Ellie Planner vs Focus@Will: Comprehensive Comparison

Overview

In today's fast-paced world, choosing the right productivity tool can make all the difference. This comprehensive comparison between Ellie Planner and Focus@Will will help you understand which tool best fits your workflow and productivity needs.

⚡ Quick Summary

What is Ellie Planner?

Ellie Planner is a minimalist daily planner and time-blocking app that combines tasks and calendar events to help users plan and visualize their day. It features drag-and-drop task scheduling, a brain dump area for quick capture, and built-in time tracking with analytics. The app includes AI assistant capabilities for task organization and scheduling optimization.

Visit Ellie Planner →

🌟 Key Features of Ellie Planner

• ✦Time Blocking with Drag-and-Drop: Core feature allowing users to drag tasks from a Kanban-style list directly into their calendar view for visual time blocking and day planning.

• ✦Brain Dump & Task Management: Quick capture inbox area combined with comprehensive task management including lists, priorities, due dates, labels, subtasks, and recurring tasks.

• ✦Built-in Timer and Analytics: Time tracking capabilities with analytics on how you spend your time, providing insights into productivity patterns and time allocation.

• ✦AI Assistant: AI-powered features for bulk task creation, smart organization, time estimation, automated scheduling, finding free time, and priority guidance (Pro feature).

• ✦Calendar Integration: Syncs with Google, Apple, and Outlook calendars to provide a unified view of appointments and tasks in one interface.

• ✦Cross-Platform Access: Available on web, iOS, Mac, and Windows with native apps and browser-based access for flexible planning anywhere.

What is Focus@Will?

Focus@Will is a subscription productivity app and web service that uses specially designed, mostly lyric‑free music, combined with a focus timer and optional productivity tracking, to help users increase concentration and reduce distractions while working or studying.

Visit Focus@Will →

🌟 Key Features of Focus@Will

• ✦Scientifically curated focus music library with multiple channels/genres tailored for concentration

• ✦Personalization quiz to match music to your brain type and working style

• ✦Focus timer for work sessions with configurable session length and sounds

• ✦Productivity tracker where you rate how focused/productive you felt during sessions

• ✦Offline listening mode to play tracks without an internet connection

• ✦Team/enterprise offering for organizations

📊 Feature Comparison

🔗 Integrations

Ellie Planner

Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Notion, Zapier

Focus@Will

Limited third-party automation via viaSocket for Wistia and Zendesk Sell

💰 Pricing Comparison

Ellie Planner

Free Plan available. Pro: $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or $299.99 lifetime.

Free Plan: $0 with unlimited tasks and braindump. Ellie Pro: $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or $299.99 one-time lifetime purchase.

Focus@Will

From $9.99/mo or $52/year

$52-53/year annual subscription, $9.99/month option available. 7-day free trial with 30-day money-back guarantee

💡 Things to Consider

When Choosing Ellie Planner

• →You Value Visual Time-Blocking: Ellie Planner excels at drag-and-drop task scheduling into calendar views, making it ideal if you prefer visual daily planning over text-based task lists.

• →You're Willing to Pay for Core Features: The free plan is quite limited, so you'll need Pro ($9.99/month) for time-blocking, calendar integration, and most useful features - consider if this fits your budget.

• →You Use iOS/Web/Desktop: Best experience is on iOS and web platforms. Skip if you need Android support or prefer fully native desktop applications over web-based interfaces.

When Choosing Focus@Will

• →Subscription cost vs free alternatives like Spotify playlists or YouTube focus music

• →Works best for uninterrupted, single-task work blocks rather than frequent task switching

• →Effectiveness varies by individual - try the 7-day free trial to test if instrumental focus music helps your productivity

⭐ User Reviews

Ellie Planner

"Ellie Planner is praised for its intuitive, minimalist interface and effective time-blocking capabilities with drag-and-drop functionality. Users appreciate the brain dump feature, calendar integration, and responsive indie developer support. However, the free plan is quite limited, pricing is considered high compared to alternatives, there's no Android app, and it offers fewer advanced features than comprehensive tools like Sunsama. Best suited for individual users who prioritize visual time-blocking and simplicity over complex workflows."

Focus@Will

"Users report significant productivity boosts and ability to enter deep focus states, with many describing entering a typing trance during work sessions. However, effectiveness is highly individual and the subscription cost is the main drawback compared to free alternatives. Best for deep, single-task work like writing, coding, or studying."

🎯 Conclusion

Both Ellie Planner and Focus@Will are excellent productivity tools with their own strengths.

Ellie Planner excels in Time Blocking with Drag-and-Drop: Core feature allowing users to drag tasks from a Kanban-style list directly into their calendar view for visual time blocking and day planning., while Focus@Will shines with Scientifically curated focus music library with multiple channels/genres tailored for concentration. The best choice depends on your specific needs, workflow preferences, and budget.

We recommend trying both tools to see which one fits better with your productivity style.