Best Time Management Apps 2023

Whether you’re a first year university student or a professional looking to make improvements to your work process, time management apps can be a lifesaver when it comes to organisation and efficiency. 

We all know it can be difficult to stay focused sometimes - workplace distractions, social media, messages from friends - these can all disrupt our workflow and drag out even the simplest of tasks. 

But with time management apps, you can make sure you’re working in a way that suits you and get the very most out of your time, making it easier than ever to get more done.

Here are some of the best time management apps out there in 2023 for both students and professionals… 

Remember, TOTUM is here to help you no matter what stage of life you’re in - from students and apprentices to professionals, we offer tips and advice whilst also giving you access to hundreds of discounts from big brands such as Apple, ASOS, Samsung and more. 

What are the benefits of a time management app?

If you’re struggling with productivity and want to refine your working style, a time management app could be the answer!

Time management apps can help with:

• Organising your workflow and prioritising important tasks that you may be putting off

• Helping to manage your workload and meet deadlines in time

• Time tracking to see how long you’re spending on certain tasks

• Helping you to work more effectively by encouraging you to take breaks 

What are the best time management apps for students?

If you’re looking for a time management app that is particularly useful for students, we’ve got you. From time trackers to distraction blockers, here are some of the time management apps that are frequently rated some of the best for students. 

1. Evernote

No matter what subject you’re studying, Evernote is a great tool to help manage your workload. 

Key features: 

• Organise class notes and save documents by using Evernote as a digital binder

• Record lectures and talks 

• Manage to-do lists and set reminders 

• Save screenshots, images and important information from your online student portal

Cost:

There are both free and premium versions of Evernote available. The free version is limited to 60MB of new notes a month and you can sync between just two devices. 

A ‘Personal’ account includes syncing across unlimited devices, up to 10GB of monthly uploads, and you have the ability to add due dates to your work, set reminders and notifications to your tasks and edit, track and manage tasks. This comes at a cost of £6.67 per month. 

2. Forest

Are you constantly distracted by your phone, whether in the form of messages from friends or the urge to mindlessly scroll through Instagram? 

With the Forest app, you can minimise distractions in an instant. Users grow a virtual tree which represents their focused time. By setting a timer, users plant a seed and as long as they resist the temptation to use their phone, the tree grows. If they exit the app, the tree dies. This is great for creating a sense of accountability and motivates users to maintain their concentration!

Key features:

• Set a timer for a minimum of 10 minutes and watch as your tree begins to grow as a result of you remaining focused on your task - the Forest app incorporates the Pomodoro time management technique, helping to break work into chunks with short intervals

• After successfully completing your first focus session and growing your digital tree, you can collect virtual coins 

• You can view your complete ‘forest’, consisting of all of the trees you’ve managed to successfully grow by managing to avoid distractions 

Cost:

The Forest app costs £3.99, but this will allow you to access all features. 

3. Focus@Will 

Combining neuroscience and music to boost your productivity and block out distractions, the Focus@Will time management app is another great tool for both students and professionals.

With music playlists optimised by scientists to increase your focus, this time management app is considered one of the best for helping users to maintain concentration, including those with ADD. Studies have shown a 200-400% increase in focus time amongst the app’s most active users.

Key features: 

• Thousands of hours of instrumental music designed to keep your mind from becoming distracted or bored

• An in-app assessment determines which specific music type and energy level will work best for you

• You can customise the intensity of sessions to match your cognitive type and mood

• Changes the characteristics of music at the right time intervals to boost productivity and maintain focus 

• Built-in timer and productivity tracker

Cost:

After a 7-day free trial, the cost of Focus@Will is £7.49 per month or £52.49 per year.

4. Serene 

The Serene app is another tool designed to help users stay focused and manage their time effectively. Serene is proven to help achieve undisturbed deep work and prioritise the goals that matter most. 

Key features:

• Prompts you to define one goal each day and then break your day down into sessions to achieve this goal

• Website and app blocker feature makes procrastination a thing of the past 

• To-do list which helps you to break down your main goal into clearly defined intervals of focused work and regular breaks

• Time tracker allows you to split tasks up and set time limits for each in order to meet your main goal

• Focus music playlist 

Cost:

Enjoy a free trial giving you 10 free deep work hours and then pay £4 per month.

What are the best time management apps for professionals?

1. Remember The Milk 

Remember The Milk is a powerful time management app designed to make it impossible to forget which tasks you need to complete each day. Say goodbye to the scraps of paper scattered across your desk and hello to a simple, efficient way to manage your tasks. 

Key features:

• Create multiple task lists

• Set due dates, add notes, and categorise tasks into customisable lists and tags

• Set reminders and notifications for tasks, ensuring that important deadlines are not missed

• Seamless syncing across devices and platforms, including integration with popular services like Gmail, Google Calendar and Evernote

• Collaboration is made easy with the app's ability to share and delegate tasks with others, making it ideal for both personal and team use

Cost:

There are both free and premium versions of Remember The Milk available, with a premium subscription costing £39.99 per year. 

2. Focus Keeper

Looking for another time management app which utilises the renowned Pomodoro technique? If so, Focus Keeper is the app for you. You’ll simply choose a task you’d like to complete, set the timer for 25 minutes and focus on the task before the timer rings, then take a short 5 minute break. Once you’ve completed four 25 minute focus sessions, you can take a longer break of 20-30 minutes. 

This time management method boosts productivity and concentration by avoiding burnout and optimising the time spent on tasks. 

Key features:

• Set the number of focus sessions you’d like to complete before taking a long break

• Track your progress with two different charts

• Customise the length of your focus session and break intervals 

Cost:

Focus Keeper is free to download. 

3. Notion

Notion is another fantastic time management app for professionals, bringing everything you need to one place. 

Ideal for collaborating with your whole team, Notion allows you to take meeting notes, share these with co-workers, assign tasks, create a to-do list and much more. 

Key features:

• Add deadlines, deliverables and assign team members to to-do list tasks

• Shared team calendar

• Collaboration features

Cost:

Notion offers a free trial followed by either an £8 per user per month or £15 per user per month subscription depending on your team size. 

Save on study and office essentials and more with TOTUM 

Whether you’re a student, an apprentice or a professional can save on both study and office essentials with TOTUM. 

With discounts from big brands such as Papier, Microsoft, Adobe, Pearson and more, you can enjoy money off everything you need to boost your productivity.

For more tips and advice, check out our other guides: 

• HOW TO REVISE EFFECTIVELY FOR UNIVERSITY EXAMS

• HOW TO SAVE UP TO £85 ON YOUR MONTHLY BILLS AND ESSENTIALS WITH TOTUM

• BEST STUDENT FREEBIES 2023: HOW TO GET FREE THINGS AS A STUDENT

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