Mastering time management is crucial to improving productivity and achieving goals. The need for time management tools has become more essential and significant than ever before as individuals and teams turn to technology to organize and prioritize tasks.
This post will delve into the top 20 time management tools available online, examining their unique features and pricing to guide you in making an informed decision.
Our first tip? Choose a tool that aligns with your specific needs and workflow, whether that’s scheduling, task management, or project tracking.
Let’s dive in to discover the best time management tools that can transform your work or personal life.
Top 20 Time Management Tools
1. Asana
Asana is a comprehensive project management tool that allows teams to track the progress of their projects and tasks. It’s ideal for setting agendas, scheduling deadlines, and monitoring progress.
It also allows teams to assign responsibilities, add comments, and share documents.
Top Features
- Task Management: Create, delegate, and organize tasks and subtasks.
- Project Visualization: Multiple views to track progress effectively.
- Integrations: Connects with many popular productivity tools.
- Automation: Routine tasks can be automated for efficiency.
Pricing
Free basic plan for up to 15 users. Paid plans start at $10.99 per user/month (billed annually).
2. Trello
Trello is a user-friendly project management app that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks and projects. It’s flexible and great for visual learners.
You can easily add attachments, checklists, labels, and due dates to cards and collaborate with others in real-time.
Top Features
- Organizational System: Utilizes a board-and-card system for task management.
- Collaboration: Real-time updates and collaboration.
- Customizable Cards: Cards can include checklists, due dates, and more.
- Integration: Seamlessly works with other productivity apps.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Standard plan comes at $5/month, Premium plan is $10 per user/month (billed annually), and Enterprise pricing is $17.50/month.
3. Slack
Slack is a popular communication tool for teams.
It offers real-time messaging, file sharing, and voice or video calls. Slack also supports integrations with a large number of business and productivity apps.
Top Features
- Messaging: Real-time messaging for teams.
- File Sharing: Allows sharing of files amongst team members.
- Calls: Offers voice and video call options.
- Integration: Compatible with numerous business apps.
Pricing
Slack offers a free tier. Paid plans include Pro ($7.25 per user/month when billed annually), Business+ ($12.50 per user/month), and Enterprise Grid (contact sales for pricing).
4. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a time-management and scheduling tool that allows individuals and teams to organize their schedules.
Users can create events, set reminders, and share their calendar with others. It also seamlessly integrates with other Google applications, such as Gmail and Google Drive.
Top Features
- Scheduling: Enables easy scheduling of meetings, deadlines, and reminders.
- Sharing: Calendars can be shared amongst team members.
- Integrations: Works with other Google services like Gmail.
- Accessibility: Available across different platforms.
Pricing
Free for individual users. Part of Google Workspace for businesses, with plans starting at $6 per user/month.
5. Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is not just an email application but also a powerful calendar and task management tool.
Users can schedule meetings, set reminders, manage contacts, and create to-do lists. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite, thus integrates well with other Microsoft applications.
Top Features
- All-in-one: Combines email, calendar, contacts, and tasks.
- Scheduling: Allows for setting up meetings and reminders.
- Integration: Works well with Microsoft Office suite.
- Search: Robust search and organization features.
Pricing
Standalone version is around $159.99 as a one-time purchase. Included in Microsoft 365 suite, with plans starting from $6.99/month for personal use when paid annually.
6. RescueTime
RescueTime is a time-tracking tool that runs in the background on your computer and mobile devices.
It tracks time spent on applications and websites, giving you an accurate picture of your day, helping you to be more productive.
Top Features
- Time Tracking: Monitors time spent on apps and websites.
- Reports: Provides detailed reporting on productivity.
- Alerts: Sets alerts for goals.
- Offline Tracking: Can track time when offline.
Pricing
RescueTime Lite is free, while RescueTime Premium costs $12 per month or $78 per year.
7. Todoist
Todoist is a task management tool that allows users to organize tasks, set deadlines, and even delegate to others.
Its sleek interface makes it easy to manage both personal and professional to-do lists.
Top Features
- Task Management: Organize tasks with due dates and priority levels.
- Collaboration: Shared tasks for team productivity.
- Integration: Works with other popular productivity apps.
- History: Provides task history and productivity trends.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Premium plan is $4 per month (billed annually), and Business plan is $6 per user/month (billed annually).
8. Evernote
Evernote is a powerful note-taking tool that syncs across all devices.
Users can create notes, which can include text, drawings, images, and attached files. Users can also tag notes for easy searching later on.
Top Features
- Note-Taking: Cross-platform note taking and organizing.
- Rich Notes: Supports text, drawings, images, and file attachments.
- Search: Tagging system for easy note search.
- Sharing: Notes can be shared for collaboration.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Personal plan is $14.99 per month and $129.99 yearly, Professional plan is $17.99 per user/month and $169.99 yearly.
9. Focus Booster
Focus Booster uses the Pomodoro Technique for time management.
This method involves breaking your work into 25-minute focus sessions followed by a five-minute break. It’s ideal for those who find sustained focus challenging.
Top Features
- Pomodoro Technique: Timer based on the Pomodoro technique for productivity.
- Time Tracking: Automatic time tracking for tasks.
- Reporting: Provides detailed productivity reports.
- Client Tracking: Tracks time for client tasks.
Pricing
Free starter plan. Professional plans start at $4.99 per month or $54.89 yearly.
10. Zapier
Zapier is an online tool that allows users to automate tasks between different web apps.
For example, you can automate saving email attachments to cloud storage or sharing new blog posts on social media.
Top Features
- App Integration: Connects over 2,000 web apps for automation.
- Automation: Automates tasks between different apps.
- Multi-step Automations: Allows for complex automated workflows.
- Conditional Logic: Supports conditional logic in workflows.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Paid plans start at $19.99 per month (billed annually).
11. JIRA
JIRA is a popular project management tool used mainly by developers for bug tracking, issue tracking, and agile project management.
It’s highly customizable, allowing teams to design the workflow that best suits their needs.
Top Features
- Reporting: Detailed reports for tracking project progress.
- Custom Workflows: Allows for customization of project workflows.
- Bug Tracking: Supports issue and bug tracking.
- Agile Tools: Offers tools for agile project management.
Pricing
Free for up to 10 users. Starter and Standard plans come at $7.75 per user/month and $15.25 per month, respectively. Enterprise pricing is available upon request.
12. Basecamp
Basecamp is a web-based project management tool with a simple, user-friendly interface.
It provides tools for task management, file sharing, messaging, and team collaboration. It’s known for helping teams stay organized and maintain clear communication.
Top Features
- Task Management: Offers to-do lists for organizing tasks.
- Communication: Includes message boards for team communication.
- File Sharing: Supports file sharing and document management.
- Chat: Offers real-time group chat.
Pricing
Starts at $15.00 per user/month and $299 per month for Pro Unlimited with unlimited users.
13. ClickUp
ClickUp is a cloud-based productivity platform offering task, project, and time management tools.
It allows users to create tasks, assign them, set priorities, and even monitor the time spent on each task.
Top Features
- Task Hierarchy: Provides task and subtask management.
- Views: Offers multiple view options for tasks.
- Time Tracking: Includes time tracking features.
- Custom Statuses: Allows for custom statuses for tasks.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Paid plans start at $5 per user/month (billed annually).
14. Monday.com
monday.com is a Work OS that allows teams to create workflow apps in minutes.
It is designed to manage tasks, projects, and team work. It provides a visual interface with many integrations for third-party software.
Top Features
- Project Visualization: Visual project management with several view options.
- Workflows: Customizable workflows for projects.
- Automation: Includes robust automation features.
- Integrations: Works with various third-party software.
Pricing
A free plan is available, but Basic plan starts from $8 per seat/month (billed annually). Standard at $10.00 per month and Pro at $16.00 per month.
15. Notion
Notion is a versatile workspace that integrates notes, tasks, wikis, and databases (plus it’s my new favorite productivity tool!)
Users can customize their workspace to fit their needs, making it a flexible tool for teams and individuals alike.
Top Features
- Flexible Workspace: Combines notes, tasks, wikis, and databases in one place.
- Customization: Allows for a highly customizable workspace.
- Templates: Offers a variety of templates for different needs.
- Collaboration: Supports real-time collaboration.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Plus (formerly Team) plan is $8 per user/month (billed annually) with Business plan at $15.00 per month. Enterprise pricing available upon request.
16. Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management tool that offers planning, tracking, and collaboration features.
It includes time tracking, issue tracking, and project scheduling, as well as document management.
Top Features
- Project Planning: Offers project planning and tracking features.
- Collaboration: Includes tools for team collaboration.
- Document Management: Supports document management within projects.
- Reporting: Provides detailed reporting for project tracking.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Premium plan starts at $4 per user/month (billed annually), while Enterprise plan is at $9.00 per user/month.
17. TimeCamp
TimeCamp is a web-based time-tracking software that offers billing and invoicing features, attendance and computer use monitoring, and productivity analysis tools.
Top Features
- Time Tracking: Monitors time spent on tasks.
- Invoicing: Supports billing and invoicing features.
- Productivity Analysis: Includes tools for productivity analysis.
- Integrations: Works with various other tools for productivity.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Paid plans start at $9.99 per user/month (billed annually).
18. Hubstaff
Hubstaff provides a range of solutions including time tracking, productivity monitoring, team scheduling, and more.
It’s designed for remote teams and allows managers to see what tasks are being worked on and how long each takes.
Top Features
- Time Tracking: Monitors time spent on tasks.
- Productivity Monitoring: Includes features for productivity monitoring.
- Scheduling: Supports team scheduling.
- Reporting: Provides detailed reports for productivity tracking.
Pricing
Pricing starts at Free for 1 user, $4.99 per user/month (billed annually-min 2 users) for the Starter Plan, $7.50 per user/month for the Grow Plan, $10.00 per user/month for the most popular Team Plan. All plans come with a 14 day free trial.
19. Clockify
Clockify is a free time tracking software. It allows you to track project work hours and includes features like timekeeping, reporting, and team management.
Top Features
- Time Tracking: Tracks work hours for projects.
- Reporting: Offers timekeeping and reporting features.
- Team Management: Includes features for managing team tasks.
- Free: Completely free for unlimited users and projects.
Pricing
Free for unlimited tracking. Paid Basic plans start at $3.99 per user/month, Standard at $5.49, Pro at $7.99, and Enterprise at $11.99.
20. Airtable
Airtable is a hybrid database/spreadsheet tool that allows for customizable organization and collaboration.
It’s great for content pipelines, product management, events planning, and many other organizational needs.
Top Features
- Hybrid Database/Spreadsheet: Customizable organization and collaboration.
- Views: Provides multiple view options for organization.
- Templates: Offers a variety of templates for different needs.
- Real-time Collaboration: Supports real-time collaboration.
Pricing
Free basic plan. Paid plans start at $10 per user/month (billed annually) for the Plus plan and Pro at $20.00 per month, while Enterprise pricing is available upon request.
Time Management Tools To Boost Your Productivity – Summary
Choosing the right time management tool can make a significant difference in your productivity, workflow, and ultimately, success.
From Asana’s project tracking abilities to the classic scheduling features of Google Calendar, each tool offers unique capabilities designed to streamline and enhance your daily routines.
Key takeaways include:
- Understanding your specific needs and workflows is critical in choosing the right tool.
- While many of these tools offer free versions, investing in a paid plan can unlock powerful features that cater more specifically to your needs.
- Integrations with other tools you already use can streamline your processes, creating a seamless workflow.
As you continue your journey toward improved time management and productivity, we invite you to check out the Business Planner and Work Organizer.
This journal is designed to further help you structure your time and goals, providing a complementary physical tool to the digital ones discussed in this post.
Another option is to work with an accountability coach who can help you overcome procrastination using evidence based research.
Remember, the key to effective time management lies not just in the tools you use, but how you use them.
Happy planning!
Time Management Tools To Boost Your Productivity – FAQs
What are time management tools?
Time management tools are resources used to organize and plan how much time we spend on specific activities.
They help us track, allocate, and manage our time effectively. These tools can range from simple paper-based planners to sophisticated digital apps and software.
What three tools do you have for time management?
Some of the common tools for time management include a to-do list to help track tasks, a calendar or planner for scheduling, and time-tracking software or apps like Toggl or RescueTime to analyze where your time is spent.
What is an effective tool for managing time?
An effective time management tool is one that suits your individual needs and style.
For some, this may be a digital tool like Asana or Trello, which allows for collaboration, task tracking, and scheduling. For others, a simple physical planner or a Pomodoro timer may be more effective.
Why are time management tools important?
Time management activites and tools are essential because they help us maximize our productivity, reduce stress, and improve work-life balance. They provide a visual overview of our time, help us keep track of deadlines, and enable us to prioritize tasks effectively.
What is the best time management tool for teams?
For team settings, project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Slack can be highly effective. They allow for collaboration, task delegation, scheduling, and progress tracking, making it easier to manage team projects.
How can I use a planner as a time management tool?
A planner can be used to schedule your tasks, appointments, and deadlines. You can also use it to prioritize your tasks, make to-do lists, and track your progress towards goals.
Can time management tools help me with procrastination?
Yes, time management tools can provide structure and help break down large projects into manageable tasks, which can combat feelings of overwhelm that lead to procrastination.
How do time management tools improve efficiency?
Time management tools improve efficiency by helping you prioritize tasks, avoid scheduling conflicts, and provide insights into how you spend your time, enabling you to reduce wasted time.
What time management tools would you recommend for entrepreneurs?
For entrepreneurs, tools that provide flexibility and can handle diverse tasks are crucial.
Tools like Asana or Trello are great for project management. Apps like Google Calendar can handle blogging scheduling across different time zones, which is ideal for entrepreneurs working remotely or traveling.
RescueTime or Clockify can help track where time is spent, and cloud-based tools like Google Workspace or Dropbox are excellent for file management and collaboration.
What’s the difference between a planner and a to-do list as time management tools?
A to-do list is a simple list of tasks that need to be done, while a planner is a tool that helps you schedule these tasks throughout your day or week. While both can aid in managing time, a planner provides a broader view of your time and allows for better scheduling and prioritization.