This post will explain timeboxing tools and apps. Yet most of us don’t keep any track of our time. This leads to countless hours of procrastination followed by a sudden burst of anxiety as you have not completed your critical objectives and the day is already about to end. If this is the case with you, you are definitely not alone. In fact, there was a time when I was unable to write even 50 words per day for my agriculture blog.
Just like anyone else, I had that fear of getting started until I found a life-saving technique popularly known as Timeboxing, which completely pushed my life in a positive direction.
TimeBoxing is the process of blocking your time for a certain period in advance to complete a specific goal, and after that period gets over, you can move towards another task.
But during the timeboxed task, you should create a distraction-free environment so that you can focus solely on the task that you need to complete.
12 Best Timeboxing Tools and Apps In 2022
In this article, you can know about timeboxing tools and apps here are the details below;
Timeboxing is so reasonable that even busy entrepreneurs like Elon Musk use it daily to maximize their productivity and minimize time wastage.
Without wasting any more time, let’s discuss how these phenomenal tools can help you get your hardest things done in the most efficient manner.
Why Use TimeBoxing Technique?
They may teach you the important physics concepts, tallying balance sheets, analyzing data in Excel, etc, in school.
But one invaluable soft skill that almost no school/college teaches is time management skill. If you master managing your time, you are insanely unbeatable.
But doing it the right way requires you to follow the correct path and build systems that make your work easy.
Timeboxing tools specifically help us create a system planned for our day so that we can focus on what’s important.
It very well aligns with one of the Marcus Aurelius philosophies. He once preached that you should keep asking yourself the following question “Is this essential?”
And once you find the essential activities in your typical day, you can let Timeboxing do its magic.
Timeboxing, in short, is useful for the following reasons:
Helps in avoiding uncertainties and eventually reduces anxiety.
It gets you started even with highly monotonous task.
Aids you to get into the flow state quickly.
Helps you double down on the essentials and cut off the inessential.
With that out of the way, let’s deep dive into 12 amazing timeboxing tools you can use to transform your laziness into your superpower.
1. Akiflow
Akiflow is a multipurpose time-blocking tool that helps you boost your productivity by keeping track of your tasks and scheduling your time. Also check brain fm alternatives
It has a simple, clean interface that makes it easy to use, and it’s great for both personal and professional use.
Akiflow can help you:
Stay on top of your to-do list
Schedule your time
Get more done in less time
And a ton more!
You can think of Akiflow as a smart mediator that connects your arsenal of different productivity tools and techniques and helps you use them in the most effective way possible.
For instance, you can effortlessly integrate your Slack workspace with Akiflow to get real-time updates on your tasks and progress.
Creating tasks has never been easier. Like something specific in the article? Good, you’re two clicks away from turning that into a task.
What’s more, their universal inbox features blend all the tools that you regularly use into a single interface.
Key Features
Multi-purpose time-blocking tool
Real-time integrations
Turn anything (from the web) into tasks within two clicks
Alerts & notifications
Command bar
Pros
I like the interconnectedness of all the productivity tools. The interface is very user-friendly and straightforward.
Akiflow is the perfect mixture of a time-blocking and organization app.
It reduces the apps that you have to use to do the same amount of work because it has a universal inbox feature that incorporates all of the tools you use into one interface.
Cons
The mobile app is still in development and is not as user-friendly as the web app.
Besides that, I don’t see any cons.
Ratings
G2: 5/5
Capterra: 4.7/5
Pricing
Akiflow has a week free trial. Then you can upgrade to their paid plan that costs $15/month.
2. Sunsama
Before deep-diving into Sunsama’s traits and capabilities, I would like you to read what YCombinator’s president, Geoff Ralston has to say about Sunsama:
What does this mean?
Sunsama is not just a weird name that you previously thought of. It is rather one of the tools used by some of the bright minds of our era. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
If I were to describe why I love Sunsama in one word, it would be – interface.
They clearly understand the pain points of their users and therefore focus on building great tools that help you get out of that pain.
They follow a minimalist approach towards time management and believe in ‘less is more.’ If you are someone who wants to timebox in the most decluttered way, then go for Sunsama.
Key Features
Sunsama’s kanban-style board, user interface, and drag-and-drop features alone are enough to maximize your productivity twofold.
Just like most timeboxing tools, Sunsama allows seamless integrations with its peer tools such as Trello, Jira, Asana, etc.
Sunsama is like the Slack of communication regarding connecting with teams for project purposes.
It does a great job in setting up your daily workflow and sets you up in the right direction from dusk to dawn.
Pros
The learning curve to use Sunsama is lower.
Track time, to-dos, calendars, meetings, etc. all at one place in a decluttered manner.
Not only a good day-starter but also a great finisher at the end of the day (focuses on healthy work-life balance).
Cons
Need to use the web version to open the app on your smartphone.
The price is much higher than other tools such as Todoist.
Only have a 14-day free trial.
Ratings
G2: 4.6/5
Capterra: 4.7/5
Trust Radius: 7.5/10
Pricing
Sunsama’s standard pricing is 20$ per month and has a 14-day free trial for everyone.
Note: There is no specific pricing page, as of now. Therefore, you need to start a free trial by signing up from their homepage and after 14 days, they will ask for your credit card details to start a premium plan if you like their services (as depicted in the screenshot above).
3. Motion
Motion is an app that helps busy professionals manage their calendars, meetings, projects, and tasks in one place.
It has a clean and user-friendly interface, and it integrates with the popular calendar and email applications.
Motion helps your timebox by allowing you to view your calendar, schedule, to-dos, and projects in one place.
This makes it easy to see what tasks need to be completed and when they are scheduled. Additionally, Motion includes a timer feature that can be used to track time spent on tasks.
This is useful for ensuring that tasks are completed in a timely manner and for billing clients accurately.
Motion also allows you to create and manage projects, as well as create task lists. This helps keep track of all the moving parts of a project, and for delegating tasks to team members.
Key Features
View your calendar, schedule, to-dos, and projects in one place
Integrates with the popular calendar and email applications
Timer feature to track time spent on tasks
Create and manage projects
Create task lists
Pros
User-friendly interface
Integrates with the popular calendar and email apps
The timer feature is helpful for time management
Cons
Should integrate with more productivity apps
Ratings
Producthunt: 3.6/5
G2: 5/5
Pricing
Motion Pricing
Motion offers a week’s free trial and then charges $34/month on their Individual plan and $20/month/user on their Team plan.
4. Fantastical
If you’re looking for a better calendar + Timeboxing app, Fantastical is the answer.
Its design is inspired by the native macOS Calendar and Reminders apps, but with a focus on ease of use and a more natural language input.
Fantastical supports all the features you would expect in a calendar app, including event creation, task management, meeting scheduling, and more.
And with its unique natural language processing engine, Fantastical makes it easy to create new events and reminders using everyday language. Also check project management software
Fantastical has cross-platform support, meaning you can not only use it on your MacBook, but also on your iPhone, iPad, and even your iWatch. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
The Fantastical calendar app is incredibly versatile and easy to use. It can be used to add calendars for any occasion, from religious holidays to sports events.
Fantastical’s rich integration features allow users to access their calendars in a variety of ways.
For iCloud and Google accounts, users can simply enter their username and password and Fantastical will automatically connect to the account and add it to your list of available calendars.
In addition, Fantastical supports the Meetup API, so you can easily add your Meetup events to your calendar. And finally, Fantastical also integrates with fruux, so you can easily keep all of your calendars in sync across devices.
Key Features
The best design and user experience of any calendar app
Natural language input for creating new events and reminders
Cross-platform support for macOS, iOS, and watchOS
Integrates with iCloud, Google, Meetup, and fruux
Customizable calendar views
Rich event and reminder integration
Pros
Fantastical’s design is inspired by the native macOS Calendar and Reminders apps, making it familiar and easy to use.
The natural language processing engine makes it easy to create new events and reminders using everyday language.
Fantastical has cross-platform support, so you can use it on your MacBook, iPhone, iPad, and even your Apple Watch.
Cons
Fantastical doesn’t have a native app for Windows users, not even for the web.
The natural language processing engine isn’t perfect, so you may occasionally need to enter event and reminder details manually.
Ratings
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: 4.8/5
Pricing
Fantastical pricing
Fantastical offers a 14-day free trial and its Individual plan costs $4.99/month, while the plan for Families costs $7.99/month.
5. Morgen
Morgen.so is a calendar, task management, and meeting tool that can help you get more organized and productive. It has a variety of features that can help you manage your time and tasks, including:
A simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to add and manage events and tasks.
A powerful search tool that makes it easy to find specific events or tasks.
A calendar view that allows you to see your events and tasks for a specific day, week, month, or year.
A task list view that allows you to see all of your tasks at a glance This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
The ability to share your calendar and task list data with other Morgen.so users
Morgen supports over 7 different calendar apps and enables you to connect all of them at the same time in a single interface.
Its multi-time zone scheduling feature allows you to manage events and tasks in different time zones easily. You can even personalize your booking page with your own branding!
When it comes to task management, Morgen.so helps you get more done by allowing you to prioritize your tasks, set deadlines, and track your progress. You can connect tools like Todoist, Evernote, and Dropbox to make task management even easier.
Key Features
A simple and easy-to-use interface
Integrates with your favorite apps
Multi-time zone support for managing events in different time zones
Customizable booking page
Powerful task management features
Pros
Morgen.so makes it easy to get organized and be productive with its simple and easy-to-use interface.
It integrates with your favorite apps, which makes it even more convenient to use.
Multi-time zone support is a great feature for those who need to manage events in different time zones.
Cons
The task management features are not as robust as some of the other options (like Todoist).
Ratings
Product Hunt: 5/5
Pricing
Morgen offers a free plan, as well as a 14-day trial of its paid features. The Personal plan is $6/month while the Pro plan costs $14/month.
6. TimeHero
TimeHero is a project management tool that helps you get more done in less time. It’s perfect for busy people who need to manage their time better.
TimeHero is simple and easy to use. You can create tasks and projects, set deadlines, and track your progress. TimeHero will help you stay on track and get things done.
They have 3 separate tabs for the plan, work, and reports. You can connect Gmail and Google Calendar to your TimeHero account to make sure you’re always on top of your game.
Additionally, you can also integrate Slack for team communication and get real-time updates on your project’s progress. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
They also come with a productive time tracker (with timesheets) so you can see where you’re spending your time and how you can optimize your workflow.
Some of the other cool TimeHero features include – plan forecast, risk detection, team management, and more. What’s more, you can also add recurring tasks and projects so you never have to worry about forgetting something important.
Lastly, TimeHero also comes with workflow templates so you can easily get started with your project management.
Key Features
Simple and easy to use
Get real-time updates on your project’s progress
Time tracker
Recurring tasks and projects
Workflow templates
Pros
Helps you manage your time better
Comes with a productive time tracker
Has workflow templates to help you get started
Cons
You can connect Zoom but cannot connect Microsoft Teams (as of now)
Pricing can be a bit costlier for small businesses
Ratings
G2: 4.6/5
Capterra: 4.7/5
GetApp: 4.7/5
Pricing
TimeHero has a free trial of a week. Then, you can choose to upgrade to any of their paid plans:
Basic ($5/month)
Professional ($12/month)
Premium ($27/month)
7. Todoist
With countless people organizing their life with Todoist, it is one of the most prestigious platforms not only for creating to-do lists but for creating neat timeboxing schedules to set you up for a perfect day. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
Unlike many alternatives, Todoist makes you purely accountable for your tasks.
The Todoist shortcuts help create reminders, assign something to a person, assign a particular day, etc effortlessly.
You can track your most favorite projects by bookmarking them, prioritizing the projects according to their level of importance, delegating the tasks, and much more all for free.
The drag and drop feature interface makes it easy, even for a newbie, to easily blend in with the ecosystem.
If you are looking to timebox your schedule with minimal effort from your side, then you can give Todoist a solid try.
Key Features
Todoist’s minimalist UI followed by easy-to-use specialties will make you fall in love with the app from the first glance.
You can connect Todoist with Google Calendar, Dropbox, Amazon Alexa, etc, within a few clicks.
No matter whether you use a Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, or iOS, they have got you covered everywhere. Even in the apple watches.
With their keyboard shortcuts, you can save a truckload of time while creating your timeboxing schedule or anything else.
If you go with their ‘Pro’ or a ‘Business’ plan, you get a lot of additional cool features such as customizing the theme as per your mood, alerting yourself regarding any high priority task, etc.
Pros
Highly used and supported by millions.
One of the most easy-to-use timeboxing apps.
Premium plans are way affordable for anyone serious out there.
Integrate with various apps, browsers, and other devices seamlessly.
Cons
Not specifically built keeping in mind the concept of timeboxing.
Free users are limited to restricted features.
Ratings
G2: 4.4/5
Capterra: 4.6/5
Google Play: 4.7/5
Pricing
Besides the lifetime free plan offered by Todoist, their Pro plan starts at as low as $3 per month when billed annually. Similarly, the Business plan starts from $5.
8. Time Doctor
Time Doctor fixes the health of your time management issues.
If you are working as a solopreneur, a manager for the company, or even a gigantic organization, Time Doctor can slow down the time for you.
This is the first Timeboxing tool I have ever seen in my life that focuses very much on the customer’s safety and security, just like Apple.
This is the main reason millions around the world trust and use Time Doctor to gain peak performance and better control over their time. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
Although the core focus of this tool is on improving employee productivity, you can also use Time Doctor as a perfect supplement to your timeboxing deep hours.
The best thing about Time Doctor is their screen monitoring features.
Let’s say, for example, you face issues focusing on a critical task for a specified period. In this case, you can find an accountability partner (a friend, family member, etc) who can monitor your screen from their devices and eventually give you feedback.
This will not only help you stay concentrated during your focus hours but also help you in completing your goals quicker than you thought.
Key Features
Time Doctor is a professionally designed time tracking tool. There are no questions about ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ related to its usage.
It has the highest and most useful features specifically designed to maximize your output (Screen monitoring, Time tracking, Productivity hours reports, Distraction alerts, etc).
It is an easy-to-use tool with in-built security to protect your privacy.
Even if you are offline, Time Doctor helps you track your progress.
Pros
Easily integrates with over 65 apps.
Tracks chores as well as important tasks independently.
Best customer support in the market.
Cons
Webcam picture capability can sometimes concern an individual’s privacy.
Unlike its competitors, it does not provide lifetime free plans to its users.
The user interface could be improved.
Ratings
G2: 4.45
Trust Radius: 8/10
Capterra: 4.5/5
Pricing
TimeDoctor Pricing As Per the Members
Unfortunately, Time Doctor does not have a forever free plan. Nevertheless, they do provide a free trial for certain days.
Their premium plans are divided into three categories:
Basic ($7/month for 1 user)
Standard ($10/month for 1 user)
Premium ($20/month for 1 user)
If you are working in a team that consists of multiple members, then you can select a customized plan as per the number of employees working under/with you and cost will be incurred accordingly.
9. Toggl
Toggl is a timeboxing app that allows you to track your time and work more efficiently. It has a simple, clean interface that makes it easy to use, and it’s packed with features that can help you get more done in less time.
With Toggl, you can start and stop timers with just a few clicks, and see how much time you’ve spent on each task. Also check hiring platforms for startups
You can also set up recurring timers for tasks that you do regularly, so you don’t have to keep starting and stopping them manually.
Toggl also lets you track your productivity over time, so you can see how well you’re doing and identify areas where you could improve. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
And if you need to collaborate with others, Toggl has a team-based feature that lets you share timers and see how everyone is doing.
The great automatic time tracking with classical features like the Pomodoro timer, productive dashboard, and detailed reports make Toggl a valuable tool for anyone who wants to be more productive.
Key Features
Simple, clean interface
Start and stop timers with just a few clicks
Set up recurring timers
Track your productivity over time
Team-based collaboration features
Integrates with over 100 apps
Pros
Great way to keep track of your time and work more efficiently.
Simple, clean interface that makes it easy to use.
Recurring timers to make life easier.
Team collaboration features are fantastic.
Cons
None that we could find!
Ratings
G2: 4.6/5
GetApp: 4.7/5
TrustRadius: 9/10
Pricing
Toggl offers a completely free plan and also a 30-day free trial for all the premium plans. The Starter plan costs $10/month/member while the Premium plan costs $20/month/member.
10. Llama Life
Llama Life is a productivity app that helps you focus on what’s important and get things done.
It features a simple, clean interface that makes it easy to use, and it’s packed with powerful features to help you get more done in less time.
Features like task prioritization, task management, and goal setting help you stay on track & create the most of your time.
Plus, Llama Life integrates with popular productivity tools like Evernote and Google Calendar to make getting things done even easier.
The Soundscapes feature is also a great way to relax and de-stress, with soothing sounds to help you relax and focus.
Lastly, Smart Shortcuts are a great help when you need to quickly get your tasks down and save time.
Key Features
Task management
Goal setting
Time tracking
Habit formation
Focus mode
Pros
Simple, clean interface
Features packed with powerful productivity features
Integrates with popular tools like Evernote and Google Calendar
The soundscapes feature is great for relaxation and focus
Smart shortcuts are very helpful in saving time.
Cons
It may be too simple for some users
Some features (like Notion and Todoist integration) are only available in the paid version.
Ratings
Producthunt: 4/5
Pricing
Llama Life Pricing
Llama has a forever-free plan. Their Extra Focus plan costs $6/month.
11. Plan
Trusted by blue-chip companies such as Uber and J.P Morgan, Plan is one of the most underrated apps that can help you throughout your timeboxing journey. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
Plan is the first app I have ever seen that combines the calendar and the project management so smoothly.
Using the app, you will seldom have to visit different pages to do different things.
Be it your calendar, working timeline, or managing a team project. Plan helps you get all of these accomplished in a single-page interface.
The UI is soothing to the eyes and is very easy to read and understand.
Besides organizing your life and blocking your time for important tasks, Plan also connects easily with platforms such as Github, Salesforce, etc.
According to them, an individual or a team saves an average of 15 hours every week by using their app, which is insanely amazing.
Key Features
The GetPlan app provides great customer service with 24/7 live chat support. They can solve any of your technical queries within minutes if not seconds.
The plan provides all your productivity tools in a single dashboard. You have got a calendar and daily agenda planner for time and task tracking, project management, etc, all in one place.
It comes with features such as Kanban drag and drop board, milestone tracking, time and expense tracker, agile methods, etc.
Unlike its peers such as Slack and Asana, it is somehow more affordable.
Pros
Stupidly easy to use the timeboxing app.
Comes with awesome customer service.
Created so that it keeps you from being distracted (attention to detail).
Cons
Everything presented on a single page may freak some people out.
Does not provide more advanced features such as automation or rule creation.
Creating a working timeline can be very confusing at times.
Ratings
G2: 4/5
Capterra: 4/5
Pricing
Either you are an individual or a team (of up to 4 members), you get to use it free forever.
However, if you choose to go with their premium plan, the basic premium plan named ‘personal’ starts with as little as $4/month.
12. TickTick
TickTick is a highly popular to-do and time tracking app used by celebrities ranging from MKBHD to gigantic sites such as the LifeHacker.
Just like the name, TickTick is unique in what they offer. They are not just a copycat of a typical to-do app.
Some of the features offered by TickTick are not available elsewhere.
Besides offering features such as natural language parsing, assigning due dates, and drag and drop, TickTick also comes up with totally distinct features such as white noises (music to focus on) and Pomodoro timer, all within the app.
There is also a section for achievements where it rewards you with a badge and confetti every time you reach certain milestones. This is another timeboxing tools and apps.
The sections for summary and statistics are also portrayed cleanly and elegantly. A pie chart helps you better understand your performance and how you can improve them.
Key Features
Built with features that make your life easier. Some of those features include voice input, mobile widgets, location reminders, mentioning task duration, natural language processing, etc.
Smart lists, super-specific filters, tags, multi-priority, searching, and sorting make the app very friendly and enjoyable to use.
You can view all the different calendars in one place. Thanks to color coding, it will never confuse you.
TickTick comes with a lot of white noises that set your mood and environment.
Pros
Customized filters and priority labels help you focus on crafting an excellent timeboxing schedule.
One-stop tool for calendar, time-tracking, and to-dos.
Cons
Reminders are not as effective as those of Google calendar.
Features such as white noises, Pomodoro timer, and reminders for specific items are not available in the free plan.
Ratings
G2: 4.6/5
Capterra: 4.8/5
Trust Radius: 8.9/10
Pricing
For the premium plan of TickTick, you need to pay at least $27.99 per year, which is less than $2.4 per month.
Pen & Paper
Lastly, if you are someone who likes to journal and arrange important ideas in a physical book rather than typing, then creating a timeboxing schedule with your hand on plain paper can be another way to go.
The good thing about this is that you have complete control over your design, system, and process.
While the negative of maintaining your calendar on a book is that you will have to put higher effort every day unless you buy a calendar book that does half the job for you.
I have seen many of my friends creating their daily study and extracurricular activity timetables on a book rather than preserving it digitally.
Finally, it all depends on the choices and preferences of an individual.
That’s It From Me
This was all about the best Timeboxing tools and apps.
Honestly, there are tons of productivity tools out there, and choosing from infinite becomes a huge problem.
To solve that problem, we have curated a list of the 12 best timeboxing applications that you can rely on.
