While some people may prefer a more traditional paper-and-pencil approach, others find that using a daily planner app can help them better track their commitments.
The proper planning process can make accomplishing goals, focus, and productivity much easier to achieve. However, that brings with it its own set of decisions that one must take at the planning stage.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the best planner apps available on the market, helping you find the one that best fits your needs.
What Are The Best Planner Apps?
The following are the top nine planning apps to consider.
1. Nifty
Best Overall Planner App.
Nifty is the best planner app for individuals because it’s simple and easy to use. This app offers a straightforward way to manage your tasks and projects.
Built for every type of team that works together, from small businesses to enterprise companies, it empowers people to get work done quickly and efficiently.
Using real-time reporting and automated workflows that keep everyone on the same page, it’s no wonder that Nifty has been lauded as one of the best project management software apps.
Key Features:
- Nifty’s built-in discussions helps team members communicate and collaborate on projects.
- Milestones (Gantt Chart) lets you track and visualize the progress of your tasks beautifully.
- Tasks help you keep track of all the tasks (including daily tasks) assigned to you and your team members using Kanban, List, Timeline, and Calendar views.
- Docs & Files allow you to upload and share project-related files with your team.
- The time tracking module allows you to track time spent on each task and project.
- Reporting module gives you insights into how your projects are progressing.
- Project portfolios let you group projects together for easy management.
Pricing:
Nifty offers a generous free forever plan with unlimited users and tasks; with paid plans starting at just $5/month.
✨ Get started with Nifty for Free
2. Any.do.
Best For AI Planning.
Any.do takes one’s busy life and turns it into a to-do list that is manageable and doable. It’s an AI-powered planner that helps you get your life back on track by giving you the power to plan each day with ease.
The ability to seamlessly sync across all your devices along with the option to share your lists with others makes Any.do a great choice for those who need a little help getting organized.
Keep track of your progress by adding smart reminders that notify you when it’s time to start working on a task.
It also features beautiful themes to make your lists more visually appealing.
Key Features:
- Search tasks on the web app to ensure you’re always on top of your to-do list.
- Review your completed tasks to see how much progress you’ve made.
- Set the right moment to get reminders about what tasks need to be completed before bedtime.
- Email tasks directly to your Any.do list, so you never forget to add them.
- Any.do has one of the best planner app android.
3. Google Calendar.
Best Free Planning App.
Google Calendar is an excellent choice for those who need a planner that integrates well with their other Google apps.
This personal planner app makes it easy to see your upcoming events and tasks in one place and get insights into how your time is being spent.
You can also use Google Calendar to set goals and track your progress over time.
The ability to schedule recurring events and tasks makes this app an excellent choice for those who need to stay on top of their commitments.
You can also add images and maps to your events to make them more visually appealing.
In addition, integration with Gmail allows features such as flights, hotels, concerts, restaurants, and more to be added to your calendar automatically.
Key Features:
- Various views let you see your upcoming events and tasks in one place.
- The ‘Schedule Meeting Rooms’ feature allows you to find and book meeting rooms quickly.
- The simplified appointment slots tool makes it easy to schedule appointments with others.
- Let your coworkers know when you’ll be offline so that they can plan accordingly.
- Allows you to create and set your daily tasks.
- See various events with a year view to get a birds-eye view of various commitments.
4. My Study Life.
Best For Students.
My Study Life helps ensure students never forget an assignment or event again. It’s an excellent choice for those who need to stay on top of their studies and have to juggle multiple commitments.
The ability to track all your classes, tasks, and exams in one place makes My Study Life an excellent personal planner app for busy students.
You can also organize your academic life with the help of the built-in calendar so you can make the most of your time.
With support for rotation timetables, you can also ensure that you’re always prepared for your next class.
Key Features:
- Scheduling all your classes, tasks, and exams in one place means you’ll never miss anything again in the future.
- The built-in calendar lets you see all your upcoming events at a glance and plan your time more effectively.
- With support for rotation timetables, you can track when each class is scheduled – even if these don’t happen on a set timeline.
5. Friday.
Best For Better Time Allocation.
Want to finish your work week (and every day) on a high note? Friday is the perfect daily planner app for those needing extra motivation to get things done.
With a single focus point for each day, you can easily see what needs to be done and get it done with Friday’s help.
This daily planner app also allows you to share your lists with others so they can help you stay on track.
Connect your calendar and task list to Friday so you can see everything coming and better allocate your time.
Key Features:
- Stay focused and block distractions to help you stay on task.
- Integrate your favorite apps with Friday so you can see everything coming up in one place.
- Roadmap your day to help you plan for the both the present and the future while staying on track.
6. Trello.
Best For Kanban Boards.
Trello needs no introduction. This popular app has been helping people manage their tasks and projects for years.
With its Kanban-style layout, Trello makes it easy to see what needs to be done and who’s responsible for each task.
You can also create custom boards to suit your specific needs.
Personalize these boards in any way you want, including adding images, stickers, and more.
Trello is also great for collaborating with others, as you can easily assign tasks and leave comments so you can plan and work together more effectively.
Key Features:
- A productivity powerhouse makes planning each day a breeze.
- Manage tasks with ease by assigning them to specific people and setting deadlines.
- View work in a new way with the Kanban-style layout that makes it easy to see what needs to be done.
- Turn your board into more than just lists by customizing it with images, stickers, and more.
- Scale your team with Trello by adding as many people as you need
7. ProofHub.
Best For Planning Structure.
ProofHub is a single platform that helps you manage your projects, tasks, and team more effectively.
ProofHub is the perfect personal planner app for those who need more structure in their workflows, providing excellent control over projects and teams.
Ensure on-time delivery for each project with the help of ProofHub’s Gantt charts.
You can also assign tasks to specific team members and track their progress so you can always be in the loop.
The application doesn’t charge per user, which means there are simple fixed-price plans, allowing you to keep your costs under control.
Key Features:
- Custom workflows let you tailor ProofHub to your specific needs.
- Custom roles let you assign specific permissions to each team member.
- Proofing helps you get feedback on your work and ensure accuracy.
- Discussions let you collaborate with others and brainstorm ideas.
8. Evernote.
Best For Collecting Ideas.
Evernote provides a single place for you to store all your notes, ideas, and files.
This personal planner app makes it easy to capture and save anything you need, including photos, web pages, and more.
You can also sync your Evernote account across all your devices so you can access your notes anywhere.
With a daily planner template also provided, you can easily plan each day and ensure you’re always on track with your projects.
Making the most of your time has never been easier, and productivity has never been more fun.
Key Features:
- Dive into your day with the Daily Planner Template so you always know where you stand and what needs to get done on that day.
- Make your calendar work for you by integrating it with Evernote so you can always be in the loop.
- Always with you, always in sync so that you can access your notes anywhere.
- Search less while doing more with Evernote’s powerful search function that makes it easy to find what you need.
- This app can become your ‘save’ button for the web, allowing you to save anything you need for later.
9. TickTick.
Best For Setting Priorities.
TickTick helps both individuals and teams to get more done each day.
This app is perfect for those who need a little help staying on track, as it provides various features to keep you organized and productive.
With its sleek design, TickTick is also great for those who want an aesthetically pleasing planner.
Set reminders for important tasks so you never forget what needs to be done.
Whether you want to organize life, capture ideas, or get things done, TickTick is an excellent app.
Key Features:
- Organize all aspects of your life by creating different lists for different areas.
- Add tasks faster and easier with the Quick Add feature that lets you input tasks in any format.
- Never miss a deadline with the reminders function that will ensure you’re always on track.
- Clarify what to do next with the Prioritize feature that helps you prioritize your daily tasks.
- Focus on your goals by setting them as tasks and adding them to your lists.
What Are Planner Apps And What Is Their Importance?
Planner apps are a great way to stay organized and productive. There are a variety of planner apps available, each with its unique features.
Planner apps can help you in several ways, such as:
- Helping you keep track of your tasks and to-do lists
- Helping you prioritize your tasks
- Help you create a successful go-to-market strategy
- Helping you stay on track with your goals
- Helping you better manage your time
There are several different planner apps available, so finding the right one for you can be a challenge. However, most find that once they find the perfect planner app for your needs, they wonder how they ever managed without it.
Best Planner Apps Features
While knowing how to choose a project management tool can go a long way to set you up for success when choosing the right planner app, there are some features you should look out for before making a final decision on the app to go with.
The following are some of those features.
The Ability To Create Tasks And To-Do Lists
Tasks and to-do lists are a vital part of any planner app. They help you track what needs to be done and ensure that nothing gets forgotten.
Being able to tick off tasks as you complete them is also a great way to stay motivated and focused.
The Ability To Set Reminders For Important Tasks
Reminders are essential for ensuring that you never forget an important task.
Most planner apps allow you to set reminders for tasks, so you will be notified when it’s time to take action.
The Ability To Prioritize Your Tasks
Prioritizing your tasks is a great way to ensure you always work on the most important things first.
Knowing which elements to focus on can be the difference between a successful project and one that falls behind – and the right app can make this seamless.
The Ability To Share Your Lists And Tasks With Others
Sharing your lists and tasks with others is a great way to ensure everyone is on the same page.
It’s also a great way to get help with tasks you may not have time to complete yourself, making delegation a piece of cake.
The Ability To Access Your Lists And Tasks From Any Device
Most people use more than one device these days, so your planner app must be accessible from all of them.
This way, you can always stay on top of your tasks, no matter where you are.
A User-Friendly Interface
A user-friendly interface is essential for any planner app.
You should be able to easily add tasks, set reminders, and share your lists with others, without there having to be a learning curve involved.
The Ability To Create Templates For Recurring Tasks
Recurring tasks are a fact of life for many people.
Creating templates for these tasks can save you a lot of time in the long run.
Templates are also great when getting new people to work on specific tasks, saving you time and energy that would otherwise have had to go into training these people.
The Ability To Integrate With Other Productivity Tools
Integrating with other productivity tools is a great way to boost your productivity.
For example, you may want to integrate your planner app with your email client or calendar.
This way, you can easily keep track of all your tasks in one place.
How The Right Planning Tool Goes In Hand With Building A Community
One thing to consider is that community platforms go hand in hand with the planning features of many apps. By nature, people love to be part of something larger than themselves.
This is why platforms like Facebook, Reddit, and even Snapchat have community features built into their DNA. It’s also a big reason many people use Slack for work communication—to quickly join channels and engage in water cooler talk with fellow employees.
Users need to feel like they’re part of something more significant to get the most out of a tool. They need to feel connected to others using the tool to accomplish tasks. The same goes for project management tools.
This is why the best planner apps will have some community elements. This could be a simple forum where users can ask questions and give advice. Or it could be a more robust community where users can connect to form virtual teams, share documents together, and much more.
Who Can Benefit From Planner Apps?
Various types of people can benefit from using planner apps. Whether you’re an individual who wants to manage your time better or a business owner who needs to keep track of tasks and goals, there’s a planner app out there for you.
The following are some of the typical users of such apps:
- Students: Students can use planner apps to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and upcoming exams. With the pressure of school, it can be easy to forget critical due dates. But with a planner app, you can ensure you’re always on top of your work.
- Business owners: Business owners can use planner apps to delegate tasks, set goals, and track progress. Whether you run a business selling products or services, you can use a planner app to help you succeed. Even businesses that deal with very niched markets such as those creating food handling gloves as part of lab safety supply can use a planner app to organize their tasks better.
- Busy moms: Moms that are always on the go can use planner apps to manage their time and schedules. It can be hard to keep track of everything from their kids’ school activities to doctor’s appointments. But with a planner app, busy moms can ensure they always know what’s going on.
- Consultants: whether you’re a coach that works with women who want to start feeling desired and taken care of, or a business consultant that helps with start-ups, you need to be able to keep track of deadlines, client calls, and project status. The right planner app will help you stay on top of it all.
- Event planners: if you’re in charge of planning a wedding, corporate event, or other special occasions, you know how important it is to stay organized. There are many moving parts to an event; the last thing you want is to forget something important. With a planner app, you can ensure this never happens.
Conclusion
Knowing which planner app to go with can be a challenging task at first. But with the right research and through using the right app, you can easily manage your time, set goals, and most importantly, succeed.
The best planner apps will have all the features you need, the most important of which are the ability to track time, set goals, and manage tasks.
Being clear on what you need before you start your search is the best way to ensure you find an app that’s just right for you.
