There are approximately 10,000 time management apps claiming they'll "revolutionize your productivity."

Spoiler: Most of them won't.

We tested over 50 time management apps to find the ones that actually deliver. Not the ones with the prettiest UI or the most features—the ones that help you get stuff done.

Here are the 15 best time management apps in 2025, organized by what you actually need them for.

How We Tested These Apps

We didn't just download apps and look at screenshots. We used each app for at least 2 weeks with these criteria:

1. Does it actually save time? (Or just add another system to manage?) 2. Is the learning curve worth it? (Complicated ≠ better) 3. Does it work across devices? (Desktop, mobile, web) 4. Is the free version usable? (Or crippled to force upgrades?) 5. Does it integrate with real workflows? (Or exist in isolation?)

Now, the winners.

Best Overall Time Management Apps

1. Todoist - Best All-Around Task Manager

Price: Free / Pro $4/month

What it does: Task management, project organization, recurring tasks, priorities

Why it wins:

Clean, intuitive interface
Natural language input ("tomorrow at 3pm" works)
Works everywhere (desktop, mobile, web, browser extension)
Generous free plan
Quick capture (add tasks in seconds)

Best for: People who want simple but powerful task management without complexity overload

Downside: Lacks built-in time blocking features

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

2. Motion - Best AI-Powered Planning

Price: $34/month (pricey but worth it for some)

What it does: AI automatically schedules your tasks based on deadlines, priorities, and calendar

Why it's worth the cost:

Automatically adjusts your schedule when meetings change
Prevents over-scheduling
Intelligent task prioritization
Combines calendar + tasks seamlessly

Best for: Knowledge workers with lots of meetings and complex schedules

Downside: Expensive. Steep learning curve.

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) - Loses a star for price

3. TickTick - Best Value for Money

Price: Free / Premium $2.79/month

What it does: Tasks, calendar, Pomodoro timer, habit tracking, notes

Why it's underrated:

Built-in Pomodoro timer (genius)
Habit tracking included
Calendar view
Collaboration features
Ridiculously cheap premium plan

Best for: People who want an all-in-one solution without paying $15/month

Downside: Interface isn't as polished as Todoist

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Best bang for buck

Best for Focus & Time Blocking

4. FocusFlow Pomodoro Timer - Best Pomodoro App (We're Biased But Also Right)

Price: Free

What it does: Pomodoro timer with task management, stats, customizable intervals

Why we recommend it (besides making it):

No account needed
Works offline
ADHD-friendly features
Completely free
No distracting features

Best for: Anyone who needs to actually focus instead of managing productivity apps

Downside: Lacks project management features (by design—it does one thing well)

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Obviously

5. Sunsama - Best for Daily Planning

Price: $20/month (expensive)

What it does: Daily planning with time blocking, calendar integration, review rituals

Why people love it:

Forces you to plan your day
Beautiful, calming interface
Integrates with Todoist, Asana, Trello, etc.
Daily shutdown ritual

Best for: People who struggle with planning and need structured guidance

Downside: Expensive. Only worthwhile if you use it daily.

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

6. Structured - Best for Visual Time Blocking

Price: Free / Pro $6/month

What it does: Visual daily timeline, task scheduling, time awareness

Why it works:

Visually see where your day goes
Drag-and-drop scheduling
Beautiful design
Great for ADHD (visual + structured)

Best for: Visual thinkers and people who need to see their day laid out

Downside: Mobile-only (iOS/Android, no desktop)

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Best for ADHD

7. Goblin Tools - Best for Task Breakdown

Price: Free

What it does: Breaks down overwhelming tasks into tiny steps using AI

Why ADHD brains love it:

"Write report" becomes 8 manageable micro-tasks
Reduces task initiation resistance
Magic ToDo feature is brilliant
Completely free

Best for: Anyone who gets paralyzed by big tasks

Downside: Doesn't manage your tasks long-term, just breaks them down

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Game-changer for ADHD

8. Tiimo - Best Visual Planner for ADHD

Price: Free / Premium $9.99/month

What it does: Visual daily planner with icons, colors, timers, and reminders

Why it's ADHD-friendly:

Color-coded activities
Visual icons
Built-in timers
Gentle reminders
Routine-building features

Best for: ADHD, autism, or anyone who thinks visually

Downside: Premium features are expensive

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Best for Teams/Collaboration

9. Asana - Best for Project Management

Price: Free / Premium $10.99/user/month

What it does: Project management, task assignment, timelines, team collaboration

Why teams use it:

Clear task ownership
Progress tracking
Multiple views (list, board, timeline)
Integrations with everything

Best for: Teams managing complex projects

Downside: Overkill for personal use

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

10. Notion - Best for Customization

Price: Free / Personal Pro $5/month

What it does: Literally anything you want (notes, tasks, databases, wikis)

Why people obsess over it:

Infinitely customizable
All-in-one workspace
Beautiful templates
Great for documentation

Best for: People who want to build their perfect system

Downside: Setup takes forever. Easy to spend more time organizing than doing.

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) - Great but can become procrastination

Best Simple/Minimalist Options

11. Things 3 - Best for Apple Users

Price: $9.99 (iOS), $49.99 (Mac) - one-time purchase

What it does: Beautiful, simple task management

Why Apple users love it:

Gorgeous interface
Fast and responsive
Natural gestures
No subscription

Best for: Apple ecosystem users who want simple elegance

Downside: Apple-only. No collaboration features.

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) for Apple users

12. Any.do - Best Minimalist App

Price: Free / Premium $3/month

What it does: Simple task management with calendar integration

Why it works:

Dead simple
Voice input
Calendar view
Location-based reminders

Best for: People overwhelmed by feature-rich apps

Downside: Too basic for complex projects

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Best for Time Tracking

13. Toggl Track - Best Time Tracker

Price: Free / Starter $10/month

What it does: Time tracking with reporting, project allocation

Why freelancers love it:

One-click time tracking
Detailed reports
Billable hours tracking
Integrates with project tools

Best for: Freelancers, consultants, anyone billing by the hour

Downside: Doesn't help you plan time, just track it

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) for time tracking

14. RescueTime - Best for Awareness

Price: Free / Premium $12/month

What it does: Automatic tracking of how you spend computer time

Why it's eye-opening:

Shows where time actually goes
Productivity scoring
Distraction blocking
No manual tracking needed

Best for: People who wonder where their day went

Downside: Can feel creepy/intrusive

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Best Free Option

15. Google Calendar + Tasks - Best Free Combo

Price: Free

What it does: Calendar, tasks, reminders—basics done well

Why it's underrated:

Already have a Google account
No learning curve
Syncs everywhere
Integrates with Gmail
Actually free (not freemium)

Best for: People who want to start simple

Downside: Lacks advanced features

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) - Solid foundation

How to Choose the Right App

Don't pick based on features. Pick based on your actual problem.

If you need to focus:

→ Pomodoro timer (FocusFlow, TickTick, Forest)

If you need to plan your day:

→ Time blocking app (Sunsama, Structured)

If you need to manage tasks:

→ Task manager (Todoist, Things, TickTick)

If you have ADHD:

→ Visual/ADHD-friendly (Goblin Tools, Tiimo, Structured)

If you need to track time:

→ Time tracker (Toggl, RescueTime)

If you work in teams:

→ Project manager (Asana, Notion)

Start with one. Just one. Use it for a month. Then decide if you need another tool for a specific gap.

The Apps We Don't Recommend

Be honest, these didn't make the cut:

Trello: Great for Kanban, but most people don't actually need Kanban for personal tasks
Monday.com: Overkill and expensive for anything except team projects
Habitica: Gamification is fun for a week, then annoying
Forest: Cute concept, but doesn't actually manage your time

Bottom Line: The Best Time Management "App"

Hot take: The best time management "app" is whatever you'll actually use.

A simple paper planner you use daily beats the fanciest app you abandoned in a week.

Our recommendation for most people:

Todoist (free) for task management
FocusFlow (free) for focus time
Google Calendar (free) for time blocking

That's it. Three free tools that cover 90% of time management needs.

Everything else is optional.

What time management apps do you swear by? Or have you abandoned? Let us know in the comments!