Best planner app to keep all your tasks under control
Over the past few weeks, I ran a tight schedule and thought I was in control. It didn’t take long for me to realize how wrong I was.
And honestly, I didn’t like how reactive I got.
What started as a pretty manageable week soon turned into endless reschedules. I had to cancel appointments, postpone work, and offer explanations.
It wasn’t that I’m a bad planner, but I lack a digital planner that warns me if I’m about to miss a deadline. Plus, when you juggle as many tasks as I do, you know that plans don’t always go as expected.
A daily planner app for Mac to reclaim my schedule (and sanity)
Being a meticulous planner, I wasn’t happy about the missed deadlines. But knowing that nothing would change, I started searching for a daily planner app for Mac.
While I don’t intend to track every minute, I have several criteria that I’m confident will get me back on track.
- Priority handling, so I can focus on urgent tasks first.
- Reminders, preferably with flexible timing that gives me days’ notice.
- An overview of what I should tackle today, and the backlogs I had to clear.
After trying several digital planning apps, I narrowed it down to these.
Apple Reminders — Love the custom reminders
I tried Apple Reminders because it’s part of my Mac’s bundled apps. Plus, it’s free. For simple tasks, Reminders works well. I can easily list my tasks, tag them onto Apple Calendar, and set priorities.
Plus points
- Just by checking the task categories, I have an overall view of pending tasks. If a task is near its scheduled date, it shows up under Urgent.
- Not surprisingly, it lets me choose from a list of pre-set reminders, or create a custom one.
Could be better
- Because of its simplicity, I found Reminder not equipped for my editorial tasks, which can get very complicated.
Perfect for: Tracking bills, groceries, and everyday tasks.
ByDesign — Perfect for my complex editorial workflow
Next, I tried ByDesign. It didn’t take long before I found that it’s the best digital planner software for editors like me. Beyond daily tasks, ByDesign lets me create Pages, which I use to manage different projects. Within each page, I create tasks, assign deadlines, and set priorities easily.
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Plus points
- It lets me time-block my schedule by dragging tasks from my notes onto the calendar.
- A comprehensive dashboard that shows upcoming tasks, which I can track and mark complete without going into specific projects.
- A collaborative workflow that lets me invite team members and assign editorial tasks directly.
Could be better
- Slightly overwhelming, partly because of advanced features, like the AI assistant, editor-friendly Pages, and habit tracker.
Perfect for: Fine-grained task tracking, especially for teams with complex workflows.
TickTick — Simple, but with powerful task management options
If you want nothing more than a simple task planner, try TickTick. It’s an easy-to-use to-do list that helps me track my daily chores.
Plus points
- Despite its simplicity, I found that I could create multiple lists for different tasks (e.g., editorial, household, meetings, etc)
- You can create subtasks and track them by setting custom reminders.
- Can’t finish a task? TickTick lets you postpone them in one click.
Could be better
- Lacks advanced collaboration features. It works for simple task management, but not for delegating tasks across teams.
Perfect for: Organizing daily tasks into categories.
Which planner app would I recommend?
If you’re tracking daily chores, Apple Reminders is good enough. However, if you’re like me and constantly fretting over missed deadlines, I’d suggest ByDesign. Otherwise, use TickTick, which, despite its simplicity, still offers useful task management features.
How did you manage your tasks without getting overwhelmed? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
