Your calendar is overflowing. Your task list grows faster than you can check things off. And somewhere between your emails, Slack messages, and Notion pages, you lose track of everything. Sound familiar? Then you’ve probably looked at Akiflow or Sunsama before. I’ve used both tools for weeks, and honestly: they’re both solid. But completely different.
Akiflow in a nutshell
Akiflow is built for speed. It’s a productivity tool that pulls all your tasks, emails, and calendars into a single timeline. The focus is on time‑blocking: you drag tasks onto your calendar and lock in time for them. The Command Bar is the heart of the app—type what you want to do and it just happens. Think Alfred or Spotlight, but for your entire workday. It feels raw and powerful, built for people who can type keyboard shortcuts in their sleep.
Sunsama in a nutshell
Sunsama takes a different approach. This tool guides you through your day with an almost meditative calm. Every morning you go through a planning ritual where you consciously choose what you’re going to do today. The app asks you to be realistic — planning more than 6 hours of deep work? Then you’ll get a warning. Sunsama feels like a mindful coach that helps you focus on what really matters instead of rushing through your to‑do list.
Akiflow vs Sunsama: the differences
The biggest difference is in the philosophy. Akiflow wants you to be fast. Lightning fast. You type “tomorrow 2:00 PM meeting with Sarah 1h” and the app knows exactly what you mean. The Command Bar is addictive in a good way — once you’re used to it, there’s no going back. Sunsama, on the other hand, deliberately slows you down. It wants you to think before you add something. Is this task actually important today? How much time are you going to spend on it? That intentional slowness isn’t a bug, it’s the feature.
The interface tells the same story. Akiflow is sleek and minimal, with a focus on your calendar and inbox. Everything is designed to use as few mouse clicks as possible. Sunsama has more space, more breathing room. You see your tasks for today, your backlog, and your channels (their version of projects). It feels calmer, but also a bit less streamlined.
Integrations work well in both, but differently. Akiflow pulls data in and turns it into one big inbox. Gmail, Slack, Notion, Asana — it all comes in and you process it. The bi-directional sync is strong: if you change something in Akiflow, it updates in the source app too. Sunsama also integrates with many tools but puts more emphasis on contexts. You can tag tasks with where you are (office, home) or what kind of work it is (deep work, admin). Those contexts help you decide what you can do right now.
The mobile experience has been a pain point for Akiflow for a long time. The app had bugs and didn’t feel native. Recently there was a big overhaul with Smart Tags and a more compact layout, but honestly? Sunsama still has the better app here. Though not everyone finds that one user‑friendly either — on both tools, the desktop is where you actually get work done.
Then there are the daily routines. Akiflow has Daily Rituals for planning and shutdown, but they’re optional. You can just open the app and get started. Sunsama pretty much pushes you to go through the planning flow. Every day you review your tasks, drag them into today, and estimate the time. Some people find that calming. Others feel it’s a mandatory chore before they’re allowed to begin.
Focus Mode works on both, but again: different approaches. Akiflow has a focus mode that strips away distractions. Sunsama has a timer with Pomodoro support that helps you stay on track. In Sunsama you also see a visualization of planned versus actual time spent — a bit confronting if you tend to plan too optimistically.
The pricing compared
Neither option is cheap. Akiflow costs $ 1 per month on a monthly plan. That’s steep. The annual subscription brings it down to $ 1 per month ($ 1 per year). Sunsama doesn’t list a monthly price in the data, but research shows it’s $ 1 per month, or $ 1 per month with yearly billing.
So monthly, Sunsama is cheaper. Yearly, the difference is only $ 1 per month. Akiflow does have an interesting “Believer Plan” where you pay for 5 years upfront at $ 1.33 per month — but then you’re locked in for five years. That’s a commitment.
Neither tool has a free plan. Both offer a trial, but in the end you’ll be paying. At this price point you expect the tools to work well — and they do. But it’s still a sizable investment for a productivity app.
Conclusion
Choose Akiflow if you want speed. If you’re a power user who relies on keyboard shortcuts, uses lots of integrations, and treats your calendar as your source of truth. It’s built for people who care about efficiency and don’t want to waste time clicking around.
Choose Sunsama if you’re looking for calm. If you tend to overplan, struggle with focus, or if you have ADHD and need structure. The guided planning helps you make intentional choices instead of working reactively. It’s more expensive month to month but cheaper on a yearly plan.
Personally? For pure productivity I’d pick Akiflow. That Command Bar is just too good. But on days when I’m overwhelmed by everything on my plate, I miss the calm that Sunsama brings. Maybe that’s the real answer: it depends on where you are in your work rhythm right now. Both tools are excellent at what they do. They just do completely different things.
