- ADHD apps at a glance
- Ten apps that help with ADHD
- Apps help, but they aren't a diagnosis
- Visual planners, timers, body doubling and task breakers
- Making an ADHD app stick
- Features that tend to help ADHD brains
- Pairing apps with your environment
- My plain advice on choosing ADHD apps
- Frequently asked questions
The best ADHD apps make time visible, break big tasks into small ones and give you a nudge at the right moment, without becoming one more thing to manage. Look at how the app shows your day, how it handles reminders and what the free version includes. Ten apps follow in no particular order, plus tips to keep using them.
Many adults with ADHD have a graveyard of abandoned planners and to-do apps. That's not a character flaw; most productivity tools are designed for brains that find routine and time easy. Apps built with ADHD in mind work differently: visual timelines, timers on every task, body doubling and tools that split a scary job into tiny steps.
The ten apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from visual planners to programmes that teach coping skills. Each description comes from the app's own website or store listing, re-checked today. If you want general ideas too, my take on productivity tips that work is written for real, messy days.
ADHD apps at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the app's own site or store listing describes a free app or free version, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated. Free versions often cover the basics, with more routines, timers or lessons in a subscription.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Marvin | Task manager | Building your own system | Trial only |
| Brili | Routine timer app | Timed morning and evening routines | Trial only |
| Finch | Self-care app | Gentle motivation for small habits | Yes |
| Focusmate | Body doubling | Working alongside another person | Yes |
| Goblin Tools | Task breakdown tools | Breaking a task into steps | Yes |
| Inflow | ADHD programme | Learning ADHD coping skills | Yes |
| Llama Life | Timed to-do list | Time limits on each task | Trial only |
| Routinery | Routine planner | Step-by-step daily routines | Yes |
| Structured | Visual day planner | Seeing the day on one timeline | Yes |
| Tiimo | Visual planner | Visual timers and routines | Yes |
Ten apps that help with ADHD
Amazing Marvin
Best for: Organisers who've abandoned every other to-do app and want to switch features on and off until it fits.
Brili
Best for: Parents and adults who lose track of time and want visual, timed routines for mornings and bedtimes.
Finch
Best for: Anyone who responds to kindness more than streaks, caring for a little pet by finishing small self-care goals.
Focusmate
Best for: Remote workers who get far more done when someone else is quietly working with them on camera.
Goblin Tools
Best for: Neurodivergent users who freeze at big tasks and want them split into small, doable steps instantly.
Inflow
Best for: Adults who want short lessons and exercises on ADHD habits, often while waiting for an assessment.
Llama Life
Best for: Freelancers who hyperfocus or drift and want a timer on every single task in the day's list.
Routinery
Best for: Students and adults who need each routine laid out as steps with a timer guiding them through.
Structured
Best for: Visual thinkers who plan better when tasks and appointments sit on one colourful timeline.
Tiimo
Best for: Neurodivergent people who want icons, colours and visual countdowns to make time feel real.
Apps help, but they aren't a diagnosis
It's worth being clear about what an app can do. The NHS says an ADHD assessment is with a specialist such as a psychiatrist, and that talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or mindfulness may be recommended for adults with ADHD.
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What that means for you: use apps for the practical side, such as planning, focus and routines, alongside other support. If ADHD symptoms are affecting your work, studies or relationships, speak to your GP about an assessment.
Visual planners, timers, body doubling and task breakers
Visual planners put your day on a colourful timeline so time feels real rather than abstract. Timer-led to-do lists put a countdown on every task, which helps both drifting and hyperfocus. Body doubling apps pair you with another person working quietly on camera, which many people find makes starting much easier. Task breakers turn one overwhelming job into a list of small steps.
Most people find one or two of these click. Try a different type rather than forcing one that doesn't.
Making an ADHD app stick
- Start with one app and one use, such as your morning routine.
- Put the app on your home screen where you'll see it.
- Keep reminders few and meaningful so you don't learn to ignore them.
- Plan tomorrow the evening before, in five minutes or less.
- Expect to miss days, and restart without guilt.
- Review after two weeks and drop anything you aren't using.
Features that tend to help ADHD brains
- Visual time. Timelines and countdowns make time easier to feel.
- Tiny steps. Big tasks broken into small, doable actions.
- Gentle reminders. Nudges that don't shame you for missing a day.
- Low setup. Apps that work in minutes, not after an afternoon of configuring.
Pairing apps with your environment
Apps work best alongside small changes around you: a charger by the door so your phone's ready, a visible clock in each room and a single place for keys and wallet. If you work at a desk, my list of productivity tools includes options that sit alongside a planner. The goal is fewer decisions, not more systems.
Do you make an ADHD app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing ADHD apps
Pick the app that matches your biggest daily struggle. If you lose track of time, start with a visual planner or timed to-do list. If starting is the hardest part, try body doubling or a task breaker. One app solving one real problem beats five apps you set up in a burst of enthusiasm and never open again.
Be kind to yourself when a system stops working; novelty fades for everyone, and switching apps now and then is normal. If you're waiting for an assessment, apps and routines can make the wait easier, but keep your GP in the loop.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app for ADHD?
It depends on your main struggle: visual planners for time, timers for focus, body doubling for starting tasks and task breakers for overwhelm.
Are ADHD apps free?
Several have a free version or free app; extra features are usually in a subscription.
Can an app diagnose ADHD?
No. The NHS says an assessment is with a specialist such as a psychiatrist; speak to your GP if you think you have ADHD.
What is body doubling?
Working alongside another person, in person or on video, which many people with ADHD find makes it easier to start and keep going.
Why do I keep abandoning productivity apps?
Novelty fades, and many apps aren't designed for ADHD. Simpler, visual tools with fewer reminders often last longer.
Do apps replace medication or therapy?
No. They can support daily life alongside the help your specialist or GP recommends.
