Let’s face it: we’re all busy. No matter what you do for a living or how you spend your time, the odds are that your days are packed with a variety of different things, and balancing them all can be a challenge.
That’s why people turn to planners. Planners offer a way for you to organise your life and stay on top of things. And of course, since nearly everything we do these days involves either our phones or our laptops, it’s no surprise that many people turn to digital planners as a way of scheduling and planning their days.
There are countless digital planners out there, and one of the popular ones is TickTick. As with most things, though, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario, and while TickTick may be the perfect planner for some, others may find it lacking.
That’s where this post comes in! I’m going to be sharing ten of the best alternatives to TickTick so that you can decide which one is best for you. I’m also going to share some pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
what is tickTick?
Before we can really get stuck into TickTick alternatives, it’s a good idea to start by defining what TickTick is. While it may sound similar to another digital app (cough, TikTok, cough) TickTick aims to improve your positivity, unlike TikTok, which often decreases it.
The pros
- It has a big emphasis on time management
- It has a clean and minimalist user interface
The cons
- There’s not a lot of room for customisation
- It doesn’t have any advanced features, so it’s not the best for team management
tickTick alternative #1: Todoist
Todoist is a great alternative to TickTick. It is one of the older planning apps, and the fact that it’s still many people’s go-to app shows how effective it is.
The pros
- You can add colours to prioritise your tasks
- You can add sub-tasks to your main tasks
The cons
- It’s not aimed at collaboration
- It’s very basic, so it’s not great for those who need advanced project management
TickTick alternative #2: Notion
Notion isn’t a planning app per se, but since you can create custom pages within its software, it can be used for anything – including planning.
The pros
- It’s highly customisable
- There are a variety of pre-made templates to pick from
The cons
- It can take a while to get used to the software
- It’s not designed solely for planning, so it lacks some features that may be useful
TickTick alternative 3: omniFocus
OmniFocus is great for those who want to stay on top of their planning across a variety of different areas of their lives.
Pros
- You can split tasks up according to their categories
- You can track your tasks to increase productivity
Cons
- It’s not the best for those who want to keep track of small things like their grocery lists
- It can be overwhelming to juggle multiple to-do lists rather than one cohesive one
TickTick alternative #4: UseMotion
UseMotion is more than just your average planner – it’s a virtual AI assistant that does a lot of the planning work for you. Its intuitive task management system makes it a great project management tool.
The pros
- It’s great for executives who don’t have time to set up their own schedules
- It schedules and plans events for you
The cons
- It can be pricey
- It’s a very niche software, so the average person likely won’t benefit much from it
TickTick alternative #5: atoms
Atoms is a bit different than the other options on this list since it’s a habit tracker, not a planning app. It was developed by James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits. This is a great option for those who are looking to implement smaller habits rather than looking at bigger task management
The pros
- Atoms helps you become a better person through habits, rather than just helping you plan your day
- It offers coaching and tips to help you execute on what’s important to you
The cons
- Since it’s not really a planning app but a habit tracker, it does have limited planning capabilities
- Habit trackers can lead to some people obsessing over perfection rather than consistency
tickTick alternative #6: asana
Asana is one of the biggest and most popular team management software, used in the workplace to collaborate and manage projects. It’s aimed at managing complex projects and has an arsenal of project management features to help it do so.
The pros
- You can easily assign tasks and deadlines to other team members, making it a collaborative tool
- It syncs with other team management tools
The cons
- It’s not well-suited to personal planning
- It’s also not ideal for managing smaller projects as it’s aimed at bigger, collaborative projects
TickTick alternative #7: forzeit
The next alternative to TickTick is Forzeit. Forzeit is a newer player in the digital planning game, but its intuitive weekly planner and AI reports help you not only plan your weeks but be more effective when doing so.
The pros
- Forzeit offers a digital cloud to help you keep track of your goals and upcoming tasks
- Forzeit’s AI assistant, Ava, will deliver a weekly report that tells you how effective you were in performing your tasks
The cons
- It’s still in the early phases, so there may be some developmental change
- It asks you hard questions like “Why did you not complete this task?” – so you need to be willing to do some introspection!
TickTick alternative #8: evernote
Evernote is a second-brain type planner, where you can store all your thoughts in the form of typed notes, voice notes, web clippings, and images. This makes it a great alternative to TickTick.
The pros
- Its variety of formats means you can use it as a digital diary in whatever way works for you
- It has a search function which allows you to ensure that you never lose any information
The cons
- For those who prefer a lot of structure in their planner, Evernote can feel a bit chaotic and disorganised
- It’s not specifically tailored to one type of person, so you need to play around with it to make it work for you and your life
TickTick alternative #9: Trello
Trello uses a board system that can be used for a variety of things, and many people use their boards to plan their days and projects. You can use it as a task management tool or a to-do list, and its drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to move tasks, duplicate recurring tasks, and mark off completed tasks.
The pros
- It’s great for visual people as it shows everything laid out
- It has a colour-coded system to allow you to track the progress of tasks
The cons
- Seeing everything at once can be overwhelming to some
- Just as with Notion, it’s not designed only for planning, so you need to set everything up to make it function as a planner
TickTick alternative #10: Monday.com
Monday.com is often compared to Asana as it’s also designed to cater to teams within a workplace, and promotes collaboration. It’s aimed at business users who need a business-focused planner.
The pros
- It has built-in workflows to make life easier
- It has its own internal communication option
The cons
- It won’t work well for personal planning
- It’s not great for very small companies who don’t have collaborative teams
The end
The first step to becoming a better version of yourself is to have a plan, and planners can help you do this (hence their name!)
However, we all have different things we look for in a planner, and what works for some won’t necessarily work for others. TickTick is a prime example of this. For some people, it ticks all their boxes, and for others, it’s lacking.
Hopefully, this post helps you find some other planner alternatives, and the pros and cons should help you decide which planner app will work best for your life right now.