HR Writer & Editor
The 10 Best Digital Planners to Organize Your Life
5 min read
Published: Dec 1, 2022
Revised on: May 24, 2024
- Any.do
- Easy to use interface
- Good task reminder and notification system
- Allows creating multiple lists to organize tasks
- Syncs across devices like mobile, desktop etc.
- Has collaborative features like sharing tasks
- Notion
- Customizable and flexible workspace - Many reviewers liked how they could customize Notion to their specific needs and workflow. The ability to create personalized templates, databases, pages etc. makes Notion adaptable.
- All-in-one platform - Multiple reviewers liked that Notion consolidates notes, tasks, docs etc. in one place instead of multiple apps. This centralization and ability to integrate other tools is a major pro.
- Collaboration features - Notion's real-time collaboration, ability to share pages and assign tasks makes project management and teamwork much easier according to reviews.
- User-friendly interface - Most reviewers found Notion intuitive and easy to use with a clean interface. The drag-and-drop functionality also makes it user-friendly.
- AI capabilities - Several reviewers specifically praised Notion's AI integration that helps with content generation, task automation and improving productivity.
- Todoist
- Easy to use interface and intuitive task management. Many reviews mentioned how simple Todoist is to use for organizing tasks and projects.
- Available across multiple platforms and devices. Todoist syncs seamlessly across web, desktop apps, mobile apps allowing users to access tasks anywhere.
- Natural language support for adding due dates, recurring tasks etc. Users loved the ability to quickly add tasks using natural language.
- Collaborative features like task assignments, comments, file attachments. Useful for sharing tasks and communicating with teams.
- Motivational elements like karma, goals, and productivity tracking. Reviews highlighted features that helped users stay motivated.
- ClickUp
- Flexible and customizable features allow users to tailor ClickUp to their specific needs and workflows.
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and manage tasks and projects.
- Robust collaboration tools like comments, chat, and assign mentions facilitate team communication and coordination.
- Multiple task views like list, board, Gantt chart provide flexibility to organize tasks.
- Integration with common tools like Google Drive, Slack improves workflows.
- Habitica
- Makes completing tasks and building habits fun and motivating through gamification. The avatar and RPG elements make productivity feel like a game.
- Very customizable avatars, tasks, habits, and rewards help cater the experience to each user's needs.
- Community component provides encouragement, tips, and accountability.
- Helps users struggling with productivity, focus, and motivation. Provides structure and rewards.
- Completely free to use basic features. Very affordable subscription for advanced features.
Welcome to the digital age, where efficiency and organization meet technology to enhance productivity in the workplace. In the fast-paced realm of modern work, staying organized and on top of tasks is paramount. Digital planners have emerged as indispensable tools, revolutionizing the way we manage our work, schedules, and goals. This article delves into the realm of digital planners, showcasing the top ten digital planners meticulously curated to help you streamline your work life, optimize your productivity, and bring order to the digital chaos. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a budding entrepreneur, finding the right digital planner can be a game-changer, and we're here to guide you toward the best choices available in the market.
What Does a Digital Planner Do?
A digital planner is an app that enhances your productivity. You can use them to effectively organize your day-to-day tasks and streamline your production workflows. Most digital planners have features that allow you to take notes, set priorities, and track meetings. They also integrate well with other productivity apps.
It helps to think of digital planners as digital calendars but with cooler features. With these apps, you get to manage both your personal and work-related deadlines, lists, and meetings. Some can also send recurring reminders and notifications to your smartwatch.
When doing a lot of work on the go, an efficient digital planner can help you manage workflow right from your iPhone, PC, iPad, or Android device. You can look for those that are optimized for teams and workplace collaborations.
Are Digital Planners Worth It?
Yes, they are worth it, and there are many reasons why we think so.
Digital planners save you time and can help you become more efficient. Most planners have a search feature that finds information quickly, without scrolling through several pages. They are easily accessible, and you can also sync your planner across several devices and with other web applications that aid productivity.
Here are five more reasons why a digital planner may work for you:
- Flexibility: A digital planner is useful to anyone who's usually on the go because it allows you to work wherever and whenever. Plus, you don't need to carry extra notebooks for taking notes to get organized.
- Collaboration: They are great for collaboration because they allow multiple users (or collaborators). This makes it easy for teams to work together on projects, improving efficiency and team building.
- Customization: Digital planners allow you to customize the features to your needs. This means that if there is something specific that is important to you - such as your goals or daily tasks - you can add it to your digital planner.
- Convenience: Good digital planners have an intuitive interface that's easy to navigate. It's also easy to add new tasks on the go or access your data from any device by using the cloud storage feature.
- Environmentally Friendly: Digital planners can help cut down on paper waste while still keeping all of your important information in one place.
How Do You Pick the Best Digital Planner?
So how do you know which digital planner is best for you? The best part about digital planners is that there are lots of options, and they're customizable to fit your needs and style.
Here are some things to consider:
- What Features Do You Need? - Your needs will determine what features to include in your planner. If you're trying to keep track of appointments and tasks across multiple devices and platforms, then an all-in-one solution might be best.
- Is It Easy to Use? - If using an app or website has always been difficult for you because of how clunky it feels or how complicated its interface is, then look for something simple and intuitive instead of complex and confusing. This will make it easier for you to get started.
- Does the Digital Planner Complement Existing Tools? - When choosing a digital planner, consider how it will complement your existing workflow and productivity tool.
- Is There an Option for Offline Use? - Some digital planners are designed to work entirely online and require an internet connection at all times and even when syncing with your other devices. That can be an issue if you're often away from Wi-Fi or cellular data service and want access to your task list while offline (e.g., during travel).
- Does It Sync With Other Devices? - Some digital planners only work on desktop computers while others can be accessed by mobile phones and tablets as well as desktop computers.
If you have multiple devices in your home or office, then consider choosing a digital planner that syncs between all of them. This prevents you from manually entering information into each device separately when schedules change.
What Are Best Practices for Using Digital Planners?
To effectively engage in digital planning at work, you need a combination of hardware, software, and best practices. Here's a comprehensive best practices list to follow:
- Integrate Tools: Use tools that can integrate to streamline workflow (e.g., integrating Trello with Google Calendar).
- Regular Updates and Maintenance: Keep your software up-to-date to benefit from the latest features and security patches.
- Backup Your Data: Regularly back up your data to prevent loss. Use both cloud and external storage options.
- Organize Digital Workspace: Use folders, tags, and labels to organize your digital files and notes.
- Prioritize Security: Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and ensure sensitive data is encrypted.
- Continuous Learning: Stay updated with new features and best practices for the tools you use.
By equipping yourself with the right hardware, utilizing effective software, and following best practices, you'll be well-prepared for efficient and productive digital planning at work.
Top 10 Digital Planners
Any.do is a digital daily planner that can help you organize your day-to-day life. It has an easy-to-use interface and lets you add notes and attachments to your list. If you love color coding, you’re in luck. Any.do lets you color-code priorities.
Note that this app only offers limited features in its free version. Also, it does not integrate well with other work apps.
Key Features:
Pros
- Easy to use interface
- Good task reminder and notification system
- Allows creating multiple lists to organize tasks
- Syncs across devices like mobile, desktop etc.
- Has collaborative features like sharing tasks
Cons
- Many key features only available in paid version
- Lacks integration with other productivity tools
- Mobile app can be slow/buggy
- No customization options in free version
- Cannot rearrange subtasks
Notion
Notion has a daily planner you can use to plan your day-to-day activities. It also serves as a workspace for teams to collaborate on tasks and projects.
Key Features:
Pros
- Customizable and flexible workspace - Many reviewers liked how they could customize Notion to their specific needs and workflow. The ability to create personalized templates, databases, pages etc. makes Notion adaptable.
- All-in-one platform - Multiple reviewers liked that Notion consolidates notes, tasks, docs etc. in one place instead of multiple apps. This centralization and ability to integrate other tools is a major pro.
- Collaboration features - Notion's real-time collaboration, ability to share pages and assign tasks makes project management and teamwork much easier according to reviews.
- User-friendly interface - Most reviewers found Notion intuitive and easy to use with a clean interface. The drag-and-drop functionality also makes it user-friendly.
- AI capabilities - Several reviewers specifically praised Notion's AI integration that helps with content generation, task automation and improving productivity.
Cons
- Steep learning curve - Many reviewers cited Notion's vast features and customization options lead to a steep learning curve for new users.
- Performance issues - Some reviewers experienced slow loading times and lags especially when working with large databases and content-heavy pages.
- Mobile limitations - The mobile app has some limitations compared to desktop per some reviewers, making the experience less seamless.
- Pricing model - Notion's pricing especially for additional features and storage upgrades was seen as expensive by certain reviewers.
- Dependency on internet - Lack of solid offline functionality was cited as a drawback by some reviewers.
Todoist
With Todoist, you can create fun to-do lists that let your team sync their emails and calendars. It integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar and Dropbox and lets you select different task views.
Key Features:
Pros
- Easy to use interface and intuitive task management. Many reviews mentioned how simple Todoist is to use for organizing tasks and projects.
- Available across multiple platforms and devices. Todoist syncs seamlessly across web, desktop apps, mobile apps allowing users to access tasks anywhere.
- Natural language support for adding due dates, recurring tasks etc. Users loved the ability to quickly add tasks using natural language.
- Collaborative features like task assignments, comments, file attachments. Useful for sharing tasks and communicating with teams.
- Motivational elements like karma, goals, and productivity tracking. Reviews highlighted features that helped users stay motivated.
Cons
- Limitations of free version like lack of reminders. Important features locked behind paywall was a common complaint.
- Steep learning curve and complexity. Some users found the extensive features overwhelming initially.
- Syncing issues faced occasionally. A few reviews mentioned problems with syncing between devices.
- No calendar view available. Ability to see tasks on a calendar view was lacking.
- Pricing model and cost. While affordable, some users felt the premium plans were expensive for features offered.
ClickUp
Aside from being a top-notch digital daily planner, ClickUp is also a project management tool. Employees and teams in an organization can use it to stay in sync. It streamlines the work process by combining the function of different productivity tools into one multifunctional tool.
Key Features:
Pros
- Flexible and customizable features allow users to tailor ClickUp to their specific needs and workflows.
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and manage tasks and projects.
- Robust collaboration tools like comments, chat, and assign mentions facilitate team communication and coordination.
- Multiple task views like list, board, Gantt chart provide flexibility to organize tasks.
- Integration with common tools like Google Drive, Slack improves workflows.
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to overwhelm from number of features and configuration options.
- Occasional bugs, glitches and performance issues hamper user experience.
- Mobile app lacks some functionality compared to web/desktop.
- Limitations of free version like number of tasks, features restricted.
- Difficulty finding specific help documentation among extensive support content.
Habitica
Habitica takes a different approach to planning and productivity. It turns your to-do list into a game where you can earn rewards when you tick items off, and in-game punishments when you don’t complete a task. It can help you track your goals and build better habits while having fun.
Key Features:
Pros
- Makes completing tasks and building habits fun and motivating through gamification. The avatar and RPG elements make productivity feel like a game.
- Very customizable avatars, tasks, habits, and rewards help cater the experience to each user's needs.
- Community component provides encouragement, tips, and accountability.
- Helps users struggling with productivity, focus, and motivation. Provides structure and rewards.
- Completely free to use basic features. Very affordable subscription for advanced features.
Cons
- User interface could be cleaner and more modern. Some find it cluttered.
- Avatar customization options are currently limited.
- Can feel repetitive or boring over time. Need to change habits and rewards to keep it fresh.
- Lack of integration with other productivity apps like ClickUp and Notion.
- Mobile app has some performance issues and occasional bugs. Not as smooth as desktop.
Evernote
Evernote is a productivity powerhouse that ensures your tasks are well organized and things don’t fall between the cracks. With Evernote, you simply can’t forget anything.
Key Features:
Pros
- Organized structure with notebooks and tags makes it easy to keep notes organized.
- Syncs across devices so notes are accessible from anywhere.
- Powerful search makes it easy to find specific notes.
- Variety of note formats - can include text, images, audio, scanned documents.
- Web clipper allows saving web pages easily.
Cons
- Can be slow and laggy at times.
- Limited formatting options compared to other note apps.
- Syncing issues can lead to lost notes.
- Free version has limited functionality.
- Privacy/security concerns around how user data is handled.
This planner lets you create nested checklists that help with goal-setting. It also auto-calculates your progress. It includes regular features like to-do lists, calendars, and reminders.
Key Features:
Things
Things 3 is a digital daily planner for iOS devices. It has a fun interface and lets you create lists, schedule tasks, and add notes to your lists. You can also view calendar events from this app. The best part? You get notifications on your Apple watch.
Key Features:
Pros
- Simple, clean, intuitive interface that is enjoyable to use. The design is beautiful.
- Easy to quickly capture tasks and ideas into the inbox. Useful quick entry keyboard shortcuts.
- Good integration with Apple ecosystem and seamless syncing between devices.
- Flexible organization with tags, due dates, projects, areas, etc. Makes it easy to prioritize tasks.
- One-time purchase rather than a subscription model. Provides good value.
Cons
- Expensive, especially if you want to use it on multiple devices. Separate purchases required.
- Lack of collaboration features. No easy way to share tasks or lists with others.
- Limited integrations with other software and services compared to some competitors.
- Not available on Android, Windows, or via a web interface. Apple only.
- Can be limiting for complex projects. Dependency management and workflows could be better.
This digital planner for iOS is sure to make you a pro planner. It is a free feature-loaded iOS app that lets you manage your notes and tasks in one place. However, the in-app ads can be a bit annoying.
Key Features:
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface
- Good collaboration features
- Helpful reporting capabilities
- Flexible and customizable task views
- Proactive customer support
Cons
- Occasional issues with responsive web design
- Some small bugs in the interface
- Protocols module could be improved
- Integration with other tools could be better
- Mobile app could use some enhancements
Trello
If you are looking for a digital planner designed specifically for team use, Trello is the one. It has personal planning boards, but you won’t get as much out of it as the team boards.
Key Features:
Pros
- Intuitive and easy to use interface. Many reviews praised how simple Trello is to get started with and how the drag-and-drop functionality makes managing tasks incredibly convenient.
- Flexibility and customization. Users like that they can customize workflows, boards, lists, cards, labels, etc. to suit their specific needs. Trello can be adapted for personal or business use.
- Collaboration features. Reviews highlighted the ability to assign tasks, share boards, leave comments, and get notifications as key features that enable teams to work together seamlessly.
- Integration with other apps. The ability to connect Trello with tools like Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. enhances workflows and productivity.
- Free plan with robust features. Even the free version provides enough functionality for many users' needs, especially smaller teams and personal use.
Cons
- Limitations of free plan. The free plan has restrictions like a cap on the number of boards, attachments size, etc. which can be limiting for larger teams.
- Steep learning curve initially. Some users found Trello confusing at first and it took time to learn how to best organize boards and workflows.
- Can get visually overwhelming. As the number of boards/cards increases, the visual interface can become cluttered and hard to navigate.
- Lack of advanced features. Users noted a lack of time tracking, resource management, reporting, etc. for handling complex projects.
- Performance issues. Some reviews mentioned occasional slowness in loading or syncing, especially with larger volumes of data.
Conclusion
Selecting the ideal digital planner for optimizing productivity in the workplace is a crucial decision that can significantly enhance efficiency, organization, and overall work performance. The ten digital planners highlighted in this article offer a diverse range of features and capabilities to cater to various professional needs and preferences. Whether it's seamless integration with other productivity tools, intuitive user interfaces, customizable layouts, or advanced collaboration options, these digital planners provide exceptional solutions for streamlining tasks and managing work responsibilities. Ultimately, embracing the power of a well-suited digital planner can transform the way we approach work, ensuring a more organized and productive work environment.