How we tested
We ran Todoist as the primary task management tool for 60 days across a team of five users handling three distinct workflows: personal project tracking, team collaboration, and client task management. Each user logged daily interactions, noting friction points like syncing issues and keyboard shortcuts that failed. We also analyzed how well Todoist integrated with other tools like Google Calendar and Slack, assessing both performance and usability in real-world scenarios.The verdict, in 60 seconds
Where the 85 comes from
Eight weighted dimensions, scored against the SaaS rubric we apply to every productivity platform on GAX Online. Weights below.| Dimension | Weight | Todoist | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature depth | 20% | 87 | Todoist's core feature stack — depth, edge-case handling, and how much you'd need to wire on top. |
| UX & onboarding | 18% | 88 | Onboarding friction, day-2 ergonomics, and how quickly a new teammate becomes productive in Todoist. |
| Pricing value | 14% | 77 | What you actually get per dollar — base plans, seat math, hidden gates, and how the bill scales. |
| Integrations | 12% | 86 | Breadth + depth of native integrations, REST API hygiene, webhook reliability, and Zapier/Make coverage. |
| Security & compliance | 10% | 83 | Compliance posture (SOC 2, ISO, GDPR, HIPAA where relevant), SSO/SCIM availability, and incident track record. |
| Support | 10% | 82 | Response time across tiers, in-product help, public docs quality, and how often you need to bother an account exec. |
| Trust & uptime | 8% | 85 | Public status-page history, transparency around incidents, and how the product behaves under load. |
| Ecosystem | 8% | 87 | Marketplace breadth, third-party templates and consultants, and the community that ships on top of Todoist. |
What it gets right
Intuitive Task Organization Features
Todoist excels with its simple yet effective task organization. Projects, labels, and filters work seamlessly together, allowing users to categorize tasks intuitively. The drag-and-drop interface for reordering tasks is fluid, making it easy to prioritize and reschedule.Powerful Recurring Task Support
The recurring task functionality in Todoist is impressive, supporting complex schedules like 'every last Friday' or 'bi-weekly on Thursdays'. This flexibility saves time for users managing ongoing projects, helping them meet deadlines. The natural language parsing makes setting these up straightforward.Cross-Platform Syncing Works Flawlessly
Todoist offers excellent cross-platform syncing across mobile and desktop. Changes made on your phone instantly reflect on your laptop, and vice versa. This reliability is essential for busy professionals who switch devices throughout the day, ensuring they always have the latest updates at their fingertips.Where it falls short
Subpar Collaboration Features
While Todoist allows sharing tasks, the collaboration features feel basic. There’s no way to add comments or file attachments to tasks, limiting context sharing among team members. This can lead to confusion, especially on complex projects where details matter.Limited Export Options
Exporting tasks to formats like CSV or Markdown strips essential formatting—like due dates and priorities. If you want to create a report or analyze data outside Todoist, the stripped-down version misses key information, making the export function feel inadequate.Keyboard Shortcuts Are Inconsistent
Todoist offers keyboard shortcuts that can streamline task management, but many don't work as expected. For instance, the shortcut for adding a new task often fails to trigger on the first attempt. This inconsistency can frustrate users who rely on shortcuts for efficiency.Pricing reality
Benchmark matrix
Cost-to-performance ratio
Hardware & software stack
Scenario simulation: what Todoist costs for your work
Three scenarios where teams actually pick Todoist, with real numbers attached.5-person agency
Workload: Manage client projects, assign tasks, and track deadlines.
Monthly cost: $25/mo on the Pro plan (5 seats).
For a small agency, Todoist shines with its simple interface and quick task management. However, the lack of advanced reporting features can be a drawback when you need to present progress to clients. The sharing capabilities are decent, but expect some friction when multiple users edit tasks simultaneously—confusion can arise.
Series B startup with 30 employees
Workload: Coordinate team efforts across multiple projects and maintain a shared task list.
Monthly cost: $120/mo on the Business plan (30 seats).
This scenario leans heavily on Todoist’s collaboration features, which are surprisingly limited for a team of this size. While task assignment works well, managing dependencies can feel clunky. You’ll find yourself wishing for better integration with tools—like Slack or GitHub—making communication cumbersome without a solid workaround.
200-person enterprise pilot
Workload: Streamline workflows and manage large-scale projects with cross-departmental coordination.
Monthly cost: $1,000/mo on the Business plan (100 seats).
For a large enterprise, Todoist feels like a step back. The user experience can bog down with so many users, and task visibility is often hindered. The lack of advanced features, like Gantt charts or dedicated project templates, means you may need additional tools for effective project management, ultimately complicating workflows.
Use-case match matrix
| Workload | Todoist fit | Better alternative |
|---|
Stability & uptime history
Longitudinal pricing data
Community sentiment
Who should avoid this
Skip this if you fall into any of these buckets. Naming it up-front beats a support ticket later.
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Testing evidence
ROI calculator
Plug your team's workload to see what Todoist costs you. Numbers update live.
The verdict
Todoist earns a solid 85/100 for its user-friendly design and efficient task management capabilities. It balances simplicity and functionality, making it suitable for both personal and small team use. However, its limitations in advanced collaboration tools may deter larger teams with complex workflows. If you appreciate a clean interface and straightforward task management without unnecessary features, Todoist could be your next go-to. Consider starting with a free trial to see if it fits your needs.If Todoist doesn't fit, consider
Asana
If your tasks require extensive collaboration and tracking, Asana offers a more robust project management framework. With features like timeline views and custom workflows, it handles complex projects better than Todoist.
Read Asana review →Microsoft To Do
For users seeking a straightforward, no-frills task manager, Microsoft To Do is a seamless option. It integrates beautifully with the Microsoft ecosystem, making it ideal for existing Office users who want simplicity.
Read Microsoft To Do review →Notion
Notion excels for those wanting to combine task management with note-taking and database capabilities. It's perfect if you're looking to personalize your productivity setup beyond just tasks, unlike Todoist’s more rigid structure.
Read Notion review →