Todoist suits people who want to capture and finish tasks fast: type a task in plain language, set a reminder and move on. Notion suits people who want tasks to live alongside notes, plans and documents in one flexible workspace. Plenty of business owners use both, with Todoist for daily actions and Notion for everything that needs more than one line.
This is less a battle between rivals and more a question of how your brain works. Todoist is a to-do list that gets out of your way. Notion is a workspace where a task is just one kind of block. I read Todoist's home and plans pages and Notion's product and plans pages.
Todoist and Notion side by side
| Todoist | Notion | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, the Beginner plan | Yes, for individuals |
| Free plan limits | 5 personal projects, 3 filter views | 5 MB file uploads, 7-day page history |
| Capturing tasks | Smart Quick Add with natural language | Add to a page or a database |
| Reminders | Task reminders on the free plan | Through Notion Calendar and databases |
| Notes and docs | Not its focus | Docs, wikis and linked databases |
| Views | List and board layouts | Database views you design yourself |
What the free plans include
Todoist's Beginner plan is free and gives you 5 personal projects, Smart Quick Add, task reminders, list and board layouts, 3 filter views, one week of activity history and email and calendar integrations. Notion's free plan is aimed at individuals and includes basic forms, basic sites, Notion Calendar and databases with subtasks and dependencies, with file uploads up to 5 MB and 7 days of page history.
The limit that matters most is different for each. With Todoist it's the five projects, which a business owner juggling clients can fill fast. With Notion it's sharing, because blocks become limited once two or more members join a free workspace.
Why Todoist is faster for daily tasks
Todoist says you can capture and organise tasks using easy-flowing natural language, so typing 'send proposal to Sam every Friday at 10' creates a recurring task with a time. Tasks sort into Today and Upcoming, which is often all a busy person needs to get through the week. Todoist reports more than 347,000 reviews, and its simplicity is the reason people stick with it.
Why Notion is better for bigger work
Notion shines when a task needs context: a client project with notes, files and a timeline, or a content calendar where each post has its own page. Its databases handle subtasks and dependencies, and its AI can generate documents and fill in database fields. The trade-off is setup time, because you design the structure yourself.
Using both without doubling your admin
- Keep quick actions and reminders in Todoist.
- Keep projects, notes, plans and processes in Notion.
- Link from a Todoist task to the Notion page it relates to.
- Review both once a week so nothing falls between them.
If you're setting up Notion for planning, my guide to making a table in Notion is a quick win, and this explainer on why kanban boards work helps whichever board layout you use.
A quick test helps. For one week, put every task that pops into your head into Todoist, and every project plan or meeting note into Notion. At the end of the week, notice which app you trusted. That's the one to build your system around.
My advice on Todoist or Notion
If you mainly forget small things, start with Todoist's free plan, because nothing captures a task faster. If you mainly lose track of bigger work, start with Notion's free plan. And if you're both kinds of busy, use both, with one clear rule about what goes where.
Do you make productivity or task management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Todoist free?
Yes. Todoist's Beginner plan is free, with 5 personal projects, task reminders and 3 filter views.
Is Notion free?
Notion has a free plan for individuals, with limits on file uploads and on blocks once two or more members share a workspace.
Can Notion replace Todoist?
For some people, yes, but Notion takes more setup and is slower for quick capture than Todoist's Smart Quick Add.
Does Todoist understand natural language?
Yes. Todoist says you can capture tasks using natural language, including dates and times.
Which is better for a small team?
Notion handles shared documents and projects better, while Todoist's free plan is built around personal projects. Teams often share plans in Notion and keep personal tasks in Todoist.
Does Todoist have a board view?
Yes. Todoist's free Beginner plan includes list and board layouts, so you can move tasks across columns.
Can I use Todoist and Notion together?
Yes. Many people keep daily tasks in Todoist and projects, notes and plans in Notion, linking between them.
