Google Tasks vs Todoist: In-Depth Comparison of Task Management Apps

To-do apps help us stay productive and keep us on our toes, that is until we begin to slip and keep stalling and snoozing the task. Slowly, it gets buried deep under our list of tasks that are to be attended.

At GT, we have reviewed quite a few to-do apps like Microsoft To-Do which is a reincarnation of Wunderlist, and Google Keep, which is more of a note-taking app. So, what are we reviewing today?

Google Tasks is a minimalist app which lets you create tasks and assign dates to them. While there is a lack of advanced features, the question is if we really need them? Sometimes, more features can bog us down.

Download Google Tasks

On the other hand, Todoist is a fully-loaded to-do app that will let you create folders, assign tasks, and collaborate with team members.

Download Todoist

Let’s see how they match and differ.

1. Starting Out

Google Tasks is a minimalist looking app. Tap on Add a new task button to create your first task. Click on the ‘+’ icon while creating a new task to add a reminder or details.

Similarly, in Todoist, you will be greeted with a functional and material design where creating tasks is easy. Tap the plus icon to create new tasks. Todoist will offer you more options like adding labels, people, and setting a priority. More on them later.

You can easily reorder tasks by dragging and dropping them around, but there is more to them than what meets the eye.

2. Going Deep

Once you begin using Google Tasks, you will realize that it works similarly to how tasks and lists work on Google Keep. There are some minor differences, but they are not significant enough to warrant another app.

Google Tasks can handle many lists and tasks. Note that the menu is located at the bottom and not on top or even in the sidebar. I like this arrangement more because this way, the first thing I see is my list name and tasks. Also, I don’t have to adjust my hands to reach the menu on the upper right corner every time I need to switch lists. The menus at the bottom are easily accessible.

Todoist goes for the tried and tested sidebar menu where you will find a few options like Inbox, Today, and Next 7 Days which are self-explanatory. This allows you to focus on what needs to be done now rather than loading you up with next week’s tasks.

In Google Tasks, tap on an individual task to create subtasks. This feature is useful when you are working on projects that require undertaking multiple tasks. You can then add notes to each task or subtask. Both subtasks and notes are visible on the main screen. One thing that really bugs me is that you can set a due date but not the time to tasks. That’s rather odd since you can do that in the Keep app.

Todoist really picks up speed here and will soon leave Google Tasks behind. Let’s revisit the sidebar where you will find some default projects, to begin with, each color-coded. Todoist understands natural language so if you type ‘remind me to call AB tomorrow at 5 pm’, Todoist knows what you mean. You can assign priorities to tasks as well, so you know which one needs more attention.

Collaborating with others is easy as Todoist was built to be scalable and comes with an enterprise plan. Tap on the people icon to send invites. You can add labels to each task which is helpful as you can use the same label for tasks that belong to different projects.

Finally, moving forward with the spirit of collaboration, Todoist supports uploading files to individual tasks. Thereby making it easy to assign important docs and tasks to anyone in the team. Delegating tasks becomes easy.

However, Google Tasks also lacks a basic search function to find buried/older tasks. Todoist will let you create custom filters so you can save your searches for the future.

You can customize Todoist with themes, change notification settings, and start a new page.

3. Platforms and Pricing

Google Tasks is available on Android, iOS, and web browsers. However, the web version looks a bit dated. The app is free to download and use with no ads or in-app purchases.

Todoist is available on Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS. It also has extensions for all popular browsers, smartwatches, and has plugins for Gmail and Outlook. Todoist has a free plan with no labels, reminders or file uploads, and limited support for collaboration tools. The premium plan will cost you $36 annually for a single user, and $60 per user annually for enterprise users.

Google Tasks vs. Todoist: You Decide

Frankly speaking, Google Tasks is not there yet. Either Google will have to up its game or will have to discontinue it. Todoist, on the other hand, is a full-blown scalable solution that will do wonders for your personal and professional life, but only if you upgrade. Free plan has no reminders.

Next up: Todoist is in a league of its own. Let’s see how Google Tasks compares with the Microsoft To-Do app.