The Shovel Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Shovel 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.
Shovel
The Insider’s Guide
Study planner that checks if you have time for every task
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among daily planner apps, read from Shovel’s own pages.
Made by How To Study Smart, LLC · checked Oct 9, 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 Shovel’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Shovel’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 35 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade
Shovel is a study planner for students that works out how much study time a schedule really leaves and compares it with the time each task needs. Tasks come from a PDF syllabus or a synced school platform, and students then block out when they will work on each one. A measure the vendor calls the Cushion shows, task by task, whether there is enough time before the deadline. Shovel runs as a web app with companion phone apps and is sold by subscription after a 7-day free trial.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Shovel, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Shovel also says not to use the mobile app on tablets.
- 1
Best for students checking they have time to study
Shovel is a study planner that does the sums: feed it your syllabus, block out classes, meals and personal time, and it shows task by task whether there's time left before each deadline.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.25 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $39 per year ($3.25 per month), or $9.79 billed monthly.
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial on both the monthly and yearly plans. Billing starts after the trial unless it is cancelled.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 35 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 Shovel you could make: time blocking, tasks and calendar. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Shovel at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $39 per year ($3.25 per month), or $9.79 billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial on both the monthly and yearly plans. Billing starts after the trial unless it is cancelled.
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- How To Study Smart, LLC
- Category
- Daily Planner Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for students checking they have time to study
Shovel is a study planner that does the sums: feed it your syllabus, block out classes, meals and personal time, and it shows task by task whether there's time left before each deadline. It's $39 a year on what the page calls a limited-time offer. There's no free plan, the 7-day trial bills by itself unless you cancel, and the phone apps need the web app set up first.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $39 a year is $3.25 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of this category, and it's full access. Two things to know: the pricing page calls that a limited-time back-to-school offer with no end date, and month to month it's $9.79. |
| Free plan and trial | D | No free plan. Both plans come with a 7-day free trial, but billing starts when it ends unless you cancel first, so your card goes in before you've tried it. Set a reminder for day six. |
| Features | A | It does what no other tool here lists: it turns a PDF syllabus into tasks, syncs live with Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Google Classroom, has you slot each task into study blocks, then the Cushion shows task by task whether you have the hours before each deadline. Reading-time estimates and a timer too. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and the setting up is the work: your account has to be made in the web app first, then classes, activities, meals and personal time blocked out before the sums mean anything. Shovel also says not to use the mobile app on tablets. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web plus iPhone and Android, with four school platforms and Google, Apple and Outlook calendars connected. But the phone apps are companions to the web app, on a computer it installs from the browser rather than as a native program, and tablets are off the list. |
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 Shovel is for
- Fits if you're a college student with a semester of readings, assignments and exams to fit in
- Works for schools on Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Google Classroom
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're not a student, because it's all built around courses and deadlines
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as it's subscription only and the 7-day trial bills unless you cancel
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $9.79 a month against $39 for the year, and the $39 is a limited-time offer with no end date
- Watch out: the account is made in the web app first, the phone app isn't for tablets, and computers get a browser install
- Watch out: the App Store lists $13.99 and $46.99 lifetime plans that the website's pricing page never mentions
Good to know
Good for
- 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
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.25
A month to start, paid by the year
Shovel is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $39 per year ($3.25 per month), or $9.79 billed monthly.
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.
Trying it first
7-day free trial on both the monthly and yearly plans. Billing starts after the trial unless it is cancelled.
Read from shovelapp.io on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on shovelapp.io
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Lifetime plan”, against $46.99 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 | ₱ 899.00 | $14.31 | 70% less |
| India | ₹ 1,499 | $15.50 | 67% less |
| Turkey | ₺799,99 | $16.27 | 65% less |
| Mexico | $299.00 | $16.43 | 65% less |
| Canada | $59.99 | $42.17 | 10% less |
| Australia | $69.99 | $48.86 | about the same |
| Germany | 49,99 € | $56.02 | 19% more |
| United Kingdom | £49.99 | $66.09 | 41% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Study planner that checks if you have time for every task. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, tasks, time blocking, calendar.
Web plus iPhone and Android, with four school platforms and Google, Apple and Outlook calendars connected.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Canvas
- Brightspace
- Moodle
- Google Classroom
- Google Calendar
- Apple Calendar
- Outlook
Shovel is made by How To Study Smart, LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
35/69
Other daily planner apps it is graded above
Shovel's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on features (A, above 65 of 69) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $3.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 13 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 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. Shovel’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 37 of 69
- DFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 69
- AFeaturesAbove 65 of 69
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 69
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 25 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. Shovel 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 Shovel you could make: time blocking, tasks and calendar. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $39 a year.
What you could make
- Time blocking, tasks and calendar: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Canvas, Brightspace and Moodle among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Shovel’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
MyStudyLife, Power Planner, School Assistant, FlowSavvy and Motion
The 5 tools Shovel is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
MyStudyLife
Free plan · from $6.99/mo
Student planner for classes, homework, exams and grades.
- MyStudyLife has a free plan. Shovel does not, though it has a free trial.
- Shovel also covers time blocking.
- MyStudyLife also covers Pomodoro timer.
- 3.2GPA
Power Planner
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
Homework planner with class schedules and GPA calculation.
- Power Planner has a free plan. Shovel does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Power Planner lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Power Planner can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.2GPA
School Assistant
Free
Free school planner for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
- School Assistant has a free plan. Shovel does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Shovel lists a web app.
- Only Shovel lists an Android app.
- 2.6GPA
FlowSavvy
Free plan · from $10/mo
Calendar that auto-schedules tasks and replans when things change.
- FlowSavvy has a free plan. Shovel does not, though it has a free trial.
- FlowSavvy also covers auto-scheduling.
- 2.4GPA
Motion
Free trial · from $19/mo
AI work planner that auto-schedules tasks on your calendar.
- Only Motion lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Shovel also covers time blocking.
- Motion also covers meeting notes, auto-scheduling and booking links.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Shovel free?
No, Shovel is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial on both the monthly and yearly plans.
How much does Shovel cost?
Shovel lists 2 plans. Yearly: $39 per year, shown as $3.25 per month paid yearly.
What platforms does Shovel work on?
Shovel is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Shovel offer any discounts?
Shovel publicly lists the following: About 67% less on the yearly plan.
Does Shovel have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Shovel is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Shovel have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Shovel is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Shovel open source?
Shovel is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Shovel integrate with?
Shovel's listing names Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle, Google Classroom, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook.
Who makes Shovel?
Shovel is made by How To Study Smart, LLC.
What are the alternatives to Shovel?
The closest alternatives to Shovel in our directory are MyStudyLife, Power Planner, School Assistant, FlowSavvy and Motion.
How does Shovel compare with other daily planner apps?
Shovel's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 12.
Is Shovel good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Shovel B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 13 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Shovel?
The plain part of Shovel you could make: time blocking, tasks and calendar.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Shovel’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Shovel's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-29.
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 How To Study Smart, LLC. Prices change, so check shovelapp.io before you buy.
- shovelapp.io/
- shovelapp.io/pricing/
- shovelapp.io/about/
- shovelapp.io/full-demo/
- courses.shovelapp.io/courses/how-to-use-shovel-knowledge-base/
- courses.shovelapp.io/lessons/how-to-sync-school-platforms-with-shovel/
- courses.shovelapp.io/lessons/pdf-syllabus-upload/
- courses.shovelapp.io/lessons/the-cushion-procrastination-curve/
- courses.shovelapp.io/lessons/phones-how-to-install-shovel-on-your-phone/
- courses.shovelapp.io/lessons/computers-how-to-install-shovel-on-your-computer/
- courses.shovelapp.io/lessons/tablets-how-to-install-shovel-on-tablets/
- courses.shovelapp.io/lessons/cancel-pause-subscription/
- apps.apple.com/us/app/shovel-study-planner/id1467742357
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.howtostudyincollege.shovel&hl=en_US&gl=US
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
- Shovel, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/shovel
- 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, "Shovel: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/shovel
Know someone choosing between daily planner apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/shovel/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded daily planner apps after Shovel, 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 Shovel’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. Shovel is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by How To Study Smart, LLC. Prices and plans change: check shovelapp.io before you buy.