Last Updated on May 8, 2024 by Ewen Finser
In the chaotic world of task management and productivity, having a consolidated tool that simplifies your daily planning process can be a game-changer.
Sunsama, a daily planner application, claims to be this game changer. I’d previously tested and reviewed to more upmarket competitors in Motion and Reclaim.ai, so Sunsama was next on my list (it kept popping up as I looked at competitors!).
This review will dissect Sunsama’s features, usability, and value proposition to help you determine if it’s the right tool to streamline your daily task management.
What is Sunsama?
Sunsama is a work management platform that combines the power of a daily planner and task manager into one streamlined application.
It’s not just another productivity tool, but an entire system designed to facilitate task management, calendar syncing, and daily planning.
The app’s standout feature is its ability to integrate with various third-party applications, such as Google Calendar, Outlook, Slack, Notion, and more.
This broad spectrum of integrations allows users to manage all their tasks, emails, and events in one place, eliminating the need to switch between multiple apps and platforms.
Sunsama’s Key Features
Sunsama’s features are thoughtfully designed to boost your productivity and make daily task management less overwhelming.
The main aim is to help you focus on what truly matters by prioritizing tasks and planning your day efficiently.
1. Task Management
Sunsama shines in task management through its easy-to-use interface that allows drag-and-drop task scheduling, task prioritization, and creation of subtasks. It lets users set due dates for tasks, making it easier to track progress and meet deadlines.
Tasks in Sunsama can be categorized under different channels, which can be immensely helpful in segregating personal and professional tasks.
Sunsama allows you to estimate the time it would take to complete a task, helping you create a more realistic and achievable daily plan.
2. Calendar Management
Sunsama takes the cake with its seamless calendar integrations. Once connected to Google Calendar or Outlook, the app pulls in all your scheduled meetings and events, allowing you to plan your tasks around them.
The best part is, it syncs your tasks both ways, meaning you can view your tasks from Sunsama App or your Google Calendar.
3. Integrated Inbox and Automations
One of the standout features of Sunsama is its integrated inbox, which connects directly to your Gmail or Outlook account.
This feature allows you to turn email threads into tasks, reply to emails, and even create email automations such as archiving an email when it’s marked as completed.
4. Focus Mode and Time Boxing
Another commendable feature of Sunsama is its Focus Mode, which puts your to-do list front and center without any distractions.
It also offers time boxing features, like the Pomodoro technique, that help in getting tasks done on or before the due time.
5. Daily and Weekly Planner
Sunsama’s daily and weekly planner is like a journal that helps you figure out what you need to do today and what can be deferred to the next day or week.
This feature assists in prioritizing tasks and focusing on the most important tasks first.
A Deeper Dive into Sunsama’s Features
Now that we’ve covered the key features, let’s delve deeper into how these features can improve your daily productivity.
1. Task Management
Sunsama’s task management is incredibly intuitive.
As soon as you log in to the dashboard, you see three main sections: the left panel with general settings, the middle panel for creating and planning tasks, and the right panel for integrating other apps.
You can add a new task easily by clicking on the “add a task” button. Sunsama then prompts you to assign a channel or category to the task, add subtasks, and estimate the time required for completion.
Once you’ve set up your tasks for the day, you can drag and drop them into your calendar, creating a clear visual of your day’s plan.
If you complete a task early, Sunsama auto-reschedules the rest of your day, freeing up more time for other tasks.
2. Daily Planning Workflow
Sunsama’s daily planning workflow encourages you to capture all your tasks for the day, prioritize them, and then create a schedule. You can plan ahead as far as you want, be it for the whole week, month, or even a year.
The app prompts you to add all the important tasks you want to complete on a particular day and set some weekly objectives.
Once done, it takes you to a page where you can prioritize these tasks and move less important ones to the next day.
If you’re overwhelmed with tasks, Sunsama’s planning feature allows you to defer tasks to tomorrow or next week. It ensures you don’t overcommit and set realistic goals for the day.
3. Weekly Objectives
Sunsama’s weekly objectives feature ties together your daily tasks with your high-level strategic goals for the week.
At the beginning of the week, Sunsama encourages you to review your previous week’s performance and set objectives for the coming week.
4. Team Collaboration
Sunsama isn’t just for personal productivity; it’s also a great tool for small and medium-sized teams.
You can plan your day together within the app, contribute to meetings, and keep track of what your entire team is working on at any specific moment in time.
5. Customer Support
Sunsama’s customer support is just an email away. They have a quick response time and are always ready to help with any queries or issues you might have. Their help center also provides useful tips and guides to help you navigate the app more effectively.
Sunsama: The Not-So-Good
While Sunsama offers a plethora of features to streamline your workday, it has its fair share of limitations.
For one, the app doesn’t offer a free plan, which can be a significant barrier for individuals or small teams on a tight budget.
The learning curve can be steep, especially for those new to task management tools. While the UI is user-friendly, understanding all the features and how to best use them can take some time.
Another downside is the lack of some major integrations. Apps like Any.do or Airtable, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, and Wrike are missing, limiting the app’s functionality for users who rely on these tools for their workflow.
Lastly, the daily planning process can be time-consuming. While the 15-minute planning process can save you time in the long run, it can feel like a significant investment for new users.
Sunsama’s Pricing
Sunsama offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to test out all its features before you decide to invest in it. After the trial period, it costs $20 per month for monthly billing, or $16 per month for yearly billing.
The Verdict: Is Sunsama Worth It?
In a world where productivity tools are plentiful, Sunsama stands out due to its unique approach to daily planning and task management.
Its ability to pull tasks from various project management and personal task management tools sets it apart from its competition.
However, whether Sunsama is worth it for you largely depends on your unique needs and work style. If time boxing and the integration of multiple productivity tools into one platform appeal to you, Sunsama could be a great fit.
If you’re overwhelmed with tasks, looking to improve your productivity, or wanting to integrate all your productivity tools together, Sunsama is definitely worth a try.
The app’s free trial allows you to test out all its features, giving you a good sense of whether it’s the right tool for you.
Remember, the best productivity tool is the one that you will consistently use. So, give Sunsama a try and see if it fits into your daily routine.
Sunsama Alternatives
While Sunsama is a robust daily planner app, it may not fit everyone’s needs. Here are a few alternatives to consider:
- Reclaim.ai: More of an AI focus compared to Sunsama and with larger aspirations for workplace collaboration versus the initially more personal focus of Sunsama. Reclaim is a great tool to “up-level” your workflow with a calendar centric focus.
- Motion: Motion is most similar to Reclaim, but with a more project management bent. See how Motion compares to Sunsama here.
- Todoist: A powerful task management tool with advanced features like labels, filters, and recurring tasks.
- Google Workspace: This seems somewhat of a “duh” addition, but Google does have aspirations in this space, having recently knee-capped the likes of Calendly with their own similar improvements.
- ClickUp: A comprehensive project management platform with features like time tracking, document sharing, and goal setting.
Each of these alternatives offers unique features and may be better suited to your specific needs. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to explore different options before settling on a productivity tool.
Conclusion: Is Sunsama Legit?
Sunsama is more than just a daily planner. It’s a powerful productivity tool that combines task management and calendar syncing to help you stay on top of your daily tasks and goals.
Whether you’re a working professional, a busy parent, or an entrepreneur juggling multiple projects, Sunsama has something to offer.
While the app has its limitations and may not be the best fit for everyone, its unique approach to daily planning and task management makes it a worthy contender in the productivity tool market.
If you’re looking for a tool that simplifies task management and helps you focus on what matters most, Sunsama might just be the tool you’ve been searching for.
Personally, I preferred BOTH Reclaim and Motion and these are the tools I recommend to most people, but there are some nuances as to when to use one vs the other. Here’s my full comparison of Motion vs Reclaim.