Todoist: To Do List & Calendar

What it does

Todoist is a task management app designed to help users organize both their professional and personal lives. At its core, it's a powerful to-do list that allows users to capture tasks, set deadlines, assign priorities, and categorize everything into projects and sections. The app supports features like recurring dates, sub-tasks, and collaborative workspaces to handle everything from simple grocery lists to complex team projects.

Where it shines

Todoist excels at making task entry fast and flexible. The natural language processing is a standout feature. At 01:44, the user types a single line that includes the task name, priority, label, and project, and the app parses it all instantly. This significantly speeds up the workflow. The app also provides satisfying feedback, like the confetti animation that appears after completing the first task (05:27) or clearing the day's to-do list (09:51), which adds a nice touch of positive reinforcement.

UX highlights

Efficient Task Creation: The Quick Add feature uses natural language to set dates, priorities, and labels, minimizing taps and friction.
Voice Input: The app includes a dictation feature (04:22) for hands-free task capture, which is a great accessibility and convenience feature.
Customizable Actions: Users can edit the action buttons available in the Quick Add menu (02:18), allowing them to tailor the interface to their personal workflow.
Satisfying Micro-interactions: Small animations, like the checkmark for a completed task and the confetti celebration, make the experience feel polished and rewarding.
Clear Organization: The ability to create Sections (07:38) and Projects (13:35) provides a flexible hierarchy for organizing tasks beyond a single flat list.
Contextual Onboarding: Tooltips appear as the user first encounters new features, like the one explaining natural language at 01:39.

Monetization & growth

Todoist employs a freemium model with contextual upsells for its Pro plan. A paywall is not shown during initial onboarding. Instead, it appears when a user tries to access a premium feature, such as setting a task reminder (03:24). The paywall itself (03:38) highlights the value of upgrading with a feature carousel and offers a discount for an annual subscription. This approach respects the user's workflow and presents the value of paying at the moment of highest intent.

Who it’s for

Todoist is for anyone looking to bring order to their tasks, from busy professionals managing multiple projects to individuals organizing personal errands. Its power features like filters, labels, and team workspaces cater to productivity enthusiasts and small teams. At the same time, its simple and clean interface makes it accessible for casual users who just need a better way to manage their daily to-do list.

Notes & opportunities

While the task creation is powerful, the initial onboarding is quite long, requiring sign-up, a quiz, and profile setup before the user can even see the main interface. Introducing the core product earlier could improve initial engagement. Additionally, some advanced organization features like creating sections are somewhat hidden behind a three-dot menu (07:35), which new users might not discover immediately. Making these structural tools more prominent could help users organize their workspace more effectively from the start.