Pick DormWay if you want a free planner with a native iPhone app and an AI chat over your course files. Pick Secretariat if you want one list that also holds your Outlook, Slack, GroupMe, Notion and Todoist work and puts things on the syllabus day when Canvas has it wrong.
Side by side
| Secretariat | DormWay | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A day-by-day to-do list and calendar built from Canvas, your syllabi, your calendars and the apps you already use. | A free AI student planner that builds a semester timeline from Canvas and uploaded syllabi, with an assistant called Ace that answers questions from your course files. |
| Price | Free plan. Student Pro $8.99 a month, $29.99 a semester or $49.99 a year. | Free for students. The company says pro features are planned; no paid price has been published. |
| Where it runs | Web app in any browser, including on your phone's home screen, plus a Chrome extension. Native iPhone app coming soon. | Web, iPhone and iPad. No Android app. |
| Canvas and other school systems | Canvas, connected in one tap with the Chrome extension. Google Classroom. Moodle, Blackboard and Brightspace by calendar link. | Canvas through a personal access token. Support for other LMSs is listed by directories; how they connect is not confirmed. |
| Reads syllabi | Yes. When the syllabus and Canvas disagree, the to-do lands on the syllabus date, except where that could make you late. | Yes. AI reads an uploaded syllabus for assignments, exam dates and grading weights, with links back to the page. |
DormWay facts checked October 2026 from DormWay blog: best free student planner apps, DormWay on the App Store, DormWay blog: apps that sync with Canvas. Prices change, so check their site before you buy.
Where DormWay is better
- DormWay is free for students today. Secretariat has a free plan, but its full features are on Student Pro at $8.99.
- DormWay has a native iPhone and iPad app. Secretariat runs on the web and in Chrome; its iPhone app is coming soon, and today you add the web app to your Home Screen.
- DormWay's Ace chat answers questions from your syllabi and course files with page citations.
Where Secretariat is better
- When the syllabus and Canvas give the same work different days, Secretariat puts it on the syllabus day and shows you what Canvas says, with a Move option.
- Secretariat pulls in Google Calendar, Outlook, Notion, Todoist, Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do, Slack and GroupMe, and merges the same item from different apps into one to-do.
- Blackboard, Brightspace and Moodle connect with your calendar link, so non-Canvas classes land in the same list.
- Claude can read your list and your Canvas through Secretariat, even on Claude's own free plan.
Which one to pick
Pick DormWay if price is the deciding factor and you want an app from the App Store now.
Pick Secretariat if your work is spread across Canvas and other apps and you want dates that stay right when Canvas is wrong.
Common questions
- Can I use DormWay and Secretariat together?
- Yes. Both read Canvas without changing it, so you can try both on the same classes. Secretariat only reads Canvas and asks before it changes anything on your list.
- Is DormWay free?
- DormWay says it is free for students, and its own blog says pro features are planned. Secretariat is free to start with no card, and new accounts get 14 days of Student Pro free. See pricing.
- Does DormWay read syllabi?
- Yes. DormWay's AI reads an uploaded syllabus. Secretariat reads each class's syllabus too, and when it disagrees with Canvas, the to-do goes on the syllabus day. See syllabus vs Canvas dates.
JoinFree to start, no card. See pricing