Time blocking
The time blocking app for your real calendar
Open Sunsama is an open-source time blocking app. Drag a task onto your calendar, right next to your meetings, or let any AI agent plan the day for you.
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A task dragged from the list onto the day calendar in Open Sunsama, then resized to fit
The short answer
Time blocking in Open Sunsama means every task gets a slot on your calendar
Time blocking in Open Sunsama means you drag a task from your list onto the calendar. It becomes a block with a start and an end. Drag its bottom edge to set how long it takes.
Your meetings from Google Calendar, Outlook and iCloud sit in the same view. So you see what really fits before the day starts, not at 4 pm.
Each block stays linked to its task. Open it to see the notes and subtasks you need to get it done.
In short
- Drag a task onto the day view to block time for it.
- Resize a block to set how long the task takes.
- See Google, Outlook and iCloud events next to your blocks.
- Track planned vs actual time with the focus timer.
- Let Claude, ChatGPT or any MCP agent block time for you.
How it works
A fully blocked day takes a few minutes
Plan, block, focus, then look ahead. Every clip below is a real recording of the app.
Pull today's tasks onto the board
Start from your backlog. Drag the tasks you want to do into Today and give each one a time estimate. Each day shows how much time you have planned.
Pull today's tasks onto the boardSee the kanban board
Drop each task onto the calendar
Drag a task into a free slot next to your meetings. Then drag the block's edge to set how long it takes. If the day is too full, you see it now.
Drop each task onto the calendarWork one block at a time
Start focus mode on the task in front of you. The timer tracks the real time, so you can compare planned vs actual and plan better tomorrow.
Work one block at a timeHow focus mode works
Move the rest of the week in seconds
Drag tasks between days to plan the week. Anything you don't finish rolls over to tomorrow, so one bad day never snowballs.
Move the rest of the week in seconds
Calendar sync
Your meetings and your time blocks share one calendar
Connect Google Calendar, Outlook or iCloud once. Your events show up next to your blocks, so you plan around real meetings.
See the whole week at a glance
The week view shows your meetings and time blocks side by side. Colors tell you what kind of work each block is.
- Google Calendar, Outlook and iCloud
- Day, 3-day, week and month views
- Meetings sync in, so your plan stays honest
The week view: meetings and time blocks side by side.How calendar sync works
Tasks on the left, time on the right
The day view puts your task list next to the timeline. Drag from one to the other.
Every block links back to its task, with its notes and subtasks.
Day view: drag tasks from the list into open time.Take today's plan with you
On your phone, open Open Sunsama in the browser. It works as a mobile web app and syncs in real time.
At your desk, use the web app or the desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux.
Today's plan on your phone.
AI native
Claude, ChatGPT or any AI agent can time-block your day
Paste one URL into your AI app and sign in. Your agent sees your meetings and tasks together, then creates time blocks around them.
Open Sunsama has a hosted MCP server with 24 tools. Your agent can read your calendar events, but it can't change them. It only adds and moves your tasks and time blocks.
You stay in charge. Every block the agent makes shows up live on your calendar, and you can drag it anywhere.
MCP server URL: https://api.opensunsama.com/mcp
Prompts to try
- Plan my afternoon around my meetings. Put my top three tasks in focus blocks.
- I lost the morning. Move what's left into free slots today and tomorrow.
- Block two hours of deep work every morning this week.
Tools it calls: get_schedule_for_day, list_tasks, create_time_block, update_time_block, link_task_to_time_block
Claude plans the afternoon over MCP. Tasks and time blocks appear live.
The details
Small details keep your time blocks honest
Time blocking fails when the plan drifts from the day. These keep them in step.
- Blocks stay linked to tasks: Open a block to see its task, notes and subtasks. Nothing lives in two places.
- Planned vs actual: Set an estimate, and the focus timer tracks the real time. Your next plan gets more honest.
- Rollover: Unfinished tasks move to the next day on their own. You never start buried in yesterday.
- Keyboard first: Press Cmd+K to find any task or jump to any day. Most actions have a shortcut.
- Desktop apps: Apps for Mac, Windows and Linux, plus the web. Changes sync across devices in real time.
- Open source: The code is public on GitHub. Self-host it with Docker and keep your data on your own server.
Compare
Open Sunsama gives you time blocking plus the code, the API and any agent
Sunsama, Motion and Akiflow are good apps. Here is how each one handles time blocking, so you can choose with clear eyes.
Open Sunsama gives you time blocking plus the code, the API and any agent| Feature | Open Sunsama | Sunsama | Motion | Akiflow |
|---|
| How blocks get made | You drag them, or your agent does | You drag them, in a guided ritual | AI schedules them for you | You drag them, with AI help |
|---|
| Auto-scheduling | No: Ask your agent | Partly: Optional, per task | Yes: Full | Partly: Schedule Optimizer |
|---|
| Calendars | Yes: Google, Outlook, iCloud | Yes: Google, Outlook, iCloud | Partly: Google, Outlook | Partly: Google, Outlook |
|---|
| AI agents over MCP | Yes: Hosted, any MCP client | Yes: Hosted | Partly: Community-built only | Yes: Hosted |
|---|
| Public REST API | Yes | No | Yes | No |
|---|
| Code you can read and self-host | Yes | No | No | No |
|---|
| Desktop apps | Yes: Mac, Windows, Linux | Yes: Mac, Windows, Linux | Yes: Desktop app | Yes: Mac, Windows |
|---|
| Phone | Partly: Mobile web app | Yes: iOS and Android | Yes: iOS and Android | Yes: iOS and Android |
|---|
Competitor facts come from each app's website, pricing page and help docs: Sunsama, Sunsama MCP, Motion, Motion API and Akiflow. Checked September 2026.
Get started
You can start time blocking in three steps
Block your first day the same morning you sign up.
Create your account
Sign up on the web or download the desktop app. Prefer your own server? Self-host it with Docker.
Connect your calendar
Add Google Calendar, Outlook or iCloud in Settings. Your meetings appear next to your tasks.
Drag your first task onto the calendar
Pick one task for this morning and drop it into a free slot. Resize it to fit. That is your first time block.
Questions about time blocking in Open Sunsama
What is the best time blocking app?
We build Open Sunsama, and we think it is the best pick for most people. You drag tasks onto your calendar next to your meetings, and any AI agent can plan with you. Pick Motion if you want AI to schedule every task for you. Compare 9 time blocking apps
How do I time block in Open Sunsama?
Open the day view and drag a task from your list onto the calendar. Drag the bottom edge of the block to set how long it takes. The block stays linked to its task. Time blocking guide
Does Open Sunsama sync with Google Calendar and Outlook?
Yes. Connect Google Calendar, Outlook or iCloud in Settings. Your events show up next to your time blocks in the day and week views. How calendar sync works
Can AI time-block my day for me?
Yes. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client with one URL. Your agent reads your meetings and tasks, then creates time blocks around them. It can't move your meetings. Connect your AI
Does Open Sunsama auto-schedule my tasks?
No. There is no built-in auto-scheduler, so you always know why a block is where it is. If you want help, ask your AI agent to place the blocks.
Can I time block on my phone?
Yes, in your phone's browser. Open Sunsama works as a mobile web app and syncs in real time. There is no native phone app yet; desktop apps are ready for Mac, Windows and Linux. Get the desktop app
Is Open Sunsama open source?
The code is public on GitHub. It uses a non-commercial license: you can read it, run it and self-host it for personal use. Companies need a commercial license. See the code
Block tomorrow before you log off
Drag your tasks onto the calendar, work one block at a time, and let the AI agent you already use keep the plan on track.
Get started