# Best ADHD Planner Apps in 2026: Mac, iPhone and Web > The best ADHD planner apps in 2026: NotchOwl to plan in the notch, Tiimo for a visual day, Structured free, Sunsama for work and Goblin Tools for small steps. By Aditya Jaiswal, founder of NotchOwl. Published 2026-11-11, updated 2026-11-11. Canonical URL: https://www.notchowl.com/blog/best-adhd-planner-apps An ADHD planner is a planner built around the everyday trouble ADHD can cause: the [National Institute of Mental Health](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd-what-you-need-to-know) lists poor time management, planning or organization and trouble remembering daily tasks among the symptoms in adults. If you plan on a Mac, NotchOwl ($12 once) is best for keeping today’s plan in view: today’s tasks, reminders and a focus timer wait in the MacBook notch, over whatever app you’re in. Paper ADHD planners answer the same trouble with structured pages; ADHD planner apps add reminders, timers and routines that repeat on their own. In 2026, the best ADHD planner app for most people is Tiimo, a visual day planner built with ADHD in mind. Structured is the best free timeline, Sunsama suits work spread across many tools, and Goblin Tools breaks tasks into steps for free. Disclosure: NotchOwl is my own app, which is why it made the list, and where another planner does a job better, this guide says so. Every app was compared from its website, help pages and App Store or Google Play listing in November 2026, with US prices as of November 2026. This is practical advice about software, not medical advice: [NIMH](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd) names medication and psychosocial interventions, such as therapy, as the standard ADHD treatments, and no planner app is one. If you plan mostly on a Mac, [the best ADHD apps for Mac](/blog/best-adhd-apps-for-mac) goes deeper on Mac-only options. ## Paper ADHD planner or app? Half of what you find when you search for an ADHD planner is paper: undated planners with daily pages, weekly spreads and room for a brain dump. Paper is a good answer to some problems and a poor one to others. Table: Paper ADHD planner vs ADHD planner app | | Paper planner | Planner app | | --- | --- | --- | | Stays visible | Only if it lies open on your desk | Widgets, lock screen, menu bar or notch | | Reminds you at the right moment | No | Yes, with snooze | | Repeating tasks and routines | Rewritten by hand | Repeat on their own | | Unfinished tasks | Copied over by hand | Carried forward automatically in many apps | | Shows time passing | A clock on the wall | Timelines and countdown timers | | Distractions | None | Notifications and other apps one tap away | **Paper works** when you already open it every morning, when screens pull you into everything else, and when writing by hand makes you choose fewer things. Keep it open on the desk: a closed planner is as invisible as an app you never open. **An app works better** when the problem is remembering at the right moment (a reminder at 2:50 for the 3:00 call), when routines repeat, when unfinished tasks pile up on old pages, or when you lose track of time. Plenty of people use both: paper for the morning plan, phone reminders for anything with a fixed time. ## What makes an ADHD planner app good - **The plan stays where you look.** Widgets, Live Activities, the menu bar or the notch beat an app you have to remember to open. - **Capture takes seconds.** One shortcut, your voice, or a plain sentence like “dentist Friday at 10” that becomes a dated task. - **Time is visible.** A timeline shows how full the day really is, and a countdown makes “work on this for 25 minutes” concrete. Both make the passing of time easier to see. - **Big tasks get smaller.** Splitting “clean the kitchen” into five-minute steps makes the first step obvious. - **Reminders find you.** A reminder should appear where you are, with Snooze and Done, not wait inside a list. - **Unfinished tasks move on** to tomorrow or an inbox, instead of turning the list red. - **Setup stays small.** A planner that takes a weekend to configure gets abandoned. ## Quick picks - **Best for keeping today’s plan in view on a Mac:** NotchOwl, $12 once - **Best for a visual, step-by-step day:** Tiimo - **Best free visual timeline:** Structured - **Best guided daily planning for work:** Sunsama - **Best free help breaking tasks down:** Goblin Tools - **Best for working through a list against the clock:** Llama Life - **Best free all-in-one with a timer and habits:** TickTick - **Best ADHD to-do list app for capture everywhere:** Todoist - **Best calm list for Apple devices:** Things 3 - **Best free planner already on your iPhone and Mac:** Apple Reminders - **Best for AI brain dumps on a Mac:** Notchable ## ADHD planner apps compared Table: ADHD planner apps compared by price, planning style, standout feature and platforms (US prices, November 2026) | App | Price | Planning style | Stands out for | Platforms | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | NotchOwl | $12 once for up to 3 Macs | List with reminders and time limits | Today’s plan and a timer in the notch | Mac (Apple silicon, macOS 14+) | | Tiimo | Free tier on iOS and Android; Pro varies by location | Visual timeline | AI that splits tasks into timed steps | iPhone, iPad, Watch, Android, Mac, web | | Structured | Free; Pro monthly, yearly or $99.99 lifetime | Visual timeline | A free drag-and-drop day | iPhone, iPad, Watch, Mac, Vision Pro, Android, web | | Sunsama | $17/mo billed yearly or $22 monthly | Guided daily plan with timeboxing | Morning planning and evening shutdown | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, web | | Goblin Tools | Website free; iPhone app $0.99; Pro $3.99/mo | Task breakdown | Magic ToDo and time estimates | Web, iPhone, iPad, Android | | Llama Life | $6/mo or $39/yr after a 7-day trial | Timed list | A countdown on every task | iPhone, Android, web | | TickTick | Free; Premium $49.99/yr | List, calendar and timeline views | Pomodoro timer and habits | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, web | | Todoist | Free; Pro $5/mo billed yearly or $7 monthly | List | Natural-language Quick Add | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, web | | Things 3 | Once: $49.99 Mac, $9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad | List: Today and This Evening | A quiet, uncluttered design | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, Vision Pro | | Apple Reminders | Free, built in | List | Time and location reminders | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Vision Pro | | Notchable | $9.99 or $19.99 once | List sorted by AI | Brain dumps turned into dated tasks | Mac (macOS 14+) | ## The best ADHD planner apps ### NotchOwl: best for keeping today’s plan in view on a Mac On a Mac, NotchOwl keeps the plan behind the MacBook notch: hover over the notch or press Option–N, and today’s tasks, a focus timer, a daily notepad and the next two weeks of calendar events drop down over whatever app you’re in. Type or dictate tasks the way you’d say them (“call mom tomorrow at 5pm”). Plan your day fits today’s untimed tasks, most important first, into the free time around your events and gives each one a reminder; when it comes due, the notch opens with a chime and Snooze and Done buttons. Wrap up sends what’s left to tomorrow or the Inbox, and a Week page plans the days ahead. ![Plan your day in the dark app window fitting five tasks around a meeting and haircut](/images/blog/en/plan-dark-cinematic.jpg) *Plan your day in the app window: five tasks with lengths, fitted around the day’s events.* - **Price:** $12 once for up to 3 Macs (an early-bird price, normally $39), with lifetime updates and a 7-day money-back guarantee. No free tier or trial. - **Platforms:** Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 Sonoma or later. No iPhone app: optional two-way Apple Reminders sync carries tasks to iPhone and Apple Watch. - **Best for:** people who plan in the morning and lose the plan the moment another window covers it. - **Drawbacks:** Mac-only, no Intel build, a read-only calendar with no time blocks, no shared lists, and a young app, first released September 15, 2026. - **Link:** [download NotchOwl](/download) or see [what the $12 license includes](/#pricing) ![NotchOwl's 30:57 focus countdown beside the closed notch while a document fills the screen](/images/blog/en/focus-over-app.jpg) *While you work in another app, the countdown stays beside the notch.* One early user put it this way on X: > I was looking for something to brain dump thoughts, track tasks, and focus on one thing at a time, without digging through windows. > > Accidentally stumbled on NotchOwl and switched immediately. > > Mac users, give it a try. > > — [Ramya Chinnadurai (@code_rams)](https://x.com/code_rams/status/2101016139379671213) Another early user wrote on X: > Joined yesterday > > Love it! Super cool to have it organised and UI is solidd > > — [Arthur Yuzbashev (@arthuryuzbashev)](https://x.com/arthuryuzbashev/status/2103428146964136446) ### Tiimo: best for a visual, step-by-step day Tiimo is a visual daily planner that says it was built with ADHD and autism in mind. Your day appears as a color-coded timeline, a focus timer counts down the current task, and its AI planning turns a task into step-by-step plans with a time estimate for each step. Apple named it iPhone App of the Year in its [2025 App Store Awards](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/12/apple-unveils-the-winners-of-the-2025-app-store-awards/), announced on December 4, 2025. - **Price:** a free tier with a selection of planning tools, on iOS and Android only. Tiimo Pro unlocks everything on every platform, sold monthly or yearly at prices that vary by location, with a 7-day trial on yearly plans. - **Platforms:** iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac (macOS 15 or later, M1 or newer) and the web. - **Best for:** people who freeze in front of a big task and want the whole day drawn as a picture. - **Drawbacks:** no published price, and the web and Mac apps need Pro. - **Link:** [tiimoapp.com](https://www.tiimoapp.com) ### Structured: best free visual timeline Structured puts your tasks on one drag-and-drop timeline, so gaps and overbooked stretches are easy to spot. If you want a Tiimo alternative with a free core app, it is the closest match. - **Price:** the core app, with an inbox and a Pomodoro timer, is free. Structured Pro (monthly, yearly or $99.99 lifetime on the [US App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/structured-daily-planner/id1499198946)) adds recurring tasks and routines, calendar and Reminders connections, AI day planning and Replan for missed tasks. - **Platforms:** iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac (macOS 15 or later), Vision Pro, Android and the web. - **Best for:** seeing the shape of the day, starting free. - **Drawbacks:** recurring tasks and Replan are Pro-only, and [Structured’s help center](https://help.structured.app/en/articles/324674) says some Pro features aren’t on Android and the web yet. - **Link:** [structured.app](https://structured.app) ### Sunsama: best guided daily planning for work Sunsama walks you through each morning: pull in tasks from your calendar, email and work tools, check them against the hours you have, and timebox what fits. An evening shutdown closes the day, and unfinished tasks roll over. - **Price:** [$17 a month billed yearly or $22 monthly](https://www.sunsama.com/pricing), after a 14-day trial with no card. No free plan. - **Platforms:** Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. - **Best for:** people whose tasks are scattered across Asana, Notion, Gmail and their calendar. - **Drawbacks:** the most expensive app here, and a ritual only helps on the days you do it. - **Link:** [sunsama.com](https://www.sunsama.com) ### Goblin Tools: best free help breaking tasks down Goblin Tools is a set of small AI tools that [its maker, Bram De Buyser, says](https://goblin.tools/About) are mostly designed to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming. Magic ToDo breaks a task into steps, Estimator guesses how long something will take, and Compiler turns a brain dump into a list of actions. - **Price:** the website is free and kept that way by sponsors. The [iPhone app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/goblin-tools/id6449003064) costs $0.99 in the US, and Goblin Tools Pro ($3.99 a month or $39.99 a year) adds sync, templates, list sharing and history. - **Platforms:** web, iPhone, iPad and Android. - **Best for:** the moment a task feels too big to start. - **Drawbacks:** no calendar, schedule or reminders, and the site itself says to treat the AI’s results as guesswork. - **Link:** [goblin.tools](https://goblin.tools) ### Llama Life: best for working through a list against the clock Llama Life gives every task on today’s list its own countdown, so you work through the list one timed task at a time. It shows when you’d finish the list and saves recurring lists as routines. - **Price:** the [US App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adhd-organizer-llama-life/id6454469750) lists subscriptions such as $6 a month or $39 a year, with a 7-day trial. - **Platforms:** iPhone, Android and the web. - **Best for:** people who lose track of time inside a task and like a clock running. - **Drawbacks:** a list, not a calendar, and the App Store app is for iPhone only. - **Link:** [llamalife.co](https://llamalife.co) ### TickTick: best free all-in-one with a timer and habits TickTick is a to-do app with planning built in: list, calendar and timeline views, an Eisenhower Matrix for deciding what matters, a Pomodoro timer and a habit tracker. - **Price:** free with 9 lists, 99 tasks per list and 5 habits. [Premium costs $49.99 a year](https://ticktick.com/about/upgrade) and adds more calendar views and task durations. - **Platforms:** iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web. - **Best for:** tasks, a focus timer and habits in one app, starting free. - **Drawbacks:** so many features that setup can become a project. - **Link:** [ticktick.com](https://ticktick.com) ### Todoist: best ADHD to-do list app for capture everywhere Todoist is a fast, cross-platform to-do list known for Quick Add: type “email Sam every Friday at 4pm” and it sets the date and the repeat. Ramble lets you speak several tasks at once. - **Price:** the free Beginner plan allows 5 personal projects. [Pro costs $5 a month billed yearly or $7 monthly](https://www.todoist.com/pricing) and adds the calendar layout, task durations, deadlines and custom reminders. - **Platforms:** iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web. - **Best for:** collecting everything into one inbox from any device. - **Drawbacks:** no focus timer among its listed features, and you plan the day yourself. - **Link:** [todoist.com](https://www.todoist.com) ### Things 3: best calm list for Apple devices Things 3 by Cultured Code is built around a morning choice: you move today’s to-dos into Today, put later ones under This Evening, and see your calendar events at the top. Nothing on screen competes for attention. - **Price:** one-time: $49.99 for the Mac, $9.99 for iPhone and Apple Watch, and $19.99 for iPad, each bought separately. - **Platforms:** Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. - **Best for:** a list that feels calm, at a fixed price. - **Drawbacks:** no timeline, no focus timer, and no Android, Windows or web app. - **Link:** [culturedcode.com/things](https://culturedcode.com/things/) ### Apple Reminders: best free planner already on your iPhone and Mac Apple Reminders is free, built in and synced through iCloud. It covers more than most people use: dates and times, location reminders, repeats, subtasks, Smart Lists and shared lists with assignment. - **Price:** free. - **Platforms:** iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. - **Best for:** reminders that ring on your phone and watch at no cost, or a base list other apps sync with. - **Drawbacks:** no timeline or focus timer, and nothing that helps you plan the day. On a Mac, here is [how to see Apple Reminders in the menu bar or notch](/blog/apple-reminders-mac-menu-bar). - **Link:** [Reminders User Guide for Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/reminders/welcome/mac) ### Notchable: best for AI brain dumps on a Mac Notchable also lives in the MacBook notch: type or speak a brain dump, and AI turns it into tasks with a date, priority, category and effort estimate. A Pomodoro-style focus timer stays in the notch, and two-way Apple Reminders sync reaches iPhone. - **Price:** one-time: Lite ($9.99) runs an on-device model on Apple silicon; Standard ($19.99) uses cloud AI and also runs on Intel Macs. There is a 3-day trial. - **Platforms:** Mac, macOS 14 or later. - **Best for:** people who capture in bursts and want the sorting done for them. - **Drawbacks:** Mac-only, and Standard sends capture text to Notchable’s server, which Notchable says doesn’t store it. See [NotchOwl vs Notchable](/blog/notchowl-vs-notchable). - **Link:** [notchable.com](https://notchable.com) ### Also worth a look: Motion and Akiflow If deciding when is the hard part, Motion schedules tasks onto your calendar for you, and Akiflow turns tasks from your other tools into time blocks. Both are priced for work; [the best time blocking apps for Mac](/blog/best-time-blocking-apps-mac) compares them. > The best ADHD planner app depends on where you get stuck: NotchOwl ($12 once) keeps today’s plan visible in the MacBook notch, Tiimo and Structured show the day as a visual timeline, Goblin Tools breaks tasks into small steps for free, and Sunsama guides daily planning for work. ## How to plan a day with ADHD in any planner app These are practical habits, not treatment, and they work in any planner above. Several follow the [ADHD strategies page](https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/while-you-wait/adhd/strategies-and-support/) from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, which suggests choosing three key tasks a day instead of a long list, breaking tasks into small steps, starting with just five minutes, and setting alarms to start a task, switch tasks and leave on time. 1. **Empty your head.** Put every task, errand and worry into one inbox without sorting. 2. **Pick three.** Choose up to three things that would make today count. The rest stay in the inbox or go to another day. 3. **Place the fixed things first.** Meetings, appointments and pickups go on the plan before anything else, so you see how much time is really free. 4. **Estimate, then pad.** Give each task a length, and add a buffer if your estimates usually run short. 5. **Shrink the first step** until it takes five minutes, such as “open the document and write the title”. Tiimo and Goblin Tools can do this for you. 6. **Remind yourself of moments.** Set reminders for when to start, leave or switch, not only for what exists. 7. **Start with a timer.** A visible countdown makes it easier to begin and to notice when time is up. On a Mac, here is [how to set a timer, built-in or in the notch](/blog/how-to-set-a-timer-on-mac). 8. **Close the day on purpose.** Move unfinished tasks to tomorrow or back to the inbox. Sunsama’s shutdown, Structured’s Replan and NotchOwl’s Wrap up are built for this. Plan each week the same way: appointments first, then a few tasks per day, with room for days that go sideways. How to ADHD’s video on making planning worth the time is a good companion to these steps: [Ways to Make Planning Worth the Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z0TS0d5X0E "How to ADHD") ## Which ADHD planner should you pick? - **You work on a Mac all day:** NotchOwl or Notchable keep today’s plan in the notch, and [how to focus with ADHD on a Mac](/blog/how-to-focus-with-adhd-on-mac) covers the macOS settings to pair with them. - **You plan on your phone:** Tiimo for a visual day, Structured to start free, or Llama Life for a timed list. - **You use Android or Windows:** TickTick, Todoist and Sunsama run on both; Tiimo and Structured have Android apps and a web app. - **You can’t get started:** Goblin Tools or Tiimo, to make the first step small. ## When NotchOwl is the wrong choice - **You plan on your phone.** NotchOwl has no iPhone, iPad or Android app; it reaches iPhone and Apple Watch only through Apple Reminders sync. - **You use Windows or an Intel Mac.** NotchOwl needs an Apple silicon Mac. - **You want a timeline.** Tiimo and Structured draw the day as blocks of time. NotchOwl’s Plan your day gives tasks reminder times, and NotchOwl reads your calendar without editing it. - **You want to try it first.** NotchOwl has no free tier or trial, only a 7-day refund. Structured, TickTick, Todoist and Apple Reminders are free to start. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best ADHD planner app? On a Mac, NotchOwl ($12 once) keeps today’s plan in view in the notch, with reminders and a focus timer. For most people it is Tiimo, a visual day planner built with ADHD and autism in mind that runs on iPhone, Android, Mac and the web and was Apple’s iPhone App of the Year for 2025. Structured is the best free visual timeline, and Sunsama suits work spread across many tools. ### Is a paper planner or an app better for ADHD? A paper planner works if you open it every morning and keep it open where you can see it, because it has no notifications and nothing to set up. An app works better when you need reminders that interrupt you at the right time, routines that repeat on their own, unfinished tasks that move forward automatically, or a timer that shows time passing. ### What makes a planner ADHD-friendly? An ADHD-friendly planner keeps the plan where you already look, makes capture take seconds, shows time passing with a timeline or a countdown, sends reminders you can snooze, breaks big tasks into small steps, and moves unfinished tasks forward instead of piling them up as overdue. ### Is there a free ADHD planner app? Yes. Structured’s core app is free, the Goblin Tools website is free, TickTick and Todoist have free plans, Apple Reminders is free on every iPhone and Mac, and Tiimo has a free tier on iOS and Android. Sunsama and NotchOwl have no free plan. ### Is Tiimo free? Partly. Tiimo’s free tier includes a selection of planning tools on iOS and Android only. The web and Mac apps and the full feature set need Tiimo Pro, sold monthly or yearly at prices that vary by location, with a 7-day trial on yearly plans. ### Which ADHD planner apps work on Android and Windows? Tiimo, Structured, TickTick, Todoist, Sunsama, Llama Life and Goblin Tools have Android apps. TickTick, Todoist and Sunsama have Windows apps, and Tiimo, Structured, Llama Life and Goblin Tools also run in a web browser.