The Happy Planner vs. Erin Condren LifePlanner

It’s hard to choose which planner cult to join sometimes. Followers of The Happy Planner are devout and committed, but lovers of Erin Condren’s LifePlanner are sworn in with blood. Just kidding, chill. In all seriousness, the users of these two planners really do love them. So how do you choose? Here’s a thorough comparison to help you make your decision.

The Layout

When you set these planners side by side, you notice right away that the weekly layouts are nearly identical. They both have a vertical weekly layout organized into morning, afternoon, and evening with a vertical notes column. The main difference between these is the short-lined spaces below the daily columns in the LifePlanner. There isn’t that space below the daily columns in The Happy Planner. Instead, there’s a slim design or quote element below the daily columns. (It must be noted that there are three layouts to choose from Erin Condren though.)

The Weekly Layout

The monthly calendars are also laid out in the same way. However, The Happy Planner comes with an extra page for planning each month. Here you can write down things you want to read, do, and accomplish in the month to come. It’s a wonderful space for goal-setting each month. In the LifePlanner, each month has two pages—one lined and one blank—where you can also plan and set goals. In this space, there’s a little bit more freedom to do this in whatever manner you want.

Goal Setting Pages

All of this is spread out in relatively the same amount of space. The LifePlanner measures 7×9, and The Happy Planner measures 7.75×9.75.

The Design

The Happy Planner is so-called for a good reason. And the Erin Condren LifePlanner is just as festive in daily use as it is on the website. Both of the planners are brightly decorated from the first page to the very last. There’s nothing as fun and energizing as these rainbow-inspired planners. The differences come in the execution.

Erin Condren’s LifePlanner comes in two options: colorful and neutral. The colorful option has a wide array of colors, everything from red to turquoise to orange, and the quotes and graphic design elements they’ve become known for. The neutral option is straight black and white with muted touches of blues and purples in subtle places throughout the planner.  On top of this, LifePlanners come in a ton of cover options, and most of them are interchangeable, so you have a lot of options and control.

Neutral vs. Color | Images via ErinCondren

The Happy Planner, in comparison, has a handful of different color scheme options. Each one is colorful, but they’re always themed to match the cover and create a certain vibe. Some are softer with different shades of blue and pink, while others are punchy with bright orange, lime green, and hot pink. You can’t choose the cover and color scheme separately with Happy Planners, but you do have more options for the inside.

The Customization

A major reason people love the LifePlanner so much is the fact you can customize it. There are several features to be tweaked and personalized so it becomes the perfect planner for you. You can choose to add photos, names, and monograms to the covers, choose the inside color scheme, select between three weekly layouts (two vertical, one horizontal) and three coil colors, and even add in extra sticker sheets.

The Extras

There are some big differences when it comes to the extra features of these two planners. Most notable are the notes pages that are present in the LifePlanner and not in The Happy Planner. There are tons of notes pages throughout the LifePlanner. You’ll find them before each month, at the beginning of the planner, and a whole section at the end of the planner. You have lined, blank, and grid pages to jot things down or brainstorm or doodle on.

The Notes Pages

The Happy Planner only has one page for notes at the very back of the planner. If you like having this kind of space to write things down, The Happy Planner won’t provide you with that (although you can buy extra). However, this means it’s lighter to carry around.

In addition to notes pages, the LifePlanner has stickers and extra planning pages included for the months and year to come. Unfortunately, this isn’t included in The Happy Planner, but you can purchase stickers and add them in.

The Price

The cost is always a big deal when you choose a planner. You want to get high quality, but you also don’t want to pay a boatload for it. The Erin Condren LifePlanner starts at $60.50 for the most basic options, which include the silver coil, one interchangeable cover of your choice (you can still customize it with your name and change the colors), and the layout and color scheme you want.

The classic Happy Planner costs $53.44, and since there’s no customization involved it doesn’t go up in price. Of course, both of these companies sell accessories to accompany their planners, so the price can increase if you choose to buy some.

If price is a major concern of yours, save yourself a few bucks and purchase The Happy Planner. It’s high quality and has all of the basic features you truly need. On the other hand, if you want more design control, notes pages, and other features, then the $60.50 minimum for a LifePlanner will be worth it to you.

In all honesty, you can’t go wrong with either of these planners. They’re both functional, beautiful, and motivational. Just consider what your exact needs are and choose accordingly.

Follow Terra on Instagram: @terrabrown3

Updated May 25, 2023.