Productivity apps that help with planning tasks and list-making are central to our work-lives for the foreseeable future. While physical planners and diaries do maintain their simplistic, easy-to-use niche, digital apps make our scheduling and checkbox list lifestyle a smooth and largely pain-free one. At least where organising tasks and lists are concerned!

Many of us use a variety of task and project management tools in our day to day lives, but these are some which we’ve used to great success!

 For this article, I have tried three of the most popular productivity apps to determine which one is the best of the bunch, so that you don’t have to do it yourself!

Trello is a Kanban-style web-based list-making application created by Fog Creek Software back in 2011. Since then, it has gone through many different revamps to achieve what it is today, and it has never been better. Plus, it’s free to use (for the free plan with a limited number of cards), but the paid plan comes with unlimited cards and tasks allowing better descriptions.

Product Capabilities: Kanban-style comes from the traditional Japanese project management of giving a project a large overview as shown on a board through different cards arranged in columns. Because of this, the board flows vertically, as if copying a waterfall motion. Through the Kanban board, one can see what one is supposed to do, what is currently being done, and what has been finished. By moving and rearranging cards that represent tasks, organising has never been this easy.  Each card may be labeled, added with activities, deadlines, and attachments. Each card can be assigned to someone.

Innovation and Style:The many colours available truly show much style and personalisation on the part of the user. The interface is also eye-catching, like looking at a bulletin board made just for your tasks. Plus, this innovative digitisation of the Kanban board works well with linear projects that need a steady flow chart feel.

Service and Support: While Trello does not provide phone support as of this time, they may be contacted through email at http://www.trello.com/contact. Just don’t expect them to reply so easily. But they do have a knowledge database that has a decent amount of answered questions at https://help.trello.com/

Overall: You can access Trello anytime and try it for yourself, especially if the Kanban-style fits your productivity style. Remember that the free trial comes with limited cards so if you wish to avail of the pricing plans, don’t hesitate because this app is sure to improve your task management.

Microsoft Planner is planning software that comes in with Microsoft 365. Almost all organisations, universities, and even individuals have access to Microsoft 365 so this one’s an option that one might have readily available. Just make sure you are subscribed to the business, educational, or premium accounts.

Product Capabilities: In typical Kanban-style, you can create as many plans as you like in Microsoft Planner organising, subsequent tasks into different categories, for example: Not Started, In Progress, and Completed, all in one view of the screen. You can write the name of the task, the deadline of the task, and who is supposed to finish it. Once you click on each task, you can open a dropdown menu for greater detail which adds attachment, descriptions, checklists, and even comments. These tasks are separated all into different plans for easy access, and you are free to label all these tasks as you wish. Since it is connected to other Microsoft 365 apps, like Microsoft Teams, you can assign tasks to be completed by anyone on your team.

Innovation and Style: Among the three apps, Microsoft has probably the sleekest and simplest design. It’s easy to get into, especially if you are already aware of how Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 apps work. You can personalise between night mode and day mode for a choice of what’s easy on the eyes.

Service and Support: The customer service of the Microsoft Planner is excellent. However, if you want quick and step-by-step answers immediately, the Microsoft Community at answers.microsoft.com surely has your question answered and verified by the users.

Overall: Microsoft Planner easily fits into your work life and should already have paid for if your company subscribes to Microsoft 365. Its integration with other products makes planning and task assignment much easier than transferring and assigning names in a different product. It’s perfect for existing Microsoft 365 users and comes at no extra cost for them!

Monday.com, as basic as it sounds, is a complex application featuring a management tool that helps organisations in managing their tasks, projects, and other business-related endeavors. Do not be fooled by its product name, because this is one Monday you are sure to love (and never regret experiencing!)

Product Capabilities: Monday.com has different pricing plans to cater to anyone’s needs: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise (all explained here: https://monday.com/pricing/). Through a ticketing system, Monday.com allows the team to receive personal messages from each other, and see one’s assignment for the whole week. In each task, the designation is set: due dates, attachments, among others. There is also a board which shows the total productivity of everyone throughout the week: the progress and number of tasks finished.

Innovation and Style: I daresay Monday.com is the most stylish project management task of this bunch. Colours pop left and right, and tasks are neatly organised into the labels you choose for them.

Service and Support: Monday.com is contacted through email support, but their community is more creative than you might think: they present vlog tutorials, infographic reports, and other productivity management media that will surely help you get started, or solve a specific monday.com issue.

Overall: This productivity app, while pricey in its plans, is worth all the money you put into it. I love the style, the community, and the interface. In its totality, Monday.com is that one Monday you will enjoy, letting you start your week knowing exactly what you need to do.

These three productivity apps each have their perks and downsides: Microsoft Planner is part of Microsoft 365 so chances are you already have it, Trello is free and easy to use, give it a go to organise your work or your life, and Monday.com offers a complete work task management system.

What matters is managing our tasks and projects with ease. If you don’t use one now, I suggest giving one of these a go, as undoubtedly they will help you improve your work life.

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