Hello dear ADHD people, big and small, having a great or not-so-great day - welcome! We’ve brought the goodies ✨.
We know that forcing oneself to come back again and again to an activity, a place, or even a simple yet necessary thing like a planner app that we don’t like and have no emotional connection to will eventually disrupt the executive function, undermining our already compromised self-esteem as ADHDers living in the neurotypical world, causing us to lose our momentum and give up on ourselves. This is especially the case if we’re only starting our ADHD discovery and acceptance journey and haven’t yet learned to tackle emotional dysregulation that’s so common for us.
None ofthis has to happen though; you just need to find a planner app that brings you genuine joy - cute, simple, free of overwhelm, and preferably with an element of gamification 🔥.
So strap in - in today’s installment of your regular ADHD articles, we’ll share our list of the best cute planner apps you can find on the market in 2024.
So, game on! Let’s set it off with a table comparing all of ‘em in a nice visual manner. It’s simple: green means “good,” yellow means “okay,” and orange means “there’s space for improvement.”
Numo
If cute is what you’re looking for, Numo is arguably the cutest ADHD app with colorful themes, gamification, adorable icons (or, of course, you can also use your own profile photo, you cutie patootie 😚), and a simple system of categorization for tasks and goals.
Pros:
Gamified
Changeable colorful themes (AND you win more and more of them the more challenges and fun/educational assignments helping you deal with your ADHD you complete - so Numo keeps you engaged and interested)
Easy to get the hang of while also having all the features you need to organize (things like future plans, backlog, tags, and the reorder function)
Use of AI for prioritizing if you’d rather spend that precious executive function on something else
A streak system with rewards
A nice Bionic Reading font (which is proven to be helpful for ADHDers)
Numo is way more than just a planner (social features with peer accountability and mutual support)
The planner itself is even available for free (although the other useful features of the app can only be accessed via a subscription
Nachteile:
Can be addictive
The price may be steep for some
Pricing: there’s a free version; the full subscription unlocking all features costs $15.99/month.
Planbella
Here’s an absolutely beautiful planner app Android and Apple users can get on their phones and use like a paper planner - except it’s digital! This app can be anything: an event manager, a to-do list, a diary… Plus, it can also stay with you for a lifetime, just like a pretty paper planner would: you buy it once, and voila! There’s also good news for the people who care about personal data management and privacy (good call!): your information’s absolutely safe! With Planbella, there’s no sign-in, no registration to do, no cloud servers, and no data sharing. Plain, simple - and pretty 🌷
Pros:
A simple yet aesthetically pleasing design
The app switches between the Calendar view and the Journal view to help you easily see and plan your stuff
Nice stickers to boost your mood
Handy and cute extensions & widgets
In Planbella, you also can do things a paper planner doesn’t offer, like:
Set reminders
Add highlights
Set recurrences
Sync your calendars: import events from your Google, Apple, or Outlook
Nachteile:
Some users report bugs
Pricing: it’s a one-time purchase of $8.99 (plus cheap widgets if you’d like to have them - around $1 each).
Planner Pro
With this app, you decide your degree of cuteness, as you can choose from the many themes, colors, icons, and cover images to suit your mood whenever you want 🤠. This app has all the necessary features like events, tasks, and notes to keep you organized, and, of course, it syncs with your Google Calendar.
Vorteile:
The app offers day, week, and month calendar views - so you can plan it all
Google Calendar integration
You can set up time slots manually
Verfügbar für iOS und Android
Supports tasks and projects with sub-tasks, as well as recurring tasks and projects
There’s a reminder for each task
An unlimited number of notes for each day
Nachteile:
Not quite as customizable as some other apps on our list
Some users report bugs
Pricing: the app offers a free version with ads, and a Premium subscription (either $3.99/month or $19.99/year.
Aesthetic Calendar Apps
Alright, ready to learn about some of the best aesthetic calendar apps suitable for ADHDers? Go on reading - and enjoy the beautiful views 🏞️
Cute Planner & Journal Floret
Floret is a cute calendar app for iPhone that puts self-care first with its personal diaries, daily mood check-ins, and motivational quotes. It enables you to create events and to-do lists as well as keep track of important deadlines - all in a nice, soothing environment.
Pros:
Self-care features
Very aesthetically pleasing
Cute stickers
You can attach pictures and photos
The app syncs with iCloud
There are search and filter features
Kons:
The app isn’t very advanced
No collaboration
iOS-only
Pricing: there’s a free version and a Premium version with a couple of different payment options: $5.99, $9.99, and $14.99.
Here’s another aesthetic planner app that we’re happy to feature - even though it’s only available for Android (kinda fair, though, against the backdrop of the previous app). This app can become your hub for managing tasks, responsibilities, calendars, schedules, and habits - not to end up like the lady in the meme!
Life does NOT have to feel like you’re constantly playing it on hard mode - which it very often does for us ADHDers (given our problems with task initiation and building habits). An app like this one can help with that by adding a habit to the daily planner, setting completion times, and creating daily challenges.
It can also boast top-notch security via FaceID and a private key with a password 😎
Pros:
It’s a pretty calendar app
Helps with habit tracking and creation
High safety and security
A diary for tracking your mood
Nice stickers
A calendar widget
Nachteile:
Android-only
The in-app purchases may be costly
Pricing: free with in-app purchases (ranging from $0.5 to $7 per item)
Rememberton: Cute Calendar
Okay, I seriously can’t with this one - it’s just SO DARN CUTE! Too bad it’s only available for Android.
Not only is this baby adorable - it can also do a whole lot of stuff! You’ll set reminders, ace to-do lists, enhance your task management, and keep appointments, all while experiencing pleasant emotions. It enables users to either have the eagle’s eye view of your year with all its goals or zoom in on this one week to avoid overwhelm - it’s your call!
The only possible problem is that it’s not catered towards teamwork, so you can treat it as your own pocket-sized personal assistant, but not the ideal platform for that next group project.
Pros:
Looks VERY nice, boosting your mood
Highly functional and powerful
Good for creating routines
Features reminders
Cons:
Strictly a personal app, not designed for teams
Pricing: free to download, but offers in-app purchases (the prices vary from $4.5 to $9.5 per item).
Free Planner Apps
Ready to read up on some more apps for planning your days 🕚?
No-no, not THAT kind of planning! That’s easy. We’re talkin’ the kind of planning that can be hard for us ADHDers, especially those with inattentive type…
Doesn’t look that cute in the pictures? Well, that’s true, but it’s extremely customizable; color palettes, emojis, themes, icons - it’s all there at your fingertips, so it can become as cute as you want it to be! The downside to this is rather a steep learning curve for new users, but ultimately, if you’re ready to put time into this - it’s all worth it. The app’s functionality includes a full stack of features for scheduling, managing your time and those pesky to-do lists, and collaborating with others - for free!
Pros:
A wide range of customizable colors, themes, icons, etc.
Unlimited tasks and users
Notes, deadlines, and priorities for tasks
Calendar view
Time-blocking features
Cons:
A steep learning curve of how to use the app
Pricing: there’s a free version, as well as the Unlimited plan for small teams ($7 per member/month), the Business plan for larger teams ($11 per member/month), and the Enterprise plan (you’ll need to contact sales for the prices).
Taskade
This app is special, as it uses AI to help you focus on your goals without scattering that precious mind energy. It’s highly customizable, offering a wide range of themes, colors, icons, and text formatting to help you set up your cute planner space. In addition, the app can transform to fit your every need, be it habit tracking, creating to-do lists, generating workflows, organizing your projects and tasks, or summarizing texts! Can you believe it’s totally free? Right! Me neither.
Vorteile:
Completely free
AI assistance
Extremely versatile
Integrated with Google Calendar
Perfect for teamwork
Kons:
Some users say it may be slow when running
Pricing: the app has a free version, as well as the Starter plan ($4/month for up to 3 users) and the Plus plan ($8/month for up to 5 users).
Customizable Planner Apps
Now, let’s cover the masters of disguise, the chameleons – cute planner apps with powerful customization possibilities!
Artful Agenda
That color blocking? Are you insane? Sign me up, right now 😍! Too bad it isn’t free - but I can kinda see why. The possibilities of making the app truly yours are nearly boundless - something we as ADHDers with our creative minds might truly make use of :)
The app also serves its main function well, which is helping you get organized; you can outline your goals, keep an eye on your progress, create task lists, track your habits, and many other things.
Pros:
Syncs with Google, Apple, and Outlook
Aesthetically pleasing and useful monthly, weekly, and daily calendar views
Push notifications for event reminders
Infinite customizability
Compatible with tablet styluses and Apple Pencil
Inspiration with daily, weekly, and monthly quotes
Fun stickers
Verfügbar für iOS und Android
Kons:
Not free (requires a subscription to use)
Pricing: after a 14-day free trial, this cute calendar app requires a subscription of $35/year to keep on using.
Begriff
Now, let’s talk about one of the free Artful Agenda alternatives - Notion. Ladies, gentlemen, and variations thereof, this app (as you probably know) is the monarch of customizability. There, I said it. Notion is so customizable it can sometimes be too much to handle, and setting the app up just the way you want can be a bit challenging sometimes if you don’t know what exactly you’re looking for.
Pros:
The free version is more than enough for an individual
CUTE ALERT (fun stickers, pictures, color blocking - everything to scratch all and every itch your ADHD brain has)
Lots of videos and master classes online on how people set up/use their Notion
Ready-made ADHD-friendly templates
Seamlessly switch between devices
AI assistance
Zusammenarbeit im Team
Kons:
A steep learning curve
Some features are only unlocked by subscription
Pricing: free and unlimited for individuals; also offers a few Premium plans:
Plus: $8 pro Benutzer/Monat bei jährlicher Abrechnung und $10 bei monatlicher Abrechnung; am besten für ein kleines Team, das versucht, seine Arbeit zu organisieren
Unternehmen: $15 pro Benutzer/Monat bei jährlicher Abrechnung und $18 bei monatlicher Abrechnung; am besten geeignet für die Verbindung mehrerer Teams
Enterprise: for pricing, you have to contact sales. This plan is suitable for running an entire organization
You can also add Notion AI to your workspace for $8/member/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’re nearing the end of today’s list of cute planner apps to help you navigate your life while feeling good about it! To finish it off, here are a couple of questions people often ask about apps like these:
Can I Make My Google Calendar Cute?
Certainly! Google Calendar offers customization options for a personalized and visually appealing experience, such as different themes, event colors, and emojis. You can also attach personal images or doodles via Google Keep or Drive, and get creative with cute or quirky event names. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
What Are the Cons of Digital Planners?
Some downsides of digital planners include screen dependency as well as technical issues like software glitches, crashes, or compatibility problems. Users may also need time to adapt to new digital tools and interfaces, and relying on battery life may limit access to the planner in certain situations. Lack of accessibility can be a problem for individuals with disabilities and people who live in areas with poor internet connectivity. Lastly, privacy concerns and security risks can be a turn-off for some as well.
How Can I Make My Planner Cute?
If you’re not into mobile apps and would like to customize and decorate your paper planner to look adorable, here are some ways to do that:
Take some time to think out the color scheme you most like (or use a seasonal one), and stick to it!
Talking about sticking - fun little stickers are widely available in a staggering variety.
Colorful pens, stamps, and markers are a timeless option 🌈
Don’t be afraid to be creative - draw, paint, do collage!
Washi tape has been a brand lately - and for good reason! Why don’t you give it a try?
Feel free to also decorate the outside of your planner with personalized covers and charms!
All right! Hope that today’s recommendations prove useful to you and that you have a wonderful day!