time blocking, habit tracking, daily notes and notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Finalist’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Finalist's own pages on 6 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-18.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Diversion Marketing Inc. Prices change, so check finalist.works before you buy.
- finalist.works
- finalist.works/about/
- apps.apple.com/us/app/finalist-daily-planner/id6447014685
- finalist.works/4-0/
- finalist.works/4-1/
- finalist.works/finalist-36/
- finalist.works/docs/tour/
- finalist.works/docs/setting-up/
- finalist.works/docs/sync-and-devices/
- finalist.works/docs/habits/
- finalist.works/docs/timeline/
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Finalist, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/finalist
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Finalist: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/finalist
Know someone choosing between daily planner apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/finalist/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded daily planner apps after Finalist, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Daily Planner Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 daily planner apps we grade, compared
- Hero Assistant Insider's GuideDaily assistant app combining calendar, to-dos, habits and notes3.4 GPA
- LiveIt Insider's GuidePersonal organizer joining planner, journal, notes and habits3.4 GPA
- Open Sunsama Insider's GuideSelf-hostable daily planner with time blocking and an MCP server3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Finalist’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Finalist is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Diversion Marketing Inc. Prices and plans change: check finalist.works before you buy.