Amazing Marvin vs Llama Life

Amazing Marvin

• People who want to shape a task manager around their own workflow
• People who struggle with procrastination or feel overwhelmed by long lists
• Planning a day with time estimates and time blocks
• Linux users who want a desktop app

Llama Life

• People who work better with a visible countdown on each task
• Adults with ADHD, the audience the founder built it for
• Running repeatable routines from preset lists
• Todoist users who want a focused list for today's tasks

Amazing Marvin

• There is no free plan; when the 14-day trial ends, tasks cannot be added or completed until you subscribe.
• Monthly billing is $12; the $8 price applies only when paying $96 for a year.
• There are no dedicated iPad apps; the vendor says tablets can use the web app.
• Time tracking needs an internet connection, and the Zapier integration can only create tasks in Marvin.

Llama Life

• There is no free plan: after the 7-day trial a Monthly or Annual subscription is required.
• The Todoist and Notion integrations only import tasks; nothing is written back to either service.
• The vendor positions it for working through today's tasks and suggests keeping a main list of projects in a tool such as Todoist.
• The App Store listing is for iPhone only.

Amazing Marvin

Switchable features and workflows

More than 100 features can be turned on or off, and the vendor describes workflows for day planning, list-based work, spontaneous work and GTD.

Day planning and time blocking

Plan a day or week with time estimates, a calendar view and time blocks. A capacity estimator gives feedback on whether the plan is realistic.

Focus tools

Super Focus Mode shows a single task at a time, Spotlight runs focus sessions of 1 to 3 hours, and a built-in timer supports Pomodoro intervals.

Calendar sync

External calendars such as Google Calendar sync one-way into Marvin or two-way, and events can be imported as events, tasks or time blocks.

Habits and gamification

Track habits and streaks, and earn points, levels and rewards for completed work.

Offline use and API

Tasks are saved on the device first and synced when online, so the desktop and mobile apps keep working without a connection. An API is documented on GitHub.

Llama Life

A countdown timer for every task

Each task gets its own timer, from 1 minute to several hours, to encourage working on one thing at a time. When a timer reaches zero, Overtime keeps counting the extra time.

List time and end time

The list shows the start and end time of each task, the total list time and an estimated finishing time for the day.

Preset Lists

Tasks that are done together, such as a morning routine, are saved as a preset and loaded into the Now list in a few clicks. Templates from the site can be imported as presets.

Break-it-down and Random Task

A large task can be split into smaller steps with a suggested time for each, and the app can pick a random task from the list to help with getting started.

Alarms, chimes and soundscapes

Alarms can be silent and visual, nagging or continuous, a chime can sound at a chosen interval, and background sounds include beach, forest, thunderstorm and wind.

Todoist and Notion import

Tasks due today in Todoist and page titles from Notion can be pulled in as tasks. Both integrations are one-way, and the Notion one is labeled beta.

Amazing Marvin

• Marvin Pro$8

  per month, billed annually ($96); $12 billed monthly

  Every feature, unlimited tasks and projects, custom workflows and views, analytics, all apps and personal email support.

Llama Life

• Monthly$6

  per month

  The same benefits as the Annual plan, billed month to month.

• Annual$39

  per year

  Access to all features on desktop, iOS and Android, with self-service cancellation. Marked as the most popular plan.

Amazing Marvin

• Annual discount

  Save 33% with annual billing

  The pricing page lists a 33% saving on the annual plan: $96 a year, equal to $8 a month, against $12 when billed monthly.

• Education

  50% off for students

  Students get 50% off the monthly or the yearly plan. The discount is claimed by emailing the vendor.

• Other savings

  Reduced price on request for financial hardship

  The vendor says it does not want finances to prevent anyone from using Marvin and invites people who cannot afford the regular price to email for a price that works.

Llama Life

• Annual discount

  Annual plan: $39 against $72 paid monthly

  The Annual plan costs $39 a year, against $72 for twelve months on the $6 Monthly plan, a saving of about 46%.

• Other savings

  30% off the first year until October 7, 2026

  A site banner advertises 30% off the first year of the Annual plan, shown as $27.50 instead of $39. The sale is stated to end on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.