Routine vs Friday: Comprehensive 2024 Comparison

What is Routine

Routine is a productivity tool that sets itself apart with its all-in-one approach, combining elements of task management, note-taking, and calendar integration into a single platform. Designed to cater to the needs of busy professionals and individuals seeking to streamline their organizational process, Routine offers a comprehensive solution for managing daily tasks, appointments, and notes. Its unique selling point is the integration of these features within an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easier for users to track their to-dos, schedule their days, and store important information in one place. This level of integration is particularly useful for those who prefer a unified system to manage various aspects of their work and personal life.

Key Features of Routine

• Timeline Agenda: Offers a detailed view of the day’s plan with timestamps, including meeting and event reminders, with options to time-block tasks.
• Week Calendar: Provides a 5-day, week, and month view for task planning, integrating seamlessly with Google Calendar.
• Console Capture: A desktop feature for capturing events, notes, and tasks outside the application, ideal for GTD enthusiasts.
• Centralized Workspace: Combines tasks, notes, and calendar in one space.
• Organization: Utilizes categories and tags for better event and task management.
• Daily Plan: Helps in crafting focused daily tasks and important events.

What is Friday

Friday.app is a digital workplace platform designed to enhance productivity and organization for teams. It offers features like customizable homepages, task management, goal tracking, and asynchronous communication tools, aiming to streamline workflows for small to medium-sized teams.

Key Features of Friday

• Customizable Dashboard: Friday allows users to personalize their dashboard with widgets that show tasks, calendars, and other important information at a glance. This customization ensures that every team member can quickly access what’s most important to them, enhancing productivity and focus.
• Integrated Task Management: With task management features, Friday helps teams organize, prioritize, and track work progress. This integration means tasks and projects are easily accessible, facilitating better planning and execution.
• Goal Setting and Tracking: Goal tracking functionality enables teams and individuals to set objectives, monitor progress, and adjust strategies. This feature supports accountability and ensures alignment with broader organizational goals.
• Asynchronous Communication Tools: Recognizing the importance of communication, Friday includes tools that support asynchronous updates and check-ins. This reduces the need for constant meetings, making communication more efficient.
• Team Directory: A centralized team directory in Friday aids in keeping everyone connected. This feature makes it easier to find contact information and understand team structures, fostering better collaboration.
• Analytics and Reporting: Friday offers analytics and reporting tools that provide insights into team performance and work habits. This data can inform decision-making, helping to optimize workflows and productivity.

Routine vs Friday: Features

Features	Routine	Friday
Integrations	Syncs with multiple calendar services and task managers like Todoist and Google Tasks.	The top integrations include ClickUp, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Slack, Salesforce, and Figma
Calendar	Google Calendar, Notion, Slack, Zapier, Siri, Gmail	Yes
Platforms	macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Web	Browser
Task Management	No	Workflow management, Progress tracking
Natural Language Processing	Offers task creation with date assignment via drag-and-drop	No
Time Blocking	Available	Yes
Analytics	No	Yes
Meeting Scheduler	No	Yes
Time Zones	Yes	Yes
Reminders	Yes	Yes
Customer Support	Average	Good
1:1 User Onboarding	No	No
Pricing	$12 per month, annually	Free, Individual $4/mo, Team $6/mo, Company $100/mo

Routine vs Friday: Pricing

Routine Pricing

(i) Free Version: Available for students and hobbyists, though with limited features.

(ii) Professional Plan: Priced at $12 per month.

(iii) Business Plan: Costs $15 per user per month.

(iv) Believer Plan: Priced at $10 monthly or $8 per month for an annual commitment, totaling around $96 annually

Friday Pricing

Free: Core features, unlimited core access. Individual: $4/mo, planner, goals. Team: $6/mo, collaboration, reporting. Company: $100/mo, advanced features.

Routine vs Friday: Reviews

Routine Review

Routine stands out for its exceptional design, skillfully combining elements of daily planning, note-taking, and journaling into a user-friendly interface. The application’s free version is especially popular among students and individuals using it for personal or hobbyist projects, making it a preferred choice in these communities. Additionally, Routine’s smart planning and scheduling capabilities are highly valued by users who favor an automated, intelligent approach to organizing their tasks and appointments. However, a significant limitation of Routine, particularly in its free version, is the constrained number of integrations it offers. This restriction is frequently mentioned by users as a downside, as it may limit the app’s effectiveness in more integrated digital workflows.

Friday Review

Friday is praised for its well-executed design, serving as a comprehensive work hub rather than a full WorkOS, ideal for aligning team goals and communications. It’s particularly suited for small, high-performance teams, offering features like check-ins, goals, and a planner. Its customizable homepage and streamlined status updates enhance team efficiency, reflecting a solution built by a distributed team for their own challenges, offering a unique approach to work collaboration.

Which One Should You Pick

Consider Routine if

1. You Want a Balance Between Calendar and Task Management: Routine offers a mix of these features, but it might not be as comprehensive as some specialized apps in either category.
2. You Like Quick Task and Note Capturing: The app has convenient features for this, though it’s not a full-fledged note-taking application
   
3. You’re Looking for a Personal Planner: Routine is more suited to personal use and less technical users, but it might not meet all the needs of power users or large teams.

Consider Friday if

1. You Seek a Centralized Work Hub: Friday could be a match if you’re looking for a single platform to manage tasks, meetings, and goals. However, if your needs extend to highly specialized tools for project management or creative work, you might find Friday’s functionalities a bit generic.
2. Integration Matters, But Not Deeply: If integrating with commonly used apps like Google Calendar, Slack, or Microsoft Teams is important, Friday offers these capabilities. Still, for more niche or industry-specific integrations, it may not fully meet your expectations.
3. Balanced Approach to Task and Time Management: Friday supports task and time management, which could benefit those with straightforward scheduling needs. However, if you’re in search of advanced time tracking or detailed analytical insights into productivity, Friday’s offerings might seem somewhat basic.

Best Routine and Friday Alternative

Akiflow: Akiflow is a time management app offering time blocking, task scheduling, and integrations with various tools. It focuses on productivity and organization through a unified task and appointment interface.

Akiflow Price: $19 per month, paid annually