User Interface
TickTick and Todoist have similar layouts when it comes to the user interface. Both apps use a time-tested layout. The right side shows all the tasks, and the left shows lists and tags in TickTick and Projects and Labels in Todoist for task organization on desktops and tablets. The same story repeats on the mobile version too. When you open TickTick, you’ll see today’s tasks, and the sidebar houses lists and tags for organizing and filtering tasks. On the other hand, Todoist shows today’s tasks and projects and labels for task organization in the sidebar. Todoist boasts a red theme by default, and TickTick sticks to blue out of the box. Todoist lets you customize the interface colors with 13 theme options. In contrast, TickTick lets you customize its user interface with 25+ themes, along with an option to add a custom image which gives it a more personalized touch.
Creating Tasks
Creating tasks is pretty straightforward on TickTick and Todoist, whether you’re using a desktop, tablet, or mobile. However, there’s a slight difference when it comes to mobile. In Todoist, simply press the Plus (+) button on the bottom left and enter the task details to create the task quickly on mobiles. Similarly, TickTick also comes with a Plus (+) button on the bottom left; press it and enter the details to create a task quickly. TickTick supports natural language processing when creating tasks, so it’ll detect if you want to set a reminder or task with a due date when typing it. For example, if you type “tomorrow night” in the new task field, TickTick will detect it and set the task’s due date to the next day at 8 PM. Similarly, if you type “remind” followed by time and date, TickTick will set a reminder for the mentioned time. It also works if you write “tom” for tomorrow and “tod” for today, but you must add time for them to work. Furthermore, you can type the hashtag symbol (#) followed by the tag name or create a new one instantly. And if you type the exclamation mark symbol (!), you can set the task’s priority as high, medium, or low. Todoist, on the other hand, provides similar options. You can click the Add task button or use the shortcut Q with the app open to quickly add a task by entering its name and details. Also, you can pull up the Quick Add Taskbar by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + A shortcut. Todoist also features natural language processing when creating tasks. You can mention the date and time for due dates or the keywords “remind” or “reminder” to create reminders for specific tasks. It also works with “tom” and “tod” keywords, and unlike TickTick, it’s not a must to mention the time.
Organizing Tasks
Organizing your tasks is as important as creating them. Both TickTick and Todoist offer different yet similar ways to manage your tasks. TickTick uses Lists and Tags to categorize your tasks. You can put your tasks in different lists depending on the tasks. For instance, if the task is personal, you put it in the personal list, and if it’s related to work, you put it in the work list. Tags in TickTIck are more like sub-categories for Lists, allowing you to categorize your tasks further accordingly. For example, if you do research and writing as part of the work, you can set two tags for them and assign them to the tasks accordingly. Furthermore, each tag can be color-coded to glance through them quickly. Moreover, you can add attachments, notes, or subtasks in a task on TickTick. Also, you can create location-based reminders, meaning you’ll be reminded about a task when you arrive at the specified location. But it is only available on Android and iOS, not on Windows and macOS. Todoist also uses the same concept but with different terminology. Instead of Lists, Todoist uses Projects, and most users might find this term conventional. So if you want to distinguish work, personal, or other category tasks, you can create a separate Project for each. Similar to TickTick’s tags, Todoist offers labels to further organize tasks inside the projects. For instance, if you want to categorize a work project with research and reporting as subtasks, you can create labels for both. Finally, Todoist also allows you to take notes, add attachments via comments, and also add location-based reminders. Unlike TickTick, Todoist offers location-based reminders on all platforms. If you don’t want to go through all this fuss about managing your tasks, both apps use due dates to categorize your tasks into Today and Upcoming or Next 7 Days. Also, you get an Inbox on both to-do list managers where you can throw in any tasks without a due date.
Other Features
Todoist and TickTick offer a set of additional features to enhance your productivity. Three things you’ll find in common are that they reward you with points when you complete your tasks on time, and let you track your habits. However, you’ll still need a third-party addon for habit-tracking to work on Todoist. Both apps feature calendar views, but the implementation is a bit different. With TickTick, you can see your assigned tasks in daily, monthly, and weekly views (or Timeline views). Todoist, on the other hand, doesn’t offer a Timeline view but displays your tasks in daily view, but you can switch it to a Kanban board, similar to many other Kanban tools out there. Besides, TickTick has two more features to improve your productivity: Pomodoro timer and Eisenhower Matrix. The Pomodoro Timer allows you to take a 5-minute break for every 25 minutes of work done. After the fourth Pomo, you can take a 15-minute break, and the cycle repeats. Furthermore, the Eisenhower Matrix feature allows you to categorize your tasks into four quadrants based on your priority and due dates: Urgent and important, Not urgent but important, Urgent but not important, and Not urgent and not important. As a result, you can figure out what to do first and later.
Collaboration and Third-Party Integrations
Both Todoist and TickTick support integrate with third-party apps, helping create and edit tasks while using your favorite apps easily. Some notable integrations include Google Calendar, Gmail, Slack, IFTTT, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Fantastical, and Alexa. Furthermore, you can collaborate with others in TickTick and Todoist. With TickTick, you can share your Lists or join others’ Lists through a link. Once in a shared List, you can assign tasks to others by selecting them as Assignees. You can then check the task activities that show when and who created the task, along with any modifications done further. On the other side of the table, Todoist allows you to share Projects or join others’ Projects when invited. While creating a task in the Project, you can assign a task to someone with a due date and a reminder, if required. Todoist allows up to 25 guests per Project if you have the Pro subscription.
Pricing and Platform
Todoist is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, watchOS, and Wear OS, and has extensions for different browsers. Similarly, TickTick is also available on all these platforms. Moreover, you can access both apps on a browser without an extension. Todoist is free to download and use but requires a Pro version to access features like labels and filters, productivity trends, themes, and more reminders. Subscription costs $5 per month or $48 per year. TickTick, on the other side, is free to download and use too but it provides all the essential features a to-do manager requires. But you need a Premium subscription to unlock features like Filters, Calendar Views, and more habits and themes. The Premium subscription for TickTick will cost you $2.79 per month or $27.99 per year.
Tick Off Your Tasks
If you’re an individual or a small team trying to manage your tasks, TickTick is a better solution, as it offers more than Todoist for half the price. If you’re a business or a big team, you can go with Todoist since it has better features in terms of scalability. A good to-do manager can help you stay on track with your goals, making you more productive. Ultimately, it all depends on how you organize and complete your tasks efficiently. However, if you keep checking your phone while working, here are some apps to keep your focus off your smartphone.
