Dated vs undated digital planner: which to choose
Both kinds of planner are PDFs with pages for months, weeks and days. The difference is who fills in the dates. This guide compares them so you can pick one without over-thinking it.
Methodhelm editorial teamLast updated: 2 min read
On this page
What a dated planner gives you
The dates are printed and linked. In a dated planner, the weeks and months line up with one year, and a tap on a date can take you straight to that day's page. If you want a calendar that is already correct and a quick way to jump, this is the easier start.
The cost is the year. A dated planner covers one year, so you buy or download a new one for the next.
What an undated planner gives you
The pages have no dates printed. You write the date or the month yourself. Because nothing is tied to a year, you can start in any month, skip a week, and reuse the same file after the year ends.
The cost is a little work each time: you fill in the dates, and the links do not take you to a specific calendar day.
How to choose
- If you start a planner every January and like a ready-made calendar, choose dated
If you start a planner every January and like a ready-made calendar, choose dated.
- If you start whenever you feel ready, or often skip weeks, choose undated
If you start whenever you feel ready, or often skip weeks, choose undated.
- If you cannot decide, pick the one that matches your calmer weeks, not your best ones
If you cannot decide, pick the one that matches your calmer weeks, not your best ones.
A note on our own file
Our digital planner includes an undated edition with the same purchase; each edition is its own PDF. The undated one has 6 rows of 7 boxes for each month and 31 day pages per month, so any month fits, including a leap-year February.
GoodNotes is a trademark of GoodNotes Limited, and nothing here is sponsored or approved by them.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from undated to dated later?
Yes. Each edition is its own PDF, so you can keep both in GoodNotes, as long as your plan has room for the extra file. GoodNotes' unpaid plan allows up to 3 files in total, so check before you add a second one.
Does an undated planner have fewer links?
It has links between pages, such as month to day, but they do not point to a particular calendar date because none is printed.
Which is better for a new year?
Dated gives you a calendar from the first day. Undated is better if you will begin mid-year.
Related guides
How to use a digital planner on iPad: your first weekSpend the first day getting the file in and finding your way around, plan one week on day two, and keep the daily habit to a minute. That is enough to know if a digital planner suits you.
Digital planner vs paper planner: an honest comparisonA digital planner is easier to move and search; paper is faster to open and has no notifications. Neither wins for everyone, so the best test is which one you open on a busy Tuesday.
A planner with page links built in, made for GoodNotes
Year, month, week and day pages, notes and projects, with tabs and dates you tap to jump. Each file is under 3 MB. Check that GoodNotes still lets you add a file before you buy.