Todoist vs TickTick vs Any.do: The Task Manager That Won't Turn You Into a Productivity Zombie (2025)
I Tried All Three So You Can Actually Get Things Done (Without the Stress)
As someone managing MS while working remotely, I need task apps that work with brain fog, not against it.
Hey there! So you're drowning in tasks and wondering which app will magically transform you into that person who has their life together? I get it.
Here's the thing: if you're someone who thinks the right task manager will solve all your productivity problems, you're not alone. But honestly? Most of these apps either turn you into an obsessive list-maker or overwhelm you with features you'll never use.
I've been down quite the task management rabbit hole lately, and let me tell you – it's been a journey. Picture this: trying to find an app that actually helps you complete tasks instead of just making prettier lists, one that doesn't require a PhD in productivity methodology, and something that works for both your work projects and remembering to buy milk.
Sound familiar? I thought it might.
After living with Todoist, TickTick, and Any.do for a while, I've got some thoughts about which one actually makes your life easier instead of more complicated.
Plot twist: the winner might not be the one everyone's talking about.
What Actually Matters in a Task Manager?
Laptop and tablet with task management app open, designed for remote workers with MS or chronic illness
Before we dive into the details, let's talk about what actually matters when you're trying to get things done:
Ease of Use - Because you want to spend time doing tasks, not learning software
Quick Task Capture - Your brain dumps ideas fast; your app should keep up
Organization That Makes Sense - Projects, priorities, and deadlines without the headache
Cross-Platform Sync - Your tasks should follow you from phone to laptop
Doesn't Turn You Into a Robot - Flexible enough for real life's messiness
Actually Helps You Complete Things - Pretty lists mean nothing if tasks never get done
Got it? Now let's see how our three contenders handle real-world productivity.
Round 1: The First Impression Test (Getting Started Without a Manual)
Todoist: The Productivity Powerhouse
When I first opened Todoist, I could tell this was built by people who live and breathe productivity systems. The interface is clean and purposeful, like a well-organized desk that makes you feel like you might actually have your life together.
Setting up projects and adding tasks felt natural. The natural language processing is genuinely helpful – type "Call dentist tomorrow at 2pm" and it figures out what you mean. The karma system gamifies productivity without being obnoxious about it.
The learning curve exists but it's gentle. You can start simple and gradually discover features as you need them. It's the kind of app that grows with your productivity ambitions.
TickTick: The Feature-Rich Challenger
TickTick greets you with... a lot. Calendars, habits, notes, timers, and about twelve other features you didn't know you needed (and might not). It's like walking into a productivity store where everything looks useful but you're not sure where to start.
The setup is thorough, maybe too thorough. You can customize almost everything, which is either amazing or overwhelming depending on your personality. The interface is colorful and friendly, though sometimes it feels like it's trying to do too many things at once.
If you're the type who gets excited about productivity systems and loves having options, TickTick will feel like home. If you just want to remember to pick up groceries, it might feel like overkill.
Any.do: The Beautifully Simple Option
Any.do takes the opposite approach – clean, minimal, and focused on what matters most: your tasks for today. Opening the app feels calm rather than overwhelming, like a gentle nudge rather than a productivity drill sergeant.
The interface is gorgeous, with smooth animations and thoughtful design touches that make task management feel less like work. Adding tasks is straightforward, and the daily planning feature helps you focus on what's actually achievable.
The simplicity is both its strength and limitation. If you want basic task management that looks beautiful and doesn't stress you out, it's lovely. If you need complex project management, you might hit limitations quickly.
Round 2: The Daily Grind (How They Handle Real Life)
Collage of task manager views, easy to use for professionals with cognitive fatigue
Todoist: The Reliable Workhorse
Living with Todoist day-to-day feels like having a competent personal assistant who doesn't judge your chaotic life. The inbox feature captures random thoughts quickly, and the project system keeps work and personal tasks organized without being rigid.
The natural language input continues to impress – "Every Monday remind me to do laundry" just works. Labels and filters help you find things when your brain is scattered, which happens more often than I'd like to admit. The voice input is particularly helpful on high-fatigue days when typing feels impossible.
The balance between power and simplicity works well for most situations. Complex enough for work projects, simple enough for weekend errands.
TickTick: The Swiss Army Knife
TickTick handles daily life like a productivity Swiss Army knife – there's a tool for everything, but sometimes you just want a simple blade. The calendar integration is genuinely useful, and the habit tracker helps with consistency which is essential for medication reminders and symptom tracking.
The Pomodoro timer built right in is handy, though it took me a while to remember it was there. Multiple list views let you see tasks however your brain processes them best, which is thoughtful design.
The feature richness can be distracting when you just want to check off simple tasks. It's powerful, but power comes with complexity.
Any.do: The Zen Master
Any.do approaches daily task management like a meditation app – calm, focused, and designed to reduce stress rather than add it. The "My Day" planning feature encourages realistic expectations about what you can actually accomplish. This is crucial when managing limited energy - it prevents the over-committing that leads to crashes.
The voice input works well when you're driving or have your hands full. The shared lists feature makes household coordination simple without turning into project management software.
The limitations show up when life gets complex. Multiple projects with deadlines and dependencies can feel constrained by the simplified approach.
Round 3: Organization and Projects (When Life Gets Complicated)
Visual showing three different approaches to project organization - hierarchical folders and sub-projects, integrated calendar and task views, and simple categorized lists
Todoist: The Project Master
When work gets complicated, Todoist shines. The project hierarchy makes sense – main projects, sub-projects, and individual tasks organize naturally. The different view options help you see the forest or focus on individual trees.
Templates save time for recurring projects, and the collaboration features work well when you need to coordinate with others. The karma points actually motivate without feeling childish.
Deadlines and priorities integrate smoothly with the daily view, so important things don't get lost in the noise.
TickTick: The Everything App
TickTick approaches project organization like it approaches everything – with lots of options. Multiple ways to view and organize tasks mean you can find something that matches how your brain works, but it takes time to find your preferred setup.
The calendar integration really helps when projects have time components. Being able to see tasks and appointments together reduces the mental juggling.
The learning curve gets steeper as you use more features. Power users will love the flexibility; casual users might find it overwhelming.
Any.do: The Focused Approach
Any.do keeps project organization simple, which works well for people who get paralyzed by too many options. Categories and basic priorities cover most needs without complexity.
The limitation becomes apparent with larger projects that need sub-tasks and dependencies. The beautiful simplicity can feel restrictive when you need more structure.
Works well for personal projects and simple work coordination, less well for complex multi-person initiatives.
Round 4: The Money Talk (Value for Your Sanity)
Pricing comparison: todoist vs TickTick vs Any.do showing three subscription tiers with features and costs
Todoist: The Balanced Investment
Free Plan: Basic task management with projects and labels Pro Plan: $4/month for templates, reminders, and filters Business Plan: $6/month per user for team features
The free plan covers basic needs well, and the Pro upgrade feels worth it when you hit the limitations. The pricing stays reasonable as your needs grow, which is refreshing in the subscription world.
TickTick: The Feature-Rich Deal
Free Plan: Solid feature set with some limitations Premium Plan: $2.40/month (annual) for calendar view, habits, and advanced features Team Plan: Additional collaboration features
TickTick offers impressive value – lots of features for a reasonable price. The free plan is genuinely useful, and the premium upgrade gives you almost everything for less than a coffee.
Any.do: The Premium Experience
Free Plan: Basic task management Premium Plan: $5.99/month for location reminders, unlimited attachments, and themes Team Plan: Additional collaboration and admin features
Any.do feels more expensive for what you get compared to the others, though the beautiful design and simplicity might justify the cost if that's what you value most.
Round 5: The Stress Test (When Everything Goes Wrong)
Todoist: The Steady Companion
When deadlines pile up and life gets chaotic, Todoist remains calm and functional. The inbox captures everything without judgment, and the filtering helps you focus on what matters most right now.
Sync works reliably across devices, so your panic-added tasks show up everywhere they need to be. The natural language processing handles rushed input gracefully even when brain fog makes finding the right words difficult, 'that thing tomorrow' actually works."
TickTick: The Swiss Army Knife Response
TickTick's multiple features become more valuable during crunch time – the calendar integration shows conflicts, the timer helps with focus, and the multiple views let you process information however your stressed brain works best.
The complexity can feel overwhelming when you're already overwhelmed, but the power is there when you need it.
Any.do: The Calming Influence
Any.do's simple, beautiful interface feels soothing during stressful periods. The focus on today's tasks prevents you from spiraling into tomorrow's worries.
The limitations become more apparent under pressure – when you need powerful organization tools, the simplicity can feel restrictive rather than calming.
See what wins in a real remote work setting! Notion vs Todoist vs Reclaim.ai (2025)
The Verdict: My Honest Take
Winner podium for accessible productivity app for MS community
After living with all three apps, here's what I actually think:
Todoist wins for most people.
Why? It strikes the best balance between power and usability. You can start simple and grow into advanced features without the app fighting you. The natural language processing and reliable sync make daily use pleasant rather than frustrating.
TickTick is incredible if you want a productivity command center and don't mind investing time in setup. It's the power user's dream but might overwhelm people who just want to remember their tasks.
Any.do is beautiful and calming, perfect if you prefer simplicity over features and find most task managers stressful rather than helpful.
What I Actually Use (And Why)
I ended up sticking with Todoist, and here's why it won me over:
Natural language input that actually works
Projects that organize without overwhelming
Reliable sync across all my devices
Grows with your needs instead of limiting them
Karma system that motivates without being annoying
The switch from my previous system was smooth, and honestly as someone managing chronic illness, the gentle karma system motivates without shaming me on low-capacity days. Getting things done became less stressful rather than more complicated.
Check these 5 Apps - part of my complete brain fog toolkit here.
Getting Started: The Actually Easy Way
Ready to stop drowning in tasks and start actually completing them?
For readers with chronic illness: On bad days, pick the app that you feel least resistance to—even if it means using reminders instead of lists, or texting yourself a quick task!
For Most People: Try Todoist's free plan. Add your current tasks, set up a couple of projects, play with the natural language input. You'll know quickly if it clicks.
For Power Users: If you love customizing systems and want every possible feature, TickTick's premium plan offers incredible value for the functionality.
For Simplicity Seekers: If most task managers stress you out more than they help, Any.do's beautiful simplicity might be exactly what you need.
Yes, I can and YOU can too use these apps with hand tremor or limited mobility! All have been tested for voice input and keyboard shortcuts
Note: Spoon Theory explained
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which task manager is best for brain fog and chronic illness?
A: Todoist offers the best balance for chronic illness management. Its natural language input reduces cognitive load, reliable sync ensures tasks are available across devices during flares, and the simple interface doesn't overwhelm on low-energy days while still providing powerful organization when needed.
Q: Is TickTick better than Todoist for power users?
A: Yes, TickTick offers more built-in features including habit tracking, Pomodoro timer, and calendar integration. However, this complexity can be overwhelming during fatigue or brain fog episodes. Power users who enjoy customization will love it, but it requires more mental energy to use effectively.
Q: Which app has the best free plan?
A: Todoist and TickTick both offer generous free plans. Todoist provides better organization features on the free tier, while TickTick includes more productivity tools like basic habit tracking. Any.do's free plan is more limited but sufficient for basic task management.
Q: Can I use natural language to add tasks?
A: Yes, all three apps support natural language input. Todoist excels at this, understanding phrases like 'Call dentist tomorrow at 2pm' without special syntax. TickTick also handles natural language well. Any.do supports it but is less flexible in recognizing various phrasings.
Q: Which task manager is best for simple daily planning?
A: Any.do excels at simple daily planning with its beautiful, calming interface and 'My Day' feature. It's perfect for people who find most task managers overwhelming and just need to organize daily priorities without complexity. However, it lacks features for complex project management.
Q: Do these apps work offline?
A: All three apps offer offline functionality, but with varying degrees of capability. Todoist handles offline mode reliably and syncs seamlessly when connection returns. TickTick and Any.do also work offline but sync may occasionally lag. For chronic illness management, reliable offline access is crucial during travel or connectivity issues.
The Bottom Line
Task management shouldn't feel like another job. The right app should make getting things done easier, not turn you into a productivity robot who spends more time organizing tasks than completing them.
Final thought for chronic illness warriors: The best task manager is the one you'll actually use on your worst days. If that means choosing the simplest option even though it has fewer features, that's the right choice. Your task manager should reduce cognitive load, not add to it.
Todoist manages to be powerful enough for complex projects while staying simple enough for daily use. It's the tool I recommend to friends who want to get organized without getting overwhelmed.
Ready to actually get things done instead of just making prettier lists? Try Todoist here and see what organized feels like without the stress.
Want to integrate your chosen task manager into a phone setup that actually supports work during low-energy days and chronic illness flares? Our Phone Productivity Setup for Chronic Illness guide shows you how to streamline your device and daily routines for sustainable productivity.
What works for you on low-energy days? Share your experience in the comments – this community gets stronger when we support each other.
This article contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase through them. I only recommend tools I personally use and believe in.
