If your task list lives in three different apps, a sticky note on your monitor, and your memory, this Todoist review is for you.
Todoist has been around since 2007 and is still one of the most popular task managers among remote workers. This review covers what it does well, what it costs, where it falls short, and who should pick something else.
How this review was made: it’s based on Todoist’s documented features, its published pricing, and its integrations, not on a long-term hands-on test. Features and prices change, so confirm details on Todoist’s pricing page before you buy.
What Todoist Is
Todoist is a task management app from Doist, a company that runs as a fully remote team. It runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and the web. You can set due dates, create recurring tasks, organize work into projects, and share projects with teammates. It also connects to many other apps through native integrations and Zapier.
| # | Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quick capture | Get tasks out of your head in seconds |
| 2 | Natural language dates | Schedule without dropdowns |
| 3 | Projects, sections, labels, filters | Handle several work streams cleanly |
| 4 | Sync and offline mode | Move between desktop and phone |
| 5 | Integrations | Connect Slack, calendar, and email |
Five Strengths
1. Capture is fast
The inbox principle says every thought that needs action gets captured immediately and processed later. Todoist supports this with a quick-add box on desktop, a widget on mobile, and a browser extension that adds tasks without leaving your current tab. If capture takes more than a few seconds you’ll skip it and rely on memory, which defeats the point.
2. Natural language scheduling
Type “Call client every Monday at 9am” and Todoist creates a recurring task with the right due date. It understands phrases such as “next Friday,” “in 3 days,” and “every weekday.” For people who juggle flexible schedules across time zones, that removes a lot of clicking.
3. Structure that scales
Todoist uses three layers: projects, sections, and tasks, with optional subtasks. A freelancer with five clients might keep one project per client, a section per week, and tasks such as “Write blog draft” and “Send invoice” inside each.
Labels add context across projects (for example @waiting or @high-energy), and filters build custom views, such as every high-priority task due this week. The Inbox-first design maps well to Getting Things Done. If you’re new to that system, our GTD method guide explains the steps.
4. Sync and offline support
Todoist syncs across devices, and per its documentation it works offline and syncs when you reconnect. That’s useful if you sometimes work from cafés or on the road with unreliable Wi-Fi.
5. Integrations
- Slack: turn messages into tasks
- Google Calendar: see tasks next to meetings
- Gmail and Outlook: turn emails into tasks
- Zapier and Make: automate with thousands of other apps
Tasks appear where you already work, instead of forcing you to open another app. Todoist doesn’t track time itself, so pair it with a tool from our guide to time tracking for remote workers if you need hours logged against tasks. If you want tasks and meetings in one view, compare the best calendar apps for remote workers, several of which pull in Todoist tasks.
A Simple GTD-Style Setup
- Send everything to the Inbox all day, without deciding where it goes.
- Once a day, move each Inbox task to a project or delete it.
- Add a due date only when the task truly has one. A list full of fake deadlines is noise.
- Use three labels at most, such as @waiting, @quick, and @deep-work.
- Create one filter for “due today or overdue” and treat it as your daily list.
- Review the whole system weekly. Our weekly review guide shows how.
Common Todoist Mistakes
- Everything is priority 1. If every task is urgent, none is. Reserve the top priority for one to three tasks a day.
- Too many projects. A project for every small idea turns the sidebar into clutter. Use sections and labels inside a few broad projects.
- Never clearing the Inbox. An Inbox with 80 items is a second junk drawer. Process it daily, even if only for five minutes.
- Overdue tasks pile up. Reschedule honestly or delete them. A red list you ignore trains you to ignore the app.
- Using it as a notes app. Long notes and reference material belong somewhere else. See our guide to note-taking apps for options.
Todoist Pricing
| Plan | Price when written | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited active projects and collaborators, basic features |
| Pro | About $4/month, billed annually | More projects, reminders, extra features |
| Business | About $6/user/month, billed annually | Team management and admin controls |
The free plan is enough to judge whether the workflow suits you. If you manage several clients or areas of responsibility, the project limit on the free plan is the likeliest reason to upgrade. The Business plan only makes sense for small teams that need shared projects. For solo workers it’s more than you need.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Clean, uncluttered interface
- Natural language input saves time daily
- Works across all major platforms
- Usable free tier
- Strong Slack, Gmail, and Google Calendar integrations
Cons
- No built-in time tracking
- Board view is basic compared with dedicated Kanban tools
- Team pricing adds up as headcount grows
- AI features are supplementary, not the core of the product
- Project caps on the free plan
Todoist or Something Else?
| If you need | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A simple list on one device | Apple Reminders or Microsoft To-Do | Free and built in |
| Kanban boards and team workflows | Trello, Asana, or Monday | Designed around boards and shared projects |
| Tasks and notes in one workspace | Notion | Databases hold both |
| Multiple projects, fast capture, integrations | Todoist | The case this review makes |
Who Should Use It
Todoist fits if you use several devices, manage more than three or four projects, want Slack or calendar integration, prefer a clean list over a heavy project platform, or follow a capture-and-process workflow.
Look elsewhere if you need full Kanban boards with swimlanes, want time tracking built in, or work at a company that mandates Jira, Asana, or Monday.
To compare it with other options, read our best task management apps for remote workers. A structured start to the day also helps a task list work: see our morning routine guide.
Verdict
For remote workers who manage several projects across devices, Todoist is a strong, low-friction choice. Start on the free plan, use it for two weeks with the setup above, and upgrade only if you hit a limit you actually care about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Todoist free to use?
Yes. The free plan covers basic task management with limits on active projects and collaborators. Upgrade to Pro when you need more projects or reminders.
How does Todoist compare with other task apps?
It’s more capable than simple lists such as Apple Reminders or Microsoft To-Do for people with multiple projects, and lighter than platforms such as Asana or Monday for individuals. See the comparison table above and our task app guide.
Does Todoist work offline?
According to Todoist’s documentation, yes. Changes made offline sync when you reconnect.
Can I use Todoist for GTD?
Yes. The Inbox maps to GTD’s capture step, projects to organizing, and labels to contexts. Add a weekly review and you have a complete GTD loop in one app.
What does Todoist’s AI feature do?
Todoist’s AI Assist can help break large tasks into subtasks and improve task wording. It’s a convenience on top of the core capture, organize, and review workflow.
About the author: Alex is a software developer who has worked remotely for three years. He started Deep Focus Daily to document the productivity systems that actually survive real remote work — not the advice written for offices that no longer exist. Learn more about Deep Focus Daily →