Apps that work with your brain, not against it.
Standard planner apps are designed for neurotypical brains. Text lists. No visual feedback. No dopamine. No wonder they don't work for us.
ADHD brains need different things: visual timelines, instant rewards, external structure, and honestly, some fun. Here are apps that get it.
Gamification that actually works for ADHD brains. Earn coins for completing tasks. Sounds childish until you realize it triggers the exact dopamine hit we need.
The Purpose Wheel is huge for us. ADHD often means hyperfocusing on one thing while life falls apart everywhere else. The wheel makes it impossible to ignore.
Why it works for ADHD:
Built specifically for neurodivergent brains. Won Apple's App of the Year. Visual timeline shows your day as colored blocks.
Great for time blindness. Seeing "3pm to 4pm: work on report" as a physical block helps your brain understand time better.
The catch: $12/month is expensive. And some features feel like they're designed for kids.
Beautiful visual timeline. Your day as colorful blocks. Very satisfying to look at and use.
Not specifically for ADHD but the visual nature helps a lot. One-time purchase means no subscription guilt.
The catch: Apple only. No Android or web.
The most customizable planner ever. Turn features on/off. Multiple strategies for different moods. Great if you like tinkering.
The catch: Can become procrastination. "Let me just tweak one more setting..." 3 hours later...
Combines tasks with mood and energy tracking. Good for understanding your patterns. When are you most productive? When do you crash?
The catch: Might be overwhelming. More features isn't always better for ADHD.
Visual time representation. ADHD brains struggle with time blindness. Seeing time as physical blocks helps.
Instant feedback. Check off a task, get a satisfying animation or sound. Our brains need that dopamine hit immediately.
Low friction. If adding a task takes more than 3 seconds, we won't do it. Quick capture is essential.
Flexibility. Rigid systems break when ADHD strikes. Good apps let you reschedule without guilt.
Forgiveness. Miss a day? A week? Good apps don't shame you with "you've been gone for 14 days" messages.
Start with Funtasking. It's free, it's visual, it's gamified. If it doesn't click, you've lost nothing.
If you need more structure: Try Tiimo or Structured. They're more rigid but some ADHD folks need that external structure.
If you love customization: Amazing Marvin. But be honest with yourself. Will you use it or just configure it forever?
The best app is the one you'll actually open. For ADHD brains, that usually means the one that gives us dopamine. Funtasking's gamification does that for me.