Best Superpowered Alternatives in 2024

Looking for alternatives to Superpowered? Superpowered used to be a popular calendar menu bar app, but recently pivoted away from its core functionality, alienating many users.
In the early days of Superpowered, it was a no-frills calendar companion app. It sat in your Mac menu bar, quietly guiding you through your day.
But then Superpowered became a stand-alone AI note-taking app.
Many users are not happy about the change. Here are the most common complaints:
  1. Superpowered is not a menu bar app anymore. It sits in your home screen like any other stand-alone app. As a result, Superpowered does not let you hide a meeting when sharing your screen.
  1. The tiered pricing system is expensive. Want to auto-join meetings? That’ll cost you $25/month.
  1. There is no way to opt out of the AI note taking features. And many users report that the AI notes are slow and buggy.
  1. Superpowered spams your colleagues with meeting notifications without your consent.
Don’t just take our word for it.
If you’re looking for a focused, reliable calendar companion app, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the best Superpowered alternatives for you. But first, let’s delve into the challenges in finding the right calendar companion app.

Challenges in Finding the Right Calendar Companion App

Finding the right calendar app for your menu bar can be a daunting task. Here are the most common challenges users face.

Feature Overload and Complexity

Many calendar companion apps overwhelm users with an excessive number of features, making it difficult to navigate and utilize the core functions effectively. Users often find themselves spending more time learning how to use the tool rather than benefiting from it.

Personalization

Another common challenge with menu bar apps is a lack of personalization. Many calendar companion apps adopt a one-size fits all approach, neglecting the fact that everyone’s workflow is unique. It’s important to find an app that is tailored to your individual workflow.

Integration with Other Tools

Another common challenge with menu bar apps is a lack of integration with other tools. This lack of interoperability forces users to juggle multiple platforms, leading to inefficiency and frustration.

Pricing

While some apps offer basic functionalities for free, the advanced features that make these tools truly useful often come with a hefty price tag. Users must weigh the benefits of these features against their budget constraints.

The 5 Best Superpowered Alternatives

1. beams

Product Hunt: 4.9/5 (97 reviews; 2,100 followers)
Best for: Guiding you through your workday from the menu bar and providing calendar insights.
Pricing: Free
Key Features
  • See daily meeting overview on top of your screen: Stay organized by having a quick glance at your schedule without needing to open your calendar app. Never miss a meeting again with unobtrusive meeting reminders.
  • Silence Slack notifications with focus mode: Minimize distractions and enhance productivity by silencing Slack notifications during crucial work periods. This ensures you stay focused on important tasks without constant interruptions.
  • Join meetings with a single click: Never miss a meeting again with beams. With a single keyboard shortcut, you can join meetings on your schedule.
  • Check your calendar health and set goals: Get insights into your calendar usage and overall calendar health. You can set specific productivity goals and track your progress to ensure you're meeting your objectives.
  • Track your team’s productivity with team stats: Monitor your team’s performance with detailed team statistics. This feature allows you to assess productivity levels and identify areas for improvement, promoting better team management and efficiency.
Limitations
  • Only integrates with Mac OS: This limits its accessibility to users with Windows or Linux operating systems. Users on these platforms will need to seek alternative solutions or use a Mac-compatible device.
 

2. MeetingBar

Product Hunt: 5/5 (25 reviews; 72 followers)
Best for: Joining meetings with a single click.
Pricing: Free
Key Features:
  • Shows your calendar events in the status bar: MeetingBar displays your upcoming events directly in the menu bar, allowing you to see your schedule at a glance without needing to open a calendar app.
  • Create and join meetings with one click: With MeetingBar, you can quickly create new meetings or join existing ones with a single click.
Limitations:
  • No Slack integration: MeetingBar does not integrate with Slack, so you cannot automatically silence Slack notifications during meetings. This can be a drawback for users who rely heavily on Slack for communication.
  • No calendar insights or goal tracking: MeetingBar is focused solely on meeting management and does not provide insights into your calendar health or track your productivity goals. Users looking for more comprehensive calendar management tools will need to supplement with other apps.
 

3. Meeter

Product Hunt: 3.9/5 (13 reviews; 3 followers)
Best for: Joining calls through your menu bar.
Pricing: Free
Key Features:
  • Join scheduled calls: Meeter allows you to easily join scheduled calls by simply opening the menu bar and clicking the join call button. This feature makes it quick and convenient to connect to your meetings.
  • Initiate 1:1 audio calls: Meeter also enables you to initiate 1:1 audio calls with your FaceTime contacts, facilitating easy communication without needing to navigate through different apps.
Limitations:
  • Lacks advanced features: While Meeter simplifies the process of joining calls, it lacks many advanced features found in other productivity tools. Users who need detailed analytics, task management, or extensive collaboration capabilities will find Meeter inadequate.
  • Limited platform compatibility: Meeter is primarily designed for Mac users, which can be a significant limitation for individuals who use Windows or other operating systems.
 

4. Notion Calendar

Product Hunt: 4.8/5 (2,363 reviews, 10,300 followers)
Best for: Integrating task and calendar management in a single platform.
Pricing: Free version; Notion Plus: €9.50 per seat/month; Business: €14 per seat/month
Key Features:
  • Task and calendar integration: Combine tasks and events within the Notion workspace for streamlined planning and execution.
  • Collaboration tools: Share calendars with your team and collaborate on tasks, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
Limitations:
  • Free version comes with limited functionality: The extensive features and customization options are only available for the paid version. The free version comes with a 7 day page history, which limits the long-term benefits of the tool.
  • Feature overload and complexity: Notion Calendar can be overwhelming for new users. A learning curve is required to utilize Notion Calendar effectively. If you’re looking for a calendar companion app, this tool probably has more features than you need.
 

5. Fantastical

Product Hunt: 4.3/5 (13 reviews; 19 followers)
Best for: Reminding you to focus on a single, most important task of the day.
Pricing: Individual: €5.84 per month; Family: €8.34 per month
Key Features:
  • Natural language input: Add events and tasks quickly using natural language input, making scheduling fast and intuitive.
  • Smart suggestions: Receive location, invitee, and contact suggestions based on past events and habits.
Limitations:
  • Subscription cost: The premium version requires a monthly subscription, which may be a consideration for budget-conscious users.
  • Limited to Mac OS and iOS: Fantastical is only available on Apple devices, limiting its accessibility for users on other platforms.
 

How beams can help you work smarter

Choosing the right productivity tool is crucial for maintaining an efficient workflow.
With beams, you get:
  • A Simplified, User-Friendly Interface: Ensuring ease of use and a minimal learning curve, beams helps you stay organized by providing a daily meeting overview on top of your screen, allowing you to glance at your schedule without needing to open your calendar app.
  • Individualized Insights: Allowing you to tailor the tool to fit your unique needs. You can check your calendar health and set specific productivity goals, tracking your progress to ensure you're meeting your objectives.
  • Nudges: beams periodically encourages you to silence notifications with focus mode and helps you determine when an upcoming meeting may be non-value-add.
  • Keyboard shortcuts: Join meetings with a single click using a keyboard shortcut, ensuring you never miss a meeting again.
  • For team leaders, beams offers detailed team statistics, enabling you to monitor your team’s performance, assess productivity levels, and identify areas for improvement, promoting better team management and efficiency.
Discover how beams can help you work smarter, not harder. Sign up today to experience the difference!
 
Work better, not more! Download the beams Mac App now 👉 usebeams.com