Grow in Holiness vs. The Saintmaker: Which Catholic Planner Is Right for You?

Grow in Holiness vs. The Saintmaker: Which Catholic Planner Is Right for You?

If you've been researching Catholic planners, there's a good chance The Saintmaker has come up in your search. It's a well known name in the space, now published by Sophia Institute Press, and today it's an undated, generic three month planner built around the liturgical calendar. It's a solid option for a lot of Catholics.

But it's not the only option, and it's not the right fit for everyone. If you're comparing planners before you buy, here's an honest look at how our Grow in Holiness: Catholic Life Planner stacks up, so you can figure out which one actually fits how you want to plan.

The Saintmaker, at a Glance

The Saintmaker is a physical, bound planner with a few standout features:

• Undated, so you can start any time rather than waiting for a specific quarter or year
• A generic three month format, published by Sophia Institute Press
• Built around the liturgical calendar and seasonal goal setting
• A finished, ready to use physical product

It's designed as a polished, all in one physical planner you pick up and start using right away, without needing to print or set anything up yourself.

Grow in Holiness, at a Glance

Grow in Holiness takes a similar three month approach, with a few different tradeoffs:

• A digital PDF planner, available by quarter (for example, Q4 2026 covers October through December)
• Print it at home, take it to a print shop, or use it digitally on a tablet, your choice
• A coil bound, ready made option is launching soon, for anyone who wants the physical, no setup version
• Built around the liturgical calendar and seasons
• Priced well under most physical, bound planner alternatives
• A free one month version is available in the store, so you can try the layout before committing to a full quarter

Instead of one fixed format, Grow in Holiness is built to flex with how you like to plan: print your own copy, use it digitally, or (soon) grab the coil bound version if you'd rather skip the printing altogether.

Where They're Genuinely Different

Format: Both are now three month planners built around the liturgical calendar, which makes them easier to compare directly than they used to be. The Saintmaker arrives as a finished physical book. Grow in Holiness currently comes as a printable PDF, with a coil bound, ready to use option coming soon for anyone who wants that same grab and go experience.

Price: Because Grow in Holiness is a digital product, it's a lower cost way to try planning around the liturgical calendar. And with a free one month version in the store, you can test the format at no cost at all before deciding whether to buy a full quarter.

Trying before you commit: The Saintmaker asks you to commit to the physical planner up front. Grow in Holiness lets you start with the free one month version, move up to a paid quarter if it's working for you, and soon, choose between printing it yourself or ordering the coil bound version, all without having to commit to a full year at once.

Physical feel: If what you want today is a finished, bound planner you can pick up and start using immediately, The Saintmaker's physical format delivers that right now. If you'd rather try the layout for free first, or want the flexibility to print at home in the meantime, Grow in Holiness is built for that, with a bound option arriving soon too.

Which One Should You Choose?

Neither is a wrong choice, they're just built for different planning styles right now.

• Choose The Saintmaker if you want a finished, physical planner you can start using today, with no printing or setup involved.
• Choose Grow in Holiness if you want to try a liturgically structured planner for free first, prefer the flexibility of printing at home or planning digitally, or you'd rather wait a few weeks for a coil bound version instead of paying full price for one now.

Try a Month for Free

The easiest way to know if a liturgically structured planner works for you is to actually try one, without spending anything first. Grab the free one month version of Grow in Holiness in the store, and if it fits how you plan, move up to a full quarter, digital or, soon, coil bound.

Ready to give it a try? Get your free month of Grow in Holiness and see how planning around the liturgical year fits your family.