The DayCaptain Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about DayCaptain in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
DayCaptain
The Insider’s Guide
Keyboard-driven day planner with a task list beside the calendar
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among daily planner apps, read from DayCaptain’s own pages.
Made by DayCaptain · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from DayCaptain’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on DayCaptain’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 2 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade
DayCaptain is a browser-based personal planner built around time-boxing: each day has a task list next to a calendar, and tasks are given time slots so the day is not overfilled. Every action has a keyboard shortcut reachable from the home row, and guided routines walk through daily and weekly planning. The price is chosen by the subscriber, above a monthly minimum.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about DayCaptain, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Each day has a task list beside a calendar, and every action has a key on the home row.
- 1
Best for planning your day without touching the mouse
DayCaptain is a planner for people who never want to touch the mouse.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per month minimum (€10); the subscriber picks the amount.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial with all features after first sign-up
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Keyboard usability concept
Every action can be triggered from the keyboard with mnemonic keys on the home row; pressing T, for example, focuses the task list.
- 6
Task list and calendar side by side
Each day has its own task list, ordered by importance, and tasks are assigned time slots on the calendar shown next to it.
- 7
Guided day and week planning
Step-by-step planning processes lead through setting up the day and reviewing the coming week, after which the plan acts as a guide through the day.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 2 of 69
That is against the other daily planner apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A daily planner at its plainest is today's tasks laid along a timeline.
DayCaptain at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $12 per month minimum (€10); the subscriber picks the amount
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial with all features after first sign-up
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- DayCaptain
- Category
- Daily Planner Apps
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for planning your day without touching the mouse
DayCaptain is a planner for people who never want to touch the mouse. Each day has a task list beside a calendar, and every action has a key on the home row. It's browser only, with no phone app, calendars import one way, and there's no free plan: after 14 days you pick your own price, starting at $12 a month, double what most planners here charge.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | You choose what to pay, but the floor is $12 a month (€10) and the listing shows no yearly option. The middle of this category is $5.99 a month, so you start at double it, and everything DayCaptain does sits on that one plan. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. You get 14 days with all features when you first sign up, and the listing doesn't say whether a card is needed. After that it's $12 a month or nothing. |
| Features | C | The basics of a day planner: a task list beside the calendar, time slots so you can't overfill the day, guided daily and weekly routines, backlogs and a REST API. The gap is on its own pages: Google and Outlook events only come in, so your slots never reach your calendar. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and a keyboard-first app is something you learn: every action has its own mnemonic key, and there are guided routines to walk you through planning a day and a week. Nothing to install, at least. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app with Google and Outlook calendar import and a REST API, so there's real wiring to hang off. But there's no native phone app, so on a phone it's the browser, and DayCaptain itself says to plan at a computer with a keyboard. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who DayCaptain is for
- Fits if you live on the keyboard and time-box your tasks every day
- Works for developers who want a REST API for their tasks and schedule
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a real phone app, as there's only the browser version
- Not for you if you want your time blocks on Google or Outlook, since calendars only import one way
- Pricey if you just want a day planner, because the floor is $12 a month with no free plan
- Watch out: there's no yearly option, and the listing doesn't say whether the 14-day trial needs a card
Good to know
Good for
- Keyboard-oriented people who time-box their tasks each day
- Developers who want a REST API for their tasks and schedule
- Planning at a desk, then checking the plan from a phone browser
Worth knowing
- There is no native mobile app; phones and tablets use the browser, and the vendor recommends planning on a computer with a keyboard.
- There is no free plan: after the 14-day trial a subscription of at least €10 / $12 per month is required.
- Google and Outlook calendars are imported one way, so time slots planned in DayCaptain are not sent back to them.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start
DayCaptain is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $12 per month minimum (€10); the subscriber picks the amount.
Monthly subscription
From $12 (€10)
per month; you choose the amount above the minimum
One subscription with every feature. The vendor suggests paying the equivalent of one hour at your hourly rate.
Trying it first
14-day free trial with all features after first sign-up
Read from daycaptain.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Keyboard-driven day planner with a task list beside the calendar. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, keyboard-first, tasks, time blocking, calendar.
The gap is on its own pages: Google and Outlook events only come in, so your slots never reach your calendar.
- Keyboard usability concept
- Every action can be triggered from the keyboard with mnemonic keys on the home row; pressing T, for example, focuses the task list.
- Task list and calendar side by side
- Each day has its own task list, ordered by importance, and tasks are assigned time slots on the calendar shown next to it.
- Guided day and week planning
- Step-by-step planning processes lead through setting up the day and reviewing the coming week, after which the plan acts as a guide through the day.
- Backlogs
- Tasks, to-dos and ideas that are not yet scheduled are kept in backlog lists, with filters to narrow what a view shows.
- Google and Outlook calendar import
- Events created in Google or Outlook calendars are imported automatically. Data flows into DayCaptain only, not back to the calendar.
- REST API
- A REST API lets developers build their own tools and extensions for managing tasks and time in DayCaptain.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Calendar
- Outlook Calendar
DayCaptain is made by DayCaptain.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/69
Other daily planner apps it is graded above
DayCaptain's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 2 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 25 of 69) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 45 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 31 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 daily planner apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. DayCaptain’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 6 of 69
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 69
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 69
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 25 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 57 daily planner apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. DayCaptain is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A daily planner at its plainest is today's tasks laid along a timeline.
You could make the core of DayCaptain for yourself: tasks, calendar and time blocking. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $144 a year.
What you could make
- Tasks, calendar and time blocking: an app builder makes these well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. DayCaptain’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Sunsama, Akiflow, Intend, Routine and Ellie
The 5 tools DayCaptain is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Sunsama
Free trial · from $17/mo
Daily planner with guided planning routines and calendar timeboxing.
- Only Sunsama lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Sunsama also covers auto-scheduling, Pomodoro timer and goals.
- 2.2GPA
Akiflow
Free trial · from $19/mo
Time-blocking planner that pulls tasks from other apps into one inbox.
- Only Akiflow lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Akiflow also covers booking links.
- 2.2GPA
Intend
Free trial · from $10/mo
Goal-first daily planner with a fresh list of intentions each day.
- Only Intend lists a browser extension.
- DayCaptain also covers time blocking and calendar.
- Intend also covers Pomodoro timer and goals.
- 2.8GPA
Routine
Free plan · from $5/mo
Planner combining tasks, calendar and notes, with an AI assistant.
- Routine has a free plan. DayCaptain does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Routine lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Routine also covers meeting notes and notes.
- 2.4GPA
Ellie
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Daily planner with a brain dump list and calendar timeboxing.
- Ellie has a free plan. DayCaptain does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Ellie lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Ellie can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is DayCaptain free?
No, DayCaptain is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial with all features after first sign-up.
How much does DayCaptain cost?
DayCaptain lists one plan. Monthly subscription: from $12 (€10) per month; you choose the amount above the minimum.
What platforms does DayCaptain work on?
DayCaptain is available on Web.
Does DayCaptain have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. DayCaptain is listed for Web.
Does DayCaptain have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. DayCaptain is listed for Web.
Is DayCaptain open source?
DayCaptain is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does DayCaptain have an API?
Yes. DayCaptain offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does DayCaptain integrate with?
DayCaptain's listing names Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes DayCaptain?
DayCaptain is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to DayCaptain?
The closest alternatives to DayCaptain in our directory are Sunsama, Akiflow, Intend, Routine and Ellie.
How does DayCaptain compare with other daily planner apps?
DayCaptain's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 2 of the 69 other daily planner apps we grade, and level with 5.
Is DayCaptain good value for money?
ToolGPA grades DayCaptain D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 45 of the 52 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of DayCaptain?
A daily planner at its plainest is today's tasks laid along a timeline.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from DayCaptain’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from DayCaptain's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-26.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by DayCaptain. Prices change, so check daycaptain.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- DayCaptain, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/daycaptain
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "DayCaptain: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/daycaptain
Know someone choosing between daily planner apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/daycaptain/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded daily planner apps after DayCaptain, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Daily Planner Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 daily planner apps we grade, compared
- Hero Assistant Insider's GuideDaily assistant app combining calendar, to-dos, habits and notes3.4 GPA
- LiveIt Insider's GuidePersonal organizer joining planner, journal, notes and habits3.4 GPA
- Open Sunsama Insider's GuideSelf-hostable daily planner with time blocking and an MCP server3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what DayCaptain’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. DayCaptain is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by DayCaptain. Prices and plans change: check daycaptain.com before you buy.