NotePlan review 2026: how this Markdown notes, tasks, and calendar app works, pricing plans, and how it compares to Notion, Obsidian, and Todoist.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated July 19, 2026
NotePlan was created in 2016 by Berlin-based developer Eduard Metzger to combine note-taking, task management, and calendar planning into one Markdown-based app for Apple devices. Rather than organizing notes into folders, NotePlan centers everything around daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly notes tied to the calendar.
The app stores all content as local, plain-text Markdown files, giving users full ownership of their data and the ability to edit notes in other Markdown editors if desired, while still offering iCloud sync across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices.
Tasks are written inline within any note using Markdown checkbox syntax and can then be scheduled to specific calendar days, dragged between dates, or referenced across multiple notes. NotePlan syncs with the native Apple Calendar and Reminders apps, so time-blocked tasks and events appear alongside externally scheduled meetings.
Power users can extend NotePlan with templates for recurring note structures, backlinks and tags for connecting related notes, and a plugin and scripting system for automating repetitive workflows, giving it flexibility closer to Obsidian than to simpler calendar or to-do apps.
NotePlan is subscription-based with a Personal plan and a Business plan, both offering a 7-day free trial before billing begins. A subscription unlocks full functionality across all of a user's Apple devices.
There is no permanent free tier; access to core features requires an active subscription after the trial period ends.
NotePlan is available for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS; there is no native Windows, Android, or web version.
NotePlan offers a 7-day free trial, but ongoing use requires a Personal or Business subscription.
Notes are stored as local, plain-text Markdown files on the device, with optional iCloud sync across a user's Apple devices.
Yes, NotePlan integrates with the native Apple Calendar and Reminders apps so scheduled tasks and events appear together.
NotePlan was created in 2016 by Berlin-based developer Eduard Metzger.
NotePlan organizes notes and tasks around the calendar as the primary structure, whereas Notion uses databases and pages and Obsidian uses a folder-based note graph.
Yes, tasks can be created and scheduled without heavy note-taking, but NotePlan is designed to combine both in one workspace.