ClickUp tries to do everything but feels clunky and slow, while Routine feels confusing by mixing planning, project management, and databases.
Only use Routine if you want daily planning above all else and can ignore its clutter; skip ClickUp unless you need its project management despite the slow speed.
ClickUp and Routine both try to do too much, but ClickUp's clutter comes from piling on features for project management, docs, whiteboards, and more, while Routine's confusion is from trying to be a planner, calendar, and knowledge manager at once. The biggest difference is that ClickUp's overload makes it slow and complicated, but still functional for managing actual work projects if you're willing to dig through the noise. Routine, on the other hand, just feels unstable and clunky, with basic actions requiring trial and error, and it's easy to accidentally break things you shouldn't even be able to touch in a daily planner.
For anyone who actually needs to manage real projects or work tasks, ClickUp at least delivers all the core tools, even if the experience is messy. Routine is too basic and confusing for business use and doesn't provide a trustworthy workflow, especially if you want something reliable day to day. If you're just looking for a free personal planner and don't mind a rough, sometimes baffling interface, Routine could work, but you'll spend more time figuring it out than actually planning.
If you care about having a functional, if cluttered, project management tool that covers all the basics, go with ClickUp. Routine just isn't reliable or clear enough for anything beyond light, personal use.