This free to-do list app keeps me organized and sane TechTricks365

For a long time I wondered if I was simply immune to the productivity benefits of to-do list apps since they didn’t actually help me complete my goals in the long-term. It seemed like if I wasn’t able to complete a task right away, it would disappear into the ether, never to be seen again or ultimately completed.

Then a colleague suggested TickTick to me in 2018. The app impressed me so much that I use it to this day even though more recent productivity apps have launched on the market — it has become one of the free apps I can’t live without.

A common problem I encounter when using productivity apps is that they try to do too much at once and it actually takes some time to set them up and get acquainted with their features. Considering I have ADHD, an app that can help me keep organized makes my life easier. But at the same time, I get overwhelmed when there’s too much information to take in and too much to learn in a short period of time.

It also means that when a task is not front-and-center, I will often forget about it. You can’t count on me to open an app daily to check my reminders if it’s not already in my daily routine.

And that’s where TickTick excels — it’s simple and intuitive and doesn’t force you to get to grips with all of its features at once. In fact, you don’t need to even create an account to get started. You simply install the app and start adding tasks right away. These tasks can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. For example, I usually set my tasks to be a simple text note that pops up at a certain time. But if you want to categorize your reminders, you can add tags, subtasks, priority flags, and attachments. You can also assign them to specific lists if you want to organize your tasks further. For example, I have lists for Shopping, Work, and Personal items.

Other features include a calendar view (though some calendar views are locked behind a paywall), a habit tracker, an Eisenhower Matrix tab, and a newly launched countdown feature. But I mostly use it for the reminder features, in conjunction with other free apps that keep me organized.

When I set reminders, they also live in my notification bar, even if I dismiss the initial popup. This takes care of the problem of needing a task to remain front-and-center. Whenever I check my phone, the list of daily tasks is there waiting for me.

Besides its simple yet powerful interface, there’s another feature that keeps me coming back to TickTick — the ability to snooze my notifications. This is the first thing that set apart the app for me and it ensured that even if I couldn’t get to a task right away, I would be reminded of it later.

You could argue that this just feeds into my habit of procrastinating, but more often than not, it gives me the time to prepare for the task and get started. For example, I may get a reminder to email someone when I’m not currently at my desk — so I can snooze it for 15 minutes while I finish my coffee and turn my PC on.

If I realize I won’t be getting to my task that day, I can snooze it to ping me the next day instead. This is perfect on days where something interrupts my schedule or I end up with an unexpected migraine and can’t complete my tasks for the day.

At the same time, the app doesn’t constantly send me notifications for lower priority tasks. If it did, the notifications would actually hamper my productivity rather than bolster it. I have a reminder for a blog post that has been sitting in my TickTick inbox for weeks, but that’s not due to me forgetting it, but me struggling to find the time to complete it. So I let it sit in my inbox so that it stays in the periphery of tasks I must eventually accomplish, without it becoming a nuisance that causes me to prematurely dismiss it.

So if TickTick is such a great app, why don’t I subscribe to the premium plan? This mostly has to do with my own personal preferences and keeping my software subscriptions to a minimum. There was a time I was subscribed to the app’s premium plan, but I ended up canceling my subscription because I wasn’t using the premium features enough to justify the cost.

That said, I do think that TickTick’s premium version is one of the better options out there if you’re looking for a to-do list app that can integrate with other software and sync multiple calendars. The annual plan costs $35.99, making it more affordable than many of its alternatives. With the premium version, you get access to more calendar views, the filter feature, more lists, more active tasks, the Constant Reminder feature, and more attachments per day.

Since I value TickTick’s simplicity, its free plan does more than enough for me. I am also able to sync my smartphone’s local calendars without needing the premium plan. But if you like TickTick and you just want to extend its functionality, then I’d recommend trying out its premium version.

While TickTick is perfect for my needs, you might still be on the lookout for other to-do list apps that have certain features or integrations. While the premium version of TickTick supports integration with calendars and more calendar views, not everyone wants to have to pay for a reminder app.

If TickTick isn’t for you, consider one of these alternatives:

• Todoist: While some people might find Todoist a bit overwhelming, it includes plenty of features in its free version. One of Todoist’s best features is the availability of templates, which you can copy over to create tasks from. For example, the Shopping List template gives you categories and items you can edit and then check off. Its calendar view is also better at getting a days-long overview of what you have ahead of you. I also like that you can enable morning and evening overviews for your tasks, which would be useful for people that like to check-in with their daily progress.
• Google Tasks: If you’re looking for a completely free to-do list app, then Tasks includes essential features such as checklists and reminders. The app is best suited for those who already use other Google apps such as Google Calendar and Gmail since it allows you to create new tasks from within them.
• Microsoft To Do: If you’re a heavy user of Microsoft’s apps, then Microsoft To Do is a fitting option to sort and organize your tasks. The app does require a Microsoft account to sign up, but this allows you to integrate your flagged Outlook emails as tasks and sync assigned tasks with Planner.
• Any.do: Another robust free to-do list app, Any.do has useful features like an overview tab for your schedule and an intuitive, categorized grocery list template. Its calendar view is also more intuitive than TickTick’s limited free calendar view.
• ClickUp: If you’re looking for an app that still has a free version, but packs in a bunch of productivity features, then ClickUp is a good choice that includes to-do lists and reminders. In addition to your tasks, you can also add documents and events, track time spent on tasks, and collaborate with team members.

Each to-do list app has its strength and weaknesses, but I find that TickTick is the most feature-rich while also addressing the specific pain points I have with reminder apps. Then again, you could always get ChatGPT to send you reminders.