The Parchment Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Parchment 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.
Parchment
The Insider’s Guide
Daily page joining Apple Calendar, Reminders and a dated note
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among daily planner apps, read from Parchment’s own pages.
Made by Christopher Lawley · 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 Parchment’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Parchment’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
2.2
GPA, above 8 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade
Parchment is a daily planner for iPhone, iPad and Mac that shows the day's Apple Calendar events and Apple Reminders above a note for that date. It keeps no task list or calendar of its own: changes made in Parchment apply to the same items in Apple's apps. Notes can be typed with Markdown or handwritten with Apple Pencil on iPad, and they stay on the device and in the user's private iCloud. It is sold as a one-time purchase.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Parchment, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for a daily page over Apple Calendar and Reminders
Parchment puts today's Apple Calendar events and Reminders on one page, with a note for the day underneath, and keeps no list of its own.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $4.99 one-time purchase.
- 3
It runs on 2 platforms
iOS and macOS.
- 4
One page per day
Calendar events and due or overdue reminders appear above the daily note for that date, so the agenda and the writing share one view.
- 5
Apple Reminders and Calendar data
Tasks are Apple Reminders and events come from the system calendar. Completing a task or updating an event in Parchment changes it in Apple's apps too.
- 6
Natural-language entry
The agenda's plus button accepts phrases such as "Lunch tomorrow at noon" for an event or "task Submit invoice Friday at 5pm" for a reminder.
- 7
A 2.2 GPA, above 8 of 69
That is against the other daily planner apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
The plain part of Parchment you could make: calendar, tasks, daily notes, notes, Markdown and natural-language input. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Parchment at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $4.99 one-time purchase
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS
- Made by
- Christopher Lawley, since 2026
- Category
- Daily Planner Apps
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a daily page over Apple Calendar and Reminders
Parchment puts today's Apple Calendar events and Reminders on one page, with a note for the day underneath, and keeps no list of its own. It's $4.99 once for iPhone, iPad and Mac. There's no free version or trial, it's Apple only by design, and Google or Exchange calendars show up only after you add them in Apple Calendar.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $4.99, once, covering iPhone, iPad and Mac, with Family Sharing stretching it to six people. A year of this category's middle subscription is about $72, so this costs under a tenth of that, and there's no subscription to cancel. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing is free. There's no free version and no trial listed, so the $4.99 comes before you ever see your own day in it. |
| Features | C | It does its one thing completely: a dated page with your events, due reminders and a note, plain-words entry like "Lunch tomorrow at noon", Apple Pencil handwriting on iPad, one search across the lot and version history. But that's a far smaller job than a planner, with no task list or calendar of its own. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, but there's nothing at all to set up: it shows the Reminders and Calendar you already have, so there's no account to make and nothing to move over. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Apple only, and it'll stay that way: iPhone, iPad and Mac built on Apple Calendar, Reminders, iCloud, Shortcuts and Siri, and the maker says it can't support Android or Windows because it depends on those services. |
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 Parchment is for
- Fits if your events live in Apple Calendar and your tasks in Apple Reminders
- Works for keeping a dated note or work log under the day's agenda
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Android or Windows, as the maker says it can't support them
- Not for you if you want to try before you buy, since there's no free version or trial listed
- Too light for anyone who wants a planner with its own task list, because everything lives in Reminders and Calendar
- Watch out: Google or Exchange calendars appear only once they're set up in Apple Calendar
- Skip it if your notes live in Apple Notes or Obsidian, as it connects to neither and only exports
Good to know
Good for
- People who keep events in Apple Calendar and tasks in Apple Reminders
- Keeping a dated daily note or work log beside the day's agenda
- Buyers who want to pay once: $4.99 covers iPhone, iPad and Mac
Worth knowing
- Apple platforms only: the vendor says it cannot support Android or Windows because it depends on Apple Reminders, Calendar and iCloud.
- There is no free version or trial listed; the app is a $4.99 paid download.
- Google or Exchange calendars appear only once the account is set up in Apple Calendar; Parchment does not manage accounts itself.
- The vendor says it does not integrate with Apple Notes or Obsidian; notes leave the app through export.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.99 one-time
To start
Parchment is a paid product, starting at $4.99 one-time purchase.
Parchment
$4.99
one-time purchase
A single purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac, with Family Sharing for up to six people. The vendor says there is no subscription.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
Family Sharing for up to six people
The vendor's site says the one-time purchase can be shared with up to six people through Apple Family Sharing.
Stated on parchmentagenda.app
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $4.99 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | ₱ 299.00 | $4.76 | about the same |
| Canada | $6.99 | $4.91 | about the same |
| Turkey | ₺249,99 | $5.08 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 499 | $5.16 | about the same |
| Brazil | R$ 29,90 | $5.97 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R99.99 | $6.05 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £4.99 | $6.60 | 32% more |
| Germany | 5,99 € | $6.71 | 35% 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
Daily page joining Apple Calendar, Reminders and a dated note. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, notes, Markdown, daily notes, tasks, natural-language input, calendar.
But that's a far smaller job than a planner, with no task list or calendar of its own.
- One page per day
- Calendar events and due or overdue reminders appear above the daily note for that date, so the agenda and the writing share one view.
- Apple Reminders and Calendar data
- Tasks are Apple Reminders and events come from the system calendar. Completing a task or updating an event in Parchment changes it in Apple's apps too.
- Natural-language entry
- The agenda's plus button accepts phrases such as "Lunch tomorrow at noon" for an event or "task Submit invoice Friday at 5pm" for a reminder.
- Typed and handwritten notes
- Daily notes take Markdown headings and lists. On iPad a note can switch to handwriting with Apple Pencil, and those pages stay visible on iPhone and Mac.
- Search and version history
- One search covers typed notes, recognized handwriting, events and reminders. Each daily note keeps saved versions that can be restored.
- Widgets, Shortcuts and export
- Home and Lock Screen widgets show the agenda, Shortcuts actions add text or open a date, and the journal exports as TXT, PDF or a Markdown Text Bundle.
Where it runs
- macOS
- iOS
What it works with
- Apple Calendar
- Apple Reminders
- iCloud
- Apple Shortcuts
- Siri
Parchment is made by Christopher Lawley, and has been around since 2026.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/69
Other daily planner apps it is graded above
Parchment's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 8 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 54 of 69) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 daily planner apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Parchment’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 54 of 69
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 69
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 69
- BEase of useAbove 37 of 69
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 8 of 69
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 Parchment you could make: calendar, tasks, daily notes, notes, Markdown and natural-language input. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 53 of the 69 other daily planner apps grade higher. It costs $4.99, paid once.
What you could make
- Calendar, tasks, daily notes, notes, Markdown and natural-language input: 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 iCloud among them.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets, Shortcuts, the lock screen and Apple Pencil.
What this rests on. Parchment’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
Finalist, Pencil Planner, Pocket Informant and Structured
The 4 tools Parchment is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Finalist
Free trial · from $4.99/mo
Day-per-page planner for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
- Parchment also covers Markdown and natural-language input.
- Finalist also covers time blocking and habit tracking.
- 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. Parchment does not.
- Only Parchment lists a macOS app.
- Parchment 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. Parchment does not.
- Only Pocket Informant lists a web app.
- Only Pocket Informant lists an Android app.
- 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. Parchment does not.
- Only Structured lists a web app.
- Only Structured lists an Android app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 Parchment free?
No. Parchment is a paid product, starting at $4.99 one-time purchase.
How much does Parchment cost?
Parchment lists one plan. Parchment: $4.99 one-time purchase.
What platforms does Parchment work on?
Parchment is available on iOS and macOS.
Does Parchment offer any discounts?
Parchment publicly lists the following: Family Sharing for up to six people.
Does Parchment have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Parchment is listed for iOS and macOS.
Does Parchment have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Parchment is listed for iOS and macOS.
Is Parchment open source?
Parchment is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does Parchment integrate with?
Parchment's listing names Apple Calendar, Apple Reminders, iCloud, Apple Shortcuts and Siri.
Who makes Parchment?
Parchment is made by Christopher Lawley. It dates from 2026.
What are the alternatives to Parchment?
The closest alternatives to Parchment in our directory are Finalist, Pencil Planner, Pocket Informant and Structured.
How does Parchment compare with other daily planner apps?
Parchment's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 8 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 8.
Could I make my own version of Parchment?
The plain part of Parchment you could make: calendar, tasks, daily notes, notes, Markdown and natural-language input.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Parchment’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 Parchment's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-29.
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 Christopher Lawley. Prices change, so check parchmentagenda.app before you buy.
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
- Parchment, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/parchment
- 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, "Parchment: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/parchment
Know someone choosing between daily planner apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/parchment/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded daily planner apps after Parchment, 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 Parchment’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. Parchment is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Christopher Lawley. Prices and plans change: check parchmentagenda.app before you buy.