Routine
Todoist
| Feature | Routine | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | busy-professionals, executives, solopreneurs, productivity-enthusiasts | individuals, freelancers, students, getting-things-done |
| Founded | 2020 | 2007 |
| Smart Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Unified Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Natural Language | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar Sync | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Recurring Routines | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tasks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Projects | ✗ | ✓ |
| Labels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Filters | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reminders | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Routine Pros
- Unifies calendar + tasks + notes
- AI auto-schedules tasks into free time
- Beautiful minimal design
- Natural language task creation
✗ Routine Cons
- Newer product with fewer integrations
- Limited team features
- AI scheduling needs training period
✓ Todoist Pros
- Clean design
- Natural language input
- Cross-platform
- Fast
✗ Todoist Cons
- No built-in calendar view
- Limited project views
- Basic free plan
The Verdict
Routine is built for busy professionals and executives, with a focus on smart-scheduling and unified-inbox. Todoist targets individuals and freelancers and leads with tasks and projects.
On pricing, Todoist is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $10/mo for Routine. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Bottom line: Todoist has a slight overall edge — but if unifies calendar + tasks + notes matters most to you, Routine may still be the right call.
