Todoist alternative when a list is not enough
SelfManager.ai keeps the simplicity of a list and adds what Todoist doesn't have: time tracking, AI Plan and AI Review, comments, image uploads, and a date-centric structure that shows you what shipped vs what slipped.
Todoist nails the basics: type a task, set a date, check it off. But once you start asking the bigger questions - what did I actually ship this week? where is my time going? what should next week look like? - a flat list runs out of answers.
SelfManager.ai is built around dates the way Todoist is built around lists, but with depth: time tracking, comments, file uploads, AI Plan to draft the next 31 days from a brief, AI Review to read every task you touched in any week, month, or quarter and stream a summary you can chat with.
Why people leave Todoist
A list is not a system.
Lists are great for capture. They're bad at telling you what you actually accomplished, where time went, or what slipped. Todoist's reporting is light - mostly streaks and Karma - and doesn't read your work for you.
No native time tracking.
Todoist has no built-in time tracking. You either skip it or pair Todoist with another tool. SelfManager.ai includes a timer, manual entry, per-task and per-table totals, and weekly analytics by priority - all in every plan.
AI is limited and only on Pro.
Todoist AI assistance is a Pro-tier feature focused on task suggestions. SelfManager.ai includes 11 AI features in every plan, including AI Plan (drafts up to 31 days from a brief) and AI Review (reads any week, month, or quarter).
No real notes or comments per task.
Todoist tasks have a single description field and limited collaboration. SelfManager.ai gives every table rich-text notes with formatting, comments per task, image uploads (up to 100 per table at original quality), and global search across all of it.
Karma gamification gets stale.
Streaks and Karma points work for the first few months. After that, you stop checking them. SelfManager.ai's reflection layer is AI Review - a real summary of the period, with the option to chat about it, not a streak counter.
What SelfManager.ai does differently
The date is the container, not the items in a list.
In Todoist, the date is metadata on a task. In SelfManager.ai, the date is the workspace itself. Open a date, and you see everything that belongs to that day - tasks, notes, time, comments. It's a structural shift, not just a UI change.
The AI Plan and AI Review loop.
AI Plan drafts any day, week, or month up to 31 days at a time, from a plain-English brief. Each day gets its own table, not a vague theme. You approve every plan before it lands. AI Review reads any period - any week, month, or quarter - using the tasks, time, comments, and notes you actually generated, then streams a summary you can chat with. Plan without review is wishful thinking. Review without plan is journaling. Plan plus review on the same structure is a system.
Time tracking built in.
Start/stop timer, manual entry, per-task and per-table totals, weekly breakdowns by day, time analytics by priority. No third-party tool, no Pro tier required.
Real depth per task.
Rich-text notes (Lexical-based editor with bold, italic, headings, lists, links), comments, image uploads (100 per table), search across all of it. Each task has the kind of context Todoist asks you to keep elsewhere.
Pin what matters across every day.
Pin a goal table, a routine, or a long-term project once, and it shows up on every day's homepage view. Long-horizon focus stays one click away no matter which day you open.
Side by side
| SelfManager.ai | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Core unit | Date - every day has a workspace. | Task - in a flat list with optional dates. |
| Time tracking | Built in, every plan. | None native. |
| Forward-looking AI | AI Plan: drafts up to 31 days from a brief. | AI assistant on Pro; mostly task suggestions. |
| Backward-looking AI | AI Review: reads weeks, months, quarters. | None native. |
| Other AI features | 9 more, all included. | Limited; on paid tier. |
| Notes per task | Rich-text editor with formatting + paste from Google Docs. | Single description field. |
| Comments / collaboration | Comments per task and per table. | Comments on Pro/Business. |
| Image uploads | 100 per table at original quality. | Attachments on Pro/Business. |
| Pricing model | $8/month solo, $30/month team flat. | Free, Pro ~$5/month, Business per-seat. |
| Best for | Daily planning with time tracking and AI reviews. | Simple list-based capture and reminders. |
Try SelfManager.ai instead of Todoist. 7 days free, no credit card.
Where SelfManager.ai wins
You want to see what shipped vs what slipped.
AI Review reads every task you actually touched in a chosen period - status changes, time entries, comments, notes - and produces a streamed summary you can chat with. Todoist tells you streaks; SelfManager tells you the story.
You want time tracking.
Built-in timer, manual entry, per-task and per-table totals, weekly analytics by priority. No external integration, no Todoist Pro upsell, no separate tool.
You want notes and context per task.
Rich-text notes editor on every table - bold, italic, headings, lists, links, paste from Google Docs - plus comments and image uploads. Tasks become more than a one-line label.
You plan in days and weeks, not just lists.
Date-centric structure means the day is the unit. Each day has its own workspace with unlimited tables. Plan a week ahead with AI Plan, work through it day by day, review with AI Review.
You want AI as part of the loop, not a paid extra.
11 AI features included in every plan - generate tasks from text, summarize a table, AI Plan, AI Review, follow-ups, and more. Todoist AI is on Pro and limited to suggestions.
Where Todoist still makes sense
You want a pure capture-first task list.
If your relationship with productivity tools is "just give me a list with quick-add and good keyboard shortcuts," Todoist is excellent at that. SelfManager has more structure than a pure list.
You live across many platforms and Todoist's apps are non-negotiable.
Todoist's native apps are mature on every platform. SelfManager.ai is web-first today; native iOS and Android apps are in development. If a polished native app right now is critical, that's a fair reason to wait.
Free Todoist is enough for you.
For light personal task tracking with no team, time, or AI needs, Free Todoist is genuinely good. SelfManager.ai is paid after the 7-day trial.
Pricing
| SelfManager.ai | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 7 days, all features, no credit card. | Free plan with limits. |
| Solo / personal | $8/month, $6/month annual. | Free or Pro ~$5/month. |
| Team plan | $30/month flat, unlimited seats. | Business: per-seat ~$8/seat. |
| Time tracking | Included in every plan. | None native. |
| AI features | All 11 in every plan. | Limited; Pro tier. |
Full pricing details on /pricing.
Common questions about SelfManager.ai vs Todoist
Is SelfManager.ai a Todoist replacement?
For people who want more than a flat list - time tracking, real notes, AI Plan, AI Review, image uploads - yes. For users who want pure capture-first task management with strong native apps, Todoist may stay a better fit until SelfManager.ai's native iOS and Android apps ship.
Can I import my Todoist tasks?
There's no automated importer today. The most reliable path: export Todoist tasks to CSV, then use AI Plan in SelfManager.ai. Paste the brief or task list, and AI Plan structures them into date-based tables.
Does SelfManager.ai have natural language input like Todoist?
Yes, in a different form. Todoist parses dates and labels from inline syntax. SelfManager.ai's AI Plan takes a plain-English brief (a paragraph describing what you want to accomplish) and produces a structured plan across multiple days, with priorities, owners if relevant, and due dates.
Does SelfManager.ai have a mobile app?
Native iOS and Android apps are in development and will be released soon. In the meantime, SelfManager.ai works on phone and tablet through any modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox), and can be added to the home screen for app-like access.
Is SelfManager.ai cheaper than Todoist?
For solo users, Todoist Pro at ~$5/month is cheaper than SelfManager's $8/month. For teams with time-tracking needs, AI, and collaboration, SelfManager's $30 flat for unlimited members typically beats Todoist Business per-seat as the team grows.
Can I use SelfManager.ai for daily journaling and reflection?
Yes - the date-centric structure makes it natural. Use rich-text notes for free-form writing, comments for shorter daily entries, and the Self Message feature for a dedicated daily message-to-yourself. Every note and comment is searchable across all your data.
More questions? See the full FAQ.
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