Ellie Planner vs Notion Calendar: 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 Notion Calendar 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.

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🌟 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 Notion Calendar?

Notion Calendar is a calendar app that integrates Notion databases with external calendars (like Google and Apple iCloud) to display tasks, deadlines, and project timelines alongside events in a unified view. It provides two-way sync with Notion databases, allowing date-based items to appear as events that can be dragged to reschedule while automatically updating Notion. The app includes built-in scheduling tools, time blocking features, and unified calendar views for better time and work management.

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🌟 Key Features of Notion Calendar

• ✦Two-Way Notion Database Sync: Date-based items from Notion databases appear as calendar events that can be dragged to reschedule, automatically updating Notion. Supports multiple date properties like deadlines and work plans for comprehensive project timeline management.

• ✦Unified Calendar Integration: Connects and toggles between Google and Apple iCloud calendars while auto-blocking personal events as 'Busy' on work calendars. Provides a single view for all calendar sources and Notion database items.

• ✦Built-in Scheduling Tools: Features quick availability sharing via S key, drag-to-book functionality, and built-in scheduler for meetings. Includes customizable scheduling links for sharing availability with others.

• ✦Time Blocking and Task Management: Allows dragging tasks to specific time slots and updating properties/status directly from the calendar. Provides dedicated views for deadlines versus plans and supports focus time blocking.

• ✦Event Types and Customization: Supports various event types including focus time and out-of-office, with customizable views showing week numbers and weekends. Includes keyboard shortcuts and comprehensive time zone support.

• ✦Cross-Platform Availability: Available on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android platforms. Ensures users can manage their integrated calendars and Notion databases across all their devices.

📊 Feature Comparison

🔗 Integrations

Ellie Planner

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

Notion Calendar

Notion, Google Calendar, Apple iCloud

💰 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.

Notion Calendar

Free

Free

💡 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 Notion Calendar

• →You're Already Using Notion: Ideal if you rely on Notion for tasks and projects as it enhances centralization, but adds complexity if you're not already in the Notion ecosystem and may require learning the platform first.

• →You Need Context-Rich Calendar Management: Best for workflows requiring linking events to documents, databases, and project timelines, but avoid if you prioritize simple notifications, offline access, or auto-scheduling features.

• →You Value Integration Over Advanced Features: Excellent for unified views of calendars and Notion data with two-way sync, but may fall short if you need extensive third-party integrations, advanced calendar features, or standalone calendar capabilities.

⭐ 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."

Notion Calendar

"Notion Calendar is praised as a 'game-changer' for Notion-heavy workflows, offering seamless integration between calendars and Notion databases with two-way sync and unified views. Users highlight its effectiveness for context-driven planning and real-time project management, though it has a steep learning curve for Notion newcomers and lacks offline support. While it excels for existing Notion users seeking centralized scheduling, it may not satisfy power users needing advanced features like auto-scheduling or extensive third-party integrations."

🎯 Conclusion

Both Ellie Planner and Notion Calendar 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 Notion Calendar shines with Two-Way Notion Database Sync: Date-based items from Notion databases appear as calendar events that can be dragged to reschedule, automatically updating Notion. Supports multiple date properties like deadlines and work plans for comprehensive project timeline management.. 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.