The 12 Best Timeboxing Apps in 2024

Have you ever found yourself with a million tasks on your to-do list and not enough hours to complete them? 

Timeboxing is a focus time management technique that breaks your workflow into short, concentrated bursts of work followed by short breaks. This allows you to optimize your focus and be more productive overall. 

Studies have shown that timeboxing helps you prioritize your most important tasks, avoid distractions, and feel less overwhelmed. With the rise of remote and hybrid work, having a dedicated timeboxing app is critical to staying on track. 

This post will review 12 of the best timeboxing apps to help you discover new tools that can supercharge your productivity.

Whether you’re a solopreneur, knowledge management worker, or employee, these time-blocking apps offer features to suit various workstyles and help you make the most of your time.

What Are The Best Timeboxing Apps?

If you’re looking for ways to master your time and achieve more each day, timeboxing apps are the perfect time management software. Let’s dive into these options:

1. Sunsama – Best Overall Time Blocking App
2. TickTick – Best Runner-Up Time Blocking App
3. Motion – Best AI-Powered Time Blocking App
4. Todoist – Best Timeboxing App For To-do Lists
5. Akiflow – Best Simple Time Blocking App
6. Freedom – Best Time Blocking App to Remove Distractions
7. Google Calendar – Best Time Blocking Calendar App
8. Notion & Notion Calendar – Best Time Blocking Project Management Tool
9. Rize – Best Time Tracking App for Personal Insights
10. Timely – Best AI-Powered Time Tracking App
11. Toggl – Timely – Best Time Time Tracking App
12. Pomofocus – Best Simple Pomodoro Timer

1) Sunsama – Best Overall Time Blocking App

Overview

Sunsama wants to make work-life balance a reality. It’s a fantastic tool for those who feel overwhelmed by daily planner tasks.

Sunsama helps you plan your day thoughtfully, schedule tasks on your calendar, and gives you the focus to get things done. Plus, it connects seamlessly with your favorite to-do list apps!

Key Benefits

• Seamlessly syncs with Google Calendar, Trello, Asana, and more
• Helps prioritize tasks based on importance and deadlines
• Encourages a daily planning session to set intentions and focus
• Share plans and coordinate with your team effortlessly
• Offers insights into how you spend your time, empowering better decisions
• Tailor your calendar and task views to suit your preferences

Pricing

When it comes to investing in your productivity, Sunsama offers a straightforward approach. The journey begins with a free trial, allowing you to explore its features thoroughly. After that, the first paid plan starts at $20 per month, providing comprehensive access to Sunsama’s game-changing features.

2) TickTick – Best Runner-Up Time Blocking App

Overview

TickTick emerges as a standout choice for those looking to enhance their time management skills through time blocking. Known for its versatility and user-friendly interface, TickTick helps you organize your tasks and encourages a more productive and structured day.

Whether planning your work schedule, managing personal tasks, or setting reminders, TickTick adapts to your lifestyle, enabling you to maximize every minute of your day efficiently.

Key Benefits

• Organize your tasks easily, set priorities, and track your progress
• Adapt your schedule with easy-to-adjust time blocks and integrated calendars
• Build and monitor daily habits to foster discipline and achieve your long-term goals
• Manage your tasks from any device and even on a desktop app, ensuring your plans are always within reach
• Personalize your app experience with various themes to suit your mood or preference
• Share tasks and collaborate with others to streamline joint projects or plans

Pricing

TickTick’s pricing is designed to offer value, starting with a premium plan at $35.99 (less than $3/month). This plan unlocks enhanced features, including advanced project management tools and customization options to tailor the app to your needs.

3) Motion – Best AI-Powered Time Blocking App

Overview

Motion is like having an intelligent assistant manage your schedule. It uses AI to learn your work patterns, suggests the best times to focus on tasks, and even automatically builds your daily schedule.

If you’re tired of manually planning your days, Motion is designed to streamline your schedule.

Key Benefits

• Harness the power of AI to plan and adjust your schedule for maximum efficiency automatically
• Adapt to changes in your day without the stress of manual rearrangements
• Monitor your productivity trends and receive personalized recommendations
• Connect with your favorite tools and platforms for an integrated workflow
• Ensure your most important tasks always get the attention they deserve
• Minimize distractions and stay on track with dedicated focus sessions

Pricing

Stepping into AI-driven time management with Motion is an investment in your productivity. The first paid plan starts at $34 per month, and you unlock full access to a suite of features that redefine effective scheduling.

4) Todoist – Best Timeboxing App For To-do Lists

Overview

Todoist offers a streamlined approach to integrating timeboxing into your daily routine, focusing on the power of to-do lists to structure your day. Renowned for its simplicity and effectiveness, Todoist allows you to create, manage easily, and complete tasks, providing a clear overview of your day, week, or month ahead. 

This app is designed to help you break down your goals into manageable tasks. It ensures that you stay focused and productive throughout your day while keeping track of your progress and upcoming responsibilities.

Key Benefits

• Create tasks and subtasks to break down your goals into achievable steps
• Assign priority levels to tasks, helping you focus on what matters most
• Visualize your accomplishments with productivity trends and task completion statistics
• Share tasks and projects with others, facilitating teamwork and accountability
• Set up alerts to ensure you never miss a deadline or forget a critical task
• Access your to-do lists from anywhere, on any device, keeping your plans always at your fingertips

Pricing

Embracing productivity with Todoist doesn’t have to strain your wallet. The journey begins with a robust free version, while the first paid plan starts at $5 per month and offers a comprehensive upgrade to supercharge your time management efforts.

5) Akiflow – Best Simple Time Blocking App

Overview

Akiflow is all about streamlining your workflow. It combines your calendar and task lists into one clean view, making it easy to schedule focused work sessions.

If you’re tired of jumping between different apps, Akiflow brings everything together for a seamless timeboxing experience.

Key Benefits

• Easily create and manage tasks with a few clicks or keyboard shortcuts
• Sync with your calendars for a unified view of your day and week
• Dedicate time blocks for deep work, minimizing interruptions and boosting productivity
• Quickly add tasks, events, and reminders without breaking your workflow
• Stay informed about upcoming tasks and deadlines without getting overwhelmed
• Gain insights into how you spend your time and make informed adjustments

Pricing

Begin your journey to more focused and productive days with Akiflow. Start with the Pro plan, which is billed monthly at $34. This plan provides comprehensive tools to manage your time effectively, ensuring your schedule supports your goals.

6) Freedom – Best Time Blocking App to Remove Distractions

Overview

Freedom is your go-to app if your main goal is to eliminate distractions and boost productivity through effective time blocking. This app empowers you to focus on what truly matters by blocking distracting websites and apps across all your devices. 

With Freedom, you can tailor your environment to foster deep focus, allowing you to commit wholeheartedly to your tasks. Its intuitive design and robust functionality make it an excellent ally in reclaiming time and concentrating on your most meaningful work.

Key Benefits

• Synchronize distraction-free periods across all your devices
• Tailor which websites and apps are off-limits to suit your specific focus needs
• Plan your distraction-free time to align with your timeboxing schedule
• Prevent tweaks to your settings during focused sessions to ensure commitment
• Understand your habits with detailed reports on your app and website usage
• Use Freedom on any device, ensuring a consistent focus environment

Pricing

Enhance your concentration with Freedom, starting with the Premium plan at $8.99 per month. This investment unlocks full access to all features, enabling you to create an optimal, distraction-free workspace tailored to your productivity needs.

7) Google Calendar – Best Time Blocking Calendar App

Overview

Google Calendar is your digital planner that simplifies time management with unparalleled ease and efficiency. It’s more than just a calendar; it’s a versatile tool that integrates seamlessly into your daily life, helping you to organize your schedule, set reminders, and prioritize your tasks. 

With its intuitive design, Google Calendar allows you to visualize your day, week, or month at a glance, making time-blocking a natural part of your routine. Whether planning work meetings, blocking out time for deep focus, or scheduling personal events, Google Calendar ensures you never miss a beat.

Key Benefits

• Works effortlessly with other Google services and third-party apps
• Choose how you view your calendar – daily, weekly, monthly, or agenda
• Get notified about upcoming events through email or pop-up notifications
• Easily share your calendar or specific events with others
• Organize your tasks and events by color for quick visual reference
• Access your calendar from any device, anywhere, at any time

Pricing

Google Calendar is free to use, offering robust time management capabilities without any cost. For those requiring more advanced features, such as greater security or administrative controls, Google Workspace plans begin at $6 per user per month.

8) Notion & Notion Calendar – Best Time Blocking Project Management Tool

Overview

Notion & Notion Calendar are your go-to tools for integrating robust project management capabilities with effective time blocking. Notion is an all-in-one workspace where you can organize tasks, notes, projects, and schedules, while the Notion Calendar provides a visual timeline of your commitments. 

This all-in-one tool offers a flexible and dynamic environment where you can align your tasks and projects with specific time slots, ensuring focused and productive work periods. Whether planning complex projects, managing daily tasks, or using Notion AI, it helps you maintain clarity and momentum.

Key Benefits

• Combine notes, tasks, databases, and calendars in a single, cohesive platform
• Use the Notion Calendar to time block your schedule visually and stay on track
• Tailor your workspace with templates that fit your workflow and project needs
• Share pages and collaborate in real-time with team members or stakeholders
• Connect with other apps to streamline your workflow and centralize information
• Work on your projects and access your information even without an internet connection

Pricing

You can get started with Notion for free, with basic features suitable for personal use. The Team plan starts at $10 per member per month for more advanced capabilities, offering additional collaboration features and workspace capabilities.

9) Rize – Best Time Tracking App for Personal Insights

Overview

Rize isn’t just a time-tracking app; it’s a personal productivity coach that offers you deep insights into how you spend your time. By analyzing your work patterns, Rize identifies areas where you excel and aspects you can improve, turning data into actionable advice. 

Whether you’re looking to enhance focus, reduce interruptions, or balance different types of work, Rize provides the clarity and guidance you need. Its thoughtful integration of time tracking with productivity insights helps you to understand your habits better and make informed decisions to boost your efficiency.

Key Benefits

• Effortlessly records how you spend your time without manual input
• Delivers tailored reports on your work habits and productivity trends
• It helps you identify your most productive periods to optimize your schedule
• Enables you to set and track SMART goals for continuous improvement
• Identifies and helps you manage disruptions in your work
• Presents data in an intuitive, easy-to-understand format

Pricing

Step up your productivity game with Rize, starting at just $16.99 per month. This investment provides comprehensive insights into your work habits, helping you become more efficient and focused.

10) Timely – Best AI-Powered Time Tracking App

Overview

Timely takes the hassle out of time tracking with its AI-powered approach, turning what used to be a mundane task into a seamless part of your day. Imagine not having to start or stop timers or fill out timesheets manually. 

With Timely, everything is handled automatically as it learns your habits and preferences, accurately capturing how you spend your time across different tasks and projects. This app isn’t just about tracking time; it’s about freeing up more of it so you can focus on what truly matters. 

Whether freelancing or outsourcing work, managing projects, or just looking to optimize personal productivity, Timely offers a more innovative way to measure and manage your time.

Key Benefits

• Automatically records your tasks and time spent, requiring minimal input from you
• Offers detailed insights into how much focus time every project consumes, helping you stay on budget
• Enables team leaders to oversee project progress and team members’ workload without micromanaging
• Prioritizes your privacy by keeping the details of what you work on visible only to you
• Provides analytics on your work patterns, identifying areas for efficiency improvements
• Works effortlessly across all devices, ensuring you’re always in sync

Pricing

Step into the future of time management with Timely’s first paid plan, designed to offer a comprehensive overview of your work life, starting at $11 per user per month with a max of five users. 

11) Toggl – Best Time Time Tracking App

Overview

Toggl stands out for its simplicity and power, making it easy for you to get started with tracking time without a steep learning curve. With just a few clicks, you’re on your way to uncovering insights about how you spend your hours, helping you become more productive and efficient. 

With Toggl, it’s not just about counting minutes; it’s about understanding and optimizing your work habits. Whether juggling multiple projects across different platforms or needing to report your productivity to clients or team leaders, Toggl offers a streamlined solution that fits effortlessly into your workflow.

Key Benefits

• Start and stop tracking with a single click, keeping the focus on your work
• Generate comprehensive reports that break down your time by project, client, or task
• View team progress in real-time, helping you manage resources and deadlines more effectively
• Use Toggl on any device, syncing your data seamlessly across platforms
• Leverage historical data to predict time requirements for future projects
• Connects with over 100 apps to streamline your workflow

Pricing

Unlock the full potential of time tracking with Toggl Track, starting with the Starter plan at $10 per user per month. This plan includes comprehensive tracking and reporting features, which are ideal for individuals and teams looking to optimize their time management.

12) Pomodor – Best Simple Pomodoro Timer

Overview

Pomodor emerges as the quintessential tool for those embracing the Pomodoro Technique. It offers a straightforward, efficient way to boost productivity through focused work sessions. This task management app is designed to help you maintain a clear focus, encouraging short, intense periods of work followed by brief breaks.

Its simplicity is key. It allows you to start a work session with just one click and minimizes distractions so you can concentrate on the task at hand. Whether tackling a single project or juggling multiple tasks, Pomodor provides the structure you need to work smarter and achieve more.

Key Benefits

• Jump straight into focused work sessions without any fuss
• Adjust work and break intervals to suit your personal productivity rhythm
• Note what you’re focusing on during each Pomodoro session for better tracking
• Receive alerts when it’s time to start or end a session, keeping you on track
• Monitor your daily and weekly progress to stay motivated and improve your work habits
• Access your Pomodoro timer across different devices for continuity

Pricing

Enhance your focus with Pomodo for free so you can try the basics and see if you enjoy the workflow

What Are Timeboxing Apps?

Timeboxing apps are your productivity superpowers! They help you manage your time by dividing your day into focused blocks.  Each block is dedicated to a specific task – no distractions are allowed. It’s like creating mini-deadlines for yourself, which helps you stay on track and get more done.

Think of it this way: sometimes you have a huge to-do list, which feels overwhelming. Timeboxing apps help you break down those big tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, making it easier to focus and avoid feeling stuck.

How Can Timeboxing Apps Benefit You?

Timeboxing apps can help you take control of your day and achieve way more. They break down large, overwhelming projects into smaller, more manageable steps. This enables you to fight procrastination and start progressing, even on those tasks that make you anxious.

Ever feel like you’re constantly getting sidetracked? Timeboxing apps keep you focused by dedicating specific time slots for particular tasks. These little “mini-deadlines” create a sense of urgency and help you resist the urge to check your email or scroll through social media every five minutes.

With timeboxing apps, you can create a better work-life balance. Schedule designated blocks for work tasks and other things like relaxing, family time, or hobbies. This keeps you from feeling like work constantly takes over every minute of your day.

What Features Should You Look For In Timeboxing Apps?

Not all timeboxing apps are created equal! Before you choose one, consider these key features:

• Ease of Use: A good app makes timeboxing simple, not complicated. Look for an intuitive interface and a quick set-up process.
• Customizable Timers: Choose an app that allows you to adjust the length of workstocks and breaks to suit your preferences.
• Integration with Your Calendar: Some apps sync with your existing calendar (like Google Calendar) to seamlessly schedule your time blocks and other appointments.
• Reporting and Insights: Want to track your progress? Some apps offer statistics and reports showing how you spend your time and where you might improve.

Consider which features matter most for your work style and productivity goals!

Buyers Guide: How We Conducted Our Research

In our quest to identify the best timeboxing apps for you in 2024, we meticulously examined many factors to ensure you receive comprehensive and reliable recommendations. Here’s how we conducted our research:

1. Pricing Evaluation: We closely analyzed the cost associated with each app to assess value for money. We considered various pricing plans, including free versions, premium features, and subscription models, to understand what you would receive at different price points.
2. Feature Analysis: We delved into each timeboxing app’s core and unique features, identifying which functionalities stand out and how they can benefit productivity and time management. We looked for tools that offer customization, ease of use, integration capabilities, and unique selling points that set them apart.
3. Identifying Drawbacks: No product is without its flaws, so we made it a point to uncover any negatives associated with each timeboxing app. Whether it’s limitations in functionality, user experience issues, or lack of certain features, we aimed to present you with a balanced view.
4. Support and Community Engagement: Understanding that robust support and an active community can significantly enhance your experience, we investigated the level of customer service, community engagement, and resources available for each app. Additionally, we assessed whether the developers offer refund policies or satisfaction guarantees.

Considering these critical aspects, we aimed to provide a thorough and unbiased overview, empowering you to choose an app that aligns with your needs, preferences, and budget.

Final Thoughts on Timeboxing Apps

Timeboxing apps can be your secret weapon if you often feel overwhelmed by your to-do list. They help you break down big projects, minimize distractions, and get more done in less time.  The key is finding an app that suits your style and needs.

With so many great options, you’ll find the perfect timeboxing companion to boost your productivity!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What’s the difference between timeboxing and time blocking?

Timeboxing and time blocking are similar, but there’s a key difference. Timeboxing assigns specific tasks to your time blocks, while time blocking is simply scheduling a chunk of time for a broader category (like “deep work” or “email”).

Are timeboxing apps suitable for everyone?

Timeboxing can be a powerful tool for many people. If you struggle with procrastination, feel easily overwhelmed by tasks, or get distracted frequently, timeboxing apps can provide structure and focus.

What if I don’t like the feeling of being so structured?

Start small! Try timeboxing for one or two of your most challenging tasks daily. The increased focus on a single item frees rather than restricts.

Can I use a timeboxing app with other productivity systems?

Definitely! Timeboxing integrates well with techniques like the Pomodoro method or GTD (Getting Things Done). Experiment to see how it complements your other tools.