The core difference
Routinery is a routine runner — a sequence of timed steps you build once and execute daily. Lunar is a capacity-based planner — it asks your energy and cycle phase before showing any tasks, and only surfaces what fits today.
A routine assumes consistent capacity. Women with ADHD on a menstrual cycle don't have that. The 9-step morning that works in follicular week becomes a 3-step survival plan in luteal week. Routinery can't adapt to that reality. Lunar starts from it.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Routinery | Lunar |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed timed routines | Core feature | Not the focus |
| Open task management | Limited | Yes |
| Built for ADHD women | General ADHD | Yes — specifically |
| Menstrual cycle awareness | No | Yes — phase filter |
| Energy-based task filter | No | Yes — 4 levels |
| Adapts to depleted days | No | Yes |
| AI task breakdown | No | Yes |
| Free tier | Limited | 14-day free trial, then subscription |
Who should choose Routinery
- You have stable morning or evening routines you want as timed sequences
- Time-blindness during fixed routines is your main challenge
- You respond well to step-by-step progression with auto-advancing timers
- Your energy is relatively consistent across your cycle
Who should choose Lunar
- Your routine capacity changes significantly with your cycle
- You have variable tasks alongside any fixed routine
- You need the app to respond when you're depleted — not just keep the routine running
The fixed vs. adaptive problem
A fixed routine works when your underlying capacity is steady. ADHD women on a menstrual cycle don't have steady underlying capacity — estrogen drops in the luteal phase and pulls dopamine with it. The morning routine that felt natural in your follicular week is neurochemically harder in your luteal week. Not a discipline problem. A biology one. Lunar is built for that reality; Routinery isn't designed to see it.
Verdict
Choose Routinery for repeating sequences where timed steps and visual progression help you execute reliably — morning rituals, evening wind-downs, pre-work startups. Choose Lunar for the variable work of your day and for weeks when the routine itself needs to shrink. Many ADHD women use both.