Simplenote vs Todoist
A source-aware comparison of pricing, documented capabilities and workflow fit.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — Simplenote is pricing not verified, Todoist is from $4/user/mo.
- How to start: Simplenote is pricing not verified, Todoist is from $4/user/mo.
- Where they differ: on what we checked they match — both offer public api and mobile app.
These lines are generated from the pricing we track, not from a paid placement. How we score tools.
What Simplenote is
Simplenote is free, fast, plain-text note taking that syncs everywhere and does nothing else.
What Todoist is
Todoist is the world's most popular task manager, designed to help you declutter your mind and organize your life. Its 'Natural Language Processing' allows you to type 'Buy milk tomorrow at 5pm' to instantly create a task with a reminder. While minimalist in design, it contains deep features like project sections, priority levels, and team collaboration. Flawless sync across everything from Apple Watch to your browser ensures you maintain focus and never forget a single task throughout the day.
Side by side
| Simplenote | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| How to start | Not verifiednot a monthly price | $4/user/moverified |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Open source / self-hostable | not checked | No |
| SSO (SAML) | not checked | Yes |
| Visit | Simplenote ↗ | Todoist ↗ |
What Todoist is built to do
- Quick Add
- Use natural language to add tasks, dates, and labels in a matter of seconds.
- Project Sections
- Organize complex work into manageable sub-lists and distinct sections.
- Karma Productivity
- Track your progress with charts and set daily or weekly productivity goals.
- Team Collaboration
- Assign tasks to others and keep communication flowing through task comments.
Choose Simplenote if
- People who want notes to open instantly and stay out of the way.
Choose Todoist if
- Busy Professionals, Students, and Minimalism Lovers.
Evidence and freshness
Where a claim on this page comes from a vendor page, it is linked here.
Simplenote
Sources have not been attached to this record yet.
Simplenote: pros & cons
- Genuinely free with no tier
- Instant sync and search
- Available on every platform
- Plain text only, no attachments
- No organisation beyond tags
- No collaboration to speak of
Todoist: pros & cons
- Speed: Entering a task takes just seconds; the keyboard shortcuts are industry-best.
- Universal Access: Available on more platforms (and works better) than almost any competitor.
- Simplicity: Does not push features on you unless you explicitly go looking for them.
- Karma System: Gamify your productivity by earning points for finishing your tasks.
- Reminders: A basic feature like task reminders requires a paid subscription.
- Calendar View: Its internal calendar view is newer and less mature than some rivals.
- Notes: Not designed for long-form writing or storing massive amounts of notes.
Our verdict on Simplenote
Does one thing perfectly. Anyone needing structure will outgrow it in a week.
Our verdict on Todoist
The best-balanced app for recording and managing your daily tasks at lightning speed.