Is your brain feeling like a web browser with a million tabs open? Too much multitasking, not enough RAM? We’ve been there. That’s why we’re obsessed with finding the best task management apps to help us declutter our minds and boost our productivity. In this article, we compare Todoist against Google Tasks to see which is the best for 2025. Get ready!
Table of contents
Todoist vs. Google Tasks at a glance
| Todoist | Google Tasks | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall style | Feature-rich, powerful, organized | Simple, minimalist, essentials-focused |
| Interface | Modern, visually appealing, many options upfront | Clean, basic, easy to grasp immediately |
| Task creation | Detailed (labels, subtasks, priorities, etc.) | Basic (title, date, time) |
| Organization | Projects, sections, labels, filters, boards (Kanban) | Lists only |
| Mobile app | Full-featured, mirrors desktop, syncs seamlessly | Lightweight, basic, core actions only |
| Unique strengths | Natural language processing for task entry Gamification with Karma points Powerful project management tools | Deep Google ecosystem integration (Gmail, Calendar) Potentially getting Gemini AI features soon |
| Drawbacks | Free plan limited, can feel complex for basic users, some find task entry fiddly | Very basic overall, lacks features like priorities, reliant on Google services |
| Collaboration | Built-in team features, project sharing, task assignment, comments | Limited, relies on 3rd party tools (TasksBoard) for most needs |
| Integrations | Thousands of integrations with external tools Connects to Notion via 2sync | Native integrations with Google ecosystem Connects to Notion via 2sync |
| Ideal for | Users who want power, organization, and don’t mind complexity | Users who want simplicity, ease of use, and use Google’s apps |
Interface and user experience
Todoist and Google Tasks take very different approaches to user experience, with one prioritizing a feature-rich environment and the other emphasizing simplicity. Let’s take a closer look.
Todoist: Your command center for getting things done
Todoist presents a feature-rich interface right at the very beginning.
Its design is both functional and visually appealing, adhering to modern Material Design principles.
The process of creating tasks in Todoist is straightforward, but it offers additional options like adding labels, subtasks, deadlines, reminders, setting priorities, and sharing projects.
This makes Todoist a more versatile tool, especially for users who require a more detailed and structured approach to task management.
Todoist’s interface is designed to handle more complex task management needs.
The sidebar menu categorizes tasks into sections such as Inbox, Today, and Upcoming, helping users focus on immediate tasks while still keeping an eye on upcoming responsibilities.
This level of organization is beneficial for users who manage a large number of tasks or those who need to keep track of tasks across different projects or areas.
Google Tasks: Simplicity at its finest
In contrast, when you first open Google Tasks, you’re greeted with an even more minimalist interface that prioritizes simplicity and ease of use.
The app’s simple design offers a straightforward approach to managing tasks divided into lists.
Creating a new task is as simple as tapping the “Add a task” button and filling in the details, date, and time.
Google Tasks’ minimalist design focuses on the essentials, making it an excellent choice for users who need a basic, easy-to-use task manager.
The primary interface is basically a simple list view where tasks can be added, checked off, and organized with minimal effort.
Mobile apps
A great task manager needs a great mobile app to manage your to-dos on the go. It’s that simple. In this section, we’ll review the Todoist and Google Tasks mobile apps.
Todoist: A pocket-sized productivity hub
Todoist’s mobile app extends its user-friendly design to smaller screens, maintaining a consistent look with its desktop counterpart.
The app’s interface is clean and intuitive, allowing you to easily navigate their tasks and projects.
Despite its compact size, the mobile version doesn’t compromise on functionality. You can still create tasks, assign priorities, and organize with labels just as you would on a desktop.
Additionally, Todoist ensures seamless synchronization across devices, making it a reliable tool for managing tasks on the go.
Google Tasks: A lightweight task companion
On the other hand, the Google Tasks mobile app adheres to a minimalist approach.
The interface is straightforward, focusing primarily on task management without the complexity of additional features.
This simplicity is part of its charm, especially for users who prefer a more streamlined experience.
The app integrates smoothly with other Google services like Gmail and Google Calendar, allowing users to manage tasks within the familiar Google ecosystem.
Google Tasks for mobile is an excellent option for those who need a basic and efficient tool to manage daily tasks and synchronize them between devices.
Advanced features
Beyond the essentials, both Todoist and Google Tasks offer advanced and interesting capabilities to enhance productivity and streamline workflows.
Todoist: Project management and gamification
Todoist stands out with its comprehensive task management capabilities.
At its core, it allows for detailed organization of tasks into projects and sections, which users can color-code for differentiation.
This feature is particularly beneficial for managing complex workflows or segregating professional and personal tasks.
When setting up a new project in Todoist, users can choose between a traditional “List” project or a “Board” project.
This flexibility allows for planning and managing projects using the Kanban method. You can easily switch between list, board, and calendar views, offering diverse perspectives on the project’s progress.
👉 Learn more: 12 Best Kanban Software in 2025
One of the standout features of Todoist is its natural language input.
This intuitive feature simplifies task creation, allowing users to quickly add tasks using plain English right at the task’s title (for example, email George every Tuesday at 5 pm).
It’s especially handy for on-the-go task entry and creating recurring tasks.
Todoist also offers a suite of productivity reports, which provide insights into task completion trends, activity logs, and a unique Karma system that tracks productivity.
Speaking about the Karma system, this is where Todoist truly embraces gamification.
It’s a unique feature that awards you points for completing tasks, maintaining streaks, and utilizing Todoist’s various functionalities effectively.
As you accumulate Karma points, you progress through different levels, adding a sense of achievement and encouraging consistent engagement with the app, which is perfect for motivation and habit tracking.
Lastly, if you’re not sure where to start, Todoist has several templates for all sorts of projects, like managing a content calendar or planning a meeting. Just grab a template and customize it to your liking.
Google Tasks: Leveraging the Google ecosystem
While simpler than Todoist, Google Tasks is more than enough for your essential task management needs.
Its primary function revolves around creating tasks and subtasks and organizing these into different lists.
The integration of Google Tasks with the broader Google ecosystem, notably Google Calendar and Gmail, is the most remarkable point.
You can convert emails into tasks directly from Gmail and view them in Google Calendar, offering a unified view of their schedules and to-dos.
In addition, Tasks supports the creation of recurring tasks, an essential feature for tasks that need to be performed regularly.
Adding attachments and detailed notes to tasks further enhances its utility.
As you would expect from a Google product, it also includes a powerful search tool, a vital feature for quickly locating specific tasks, especially when many of them are spread across multiple lists and dates.
And, Tasks may get an AI boost from Gemini in the coming months in a more direct way. For now, you can use Gemini to access and manage your tasks with prompts.
Teamwork and collaboration
Todoist and Google Tasks provide contrasting approaches to teamwork, and this point can be the deciding factor between one tool and another. Keep reading.
Todoist: Collaborative task management for teams
Todoist is tailored for collaborative work, offering a suite of features that facilitate teamwork and project management:
- Creating and managing teams: Todoist allows the creation of a team of any size, serving as a shared home for tasks and projects. Every team member can browse, preview, or join active or archived projects.
- Project sharing and task assignment: Teams can start by creating projects for significant tasks and listing relevant tasks. Sharing these projects with team members is as simple as clicking the share icon, and members must join a project to be assigned tasks and tagged in comments. Each task can only be assigned to one person, eliminating ambiguity about who is responsible for what.
- Enhanced communication and reporting: Todoist facilitates in-task communication by allowing users to discuss details and upload files in comments. It also offers an activity log to provide a snapshot of the team’s work and customizable project reports with its Google Sheets extension.
Google Tasks: Limited collaboration and third-party integrations
While Google Tasks doesn’t offer extensive built-in collaboration features like Todoist, it provides some functionality, especially when used with TasksBoard, a third-party integration.
- Integration with TasksBoard: Once integrated with TasksBoard, users can share their task lists via a link. It also allows the creation of multiple task boards in the paid premium plans. The free version allows five shared lists and unlimited tasks.
- Exporting tasks to Google Sheets with TasksBoard: For those who need to keep track of task progress or due dates in a more detailed format, TasksBoard offers the option to export task lists to Google Sheets. This feature can be accessed from the tasks list menu.
- Task list sharing: Sharing a task list in Google Tasks without a third-party tool like TasksBoard is pretty straightforward. Just click on the three-dot menu next to the chosen task list and select “Share List.” This generates a shareable link, which, when given to others, allows them to view and edit the task list.
Limitations and drawbacks
Nobody’s perfect, not even our favorite productivity apps! Todoist and Google Tasks both have their quirks and limitations.
Todoist: Limitations of the free plan
- Limited free version: Todoist’s free plan has restrictions, notably lacking features like reminders, advanced filters, and the AI assistant.
- Customization limitations: Users have limited control over the interface customization, such as adjusting font sizes or layout preferences.
- Complexity for simple needs: Todoist’s many features might seem overwhelming and unnecessary for users seeking a straightforward task management tool.
- Challenges in data entry: Adding notes or scheduling repeating tasks can be less intuitive compared to other apps, and moving items within the outline hierarchy can be cumbersome.
Google Tasks: Missing features and functionality
- Basic functionality: Compared to alternatives like Todoist, Google Tasks is quite basic, offering fewer features and less flexibility in task management.
- Limited collaboration features: Google Tasks lacks robust native collaboration features, making it less ideal for team-based project management. While third-party tools like TasksBoard can remedy this, they require additional setup and management.
- Dependence on Google ecosystem: The full utility of Google Tasks is best realized within the Google ecosystem—especially Google Calendar—potentially limiting its appeal to users who prefer diverse or non-Google platforms or want more direct accessibility.
- No advanced task management: Features like priorities and progress tracking are non-existent in Google Tasks, making it less suitable for complex project management.
👉 Learn more: Google Keep vs. Tasks: Which Is Better and Why?
Conclusion
Todoist and Google Tasks each offer unique strengths for managing tasks and projects:
- Todoist shines with its comprehensive features, project management capabilities, and gamified approach to productivity, making it ideal for those who prioritize organization and control.
- Google Tasks focuses on simplicity and integration with the Google ecosystem, perfect for users who prefer a minimalist and readily accessible task manager.
Want to supercharge your workflow even further? 2sync allows you to connect Todoist and Google Tasks with Notion, creating a unified workspace where you can manage tasks, projects, and notes seamlessly.
