The stack, not the silver bullet
Most “best productivity app” lists crown a task manager and call it a day. Real work — especially student work — spans reading, remembering, repeating, and protecting calendar space. Different jobs deserve different tools.
We organised this roundup around five functions: capture, schedule, read, revise, and repeat.
Suite comparison
| Function | GeekFlux pick | Strong alternatives | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks | — | Things 3, Reminders, Todoist | Capture next actions |
| Calendar | — | Fantastical, Apple Calendar | Defend time blocks |
| Revision | Revu | AnkiMobile, paper planner | Spaced topic review |
| Reading | ReadFast | Outread, Apple Books | Focused intake |
| Habits | Streakly | Streaks, Done | Daily repetition |
Revu: the revision layer
Task apps list “study chapter 4.” They do not schedule when to review chapter 4 again on day 7. Revu fills that gap with calendar-based spaced repetition — topic reviews, reminders, notes — without forcing you into flashcard manufacturing.
For exam season and certification prep, it is the piece most generic productivity stacks miss.
Try RevuThe revision app your task list cannot replace
Revu schedules spaced topic reviews with reminders — memory as a system, not a panic session.
View on App Store →ReadFast: the reading layer
Productivity breaks at the reading pile. ReadFast handles RSVP sessions, PDF import, and focus mode — the intake half of learning that OmniFocus will never solve.
Also · ReadFastFinish the readings on your list
RSVP speed reading and focus tools for the material blocking everything else.
View on App Store →Streakly: the repetition layer
Morning review, evening shutdown, daily walk — keystone habits need a one-tap record. Streakly does that without turning your phone into a second job.
Also · StreaklyHabits that survive bad weeks
One-tap tracking with streaks and reminders — scaffolding for the routines your calendar assumes exist.
View on App Store →Things, Fantastical, and the classics
Things 3 remains the gold standard for calm task capture on iPhone — projects, areas, and Today view without enterprise bloat. Fantastical unifies calendars and adds natural-language input for time blocking.
Neither replaces Revu’s spacing logic or ReadFast’s RSVP engine. They sit above them in the stack.
Sample student day
- 7:00 — Streakly: mark morning routine
- 8:00 — ReadFast: 30-minute PDF session
- 9:00 — Things: capture lecture follow-ups
- 12:00 — Revu: scheduled topic review
- 17:00 — Fantastical: block tomorrow’s deep work
Productivity is not doing more. It is doing the right things on purpose — then remembering them later.
Working adults: trim the stack
Skip Revu if you are not actively studying. Keep ReadFast if PDFs dominate your week. Keep Streakly for one keystone habit — walk, journal, language — that protects everything else.