About Finalist
Finalist started as a stack of index cards. Every morning I'd pull a fresh card, write down what mattered that day, and get to work. It was simple. It was focused. It worked. (and I stole it from my wife)
Eventually the cards became a leather-bound planner with colored tabs and dividers. Then I started building the digital version, one that could keep everything I loved about paper planning while pulling in the things paper can't: my calendar, my reminders, the weather, my health data.
It launched in 2023 as Finalist, and it's been getting better every week since. A daily planner for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro that fills itself with your schedule, then gets out of your way. It's organized around days, not endless task lists. You open it, see what matters today, and get on with your life.
"I'm kind of blown away by how robust and thoughtful Finalist is. It's not a web app with iOS and Mac clients. It's a suite of native apps designed with care for Apple's platforms. Auteur software, with a distinctive brand and vision, while remaining idiomatically native."
— John Gruber, Daring Fireball
Finalist was Apple's App of the Day in November 2025, featured across 66+ countries.
What makes it different
Days are the container. Everything lives inside the day: tasks, calendar events, habits, journal entries, weather. No project hierarchies, no inboxes, no overdue guilt. Just today.
It fills itself. Your Apple Calendar syncs automatically. Reminders appear where they belong. Weather shows up so you can plan around it. Activity Rings from Apple Health are right there in your journal already, together with your step count. The information arrives automatically. The decisions stay with you.
Paper planner energy. Inspired by bullet journals and proven planning systems. Color your year with the Highlighter. Plan your week with full context. Journal with photos, health data, and Apple's Journal Suggestions.
Native Apple, through and through. Built with SwiftUI for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro. No account required. Syncs via iCloud. Deep integrations with Calendar, Reminders, HealthKit, Shortcuts, Siri, and Widgets.
What people are saying
"WHERE HAS THIS APP BEEN ALL MY LIFE!"
— Dave B
"This app has helped me so much, during a very devastating time in my life, where stress, fear, grief, and anxiety have stirred up extra with my ADHD. It has helped keeping up with my to do list, makes it easy to move unfinished tasks to the next day without making me feel guilty, and gives me a space to do some short journaling during the day."
— brandonrelle, App Store review
"This is the best to-do/daily planner app I've ever used. I sound hyperbolic, but I speak the truth. I've gotten rid of all my other 'to-do' apps and now this is the only one I'll use."
— eeeeeekamouse, App Store review
Built by one person, shaped by 600+
I'm Slaven, an indie developer in Vancouver BC. I've spent decades building productivity software, and Finalist is the culmination of that work. A Discord community of 600+ people test features, suggest ideas, and shape the direction of the app.
I often hear from people that Finalist changed their lives and it always makes me pause. That feedback fuels everything I build.
Connect
- Blog — Release notes, planning guides, and behind the scenes
- Discord — Join 600+ people shaping Finalist's future
- Bluesky — @dayplanner.bsky.social
- Threads — @finalist_app
- Instagram — @finalist_app
Also by me: Penbook (notebooks for iPad) and Condukt (MIDI controller for synths).