This page includes my recommended digital planner resources. It’s short and sweet because it only includes resources that I personally use and love.
Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product using a link on this page I’ll make a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Table of Contents
CREATE YOUR DIGITAL PLANNER WORKBOOK
Ready to create your digital planner now? Woohoo!
I created a free workbook for you! It will step you through a super simple action plan for creating your digital planner. You can use it to take notes when reading through the content below!
HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCES PAGE
I’m all about getting results quickly. To get the most out of this resources page with the least effort here is what you should do:
- Sign up for the workbook above
It’s designed to help you come up with an action plan for creating your digital planner quickly.
- Decide what type of planner you want to make.
Your options are:
Option 1: Microsoft OneNote Planner (my top recommendation!)
Option 2: PDF Planner
There’s a side-by-side comparison in the worksheet to help you choose.
- Decide what content you want to include in the planner.
For example, do you want to create a yearly planner, recipe binder, wellness tracker, or something else?
- Select resources from the list below that are recommended for the type of planner you picked.
To create a Microsoft OneNote Planner I recommend the following resources:
-Microsoft OneNote
–My Create Digital Notebooks With Microsoft OneNote Course
To create a PDF Planner I recommend the following resources:
-Pick a commercial use template to use. I love Secret Owl Society’s Digital Template Kit!
-Pick a design software that is compatible with the template you chose (I like Adobe Indesign, and have also heard good things about Affinity Publisher)
- Done is better than perfect. Take action to start your planner now!
SOFTWARE
Microsoft OneNote
About the product: Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking software. A OneNote Notebook is a digital notebook created within Microsoft OneNote that contains:
- Sections: Divider tabs that group together pages.
- Pages: Similar to a word document that you can type in, draw on, paste pictures into etc.
OneNote Notebooks can be shared between multiple people and between multiple devices.
My review: I’m a long-time fan of Microsoft OneNote and have used it to keep myself organized for years. OneNote is my go-to software for creating digital notebooks and my favourite of all of the digital planner resources on this page. I love that you can design functional notebooks and use the notebooks that you create within a single software. It’s also totally free for personal use.
Price: Free for personal use. I personally have the Microsoft 365 Apps for Business subscription.
Pros:
- Zero graphic design skills needed to create notebooks.
- Ability to create and use notebooks within a single software.
- Ability to create notebooks that can be easily edited by customers.
- In-built table of contents feature allows for easy navigation within notebooks.
- Notebooks are functional and easy to use.
- Powerful search feature allows you to search all content within your notebooks.
Cons:
- Not a graphic design software notebooks. Notebooks will be functional but not ‘beautiful’.
- Exporting and importing notebooks is a multi-step process.
What would I recommend it for: Designing and using Microsoft OneNote Notebooks.
Who I would recommend it for: Everyone! OneNote is my favourite digital note taking software.
Canva Pro
About the product: Canva Pro is an online graphic design software which includes access to clipart, stock images and file storage.
My review: Canva Pro is my go-to graphic design software for any simple design task. It’s a close runner up in the line-up of my favourite digital planner resources. I use it to make my listing images, digital stickers, and simple notebooks and worksheets. The inclusion of commercial use fonts clipart and stock images make Canva Pro a no-brainer for any creative entrepreneur even if you use Adobe Indesign or Affinity Publisher for more complex design tasks. It’s amazing value!
Price: $A19.99 monthly or A$174.99 yearly (there’s a free version too!)
Pros:
- Simple, intuitive and easy to use with a super quick learning curve.
- Incredible library of fonts, clipart and stock images included with your subscription.
- Many sellers offer commercial templates for Canva.
- Really fast to create beautiful designs.
- Keep all your designs in one place online.
Cons:
- Not all elements, images and fonts are for commercial use. Make sure you check the lisence terms for each item before using them in your designs.
- Not a good tool for complex digital planners.
- No ability to create layers.
- No ability to create hyperlinks between different pages of a planner.
What would I recommend it for: Creating listing images, digital stickers, marketing materials and basic digital products.
Who I would reccomend it for: Everyone!
Free option: If you’re not ready to invest in buying Canva you can just grab the free trial and downgrade to the free version! The free version lacks some great features that I use all the time like being able to export images with transparent backgrounds, creating custom colour palets, and creating templates, but it’s still awesome!
Adobe InDesign
About the product: Adobe Indesign is a publishing software which is part of the Adobe Creative Suite. It is an advanced industry-leading software for designing publications including books, posters, magazines and more.
My review: I’m a life-long Adobe user and have more than 15 years of experience using the Adobe Creative Suite. I love Adobe Indesign and it’s my go-to software for creating PDF digital planners for goodnotes, notability, note shelf etc. It has a steep learning curve and is expensive so it wouldn’t be my first recommendation for beginners.
Price: US$20.99 monthly.
Pros:
- Professional quality software.
- Advanced features including paragraph style, master pages, and alignment and grid tools allow you to create planners quickly and to a high quality.
- Included if you already have the Adobe Creative Suite.
- Most commercial use templates include Indesign as a file format option.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- Steep learning curve.
- Notebooks created in Adobe Indesign need to be used in a separate PDF editing software (e.g. Goodnotes, Noteshelf, Notability)
What would I recommend it for: Creating hyperlinked PDF planners, notebooks and workbooks.
Who I would recommend it for: I would recommend Adobe Indesign if you are familiar with the software already or already have access to the Adobe Creative Suite. If you’re a complete beginner I’ve heard great things about Affinity Publisher from other creative entrepreneurs and believe it has similar features for a lower price point.
COMMERCIAL USE TEMPLATES
Secret Owl Society Digital Planner Template Kit
About the product: The Digital Planner Template Kit includes everything that you need to create your first digital planner. It includes digital planner templates in multiple file formats and detailed step-by-step video instructions explaining how to use the templates. The idea is that you download the template, decorate the planner in your chosen software, and then it’s ready to sell!
My review: The Digital Planner Template Kit is the product that I have used to fast-track the creation of all of my digital planner products. I personally think this template kit is amazing value for money!
Price: US$97
Pros:
- Clear and detailed instruction videos.
- Multiple template file formats (keynote, affinity publisher and adobe indesign).
- Portrait and landscape templates included.
- Extended commercial use licence.
- Great value for money.
Cons:
- Instruction videos will only teach how to decorate the planner and not how to make major changes (e.g. adding new tabs and hyperlinks, designing new pages from scratch). This was not an issue for me as I was confident in the software and able to make those major changes without instructions but might be a con for you.
Who I would recommend it for: Anyone wanting to fast-track the creation of their digital planner!
Digital Sticker Template Pack by Wild and Solo
About the product: The Deluxe Digital Sticker Template Pack by Wild and Solo includes more than 66 templates which you can use to create over 2000 stickers in Canva Pro, Apple Keynote, and Affinity Publisher. It also comes with easy-to-follow tutorials, lessons on how to package and sell your stickers and lifetime updates.
My review: This is the only digital sticker template pack you’ll ever need. It includes SO many high-quality templates that you can come back to it again and again to create new digital stickers for your store.
Price: $87
Pros:
- Amazing value.
- Stickers look great and include drop shadows
- Commercial use lisence.
Cons:
- The digital sticker niche is saturated.
What I would recommend it for: creating digital stickers to compliment your existing digital planner products.
Who I would recommend it for: creative entrepreneurs who are already selling digital planner products and would like to add digital stickers as a supporting product.
Yadsia’s Free Template Vault
About the product: Yadsia’s Free Template Vault includes commercial use templates for digital stickers, digital planners, digital journals and mock-up images. And it’s totally free!
My review: I love this free vault so much! This vault is the perfect way to dip your toe in the water and to try your hand at making a digital product without having to invest in a paid template. This free vault is great for getting started so that you can decide whether or not to invest in more advanced paid commercial use templates.
Price: Free!!
Pros:
- It’s totally free!
- Templates are easy to use and great quality for a free product.
- Commercial use license.
- Templates are for use with the free or pro version of Canva.
Cons:
- No ability to hyperlink within Canva.
- Only compatible with Canva.
What I would recommend it for: Creating a quick and simple digital journal notebook in Canva.
Who I would recommend it for: A total beginner who wants a quick-win. You can create your first PDF digital journal today using this simple and free commercial use template stash.
SUMMARY
Digital planner resources including software, commercial use templates and courses are a great way to fast-track your success. Leave a comment below to let me know your favourite resources!
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