Semora vs Shovel: which is right for you?
Semora scans a syllabus into an organized semester (deadlines, grades, and class schedule) with a genuine free tier, while Shovel turns a syllabus or LMS connection into a time-blocked, paid study schedule; the better fit depends on whether you want a lightweight deadline-and-grade tracker or a full automated study-time planner.
Both Semora and Shovel start from the same problem, a syllabus PDF nobody wants to manually transcribe, but they solve it differently downstream. Here's a fact-based look at how they compare on syllabus handling, Canvas sync, grade tracking, study planning, pricing, and platform availability.
What each product does
Semora
Semora turns a photographed, uploaded, or pasted syllabus into an organized semester. You can import it by camera (multi-page, up to 5 pages), PDF upload, drag-and-drop on web, or by pasting raw text copied from a PDF or LMS page. Semora's AI reads the document and extracts the course name, instructor, meeting times, office hours, semester dates, grading scale, and every assignment, exam, quiz, project, and reading along with its due date. From there, Semora tracks deadlines and grades on the free tier, and — on the Pro tier — adds device calendar sync (with .ics export), an adaptive study schedule, academic-risk alerts, flashcards, a focus timer, and an AI tutor that knows your syllabus.
Shovel
Shovel is a study-planning and scheduling app. You either upload a PDF syllabus or connect a school LMS (Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle, or Google Classroom); its Canvas connection uses the same Calendar Feed link Semora uses and syncs every 24 hours. From there, Shovel builds a time-blocked study schedule across the whole semester, weighing available time against estimated time-per-task. Distinct features include "The Cushion™" conflict alerts, reading-time estimates, study streaks, a manual weighted gradebook, and free "how to study" courses.
Semora vs Shovel: feature comparison
| Semora | Shovel | |
|---|---|---|
| Syllabus & deadline handling | Photo (multi-page, up to 5), PDF upload, drag-and-drop, or pasted text — Semora's AI extracts course details and every assignment/exam/quiz/project/reading with due dates. | Upload a PDF syllabus, or connect a school LMS. Shovel's public pages do not say how the PDF is read or whether you review the results before they are saved. |
| Canvas / LMS sync | Canvas, Blackboard and Moodle, free on every plan. Canvas connects through the same Calendar Feed link Shovel uses, and Semora re-checks it every few hours; Moodle uses its calendar link, and Blackboard a token your school issues. There is no Brightspace or Google Classroom import. | Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle, and Google Classroom. Canvas connects through the Canvas Calendar Feed link and syncs every 24 hours. Shovel also connects to Google, Apple, and Outlook calendars. |
| Grade tracking | Included on the free tier, using the weights read from your syllabus; Pro adds trend charts, CSV export, and a print view. | A manual weighted gradebook: you add grades yourself, in percentages or points, and can drop the lowest grade. Grades are not attached to individual tasks. |
| Study planning | Smart Plan builds a study schedule that adapts to deadlines (the next 7 days free, 14 on Pro). Pro adds a Workload dashboard, Focus Timer, and Academic Risk alerts. | Core to the product — a time-blocked schedule from available time vs. estimated time-per-task, plus "The Cushion™" conflict alerts and reading-time estimators. |
| Pricing | Free: one semester, with one AI action for the life of the account (a syllabus scan, a lecture recording, or a document turned into notes), one course you add by hand, and every class you bring in from Canvas, Blackboard or Moodle, which never count toward that limit. Deadline and grade tracking and same-day reminders are included. Pro: $4.99/month or $29.99/year, bought by card on the web or in the iOS app, and it covers your whole account. | Its pricing page lists a 7-day free trial, then $9.79/month (shown against a crossed-out $19.99) or $39/year (marked as a limited-time back-to-school offer). The App Store also lists one-time "Lifetime plan" purchases at $46.99 and $13.99. |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android, and web, one account, near real-time sync. | A web app plus iOS and Android companion apps; both store listings say you set up your account on the web first. |
Semora's full Free and Pro breakdown is on the pricing page.
Cheaper on Pro: Semora Pro is $4.99/month or $29.99/year. Shovel's pricing page lists $9.79/month or $39/year after its 7-day trial, so Semora costs less on both the monthly and the yearly plan.
Syllabus import, in detail
Semora accepts four import paths (camera photo (up to 5 pages per scan), PDF upload, drag-and-drop on web, or pasted raw text copied from a PDF or LMS page) and uses its AI model to extract structured course data: name, instructor, meeting times, office hours, semester dates, grading scale, and every graded item with its due date.
Shovel's homepage advertises PDF syllabus upload ("Set up your semester in seconds") alongside its LMS connections. Its public pages do not say how the PDF is read or whether you review the results before they are saved.
Canvas & LMS sync, in detail
Semora and Shovel connect to Canvas the same way: both read the private Calendar Feed link Canvas gives you, so neither needs an access token or anything from your school. Semora re-checks Canvas every few hours on its own and also imports Blackboard and Moodle; it has no Google Classroom import.
Shovel connects Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle, and Google Classroom, and its help center says it syncs every 24 hours to pick up due-date changes and new assignments. It also connects to Google, Apple, and Outlook calendars.
Grade tracking
Semora includes grade tracking on its free tier, with Pro adding Progress Insights: trend charts, CSV export, and a print view for grade reports on web.
Shovel has a gradebook too. Its help center says you cannot attach a grade to a specific task, but you can track grades by hand: add weighted grade units in percentages or points, and drop the lowest grade. The difference is where the weights come from. Semora reads them from the syllabus when it scans; in Shovel you type them in yourself.
Study planning & Pro features
On Semora, deadline and grade tracking are free; the study-planning layer is part of Pro ($4.99/month or $29.99/year): Smart Plan 14 days ahead (a deadline-adaptive study schedule; free shows the next 7), a Workload dashboard for spotting crunch weeks, Flashcards with spaced repetition built from your own material, a Focus Timer, an AI Tutor that knows your syllabus, custom reminder timing with quiet hours, and Academic Risk alerts (falling grades, missing work, overloaded weeks) with a recovery-step plan.
On Shovel, time-blocked study scheduling is central to the product from the start — calculating available time versus estimated time-per-task across the semester, with predictive conflict alerts ("The Cushion™"), reading-time/task-duration estimators, streak-based motivation tracking, and free supplementary "how to study" courses.
Platform availability & cross-device sync
Semora runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, and web, sharing one account and database; edits sync in near real time. Pro can be bought two ways — by card on the web at app.semoraai.com (processed by Stripe) or in the iOS app through the App Store — and either purchase applies to the whole account, iPhone, iPad, and browser. Web sign-in supports Apple or Google (email/password sign-in works for existing accounts), and includes print/CSV export for grade reports. Browser notifications work while a tab is open, not as full closed-tab push notifications.
Shovel has native iOS and Android apps, but account creation and initial setup happen on the web app first, with mobile positioned as a companion rather than a standalone starting point.
Which one fits your situation?
Semora may fit better if you...
- You want a free plan you can use for a whole semester rather than a 7-day trial.
- You want your grade weights read from the syllabus automatically rather than typed into a gradebook by hand.
- You want to share a course with classmates via Course Spaces, with deadlines and group assignments syncing in real time.
Shovel may fit better if you...
- You want time-blocked scheduling — weighing available time against estimated time-per-task — as the core product, not an add-on.
- Your school uses Brightspace or Google Classroom, which Shovel connects and Semora does not.
- Features like "The Cushion™" conflict alerts, reading-time estimators, or free supplementary study courses matter to you.
Semora launched recently and does not yet have a public rating history to report — we're not going to invent one. Shovel's prices above come from its own pricing page on October 7, 2026. Its yearly price is marked as a limited-time offer, so confirm the amount at checkout.
How this comparison was made
Semora publishes this comparison. It is a desk review of the vendor pages linked below, checked October 7, 2026. Semora's own details are written from the app and corrected when we find an error.
Frequently asked questions
Does Semora sync with Canvas the same way Shovel does?
Yes. Both read the private Calendar Feed link Canvas already gives you, so neither needs an access token or approval from your school. The differences are elsewhere: Shovel also connects Brightspace and Google Classroom and syncs every 24 hours, while Semora also imports Blackboard and re-checks Canvas every few hours. Semora has no Google Classroom import.
Is Semora or Shovel free to use?
Semora has a free plan you can use for a whole semester; its limits are in the table above. Shovel offers a 7-day free trial on both its monthly and yearly plans, then a paid plan, and its Google Play listing says the mobile app requires setup on Shovel's paid desktop app.
Does Semora build a study schedule like Shovel does?
Yes, but a different kind. Semora's Smart Plan lays out study sessions over a rolling 14-day window, works around your class times, and adapts as deadlines move, alongside a Workload dashboard and Academic Risk alerts in Pro. It does not weigh all your available hours across the semester against estimated time-per-task. That is the center of Shovel's product, along with "The Cushion™" conflict alerts, so if time-blocking is what you want most, Shovel is the closer fit.
What does Semora cost compared to Shovel?
Semora Pro is $4.99/month or $29.99/year, bought by card on the web or as a subscription inside the iOS app, and applied account-wide across iPhone, iPad, and browser. Shovel's pricing page lists a 7-day free trial, then $9.79/month or $39/year, with the yearly price marked as a limited-time back-to-school offer. Its App Store listing also shows one-time Lifetime plans at $46.99 and $13.99.
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