DormWay is a free student planner that connects Canvas with a personal access token, reads uploaded syllabi with AI and has an assistant called Ace that answers from your course files. It does a lot for no money. Students still look elsewhere for a few reasons. DormWay's own blog says it has no Android app. On its App Store listings, which have only a handful of ratings, reviewers report Canvas and Google Calendar linking that failed, classes showing up twice and slow loading. Its blog also says pro features are planned, so free isn't promised forever. Here are other options and what each is good at.
Secretariat
Connects Canvas in one tap with the Chrome extension, reads each class's syllabus, and when the syllabus and Canvas disagree it puts the work on the syllabus day and shows you what Canvas says. It also pulls Google Calendar, Outlook, Notion, Todoist, Slack and GroupMe into the same list.
Good for: One list from Canvas, syllabi and your other apps. Learn more
Semora
Has apps for iPhone, Android and Apple Watch plus a web app. Its free plan syncs Canvas, Blackboard and Moodle through the private calendar feed link, and it can scan a syllabus with AI.
Good for: Android users who want Canvas sync. Price: Free plan with LMS sync and 1 AI action in total. Pro is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year. (checked October 2026). Visit Semora
Shovel
Syncs with Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle and Google Classroom and reads a syllabus from a PDF upload. Its Cushion compares the hours your work needs against the free hours you have before each deadline.
Good for: Budgeting study hours. Price: No free plan. 7-day free trial, then a monthly or yearly subscription. Exact current price not confirmed (sources disagree). (checked October 2026). Visit Shovel
Coursicle
Best known for registration seat alerts, it also has an assignment planner that syncs with Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace and Moodle. It has iPhone, Android and web apps.
Good for: Class registration plus a simple planner. Price: Free for limited use. Unlimited use is a paid upgrade, or free if you refer 3 friends. Exact current price not confirmed. (checked October 2026). Visit Coursicle
Google Calendar with the Canvas feed
Free. Copy your Canvas calendar feed link into Google Calendar and dated assignments show up as events. It shows only items with a due date and can't check anything off.
Good for: A free, no-new-app setup. Price: Free. (checked October 2026). Visit Google Calendar with the Canvas feed
Common questions
- Is there a free alternative to DormWay?
- Yes. Secretariat has a free plan with the list, your calendar and Canvas free for good. Semora has a free plan with Canvas sync, and subscribing to your Canvas calendar feed in Google Calendar costs nothing.
- Is there a DormWay alternative for Android?
- Semora, Shovel and Coursicle all list Android apps. Secretariat runs in the browser and as a Chrome extension, with no native Android app.
- What does Secretariat do when Canvas and the syllabus disagree?
- The to-do goes on the syllabus day and shows what Canvas has, with a Move option. To make sure it never makes you late, Canvas wins when the syllabus date is one day later, and Canvas stands when the two are more than three weeks apart. See syllabus vs Canvas dates.