Finding the right tool
Managing day to day activities is a challenge for businesses large and small. So I’ve put together a list of well known task management apps to help you take back control. All of these applications are web based, meaning that you can access them wherever you have a web browser, they all have mobile apps too so you can manage your tasks on the go.
For each app I’ve provided a link to the website, some of these are affiliate links which may provide a small commission to us at no cost to you.
Todoist
I’m putting Todoist first on the list because I think it’s the simplest tool. Sometimes doing one thing really well is the key to success and I think that is what has propelled Todoist to one the most popular task management apps on the web.
It is basically an online checklist which lets you schedule and organise all your tasks. It will allow you to group tasks into project, assign labels like “personal” or “work” and even setup repeating tasks like “water the plants”, so that it pops up every week. The tool also provides some statistics on you productivity so you can see how well you are performing.
The free version is aimed at individuals but if you upgrade to a paid plan, you get additional features like the ability to email tasks into your to-do list and you can also add team members so that you can delegate tasks to others.
Todoist is a great option if want to keep things simple and see a checklist of tasks to work through each day.
Web: www.todoist.com
Pricing: Free and paid options
HQ: London, UK
Founded: 2007
Trello
Next on the list is Trello, which is a very visual approach to task management based on an Agile project management technique called Kanban. Traditionally Kanban would have involved drawing columns on an office whiteboard, giving each column a name like “To-do”, “Doing” and “Done”. Tasks would be written on sticky notes and placed in the “To-do” column. When the task was in progress the sticky note would be moved to the “Doing” column and then finally into the “Done” column when complete.
Trello takes this concept and puts it into a digital format which can be used by individuals or teams. Everything in Trello starts with a “Board”, think of this like as the virtual whiteboard. On your boards you can add “Lists” which are columns and within the lists you can add “Cards”, which represent your tasks. Once you’ve created a “Card” you can add loads of extra information like descriptions, labels, checklists, comments and assign team members… even in the free version!
Trello is probably one of the most well known apps on the list and it remains a popular tool due to its simplicity, visual management style and wide set of features available on the free plan.
Web: www.trello.com
Pricing: Free and paid options
HQ: New York, USA
Founded: 2014
Asana
If you like concept of Todoist and Trello but can’t decide which is best for you then Asana might be what you are looking for. It allows you to create an online checklist like Todoist but you can also break it down into categories like Trello. It will also allow you to switch between a list and Kanban view, so you can display the tasks in which ever way you prefer.
Similar to Trello you can create checklists within each task, but it goes a step further and lets you assign individual checklist items to team member. Like Todoist it will show you a list of tasks due today, tomorrow and upcoming.
The free plan gives you all the functionality you need to manage tasks as an individual and as a team. Paid features are aimed more towards project management activities and include a timeline view, goal setting, portfolios, statistics, custom fields and more.
Web: www.asana.com
Price: Free and paid options
HQ: San Francisco, USA
Founded: 2008
Monday
Monday is the only tool on this list which doesn’t offer a free plan, only a free trial. It’s quite similar to Asana in that you can switch between various layouts including category lists, Kanban boards, timelines and others.
The way that I feel it’s different is that it’s more like an Excel sheet with super powers. Coming from a project management background I am well used to using spreadsheets to track activities, statuses and updates. But I was always frustrated with the limited functionality, for example keeping track of comments, who made them and when has always been a challenge. All the apps on this list solve that problem but Monday does it in a very elegant and visually pleasing way, which looks like the spreadsheets I’m used to.
Despite it’s lack of a free option I really like Monday and I’ve used it to manage sales campaigns with great success. One criticism is the pricing structure looks great at first glance but actually requires you to pay for a minimum of 3 users, which makes it more appropriate for team task management rather than for individuals.
Web: www.monday.com
Pricing: Paid only
HQ: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Founded: 2012
ClickUp
Finally ClickUp is the new kid on the block and their ambition is to be one task management tool to replace all others… and there are literally hundreds! So it’s fair to say that it covers all the features we’ve already discussed in the other apps and if you are looking for a free alternative to Monday then this may be ideal for you.
My main criticism of ClickUp is that it’s not as polished as some of the others when it comes to user experience and I think that ties back to what I said about Todoist at the start, it’s trying to do everything rather than one thing really well. That said, the free plan is great if you don’t want to pay for Monday and the main limitation is that you can’t upload more than 100mb of attachments to your account.
Web: www.clickup.com
Pricing: Free and paid options
HQ: San Diego, USA
Founded: 2017