Locu vs Sunsama: Planning Meets Execution

Sunsama has mastered the daily planning ritual. It's thoughtful, intentional, and beautifully designed for knowledge workers who value reflection and mindfulness in their work approach.

But makers and engineers need more than planning—they need execution.

Locu takes Sunsama's daily planning philosophy and adds the execution layer: structured focus sessions with distraction blocking, natural time tracking, work history, and deep integrations with the tools engineers actually use (Jira, Linear, Slack, GitHub).

If Sunsama helps you plan your day, Locu helps you execute it.

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Why Engineers Outgrow Sunsama

Missing Deep Focus Features

Sunsama encourages time boxing—blocking time on your calendar for tasks. But it doesn't help you stay in that block. No Focus Mode, no app/website blockers, no distraction management, no Slack DND automation. When you need two hours of uninterrupted deep work, Sunsama shows you the plan but doesn't protect the execution.

Locu's approach: Work in structured 60-minute focus sessions with automatic app/website blocking, Slack DND enabled, minimal Focus Mode UI, and break management. Plan your priorities in 5 minutes, then actually stay focused during execution.

No Real Time Tracking

Sunsama tracks "actual time" by manually marking tasks complete or using basic timer. But freelancers and consultants need precise, billable time capture with task context. Engineers need to know exactly how long features took. Sunsama's time tracking is planning-adjacent, not execution-grade.

Locu's approach: Sessions automatically capture time as you work on tasks. Export clean, client-ready timesheets with task details and notes. Your work history shows exactly what you shipped and how long it took—no estimation, no manual reconstruction, no guesswork.

Limited Engineering Integrations

Sunsama connects to Google Calendar, Asana, Trello, Gmail, Todoist, and ClickUp. That's perfect for PMs and async teams using those tools. But where's Jira? Where's Linear? Where's deep Slack integration beyond basic task import? Where's GitHub context?

Engineers don't live in Asana—they live in Jira, Linear, and GitHub. Makers need tools that meet them where they work.

Locu's approach: Built for engineering workflows. Jira and Linear tasks auto-sync bidirectionally. Slack sets DND and status during focus sessions. Calendar integration shows meeting context automatically. GitHub commits can link to tasks. It's your personal execution layer on top of your engineering stack.

Lengthy Planning Ritual

Sunsama's guided daily planning is beautiful but takes 10-15 minutes. The ritual includes: reviewing calendar, importing tasks from multiple sources, time-boxing each task, setting intentions, daily reflections. It's mindful but time-consuming.

Locu's approach: Fast daily planning (5 minutes). See tasks from Jira/Linear, drag priorities to Today, order by importance, optional goal setting, start working. The system respects that engineers want to ship, not spend time in planning rituals.

Expensive for Individual Contributors

At $20/month ($16/month annual), Sunsama is priced like a premium productivity platform with extensive features. But most engineers and freelancers are looking for a personal execution workspace—not mindfulness coaching or lengthy rituals. The features are beautiful, but many go unused by makers focused on shipping.

Locu's approach: $12/month ($6/month with Beta discount) for complete execution workspace. Less expensive than Sunsama, with more execution-focused features. Replace Sunsama + your timer + your time tracker with one focused tool.

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Feature Comparison

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When to Choose Sunsama

✅ You're a PM, async worker, or knowledge worker who prioritizes mindful planning
✅ You love extensive guided daily and weekly planning rituals
✅ You work primarily in Asana, Trello, ClickUp, or Todoist
✅ You don't need precise time tracking or focus features
✅ You value intentionality and reflection over execution speed
✅ Calendar-centric time-boxing matches your workflow
✅ You have 15+ minutes daily for planning and reflection

Sunsama excels at helping you plan your ideal day mindfully.

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When to Choose Locu

✅ You're an engineer, maker, or technical freelancer
✅ You need to actually execute the plan with focus support, not just create it
✅ You want structured focus sessions with active distraction blocking
✅ You need precise time tracking for clients or personal insights
✅ You work in Jira, Linear, or other engineering tools
✅ You prefer fast daily planning (5 min) over lengthy rituals (15 min)
✅ You want to replace Sunsama + timer + time tracker with one focused tool
✅ You want task-first flexibility over calendar-rigid time-boxing

Locu helps you execute what you planned—and ship consistently.

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The Real Difference: Philosophy

Sunsama's philosophy: Slow down. Reflect. Plan mindfully. Set intentions. Be deliberate about your day. Time-box everything on your calendar. Review and reflect regularly.

Locu's philosophy: Plan quickly. Execute deeply. Ship consistently. Respect flow. Work in brain-optimal sessions. Measure focused execution.

Both are valid—it depends on what you value:

• Sunsama is for people who want to improve their relationship with work through mindful planning and reflection
• Locu is for people who want to ship quality outcomes through focused execution and sustainable rhythms

If you're a maker who needs to deliver results, planning rituals aren't enough. You need focus infrastructure, time tracking, and engineering integrations. That's where Locu comes in.

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The Time-Boxing Problem for Engineers

Sunsama's core workflow is calendar time-boxing: schedule every task into specific time blocks on your calendar.

The problem with engineering work:

• Debugging might take 30 minutes or 3 hours—you can't predict
• Architecture decisions need thinking time that doesn't fit neat boxes
• Complex implementation requires flow state that shouldn't be interrupted
• Constantly rescheduling time blocks creates friction and guilt

Locu's approach: Task-first, not calendar-first. Work on priority tasks in flexible 60-minute sessions. Tasks take however long they need. Multiple tasks per session is normal. Respect flow if you're making progress—don't force-stop at calendar boundaries.

The difference:

• Sunsama: "I scheduled 2pm-4pm for this task" (rigid, often wrong)
• Locu: "This is my top priority, I'll work on it until done or brain needs break" (flexible, realistic)

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Switching from Sunsama

What you'll keep:

• Daily planning habit (Locu has Today/Sooner/Later prioritization)
• Task organization and clear priorities
• Calendar integration for meeting awareness
• Keyboard-first workflow
• Evening review concept (Locu's shutdown ritual)

What you'll simplify:

• From 15-minute guided planning ritual → 5-minute priority setting
• From extensive reflections → quick wrap-up notes
• From calendar time-boxing → flexible session execution
• From multiple planning stages → simple Today prioritization

What you'll gain:

• Focus sessions that actually keep you focused (blocking, DND, context)
• Automatic time tracking without manual logging or timers
• Jira and Linear bidirectional sync
• Work history showing execution patterns and task timeline
• Focused vs unfocused time insights
• Lower monthly cost ($6-12 vs $16-20)
• Faster daily planning (5 min vs 15 min = 10 min/day saved = 60 hours/year)

What you might miss:

• Guided weekly planning ritual
• Extensive daily reflection prompts
• Mindfulness-focused interface design
• Calendar-centric time-boxing
• Integration with Asana/Trello/ClickUp (if you use those)

Migration process:

1. Export your Sunsama tasks (or sync from Jira/Linear directly)
2. Import to Locu and connect integrations (Jira/Linear/Calendar/Slack)
3. First morning planning: prioritize Today tasks (5 minutes)
4. First focus session: experience active execution vs passive time-box
5. First evening shutdown: quick review vs lengthy reflection
6. Review your first daily work history

Setup time: 15 minutes
Learning curve: If you mastered Sunsama, you'll master Locu in 1-2 days

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For Freelancers: The Billing Difference

Sunsama's limitation: Time-boxing on calendar doesn't map to billable work. Client A's task is scheduled 2pm-4pm, but you actually worked on it for 1.5 hours across two sessions with breaks. Now you need to reconcile planned vs actual for invoicing. The calendar view isn't export-ready for clients.

Locu's advantage: Sessions = clean billing units. Worked 3 sessions on Client A today? That's 3 hours billable with full task context. Export invoice-ready timesheets showing:

• Exact time per task (not calendar estimates)
• Task details and notes (context for clients)
• Grouped by client/project (invoice-ready format)

No reconciliation needed. No reconstructing "what did I actually work on vs what I planned?"

The Locu way for freelancers: Better work execution (focus sessions) + accurate billing (natural time tracking) = happier you, happier clients, more revenue captured.

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Pricing Comparison

Sunsama: $20/month or $16/month (annual)
Locu: $12/month or $6/month (Beta discount)

Cost savings alone: $4-14/month = $48-168/year

But the real value difference:

If you're also running:

• A Pomodoro timer app: $5-10/month
• Toggl or time tracker: $10-20/month
• Total stack with Sunsama: $35-50/month

Replace all three with Locu: $12/month ($6 with Beta)
Total savings: $23-44/month = $276-528/year

Plus time savings:

• Sunsama planning: 15 min/day = 91 hours/year
• Locu planning: 5 min/day = 30 hours/year
• Time saved: 61 hours/year

If you bill $75/hour, that's $4,575/year in billable time reclaimed just from faster planning.

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The Planning Ritual Trade-Off

What Sunsama gives you:

• Guided morning planning with calendar review
• Time-boxing each task onto calendar
• Intention setting for the day
• Evening shutdown with reflection prompts
• Weekly planning ritual
• Mindfulness-focused experience

Time investment: 15-20 minutes daily + weekly planning

What Locu gives you:

• Fast morning prioritization (Today list)
• Session-based execution (flexible, not time-boxed)
• Optional daily goal setting
• Evening shutdown with quick notes
• Weekly patterns emerge organically
• Execution-focused experience

Time investment: 5-7 minutes daily, no weekly ritual required

The question: Do you want to spend time planning your day or executing it?

For makers and engineers: Planning is necessary. Execution is the work. Locu optimizes for maximum execution time with minimum planning overhead.

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The Honest Assessment

Sunsama is genuinely excellent if mindful planning and reflection are core to how you want to work. If you're a PM, consultant, or knowledge worker who values the ritual of slow, intentional planning, Sunsama delivers that experience beautifully.

But most engineers and freelance developers discover: Better planning doesn't make you ship more—better execution does.

They need:

• Focus sessions (to actually work deeply without distraction)
• Time tracking (to bill clients or understand patterns)
• Fast planning (5 minutes, not 15)
• Engineering integrations (Jira, Linear, Slack, GitHub)
• Task-first flexibility (not calendar rigidity)
• Execution quality measurement (focused vs unfocused)

Sunsama gives you the best planning ritual. Locu gives you planning + execution + tracking + integrations.

If you want to plan mindfully: Sunsama
If you want to execute effectively: Locu

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