Best Planner Apps: Top 11 Daily Planning Tools in 2023

Dwight Eisenhower once said "plans are useless; planning is indispensable." As both a U.S. president and top WWII military commander, Eisenhower had some complicated things to plan.

But for many of us, planning is usually scattered across to-do lists, notepads, email, Slack, and calendars. Spending just 10-12 minutes planning your day can actually save you 2 hours/day in decision paralysis and context switching. In fact, the average employee wastes 1.96 hours/day in unproductive work -- almost 25% of their entire workweek.

So whether you're strategically deploying troops across Europe or trying to get through all your weekly work tasks, planning really boils down to two things: 

1. What do you want to get done?
2. How much time do you actually have available to do it?

A daily planner app is a digital tool to help you automate the perfect plan for each day. Planner apps help you boost productivity by organizing your tasks, arranging your calendar schedule, and prioritizing your most important work. Here are the 12 best planner apps to help you automate your daily planning in 2023.

11 best planner apps in 2023

1. Reclaim.ai - for team productivity
2. Todoist - for list planners
3. Trello - for visual planners
4. Google Tasks - for Google user planners
5. Things 3 - for Apple user planners
6. ClickUp - for real-time reporting
7. Habitica - for gamification fans
8. Notion - for note-takers
9. Asana - for busy teams
10. TickTick - for feature-hungry users
11. TeuxDeux - for minimalists

1. Reclaim.ai - for team productivity

Reclaim is an AI calendar planner app that automatically finds the best time for your tasks, habits, meetings, and breaks in your busy schedule. All you have to do is connect your Google Calendar and sync your task list to automatically block all of your to-do's in your calendar. The best part is that it keeps your schedule flexible for incoming events, conflicts, and priority changes. So if a new high-priority task drops on your plate, Reclaim automatically reschedules your task events around what's most urgent to you.

And that's just the start! Outside of tasks, you can automatically schedule your one-on-one meetings, breaks, habits, and create scheduling links, sync multiple calendars, and analyze your productivity through advanced time tracking every week. It's the perfect solution for anyone with a busy calendar.

Reclaim is an intelligent calendar assistant that creates up to 40% more time in your workweek using smart time blocking. (source)

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Auto-schedule your tasks in Google Calendar, by priority, before your due dates (while keeping your schedule flexible for changes).
• Habits: Auto-schedule your recurring routines at the best time (within a preferred window) around your existing events. Search from hundreds of popular Habit templates. 
• Smart 1:1 Meetings: Find the best time for your one-on-one meetings across both attendees' calendars.
• Scheduling Links: Share your availability for meetings with high-priority and flexible duration settings.
• Buffer Time: Auto-schedule breaks and travel time around your calendar events.
• Calendar Sync: Auto-sync multiple calendars and your actual availability to prevent scheduling conflicts.
• Slack Status Sync: Auto-sync your Slack status to your calendar to prevent interruptions and context switching.
• No-Meeting Days: Defend time for your team to get stuff done every week.
• Stats: Analyze how much time you spend in meetings vs. tasks vs. habits vs. free time.
• Integrations: ClickUp, Asana, Jira, Todoist, Linear, Google Tasks, Zoom, and Slack

Cons

• Currently only supports Google Calendar (Outlook coming soon).

Reclaim.ai pricing: Free → paid plans start at $8/month

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2. Todoist - for list planners

Todoist is a task management planner app that organizes all your tasks in one place so you can prioritize, track, and delegate your to-do list. Todoist is great for both leaders and employees managing long to-do lists and multi-faceted projects. Simply creating a plan to accomplish unfinished goals will reduce stress and boost productivity -- let's see how Todoist can help you keep track of that plan.

Todoist is one of the most feature-rich task management apps available. (source)

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Create and assign tasks and subtasks across your team with set and recurring deadlines.
• Projects: Organize all of your tasks by project to track progress towards shared goals.
• Priority levels: Set priority levels for tasks to organize around your most important work.
• Reminders: Get alerts on your time-sensitive tasks, comments, and team completions.
• Customizable views: Create personalized task views using boards, labels, filters, and themes to fit your unique style.
• Calendar feed: Visualize your scheduled tasks inside your calendar.
• Comments & files: Collaborate with your team using comments and files across tasks.
• Analytics: Visualize your productivity across tasks and track progress toward goals.
• Integrations: Integrates with almost 100 different apps, including Zapier, IFTTT, and Reclaim.ai.

Cons

• Doesn't block the actual amount of time you need for tasks, only shows full-day events or one-hour blocks on your due date. (However, Todoist integrates with Reclaim.ai so you can auto-schedule flexible time for tasks, by priority, before your due date.).
• Some users find it overly complex for simple task management.
• Limited integrations.
• There's a bit of a learning curve for new users navigating their many features.

Todoist pricing: Free → paid plans start at $4/month

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3. Trello - for visual planners

Trello is a collaborative planning app that uses a Kanban format to help you organize, manage, and visualize tasks and progress. Trello is particularly useful when managing projects with lots of moving parts and several stakeholders.

Trello makes to-do list building and tracking a visual exercise. (source)

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Create individual cards for tasks, ideas, or any pieces of information you want to track.
• Projects: Categorize and organize your tasks by creating different projects or boards.
• Kanban boards: Kanban-style boards visually represent your workflow with customizable columns to track progress of your tasks.
• Custom workflows: Create custom workflows with columns, labels, and automation to fit your unique team needs.
• Views: Offers multiple views, including the classic Kanban board view to track tasks, a calendar view for due dates, and a table view to present structured data.
• Templates: Provides a library of ready-to-use templates for many use cases, including onboarding plans, project management, and weekly meetings.
• Integrations: Integrates with hundreds of popular apps and services, such as Slack, Google Drive, Jira, Hootsuite, Miro, GitHub, and more.

Cons

• Becomes increasingly cumbersome the bigger your project becomes.
• Lack of flexibility when it comes to setting user permissions.
• Limitations when it comes to reporting features.
• The calendar view lacks the ability to flexibly schedule tasks by the amount of time you need.

Trello pricing: Free → paid plans start at $17.50/month

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4. Google Tasks - for Google user planners

Google Tasks is a mobile-first, bare-bones planner app for Google Workspace users that's designed to help you create and manage a to-do list on the go. Google Tasks is particularly useful for coordinating to-do lists among heavy email users, as you can manage and create tasks right from Gmail. 

Google Tasks doesn't have many extras, but it shines as a basic to-do list manager that integrates with your Google Workspace tools.

Pros & key features

• Task creation: Create new tasks quickly, add due dates, and include additional details or notes.
• Lists: Create multiple task lists to organize your to-dos based on different projects, priorities, or categories.
• Subtasks: Allows you to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable subtasks.
• Drag and drop: Reorder tasks and subtasks using a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• Reminders & due dates: Set reminders and due dates for tasks to stay on top of deadlines and important events.
• Notifications: Receive notifications and reminders about upcoming tasks.
• Synchronization: Automatically synchronize tasks across all your devices.
• Integrations: Integrates across various platforms, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Keep, Google Assistant, and Reclaim.ai.

Cons

• Doesn't block time on your schedule when you create a task, only a full-day event reminder the day it's due. (However, you can integrate with Reclaim.ai to automatically block the time you need for Google Tasks on Google Calendar.)
• The due date in Google Tasks is simply the day the event is scheduled, which may not be sufficient for planning time-intensive projects.

Google Tasks pricing: Free (with a Google account)

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5. Things - for Apple user planners

Things is a planner app built for Apple devices and designed to help wrangle growing task lists with smooth automations and easy-to-use controls. You can use it on your Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad. The app is ideal for employee work planning, or as a personal task manager, but not really suited for managers who plan for an entire team.

Things is a recently redesigned planner app that makes to-do list creating and management, dare we say, fun. (source)

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Manage tasks and projects by creating to-do lists with categories and tags.
• Intuitive interface: Boasts a clean and user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and use.
• Today view: Focus on your daily tasks with the dedicated "Today" view that displays only your daily tasks.
• Upcoming view: Get a quick overview of tasks scheduled for the coming days or weeks. 
• Synchronization: Sync your tasks across all your devices (iOS, macOS, and watchOS).
• Recurring tasks: Set up tasks that repeat at specific intervals to handle routine actions effectively.
• Today widget: Access your daily to-dos from the iOS Today Widget without opening the app.
• Siri integration: Use Siri to create new tasks, reminders, or updates using voice commands.
• Magic Plus: Quickly add new to-dos, reminders, or notes without having to switch views or interrupt your workflow.
• Slim Mode: Condense the app's user interface, allowing you to see more tasks at once on the screen.

Cons

• Primarily designed for individual use with little team support functionality.
• Limited functionality for prioritizing tasks or deadlines beyond manually reordering them in a list.
• Things 3 doesn't actively manage or adjust your schedule.

Things 3 pricing: $9.99 for iPhone & Watch, $19.99 for iPad, $49.99 for Mac (one-time purchase)

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6. ClickUp - for real-time reporting

ClickUp is a versatile and comprehensive daily planner app with many features to help you stay organized and increase productivity. Whether you're an individual user or part of a team, ClickUp has something to offer everyone. With its user-friendly interface and powerful functionality, ClickUp is a top contender in the best daily planner apps ever.

Plan, track, and manage any type of work with project management that flexes to your team's needs (source)

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Create and organize tasks with due dates, priorities, assignees, statuses, and workflows.
• Collaboration & communication: Collaborate using comments, mentions, and notifications.
• Customizable views: Choose from various views, including list, board, calendar, and mind map, and customize your workspace layout.
• Project planning: Gantt charts for visual project planning, timeline management, and the ability to set dependencies and milestones.
• Time tracking: Track time spent on tasks and projects for accurate productivity insights and generate time reports for analysis.
• Goal setting & OKRs: Set and track objectives and key results (OKRs) for team alignment and progress measurement.
• Mobile app: Access on-the-go with mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.
• Integrations: Integrates with over 1,000 tools, including Slack, GitHub, Hubspot, Google Drive, and Reclaim.ai.

Cons

• Can be overwhelming for new users due to the extensive range of features.
• Time-consuming to familiarize oneself with all the functionalities and fully customize the app.
• Certain advanced features (e.g., time tracking, custom fields reporting) only available in higher-tier plans.
• Calendar feature allows you to manually drag-and-drop tasks, but lacks the ability to automatically schedule the amount of time you need before your due date. (However, you can integrate ClickUp with Reclaim.ai to auto-schedule flexible time for your tasks.)

ClickUp Pricing:Free → $29/member/month

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7. Habitica - for gamification fans

Habitica, an innovative daily planning app, takes a unique approach to task management by transforming your daily routine into an exciting role-playing game (RPG). Combining the principles of gamification and productivity, Habitica offers a refreshing and engaging way to stay organized, motivated, and on track with your goals. With its intuitive interface and vibrant visuals, this app turns mundane tasks and habits into thrilling quests and challenges.

Habitica is a free habit-building and productivity app that treats your real life and to-do list like a role-playing game (source).

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Create and organize tasks, to-do lists, and habits.
• Gamification features: Gamify your tasks by turning them into in-game activities; completing tasks earns you rewards.
• Avatar customization: Create and customize  avatars that level up, gain new abilities, and gear when you complete tasks.
• Daily checklists: Create checklists for recurring tasks or habits.
• Social accountability: Form or join parties and guilds to collaborate with friends to keep you accountable and motivated.
• Rewards & punishments: Earn rewards (like gold and experience points) as you complete tasks and maintain good habits, while neglecting tasks or engaging in bad habits may lead to penalties.
• Mobile & desktop: Available on both mobile devices and desktop platforms.
• Third-party extensions: The app supports third-party extensions and plugins, enhancing its functionality and user experience.
• Developer-friendly: Open API for developers to create custom solutions and further enhance the app's capabilities.

Cons

• Game-like elements can motivate some users, but may not appeal to everyone.
• Might feel distracting or unnecessary for those who prefer a more straightforward and traditional task management system.
• Primarily focuses on habits and daily tasks, so it may not be the best for complex projects or detailed project planning.

Habitica Pricing: Free → $9/month +$3 per member for teams

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8. Notion - for note-takers

Notion is a powerful all-in-one productivity app that goes beyond a daily planner app. It combines note-taking, task management, database organization, and collaboration features into a single platform. With its versatility and customizable interface, Notion offers a highly flexible solution for individuals and teams seeking a comprehensive collaboration tool.

Notion is the connected workspace where better, faster work happens (source).

Pros & key features

• Flexible workspace: Create and organize various elements, such as notes, to-do lists, databases, and more, in a customizable workspace.
• Blocks-based structure: Add different content blocks like text, images, tables, videos, code snippets, etc., and arrange them as needed.
• Cross-platform support: Available on multiple platforms, including web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
• Templates: Wide range of pre-designed templates for tasks like project management, meeting notes, habit tracking, and more.
• Nested pages & subpages: Create nested pages and subpages to organize your content hierarchically.
• Database & tables: Create databases with customizable properties for storing and managing structured data like CRM, task lists, or inventories.
• Tags & filters: Add tags to your content and use filters to quickly find and group related information.
• Kanban boards & calendars: Supports Kanban-style boards and calendar views for project tracking and scheduling tasks.
• Integrations: Integrates almost 100 apps and tools such as Figma, Slack, GitHub, Google Drive, Zoom, and more.

Cons

• Abundance of features and customization options can be overwhelming for new users.
• User interface can be complex, especially for users accustomed to simpler task management apps.
• Mobile app experience may not be as optimized as the desktop version.
• Calendar tool is limited to accurately and flexibly planning out time for tasks.

Notion Pricing: Free → $15/user/month

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9. Asana - for busy teams

Asana is a robust and intuitive daily planner app designed to help individuals and teams manage tasks, projects, and workflows effectively. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Asana is a go-to choice for individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises alike.

View your team's work in one online calendar to help hit all your deadlines (source).

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Create and assign tasks to team members, set due dates, prioritize, and track progress in real-time.
• Task dependencies: Set task dependencies to establish relationships between tasks.
• Project organization: Group tasks into projects to keep related work together and maintain a structured workflow.
• Views: Visualize project schedules and dependencies using the timeline view, Kanban-style boards, or calendars.
• File sharing and attachments: Upload and share files directly within tasks.
• Team collaboration: Facilitate communication by commenting on tasks, mentioning teammates, and having threaded conversations.
• Custom fields: Add custom fields to tasks or projects for personalized information tracking and organization.
• Workload management: Track team members' workloads for a balanced distribution of tasks and prevent overloading.
• Progress tracking & reporting: Generate reports to monitor project progress and team performance and identify potential bottlenecks.
• Mobile accessibility: Access on mobile devices to stay connected and manage tasks on the go.
• Automation: Set up rules and automation to streamline repetitive tasks and actions.
• Integrations: Integrates with 100s of tools and apps such as Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Office, Reclaim.ai, and more.

Cons

• Some users may find the learning curve steep for setting up complex workflows or using advanced features like custom fields or rules.
• The free plan provides basic features, but advanced functionalities like custom templates, timeline view, and advanced reporting are available in the paid plans.
• The cost of the paid plans may be a consideration for individuals or small teams with budget constraints.
• Calendar tool requires a lot of manual work to plan out tasks. (However, Asana integrates with Reclaim.ai so you can automatically block the amount of time you need for tasks before your due date.)

Asana Pricing: Free → $24.99/user/month

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10. TickTick - for feature-hungry users

TickTick is a feature-rich and intuitive daily planner app that offers a wide array of tools to help individuals stay organized and boost productivity. With its sleek design and seamless user experience, TickTick stands out from other apps as an adaptable choice for managing tasks and schedules effectively.

Whether there is a work-related task or a personal goal, TickTick is here to help you manage all your to-dos (source).

Pros & key features

• Tasks: Create and organize tasks with due dates, priorities, and tags to stay on top of your to-do list .
• Reminders: Set task reminders to never miss important deadlines or events.
• Lists & projects: Organize tasks into different lists or projects based on categories or themes.
• Tags: Categorize tasks with tags for easy filtering and sorting.
• Priority levels: Assign priority levels to tasks to focus on what matters most.
• Smart date parsing: Enter due dates and reminders to automatically parse information into a reminder.
• Cross-platform sync: Access and manage your tasks across devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
• Integrations: Integrates with nearly a dozen tools and apps, such as Slack, Gmail, Outlook, and Amazon Alexa.

Cons

• Some advanced functionalities like calendar integration, custom Smart Lists, and calendar widgets require a subscription.
• Limited options for integrating with other third-party apps and services.

TickTick Pricing: Free → $2.79/month

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11. TeuxDeux - for minimalists

TeuxDeux is a simple and elegant daily planner app designed to help users organize their tasks and stay on top of their schedules. With its minimalist design and intuitive features, TeuxDeux offers a straightforward and focused approach to task management.

TeuxDeux is a to-do list that's as simple as paper (source).

Pros & key features

• Clean & minimalist interface: Offers a clean and straightforward user interface for easy navigation and focus on tasks.
• Daily & weekly views: Provides daily and weekly views to plan their daily tasks and organize their entire week.
• Drag & drop functionality: Rearrange tasks by dragging and dropping them to prioritize and reschedule as needed.
• Recurring tasks: Set tasks to repeat daily, weekly, or monthly for regular or ongoing responsibilities.
• "Someday" list: Place tasks you want to do, but not yet schedule, in the "Someday" list to keep the primary task list clutter-free.
• Mobile app: Available as a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices.

Cons

• Simplicity may be a limitation for users who require more advanced features or project management capabilities.
• May not be suitable for complex projects or extensive collaboration.

TeuxDeux Pricing: Free → $4/month

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The best planner app = more focus, less chaos 📝

Every week it seems to be the same thing---we pledge to be conscientious and resolve to make like Buffett and Gates. Then before you know it, it's one unexpected meeting/obligation after another, and the workweek spirals out of control.

But it doesn't have to be that way. The best planner apps make it easy to manage your schedule, collaborate with your colleagues, and effectively prioritize your time and energy.