Testing Schedule and Time Management Apps for Freelancers in 2024
Recently, I realised I needed to make a change.
I’ve always been a self-starter and found it easy to work without being managed by others. However, I was starting to feel as though my time wasn’t always being spent in the best way possible. Every day there seemed to be a lot to do and not enough hours.
So I looked into apps to help me better manage my daily schedule. If there’s one thing I learnt, it’s that I had way more time in a day than I thought I did.
I tested multiple apps during their free trial period and now I am collating all my thoughts and feedback into one blog post I hope will help you find the app that suits you best.
So let’s dive in!
The main apps I tested
An overview
Sunsama — best for time blocking and calendar maintenance
LifeAt — best for reducing distractions and taking notes
Ellie — best for tracking tasks
TickTick — best for extensive features and lower cost
Todist — best for to-do lists
Sunsama
Sunsama was a great app for time blocking. The drag and drop function meant I could easily move projects and tasks around, and the labels allowed me to separate tasks into their own channels. More than that, the analytics show you how you spend your time and how many hours in a day have been allocated by tasks.
Pros: clean interface, multi-view calendar and time blocking, calendar integration, easy drag and drop time blocker, daily planning and shutdown rituals, weekly review, Pomodoro timer and regular timer.
Con: more expensive, specific to time blocking so there are limits to other features. (The app is relatively new, though, and frequently updating.)
Free trial: 14 days
Price: $20 per month billed monthly / $16 per month billed annually
Platform: web browser, desktop app, smartphone app (desktop app recommended)
LifeAt
LifeAt felt quite unique in its design and approach. The aim is to reduce distractions and support focus, and it does that through simple, minimisable tabs and an open interface. There are three different "modes" — Focus mode with an immersive background and limited screen distractions (pictured above), Plan mode with calendar view and time blocking functions, and Explore mode featuring blog posts with tips, advice, and personal stories.
Pros: customisable backgrounds, music or ambient noises to help with focus, Pomodoro timer, calendar integration, time blocking, , notes section, meditation and breathing reminders, invites for team members, ability to join or host calls.
Cons: mid-range price, no fancy widgets or displays, no shutdown rituals or weekly reflection prompts.
Free trial: 7 days
Price: $12 per month
Platform: web browser, desktop app (desktop app recommended)
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Ellie
Ellie is a new app that is still expanding its features. It has a clean, simple interface that makes navigating extremely easy. Everything is in one place with a split view of the braindump section, calendar overview, and the day’s timebox. With simple drag and drop functions, managing tasks and creating my schedule was quick and easy.
Pros: clean interface, simple and intuitive design, easy drag and drop timeboxing, time tracker for billable hours, the brain dump sidebar is good for small admin tasks that need to be checked off, analytics can track how time is spent each day or week.
Cons: no daily planner or shutdown features, no Pomodoro timer, limited features in free plan — no timeboxing, no calendar integrations, no labels and filters, no recurring tasks.
Free trial: 14 days
Price: free / $9.99 per month / $99.99 annual
Platform: web browser, desktop app, iOS app
TickTick
TickTick has a similar interface and set up to Notion, with lists and checklists. TickTick’s interface can feel a little sparse at first compared to some of the other apps, with the left sidebar housing all the options and the rest of the screen often only being single view. However, despite appearances, TickTick actually possesses some fantastic features that are hard to get anywhere else, such as habit tracking and the Eisenhower Matrix (which categorises tasks into urgent, important, unimportant, not urgent).
Pros: Eisenhower Matrix, Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, calendar with a more customisable view (daily, weekly, two weeks, monthly, etc), a lot of different functions and options to make the app personalised and customisable to your needs, extremely cheap.
Cons: interface can feel messy or overwhelming when too many tabs or lists are open, can only view one page at a time (eg: can't see tasks and calendar), no calendar in free version.
Free trial: 7 days
Price: $3.99 per month / $35.99 annual
Platform: web browser, desktop app, smartphone app
Todoist
Todoist’s strength lies in task listing. If you’ve ever struggled with writing your to-do lists on scraps of paper that get lost, this is the solution. To-do lists and projects can be broken up into categories for easy filtering. Tasks can also be allocated to teams. With simple checklists, it makes ticking off tasks easy and satisfying.
Pros: simple concept, project sections where specific tasks can be broken down into sub sections with sub tasks, calendar integration, adding team members, very cheap.
Cons: the simple concept means features are limited, the interface can feel a little clunky, there are no timers or time trackers, no monthly calendar view, no time blocking.
Trial: 7 days
Price: £4 per month billed annually
Platform: web browser
Honourable mentions:
Lunatask, Routine, Morgen — simple calendar views and time blocking, Notion-like feel with check boxes. (All low- or mid-range prices.)
Motion — an AI planner that arranges tasks for optimum productivity. (A more expensive monthly option.)
Final word and my personal verdict:
While there is something commendable about each of the main apps I tested, there were definitely two that stood out to me most. These were Sunsama and LifeAt.
For me, Sunsama ranks second due to it being simple and easy to use. I also love a clean interface and the multi-view options. Plus, it’s a great option for people who love to reflect on their day or examine analytics.
Number one goes to LifeAt. It was only after testing the other apps that I came to fully appreciate it. While there is certainly the risk of getting carried away with finding the best immersive background, everything else about the app really worked for me personally. The Pomodoro timer was simple and easy to have in the corner of my screen. The daily tasks were easy to set up and manage, and I really appreciate having a note space that could be whatever I needed it to be (I’m a big note-taker and braindumper). I also enjoy background noise while doing creative tasks like working in Canva or scheduling posts. (The thunderstorm and fireplace sounds really helped me block out distractions and thoughts while I worked.)
Whatever you’re looking for, I would highly recommend trying as many free trials as you can and giving everything a go to see what suits your needs best. I hope this guide has been helpful. Happy time managing!
