Should you buy a digital planner or a printable planner? You may wonder this when you decide to start planning your life on both personal and work plans.
However, the choice doesn’t seem too easy at first.
First, we live in an era where almost anything we use daily gets digitalized somehow. This hasn’t bypassed planners and journals.
This article should help you make your decision easily.
Digital vs Printable Planners
First, you must know some key differences between these two planner types.
If you’re going for traditional paper planners, you may need more money to print all the pages you need. This particularly applies if you’re going to print a daily planner.
It can be more expensive for color planners too.
On the other hand, digital planning is cost-effective since you can easily make unlimited digital copies out of one planner. Not to mention that digital planners exploded in popularity in recent years since they offer a sleek and tech-savvy alternative to traditional paper planners.
But, initially, you’ll need some equipment that digital planners depend on – tablets, laptops, or smartphones.
The paper planner also requires less time to write down everything you need. And don’t forget the traditional sense of writing – it’s more enjoyable than digital planners.
Digital planners require more time to plan and sometimes time to learn how to plan on digital devices. Why? Blame apps for this as plenty of different apps need time to master. Yet, the first step is always the hardest one.
If you’re a person who values customization and aesthetics, digital planners are better since you can buy a variety of planners out there in different color schemes. You can also customize your paper planner with washi tape, stickers, and highlighters. However, additional equipment requires more money to be spent.
Paper planners, depending on the place you’re buying, can be more or less expensive. However, the main disadvantage of paper planning is that you must buy another when all the pages are filled.
The good thing is that you can always buy printable planner templates and print the exact number of pages that you currently need. If you need a monthly planner, you can buy a monthly printable planner template and print it a few times instead of buying 200+ page planners. Also, printables usually come in multiple sizes like A4, A5, Letter, and Half Letter (these are most common).
On the other hand, buying an undated digital planner allows you to make copies and use it yearly (or month over month, it doesn’t matter).
Paper planners, yet, will help you remember stuff you’re writing – as you’re writing you’re processing that information easier hence, you remember it better. For example, paper planners are great for to-do lists and tracking progress. These features make paper planners better for personal stuff and self-development.
Digital planners are useful if you need reminders and use digital calendars. This is a useful feature if you’re using your planner for work-related tasks. You can easily sync your digital planner with Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar, and similar. This way you can have a detailed overview of your work activities.
Digital Planners: Pros and Cons
Benefits of using digital planning:
- Flexible: Digital planners are better for editing (you don’t need an eraser) and adding more pages with the copy-paste method.
- Eco-Friendly: No paper waste, no buying planners constantly. Hence, less environmental impact.
- Syncing and Integration: Many digital planners sync with your devices (phone, tablet, laptop) and integrate with other productivity apps like calendars and to-do lists
- Feature-Rich Powerhouse: Digital planners often offer features like hyperlinks to jump to specific sections, audio recordings for capturing ideas on the go, and even embedding videos for presentations or project reference.
Digital planner’s disadvantages:
- Tech Dependence: You’ll need a charged device and in some instances internet connection to work with digital planners. Low battery and weak WiFi can negatively affect your experience.
- Eye Strain on the Go: Looking at screens for extended periods can cause eye strain. If you find yourself planning extensively, try using a blue light filter or take breaks to minimize discomfort.
- Learning Curve: While user-friendly, there can be a learning curve associated with learning the features and interface of a new digital planner.
- Distractions: When using digital planners, you can easily be distracted by notifications which can affect your focus.
Paper Planners: Pros and Cons
Benefits of using paper planning style:
- Tactile experience: Lots of people find writing things down by hand helps with memory and focus.
- No battery required: Printable planners work anywhere, anytime, you don’t need to charge a device to use them.
- Traditional feel: Nothing can replace the traditional feeling when you write things down on paper. It has no alternatives.
Paper planner’s disadvantages:
- Limited space: A physical planner has a finite amount of space, and once it’s full, you’ll need to buy a new one.
- Editing mistakes: Correcting mistakes in a physical planner can be messy and inconvenient.
- Portability: Carrying a bulky planner around might not be ideal, especially if you’re on the go.
- Environmental impact: Constantly buying new planners can create paper waste.
Final Words
The choice between digital and printable planners boils down to personal preferences and planning style.
Digital planners offer superior accessibility, customization, and sharing capabilities, but come at a higher cost and require technology dependence.
Conversely, printable planners are budget-friendly, portable, and reusable, but lack the flexibility and digital features of their electronic counterparts.
Consider your needs for customization, portability, and technological integration to determine which planner best suits you.
