Which Planner is Best for You: Dated or Undated?
Planners are an incredible tool to help get your life organized, but there’s a different kind of planner everywhere you look. From planners that are minimal to planners that promise to fix your entire life, there is no shortage of options when it comes to picking out a new planner.
Sometimes it feels like there are so many options and they’re all promising to be the one thing that will finally help you get your life together.
The truth is that planners are only a supportive tool. You are the only one who has control over your life, not your planner. So while it can be important to use a planner to help you organize your life, it’s more important to pick a planner that you’ll enjoy using while it acts as a supporting tool.
The two major categories for planners are dated planners and undated planners. Both have their pros and cons depending on what you need for your day-to-day activities.
If you're wondering “dated planner vs undated planner, which is best?”, you're in the right place. In this planner comparison guide, we'll walk you through what makes each planner type unique and help you choose the best planner for 2025 or beyond. We’ll learn what they are, what their differences are, and which one is the best planner for you to use, using bullet journal-inspired planners from the shop as examples.
What Is a Dated Planner?
Dated planners at Tablet & Quill are inspired by bullet journals. Dated planners have a Future Log spread for the current year, so you can see the entire year at once and have the space to plan any future events.
Dated planners have a 12-month range, starting in January of the current year and going through the end of December of the current year. They feature pre-printed dates across all monthly spreads and all weekly spreads. Each month has 4-5 pre-dated weekly spreads.
Dated planners are great if you need a planner that’s ready to go with an easy structure to follow.
What Is an Undated Planner?
Undated planners at Tablet & Quill are inspired by bullet journals. Undated planners have Year at a Glance pages for 2025, 2026, and 2027 to cover a large range of time. So whether you’re using your planner now or a year from now, you’ll still have a handy reference for the months ahead.
The way these Year at a Glance pages are set up makes it easy to cut out the years you don’t need if you find them to be in the way.
Undated planners have a 6-month range, though all are undated, so you can jump in and out as necessary. Each month has 5 undated weekly spreads and an additional blank spread after the weekly spreads in case you need more space.
Undated planners are great if you need more flexibility in your planner. You can fill in the dates yourself, so you can use it at any time.
Dated vs Undated Comparison
| Feature | Dated Planner | Undated Planner |
| Pre-printed dates | ✅ | ❌ |
| Monthly themes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Yearly pages | 2025 Future Log | 2025, 2026, 2027 Year at a Glance pages |
| Duration | 12 months | 6 months |
| Weekly spreads | 4-5 per month | 5 per month |
| Extra spread between months | ❌ | ✅ |
| Flexibility | Low | High |
| Start any time | ❌ | ✅ |
When to Choose a Dated Planner
Dated planners are an excellent choice for students, professionals, or anyone who is trying to achieve goals this year. These bullet journal-inspired dated planners are great for people who plan around 12-month cycles and for people who enjoy the structure and routine that comes with using a dated planner.
The great thing about dated planners is that they can simultaneously work as a goal-setting planner, a reflection planner, or a planner to help you get organized. Dated planners are super easy to pick up and use right away since there’s absolutely zero setup that’s needed in order to get started.
My dated bullet journal planners are designed to give you a no-fuss experience while keeping all of the aesthetics and beauty of a decorated bullet journal.
When to Choose an Undated Planner
Undated planners are a great choice for people who plan on a seasonal basis, people with unpredictable schedules, or journalers who like to take breaks between planner usage. These bullet journal-inspired undated planners are for people who need a planner for flexible schedules.
Using a planner on a shorter timeframe, like 6 months, can help you test out a new system without committing to using it for an entire year. Undated planners give you a ton of flexibility with scheduling and with future planning since these undated planners have Year at a Glance pages from 2025 to 2027.
My undated bullet journal planners are perfect if you want structure with a bit of freedom without losing monthly themes and decorations from decorated bullet journals.
Should I Use a Dated or Undated Planner?
Tablet & Quill dated and undated bullet journal planners are both great options; it just depends on what your planner personality is like.
If you’re the type of person who takes breaks between months or doesn’t use a planner every month, an undated planner is the right choice. An undated planner also lets you try out this planner style over 6 months, so you don’t have to commit to using it for an entire year.
On the other hand, if the thought of filling in dates yourself seems annoying, a dated planner is the right choice for you. A dated planner will cover all of your planning needs for an entire year and keep your days organized.
Both planners feature beautiful monthly themes for every month. They come from the same manufacturer, so both planners are sized 6” x 9” (small enough to throw in a bag), matte soft cover, and 90 GSM paper (perfect for ball point pens, gel pens, and color pencils). Both planners also include a goal-setting page at the beginning of the planner and a reflection page at the end of the planner. Both are 5mm dot grid.
Each month in the dated and undated planner includes a calendar, a space for notes, a gratitude log, a mood log, a habit tracker, a budget page, and a decorated brain dump page so you have the opportunity to pick and choose what you want to track.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a dated and an undated planner?
A dated planner comes ready to use with pre‑printed dates, while an undated planner starts whenever you do, offering planning flexibility.
Can I start using a dated planner anytime in the year?
No, a dated planner typically runs January through December, so starting late means you'll miss earlier pages.
Is an undated planner better for inconsistent schedules?
Yes, you only fill in the months you need in an undated planner, making it perfect for seasonal breaks or flexible routines.
There’s No Wrong Bullet Journal Planner
The dated bullet journal planner and the undated bullet journal planner are both designed to make your life easier while keeping the aesthetics of having a beautifully decorated bullet journal. Both planners allow you to skip the time and effort it takes to set up a bullet journal spread.
Ultimately, whether you choose a dated or undated planner, the best planner is the one that matches your planning habits, lifestyle, and goals. Use this planner comparison guide to help decide if a bullet journal-inspired dated planner or the more flexible undated planner fits your needs. Only you can decide which one speaks to where you’re at in this season of life.
If you decide to get one of these planners, I would love it if you showed me! If you have any questions about either bullet journal planner, you can leave a comment below or find me as TabletAndQuill on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
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