Notes from the designer5 min read
Void Calendar vs OmniFocus
Hundreds of thoughts clogged my Inbox
Void CalendarOmni’s tools have always struck me as complex, powerful, and guided by their own philosophy. OmniFocus™ is no exception.
I used it to manage university courses, self-study, life plans, and IELTS preparation. Tasks arranged in an outline made large goals easier to break into clear levels and next actions.
Official OmniFocus 4 project outline screenshot. Image courtesy of the Omni Group. Source and usage information. OmniFocus is a trademark of the Omni Group.
If you have read Getting Things Done and want a mature tool for practicing GTD, you will probably consider OmniFocus. If configuration and plain-text workflows appeal to you, you might also explore Org mode.
In short: If you practice GTD and need to work through complex projects on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or the web, OmniFocus remains a mature, dependable choice. If you mostly work on a Mac and want AI to place tasks into time that is actually free, with a full note behind every task, Void Calendar is the better fit.
At a glance
| Void Calendar | OmniFocus | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS (Apple silicon), public beta | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, Vision Pro, web |
| Price | Free with every feature; Pro sync not on sale yet | One-time from US$74.99, or US$99.99/year |
| AI scheduling | Your own model and API key; fits tasks into free time | No auto-scheduling; plug-ins can query Apple's on-device model |
| Calendar connections | Apple Calendar and Reminders, Google, iCloud; Outlook planned | Forecast shows system calendar events, read-only |
| Tasks & notes | Every task has a note with [[ ]] links | Projects, tags, rich-text notes, attachments |
| Where data lives | On your Mac; no company cloud copy | Local database, encrypted sync to Omni or your WebDAV |
Competitor details checked October 8, 2026; see their official sites. Void Calendar is in public beta.
A powerful system also needs maintenance
OmniFocus helped me organize complex work, but I also spent time maintaining projects, tags, and task states. Back then, I mostly managed that myself. I wanted AI to help organize thoughts, break down tasks, and arrange time.
OmniFocus supports pasted images, attachments, and rich-text notes. For me, that still did not provide the full document-editing experience I wanted from tools like Word, Notion, or Typora. See OmniFocus notes and attachments.
The pace of updates and waiting for synchronization affected my experience too. The bigger blockage, though, was the growing Inbox.
I could capture more than I could organize
I captured hundreds of items but did not have time to organize them.
Many were only thoughts: something I might study, a project I might start, or something I hoped to do at a distant stage of life. They sounded appealing, but were far from work I had decided to begin.
Opening OmniFocus meant seeing those unprocessed items again. They were not commitments yet, but occupied my task system until I increasingly avoided dealing with the Inbox.
That experience led to Idea in Void Calendar.
An Idea is the early form of a task, before you have decided whether to do it. Capture a passing thought there. When you decide to act, turn it into a task, break it into steps, and arrange time.
Capturing a thought does not have to become a promise to your future self.
Clear the Idea list and keep the record
Ideas accumulate too. Some remain worth pursuing, while others were simply attractive at the time.
Tell Void AI which part to organize. For example, ask it to remove Ideas related to an old plan you no longer intend to pursue. It can process that selection and make the list clearer again.
Each Idea has a corresponding note with the same name, where its content is stored. The Idea navigation displays those entries. Removing an entry from that view keeps its note, so you can still find the content later.
By default, the note names are recorded in the daily note for the day AI removes the entries. Click a name to return to the original content. Set aside thoughts you are not pursuing while retaining a record of what you considered.
The list entry is removed; the note and a daily reference remain. Workflow illustration.
More capabilities should still feel lighter
On the Mac, Void Calendar shows a focus countdown in the menu bar, so you can see what you are working on, and pressing C opens a capture template for new thoughts. Record an idea, then return to the current task. An iOS app, including Dynamic Island support, is planned.
I want Void Calendar to support more of the process: Ideas, tasks, notes, calendars, and AI-assisted organization and execution. Everyday interaction should stay light as those capabilities grow.
I am the designer of Void Calendar. I have ADHD and lean toward the P, or Perceiving, side of personality types. I will keep improving the software to make it simpler and reduce the friction of capturing something or starting work.
If something feels awkward, join the user community and tell me. I will promptly consider how to make it easier to use.
Which one fits
Choose OmniFocus if:
- You need iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or web access today.
- You practice GTD and want a mature system of projects, tags, and perspectives.
- You would rather buy a perpetual license than wait on an app still in beta.
Choose Void Calendar if:
- You mostly work on an Apple silicon Mac.
- You want AI, running on your own model, to schedule tasks into free time and ask before moving existing events.
- You want tasks, notes, calendars, and a focus timer together, with the data kept on your Mac.
Open the Void Calendar web app.
Sources checked October 8, 2026: OmniFocus, purchase options, OmniFocus and Apple's on-device models, and Forecast and calendar events.