All comparisonsAlternatives

FocusHQ vs Sunsama

Sunsama pioneered the calm daily planner — a mindful ritual at the start of each day. FocusHQ shares that philosophy but adds a real unified inbox, AI triage, and focus sessions so you don’t need three more apps around it.

Quick comparison

Feature

FocusHQ

Sunsama

Daily planning ritual
YesAI-generated + editable
YesTheir original strength
Pull tasks from external tools
Yes16 integrations
Yes~16 integrations
Unified inbox (messages, not just tasks)
YesGmail, Slack, GitHub, Linear…
PartialTask inboxes, not messages
AI message triage
Yes
No
AI draft replies
Yes
No
Focus sessions (shield + debrief)
Yes
PartialFocus mode, no AI debrief
Weekly review & reflection
Yes
YesExcellent weekly review UI
Team features
YesDelegation, shared status
PartialEnterprise plan
Price (monthly)
$24 / mo (Pro)
$25 / mo
Price (annual)
$19 / mo, billed yearly
$20 / mo, billed yearly
Free trial
14 days, no card
14 days, no card
macOS native app
Yes
PartialElectron on macOS

Pricing and feature data verified April 2026 from www.sunsama.com. Features change; please confirm before making a purchase decision.

When FocusHQ wins

You want one tool that does both planning and triage. Sunsama pulls tasks from Gmail and Slack, but it doesn’t read, classify or draft replies to the actual messages — FocusHQ does.
You’re a macOS user who prefers a native, quiet UI over Electron.
You want focus sessions with a notification shield and AI debrief built in — Sunsama’s focus mode is more minimal.
You run a small team and want delegation, shared focus status and team-wide AI rules without jumping to an Enterprise plan.
Pricing is slightly lower at $24 vs $25 monthly, $19 vs $20 annually — marginal, but in your favour.

When Sunsama wins

Sunsama has spent years refining the daily planning UX and weekly review — if you’re a ritual purist, their guided flow is still more polished.
If you only need a planner (no triage, no focus mode, no team features), Sunsama is simpler and exactly scoped to that job.
Sunsama has been around longer and has a proven track record for sustainable, indie-team pricing — some users value that for long-term data safety.

We try to keep this section honest. If a tool is clearly better for your scenario, we would rather you use it than switch, churn, and write a bad review.

Coming from Sunsama?

Sunsama users typically have 2-4 integrations set up and a weekly rhythm they already like. FocusHQ fits alongside that rhythm:

Export tasks from Sunsama (Settings → Export) and import into FocusHQ as a backlog.
Connect the same integrations you have in Sunsama — same OAuth flows, same accounts.
Run your first daily plan. FocusHQ will also surface Gmail and Slack threads that need decisions — this is the main upgrade over Sunsama.
Keep Sunsama’s weekly review habit — FocusHQ has one, but if you prefer Sunsama’s, you can run it there until you don’t need to.

14-day free trial, no credit card. Same billing cadence as Sunsama, so cancellation is easy if FocusHQ isn’t the right fit.

FAQ

Is FocusHQ as ‘calm’ as Sunsama?
We try. The design language is deliberately quiet — no streaks, no badges, no growth hacks in the UI. Sunsama set the bar here; we respect it and aim for the same vibe. The added surface area (inbox, focus mode) is available but not shoved in your face.
Will my Sunsama integrations keep working?
Yes — same OAuth accounts, same providers. You can run both in parallel during the trial without either one getting in the way.
Does FocusHQ have a weekly review like Sunsama’s?
Yes, with AI-assisted summaries of what got done, what slipped, and suggested adjustments for next week. It’s less handcrafted than Sunsama’s, but faster to complete on a busy Friday.

Try FocusHQ, free.

14-day free trial. No credit card. Connect Gmail, Slack and your calendar in under 5 minutes, keep what works, cancel if it doesn’t earn its keep.

Try FocusHQ free See pricing