Routine vs TickTick

The last time we checked out Routine, we went in thinking it was was a lightweight daily planner. Fifteen minutes later, we were scared we'd just deleted their entire task database...😂 Search Routine Review Gone Wrong on YouTube and you'll see what we mean.

Routine is a daily planner with lots of features like task scheduling, label creation, and, of course, a calendar, but with so much happening, a lot of the features don't work fully like you'd want them to. The glaring problem is that their execution makes it hard to understand what it actually wants to be 🫠

Routine is says its for busy professionals and modern teams, but we feel like a student or busy parent is a more appropriate audience based on the limited way many of the features work. Maybe someone who wants a free tool to drag tasks onto a calendar, loosely organize their day, or experiment with time blocking, but gosh, as a business, it will not do what it needs for you. It has a free tier (which is rare in this category), but we can definitely see why, so if you decide to try it, lower your expectations.

• Has a free tier (rare in this category)
• Drag-and-drop task scheduling onto calendar
• Tasks can contain detailed notes

• Not a ton of integrations
• Not intuitive (basic actions require trial and error)
• Labels system adds complexity without clear payoff
• Feels unstable (easy access to database-level settings)
• Too basic for a primary business calendar
• Identity crisis: calendar vs. daily planner vs. knowledge management tool

Routine allows you to create tasks and drag them directly onto your calendar. You can adjust time blocks and rearrange your day visually. The time-blocked task planning works, but it feels basic.

They even tried integrating natural language, but even that has its hang-ups. For example, when creating a task, typing "3 days" schedules it for December 3rd instead of three days from now. To get the result you're looking for, you have to type "in 3 days." A small detail that shows good intention, but poor execution.

Routine introduces a labels system that acts almost like a relational database. You can assign labels to tasks and events and view counts across categories.

In theory, this would allow for deeper organization, but in practice, it feels like an added mental load. You can see numbers, but you won't extract any valuable insight.

Again, we have some clarity issues. Routine has tasks that function as full notes, so you have the option to expand well beyond a simple checklist item. This leans into their "all-in-one" ambition, and looks like they were attempting to blend planning with knowledge management.

However, the separation between tasks and notes is confusing, and it's not always clear where things live or how they relate.

• Free: Best for individuals & students looking to become more productive.
• Professional: $10/mo. Best for professionals who want AI notes and time tracking capabilities.
• Business: $15/mo per user. Best for teams who want workspaces and access control.
• Enterprise: Contact for more details. Best for large teams in need of extra security.

With someone like MKBHD using it, you'd think it would be top-tier, but my dad also uses it, and we feel like that's a better representation of this task management tool. It's a reliable basic to-do list where you can add tasks, set deadlines, organize things with tags, and move on.

It's 100% a step up from Apple Notes or Google Keep, and great for repeatable habits. Matter of fact, Alex still gets notifications from TickTick to take his supplements daily 😄

TickTick works best when you don't want to think about your system too much. They did a great job of leveraging NLP to help you capture tasks fast, but beyond that, it doesn't really evolve with you. The interface feels dated and has a cluttered feel. Plus, their calendar sync only works every 15 minutes.

The upside is that it’s free and dependable. If you compare it to Todoist, Todoist feels more polished and intentional. When you put it next to Superlist, TickTick is far less enjoyable to use but more practical if you want a useable free option. Overall it's a good reliable option, but not something we'd go out of our way to recommend first.

• Fast and frictionless task capture
• Easy to organize with tags and lists
• Simple and reliable for everyday personal tasks
• Very generous free tier (you can use it long-term without paying)

• Collaboration features are weak
• Calendar sync is slow and can lag
• Interface feels dated compared to newer tools
• Doesn’t scale beyond basic personal task management
• Lacks depth for planning, workflows, or meaningful organization

TickTick makes it easy to organize your life into simple buckets making it a great contender for personal management like small admin task or home projects. The tagging system is useful for people who want have some level of organization without having to overthink structure. This makes it flexible enough for day-to-day life, but not built for anything more complex than that.

While it is table stakes at this point, TickTick did nail NLP. It's always nice to have the ability to type in a quick, "schedule grocery delivery for 5pm" and go on about your day knowing it's automatically been tracked. It makes task management frictionless, which makes it easier to stick with.

It's straightforward, and it works. There's not really any level of intelligence or optimization here, just reliable repetition. It is nice to have the ability to create tasks on quick reminder.

• Free: Best for individuals who want a reliable, no-cost task manager for personal use.
• Premium: ~$3/month ($35.99 yearly). Best for individuals who want to prioritize their day and enjoy advanced features like added integrations or multiple calendar syncing.