reMarkable vs iPad for Planning — Why Most People End Up Using Both
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You've got an iPad.
It does everything. Notes, calendar, email, reading, drawing, video calls.
So why are thousands of iPad users also buying a reMarkable?
It's not because the iPad isn't good enough.
It's because good enough for everything isn't the same as perfect for one thing.
What the iPad Does Better
Let's be honest first.
The iPad wins on:
📱 Versatility — one device for everything 🎨 Color — annotations, highlights, design work 📅 App ecosystem — Notion, Goodnotes, Calendars, everything connects 📸 Camera, video, calls — the iPad is a full computer in your hands 🌐 Internet — research, browsing, watching
If you need one device that does it all, the iPad is the right answer.
What the reMarkable Does Better
The reMarkable wins on exactly one thing — and it wins completely.
Writing and thinking without distraction.
The screen feels like paper. Not almost like paper. Actually like paper.
No notifications. No app switching. No temptation to check Instagram between tasks.
You open it. You write. That's it.
And because it's E Ink — not a backlit screen — your eyes don't get tired the same way after an hour of writing. It's a genuinely different physical experience.
Why They Work Better Together Than Either Does Alone
Here's what most people discover after a few weeks of using both:
The iPad is where you consume and communicate. The reMarkable is where you think and plan.
Meeting prep → reMarkable. Sending the follow-up email → iPad.
Weekly planning session → reMarkable. Checking your calendar → iPad.
Deep reading and annotation → reMarkable. Looking something up → iPad.
The two devices don't compete. They cover different modes of working.
The Practical Reality
Weight and battery The reMarkable weighs 360g and lasts up to 3 weeks on one charge. You stop thinking about it entirely. The iPad needs charging every day and is heavier in a bag.
Eye strain If you already spend hours on screens for work, adding more backlit screen time for planning and reading adds up. The reMarkable's E Ink display is easier on your eyes for extended writing sessions.
Focus This one is hard to quantify until you experience it. Writing on a device that can't do anything else removes a layer of mental friction that you didn't know was there.
Price The reMarkable Paper Pure starts at $399. It's not cheap — but it's a one-time purchase with no subscription required for the core experience.
Who Should Add a reMarkable to Their iPad Workflow
✅ You use your iPad for everything but feel like your thinking and planning gets lost in the noise ✅ You write a lot — meetings, journaling, planning — and want it to feel more intentional ✅ You read long documents and want a better experience than staring at a backlit screen ✅ You've tried planning apps on iPad and they never quite stuck
Who Probably Doesn't Need One
❌ You're happy with how you currently plan and write on iPad ❌ You need color for your workflow — annotations, design, teaching materials ❌ You rarely handwrite anything
Where to Start on reMarkable
If you're adding a reMarkable to your workflow for the first time, the biggest win is having a planning system ready from day one — so the device doesn't sit unused while you figure out what to do with it.
Our hyperlinked PDF planners are built specifically for reMarkable — daily, weekly, monthly, all connected, no subscription.
Disclaimer: This content is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by reMarkable AS. "reMarkable" is a trademark of reMarkable AS, used here solely to indicate compatibility. Templates only — reMarkable device not included.
