Finding the perfect productivity app is like chasing a unicorn. Yet three apps stand out: Nozbe, Todoist, and Microsoft ToDo.
In search of a unicorn?
Neither ChatGTP nor Microsoft’s Co-Pilot have proven to be productivity game changers yet. And so, office workers have resumed their quest for a digital productivity boost elsewhere.
And this quest is far from easy, as The Verge’s Victoria Song laments:
“A singular productivity tool that works for everyone is a unicorn — beautiful, perfect, and completely fictional. Still, there has to be some sort of middle ground between an unachievable fantasy and the […] at least 10 productivity apps I use on a daily basis to function[.]”
There is. And it’s more than just a middle ground. In fact, we recommend three apps that stand out.
Our Top 3
Among all the digital task managers and to-do wranglers, I – and my colleagues at Think Productive WESA – have a special love for
- Nozbe
- Todoist
- Microsoft ToDo.
Functionality
All three apps enable users to create two types of lists:
- project lists that allow you to see at one glance what you are working towards.
- task lists that let you break down the next actions you need to take.
In addition, all three allow you to have a ‘category’, ‘label’, or ‘tag’ function. You can group tasks based on, for example, where you are working (‘home’ or ‘office’), with whom (‘Jennifer’, ‘Mike’, etc.), or your energy level.
You want to be able to see your tasks on a project-by-project basis, where your actions are displayed underneath each project. But you also want to flip that around and be able to see all the tasks you can possibly do – regardless of what project they’re part of. And then display all the tasks you can do at home, in the office, or all the calls you still have to make.
Having the functionality to slice and dice your tasks in those different ways is incredibly useful, and Nozbe, Todoist, and Microsoft ToDo allow you to do just that.
Inbox
Any productivity app worth its salt should have a ‘landing area’ for new information to arrive. You want to have a clearly marked inbox where new tasks and to-dos are stored before you organize them.
And where you can download all the information swirling around in your overloaded brain. To make headspace for what really matters.
Todoist and Nozbe both have an ‘Inbox’. Microsoft ToDo has not. However, there is a simple workaround: Just create a list and label it ‘Inbox’ or ‘Landing Page’ and funnel all your new to-dos into that list.
User Experience
All three apps are simply a pleasure to use. They have intuitive interfaces that are easy to operate and learn. You create and strike off tasks with a click and move them by a simple drag and drop.
And all provide you with a breakdown of
- your most important tasks
- your tasks of the day
- your overdue tasks and
- what’s coming up.
So your daily to-do list is automatically generated for you.
Given that you’re using your productivity app everyday, ideally as a second brain, you need to feel comfortable interacting with it. For some reason, I do so more with Nozbe than with Todoist. For many of my colleagues, it’s exactly the other way around.
The Microsoft Effect
Nozbe and Todoist are both great productivity apps – with a high degree of functionality and an easy-to-use interface. So is Microsoft ToDo. What makes ToDo stand out, at least for us, is the synergy effect provided through its integration into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
That means that tasks are straightforward – and automatically – channeled into ToDo from Outlook (flagged emails and tasks), Teams, Planner, and other Microsoft applications. You can also share a particular list with colleagues if you’re working on a project together and don’t want to create another Planner.
It’s this synergy effect that gives Microsoft ToDo an edge over Todoist and Nozbe – at least for us.
Good luck…
…with your choice! And please remember: In order to thrive as a human in the digital office, you need both psychology and technology. First, figure out a productivity system that works for you, then choose the right app for it.