Imagine this:

You’re sitting in your office, or maybe at your kitchen table, sipping coffee and trying to plan your day. You have a meeting in an hour, a project deadline looming, and an ever-growing list of errands to run. As you frantically scribble notes and reminders on sticky notes and random scraps of paper, you can’t help but feel like there must be a better way to stay on top of it all.

Enter daily planner apps— these digital lifesavers help you plan, prioritize, schedule and streamline your day and your life, so you can conquer the chaos and focus on what matters most.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of daily planner software and highlight the 5 best free daily apps in 2024 with features available today.

Let’s begin.

What is the definition of Daily Planner apps?

A daily planner app is a task managment tool specifically designed to help you organize, schedule, and prioritize tasks, appointments, and other daily activities. These apps typically offer a wide range of features, such as task lists, calendars, reminders, time tracking, and goal setting, to keep you focused and on track. To be considered a top daily planner app, it must meet the following criteria:

• Free and open-source: Allows for accessibility and customization even if you don’t have much of money.

• Enhances productivity: Streamlines task management and helps you get more done in less time.

• Keeps things organized: Provides a clear and structured interface to manage tasks, events, and ideas.

• User-friendly: Intuitive design and ease of use, catering to users of varying technical expertise.

• Robust feature set: Provides a comprehensive suite of apps and functionalities designed to address a wide range of daily planning and organizing needs. This includes features such as an agenda planner, travel planner, schedule planner, and routine planner, ensuring well-rounded management.

15 Best Free Daily Planner Apps for 2024

1. AFFiNE

AFFiNE is an innovative and comprehensive free daily planner app designed to help you organize, manage, and collaborate on tasks, projects, and information. As a next-generation knowledge base, AFFiNE combines the best features of most daily planner apps like Notion and Miro into one powerful, flexible, and user-friendly platform. It focuses on data security, privacy, and collaboration, making it the perfect choice for managing your daily plans, personal knowledge repository, and team projects.

What you can do with AFFiNE’s key features:

• Write: Drag-and-drop blocks for easy paperwork

• Plan: Kanban & Database to better plan your daily arrangements

  • Unlike typical Kanban boards limited to tagging, we provide unparalleled customization. Now, you can classify based on almost any property, allowing for personalized categorization that aligns perfectly with your needs.

  

  • Experience synchronization between Kanban and table views. Any changes made in the Kanban view will automatically reflect in the corresponding table view. Enjoy the convenience of two ways to manage your data seamlessly.

• Draw: Switching to the whiteboard for Smooth drawing,visualization and creative brainstorming

  • Visualize and connect your daily ideas smoothly with better cartoon-style shape, slick pen, and connectors. No constraints. Limited only by your imagination. Ohhh, by the way, images now are supported to upload!! We just make everything easy for you, now you may enjoy your drawing time!

• Diversified concept maps templates

  • In AFFiNE's upcoming 0.11 release, we've curated a collection of the most requested templates, including the Gantt chart, Project Tracking Kanban, Monthly Calendar, Flowchart, and many more.

  AFFiNE’s Price:

In addition to those mentioned above, AFFiNE is a fantastic, completely free daily planner app that welcomes everyone to experience its powerful features, making it a delightful surprise for those seeking a comprehensive solution for their daily planning needs.

• Come and check with our latest Stable version, enjoy your creative moments.

• For more things related to AFFiNE, Come and check out our website: AFFiNE — All In One KnowledgeOS

• Wanna try it online:https://app.affine.pro/

2. Clickup

ClickUp is an outstanding productivity app and one of the top online planners designed for individuals and teams of all sizes to manage their to-do lists effectively.

Regardless of your role — be it a task manager, a student handling assignments, or a parent putting together a grocery list — ClickUp has the potential to be your ideal weekly planner app.

Here’s a quick look into some useful Clickup features:

• Task Management: Create and manage tasks, subtasks, and checklists to break down your daily plan into manageable steps. You can easily set priorities, due dates, and assign tasks to team members.

• Customizable Views: Choose from various views like list, board, calendar, and Gantt chart to visualize your daily plan in a way that suits your workflow best.

• Time Tracking: Use the built-in time tracking feature to monitor the time spent on tasks, helping you stay on track with your daily plan and improve productivity.

• Reminders and Notifications: Set reminders for important tasks and receive notifications about upcoming deadlines, ensuring you stay on top of your daily plan.

• Goal Setting: Define and track your goals in ClickUp, which helps you stay focused on the objectives that matter most in your daily plan.

Clickup Price:

ClickUp has a Free Plan, but it won’t cover all the funtionalities you need most, $5/user per month is necessary if there’s more you wanna do with clickup

Knowing more about AFFiNE or Clickup, which one is most suitable to you, can check this article: https://affine.pro/blog/seven-best-open-source-clickup-alternatives-2023

3.Notion

Notion is a versatile all-in-one workspace application designed to help users with note-taking, project management, and task organization. It has gained significant popularity among professionals and teams across various industries. As an excellent app for managing daily work plans, Notion’s flexibility and wide range of features cater to users with diverse requirements, making it a go-to choice for many.

• Tasks and to-do lists: Create tasks and to-do lists to track and manage your daily responsibilities.

• Project boards: Use Kanban-style project boards to visualize your daily work plan and monitor progress.

• Calendar view: Plan and schedule your tasks in a calendar view, making it easy to see what’s coming up in your daily work plan.

• Databases: Create and manage databases to store and organize information related to your daily tasks and projects.

• Templates: Use templates to quickly set up pages or databases for recurring tasks or projects, saving time in your daily planning.

Notion price:

Notion’s free plan still provides a comprehensive set of features for individual users and small teams. However, for those who need more advanced capabilities, collaboration options, and support, upgrading to a paid plan might be necessary.

Knowing more about AFFiNE or Notion, which one is most suitable to you, can check this article: 5 Best Open Source Alternatives to Notion (affine.pro)

4.Trello

Trello is a popular visual project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help you organize your daily tasks. With its simple, drag-and-drop interface, Trello is easy to use and offers a variety of integrations with other productivity tools.

• Create boards for projects or categories, lists for stages or tasks, and cards for individual tasks or subtasks, making it easy to organize and prioritize your daily schedule.

• Drag-and-drop Interface: Trello’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows you to quickly move tasks between different stages or lists, making it simple to update your daily work plan as priorities change.

• Due Dates and Reminders: Assign due dates to cards and receive reminders before the deadlines, ensuring that you stay on track with your daily work plan.

Trello price:

Trello also offers the Free Plan, but there are some limitations that might affect its usability for certain users or more complex projects. So you still need to pay extra $10 to have more useful features.

• Wanna read more comparison articles related to Trello, check this: 6 Best Project Management Tools to boost productivity in 2023 (affine.pro)

5.Todoist

Todoist is a popular to-do list and task management tool that helps you organize and prioritize your daily tasks. With its clean and user-friendly interface, Todoist offers features like due dates, recurring tasks, and reminders to help you stay on top of your daily plan.

• Task creation: Easily create tasks with deadlines, labels, and priorities to stay organized and focused on what matters most.

• Project organization: Organize tasks into projects and sections to visualize and manage your daily work plan more effectively.

• Recurring tasks: Set up tasks that repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or with a custom frequency to help you manage your routine activities.

Todoist price:

As a daigital daily planner,Todoist offers various pricing plans to cater to different users’ needs. These include a Free plan, a Premium plan, and a Business plan. However, the free plan doesn’t include reminders, which can be crucial for staying on track with daily tasks and deadlines.

6. Any.do

Any.do boasts an easily navigable interface, facilitating on-the-go creation of your daily plan. You can enhance your list with notes, attachments, and prioritize tasks using color-coded labels.

However, its integration with other daily planner apps is subpar, and the free version offers limited features. Let's explore the app's positive attributes – the "Any do-good" features.

Key Features of Any.do:

Receive location-based and recurring reminders.

Establish a family calendar for shared lists.

Utilize the "Moment" feature to focus on daily tasks individually.

Seamlessly sync data across all your devices.

Pricing:

Any.do offers a free version, while the paid plans start at $5.99 per month.

7. Things 3

Things 3 proves to be a solid planner app tailored for iOS devices. This versatile tool allows users to add notes, craft lists, create itineraries, check calendar events, and receive notifications on their Apple Watch.

However, one drawback is the absence of a free version, and Android users will need to explore alternative options as Things 3 lacks compatibility with their operating system.

Key Features of Things 3:

Generate interactive to-do lists.

Employ drag-and-drop functionality for list management.

Enhance visibility with checklist headings.

Efficiently search for crucial tasks across multiple lists.

Pricing:

Things 3 is available for a one-time cost of $9.99.

8. Google Calendar

People and teams alike use Google Calendar as their go-to calendar app.

It offers the flexibility to switch between various to-do list views and seamlessly syncs personal events from Gmail. An added benefit is the ability to manage multiple calendars within a single app(Apple Calendar).

However, a potential drawback lies in the visual complexity when dealing with multiple daily events. The time-list format, while comprehensive, may require scrolling, making it challenging to grasp a quick overview of your entire schedule. Perhaps it's time to explore alternatives by searching for "Google Calendar alternatives."

Key Features of Google Calendar:

Easily toggle between daily, weekly, and monthly views.

Efficiently search for tasks.

Set reminders and due dates for to-dos.

Connect and sync seamlessly across all your devices.

Pricing:

Google Calendar is available for free, with a paid plan starting at $5/user per month.

9. Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook has undergone a transformation, emerging as a versatile scheduling app. This revamped version seamlessly integrates with daily routine planner apps like ClickUp, providing an enhanced experience for managing your to-do list.

However, Outlook's drawback lies in its limited integration with other mailboxes and planners, making it somewhat of a solitary tool. Until this aspect is addressed, can Outlook alter your perspective?

Key Features of Microsoft Outlook:

Efficiently schedule tasks and events.

Collaborate seamlessly with Microsoft 365 groups.

Employ filters and grouping functionalities for effective task management.

Access any Microsoft Office tool on the go.

Pricing:

Outlook is free for personal use, while additional features can be unlocked under the Microsoft 365 plan, starting at $6.99/user per month.

10. ZenDay

Does ZenDay bring a touch of zen to your life?

This mobile app introduces a distinctive 3D display that dynamically scrolls as you tick off tasks on your to-do list. You have the flexibility to toggle between focusing on a single task or viewing the entire day's list at once.

However, it's worth noting that ZenDay lacks support for multiple task list views.

Key Features of ZenDay:

Tasks automatically scroll up in alignment with time.

Synchronize multiple calendars seamlessly.

Prioritize tasks through intuitive color-coding.

Utilize the debrief feature for a comprehensive daily task overview.

Pricing: Free

11. TickTick

TickTick stands out as an excellent student planner app, offering the ability to schedule tasks, set reminders, and create shareable lists. The app's simple calendar provides quick overviews of all your tasks.

However, it comes with a limitation in terms of integrations. Expect to navigate between apps, potentially leading to time wastage.

It seems like TickTick might allow time to tick away. ⏳

For a detailed comparison, explore Todoist vs. TickTick!

Key Features of TickTick:

Voice input for adding tasks.

Incorporates a Pomodoro feature for enhanced productivity.

Various calendar views for easy tracking of weekly or daily tasks.

Streamlined reminder settings for simplicity.

Pricing: TickTick offers a free plan, and its paid plan is priced at $27.99/user per year.

12. nTask

nTask has gained popularity as a task management app that facilitates the creation of collaborative tasks and setting deadlines. The platform includes a time tracker for monitoring tasks and online meetings schedule meetings efficiently.

However, it's worth noting that the app lacks the capability to attach documents and photos to your lists.

Key Features of nTask:

Team checklists and recurring lists for efficient task management.

Support for the Kanban method to enhance workflow.

Time tracker to boost productivity by monitoring tasks and online meetings.

Gantt charts for effective timeline management.

Pricing: The paid plan starts at $2.99/user per month.

13. Evernote

Evernote serves as a versatile daily planner app, catering to both students and professionals as a planner app.

It allows you to effortlessly jot down ideas and leverage various formatting options for personalized list organization.

However, it's essential to note that Evernote may not be the most budget-friendly planner app on this list. It seems like a wishful thought for Evernote to extend its capabilities to keeping track of your finances too.

Key Features of Evernote:

Capability to store handwritten notes. Integration with apps like Slack, Outlook, etc., for seamless collaboration. Ability to scribble notes and create list templates. Offline usability for added convenience. Pricing: Evernote offers a free plan, and its paid plan starts at $7.99/user per month.

14. Fantastical 2

Fantastical 2, designed for iOS devices, serves as both a calendar and task management app.

Its features include scheduling events, conference call detection, and weather forecasts, enhancing its functionality.

However, Fantastical 2 falls short in providing diverse view options and lacks compatibility with Android devices.

It appears that Fantastical 2 might not live up to its name.

Key Features of Fantastical 2:

Natural language support for easy scheduling. Seamless synchronization across multiple calendars. Recurring task-setting capabilities. Geofenced reminders for the most relevant tasks. Pricing: Fantastical 2 is available as a free planner app.

15. My Daily Planner

My Daily Planner incorporates essential features such as a calendar, to-do lists, and reminders.

This versatile calendar app allows the creation of nested checklists for more effective goal setting and automatically calculates your progress.

While the app offers a free version, it's important to note that not all features are accessible without in-app purchases.

Key Features of My Daily Planner:

Creation of folders to group tasks and to-do lists.

Setting unlimited reminders for any tasks.

Automatic task migration to the next day.

Tracker functionality available in offline mode.

Pricing:

My Daily Planner is available for free, with optional in-app purchases for additional features.

Which Daily Planner App offers the best solution?

While each of the daily planner apps discussed offers its own unique and appealing features, we encourage users to choose the ideal option based on their specific needs and pain points. However, with a humble perspective, we still propose that AFFiNE emerges as the ultimate winner in this evaluation, providing a comprehensive and versatile solution for daily task management and goals setting, catering to a wide range of user requirements.

AFFiNE is stable now, easy to get started and free to use, and we are continuing to build it into a more feature-rich and stable one. Come and join us on our journey over on our media platforms.