Todoist Vs. Structured: Which Planner Wins?
This in-depth comparison of Todoist and Structured explores task management, scheduling, collaboration, and pricing, plus a smarter alternative
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Finding the right daily planner app can be harder than it seems. I’ve tried everything from paper notebooks to sticky notes on my laptop, but none of them gave me the balance of structure and flexibility I needed. That search eventually led me to two of the most popular options people kept recommending: Todoist and Structured.
On the surface, both promise to help you stay organized, but they approach planning in very different ways.
Todoist works like a powerful task manager, giving you projects, subtasks, and filters that make it easier to keep track of everything without losing focus. Structured, in contrast, turns your day into a visual schedule, showing exactly how tasks fit across your hours and giving you a clear sense of timing.
Exploring both made me realize that choosing a planner is less about the features themselves and more about how you want your day to flow.
In this article, I’ll break down Todoist and Structured in detail, so you can see how they work in real life and figure out which one fits your workflow best.
An Overview: Todoist Vs. Structured
What is Todoist?
Todoist is one of the most popular productivity apps, built to help you manage everything from simple daily tasks to complex projects. Its strength lies in combining a clean interface with powerful organization tools, making it easy to capture tasks, set deadlines, and keep priorities in check without feeling cluttered.
Key Features
- Available on web, desktop, mobile, and integrates with email
- Natural language task creation (e.g., “meeting tomorrow at 3pm”)
- Organize work using projects, sections, sub-tasks, and multiple views (list, board, calendar)
- Smart reminders and recurring due dates to stay on track
- Collaboration tools: assign tasks, comment, and share projects
- Custom labels, filters, and templates for tailored workflows
- Integrations with Google Calendar, Slack, Dropbox, Zapier, and more
Who is it for?
Todoist is a great fit for:
- Professionals and small teams managing multiple projects or clients
- Individuals who want a cross-platform task manager with strong syncing
- Teams that rely on shared projects and collaboration features
- Power users looking for custom filters, integrations, and templates
What is Structured?
Structured is a visual daily planner that turns your to-do list into a timeline. Instead of just listing tasks, it helps you map them out across your day, giving you a clear sense of when things will happen and how much time each activity will take. Its minimalist design makes planning simple and intuitive, especially for people who like to see their day at a glance.
Key Features
- Clean timeline view to organize tasks by time blocks
- Quick task creation with drag-and-drop scheduling
- Automatic reminders and notifications to stay on track
- Color-coded tasks and events for easy visual distinction
- iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Integration with Apple Calendar and Reminders
- Dark mode and customizable themes for personal preference
Who is it for?
Structured is best suited for:
- Students or professionals who prefer a visual, hour-by-hour daily plan
- People who struggle with abstract task lists and need clear time blocking
- Apple ecosystem users who want seamless iCloud sync and calendar integration
- Anyone looking for a lightweight, distraction-free way to plan their day
Quick Comparison: Todoist Vs. Structured
Key Features | Todoist | Structured |
Pricing and Plans | Subscription model; Premium unlocks full features | ✅ Winner One-time Pro upgrade, region-based pricing |
Task Management | ✅ Winner – Projects, subtasks, filters, priorities + Karma Points gamification | AI Assistant auto-schedules tasks into free slots |
Scheduling & Time Management | Flexible with due dates & calendar sync | ✅ Winner Timeline-based, drag-and-drop time blocking |
Daily Planning Views | Clean list & upcoming views, custom filters | ✅ Winner Visual timeline (day, week, month) |
Focus & Distraction Management | Priorities & GTD filters; no built-in timers | ✅ Winner Built-in focus timer, widgets, live activities |
Reminders & Notifications | Premium unlocks full reminders (time/location-based) | ✅ Winner Multiple reminders, customizable alerts |
Team Collaboration | ✅ Winner – Shared projects, roles, comments | Limited; personal planning focus |
Calendar Sync & Integrations | ✅ Winner – 90+ integrations (Google, Slack, Zapier, Outlook) | Limited to Apple/Google/Outlook calendars |
Extra Productivity Tools | ✅ Winner Karma Points, goals, templates | AI assistant for auto-scheduling |
Ease of Use | ✅ Winner Clean, simple, widely adopted | Visual, intuitive but Apple-only |
Overall | ✅ Winner Best for professional task/project management & teams | Best for visual, time-blocked daily planning |
Detailed Features Comparison: Todoist Vs. Structured
1. Pricing and Plans: Todoist Vs Structured
Choosing a planner isn’t just about picking the one with the flashiest features. It’s about finding a tool that fits the way you organize your day. Even small differences in pricing or what each tier unlocks can affect whether the app actually works for you.
Todoist feels like the professional choice. The free plan is solid for basic task tracking, letting you create projects and add simple filters, but it’s limited if you need more control. Moving to the Premium plan at $4/month (billed annually) opens up a lot: reminders, labels, custom views, and integrations with other apps. It’s perfect if you want detailed task management and don’t mind a subscription.
Structured takes a different approach. Its free version gives you the essentials, but to really unlock visual planning, recurring tasks, notifications, and AI tools, you need the Pro plan. In Germany, the Pro plan costs €14.99 (previously €9.99), while in Ecuador it’s $7.99 (previously $9.99). This pricing makes it flexible depending on where you live, and it gives access to all advanced features without recurring monthly subscriptions.
Verdict: For pricing, Structured wins with one-time access and flexible region-based pricing, making daily planning easier without a subscription.
2. Task Management: Todoist Vs Structured
With Todoist, I can organize everything into projects, break them down into subtasks, and set priorities from P1 to P4 while using labels to filter and focus on what matters most.
What I also appreciated is the Karma Points system. Every time I completed tasks on time or kept up with streaks, Todoist rewarded me with points and visual progress graphs. It sounds small, but it actually made me feel like I was leveling up in productivity — almost like gamifying my day.
It hits a sweet spot by keeping things clean and smart; typing something like “Marketing meeting every Monday at 10am” instantly creates a recurring task without extra clicks.
Structured took a completely different approach. Here, every task gets a specific time slot on a visual timeline. What made it even smarter for me was the AI-powered assistant.
Instead of dragging and dropping everything manually, I could let Structured auto-schedule tasks into free time slots, suggest better timings, and help balance my workload. It felt less like me wrestling with my calendar and more like the app working alongside me.
Verdict: For task organization, Todoist takes the lead with its powerful hierarchical system and advanced filters, making it better for users managing complex projects.
3. Scheduling & Time Management: Todoist Vs. Structured
When it comes to managing time, Todoist offers flexibility but leaves a lot of the planning up to you. You can set due dates, create recurring tasks, and even connect your calendar so tasks appear alongside events. This makes it easier to see everything in one place, but you still have to manually coordinate your schedule and decide when to work on each task. Todoist doesn’t enforce time blocking, so it’s better suited for people who like to plan loosely and adjust as they go.
Structured takes a very different approach. Every task is assigned a specific time slot, making time management central to the app. Its timeline interface shows your day with visual duration bars, so conflicts are immediately obvious.
You can drag and drop tasks to adjust your schedule quickly, which makes it easy to stay on top of sudden changes. If you prefer a visual, hands-on approach to planning, Structured makes it almost effortless to see exactly how your day will unfold.
Verdict: For scheduling and time management, Structured wins due to its timeline and visual planning make it easy to organize your day without extra mental effort.
4. Daily Planning Views: Todoist Vs. Structured
Todoist provides multiple ways to view your tasks. You have the Today view, Upcoming view, and the option to create custom filters. Tasks are sorted by due date or priority, which is helpful for keeping track of what’s important.
However, there isn’t a comprehensive daily timeline, so you don’t see your day chronologically. It works best for those who like lists and projects more than a strict schedule.
Structured is built entirely around daily planning. Its signature timeline view shows your entire day from morning to night, making it clear how each task fits into your hours.
You can also switch to weekly or monthly overviews, but the focus always remains on the timeline. This approach is perfect if you like seeing your day as a continuous flow rather than a set of separate tasks.
Verdict: For daily planning views, Structured takes the lead because of its visual timeline makes planning feel more natural and less fragmented.
5. Focus & Distraction Management: Todoist Vs. Structured
Todoist helps you focus through project organization, priority levels, and custom filters. You can apply productivity systems like Getting Things Done (GTD) to reduce decision fatigue. Still, it doesn’t include built-in focus tools like timers or interactive widgets; you’re largely responsible for keeping yourself on track.
Structured is designed to reduce distractions and keep you in flow. Features like Live Activities, interactive widgets, and a built-in focus timer guide you through your day. By pre-determining when each task happens, the timeline reduces decision fatigue and helps you move from one task to the next without hesitation.
Verdict: For focus and distraction management, Structured wins because of its built-in timers and timeline approach, making it easier to stay in the zone throughout the day.
6. Reminders & Notifications: Todoist Vs. Structured
Todoist offers a variety of reminders: you can set them by location, custom times, or smart notifications that learn your patterns. Premium users get extra flexibility, like more reminder types and precise timing options.
Structured provides customizable notifications too. You can choose alert sounds and timing for each task. Pro users get advanced options, such as multiple reminders for a single task and fully personalized alert schedules. This makes it easier to stay on top of deadlines without constantly checking the app. But the notification and alerts features is applicable only for Pro plan.
Verdict: For reminders and notifications, Structured wins because of its customizable alerts and multiple reminder options, which keep your day on track without extra effort.
7. Team Collaboration: Todoist Vs. Structured
Todoist shines in team settings. Shared workspaces, project templates, task comments, and detailed permission controls let teams coordinate easily. Tasks can be assigned, progress tracked collectively, and personal and workspaces kept separate. It’s ideal if you collaborate often or manage multiple team projects.
Structured, by contrast, focuses mainly on individual planning. You can share tasks with others, but it doesn’t provide full team management tools. If your goal is personal productivity rather than team coordination, Structured is sufficient, but it’s not designed for complex collaboration.
Verdict: For team collaboration, Todoist wins due to its shared workspaces and task management tools, making it far better for working with others.
8. Calendar Sync & Integrations: Todoist Vs. Structured
Todoist integrates with over 90 apps, including Google Calendar, Outlook, Slack, Zapier, and other major productivity platforms. This makes it easy to automate workflows and connect tasks across different tools.
Structured also syncs with major calendars like Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook. You can see events alongside tasks in the timeline, which helps with daily planning. However, its integration options are limited compared to Todoist, so it works best if your workflow doesn’t rely on connecting multiple third-party apps.
Verdict: For calendar sync and integrations, Todoist wins because its broad app support allows you to connect tasks across multiple tools effortlessly.
Todoist vs Structured: Pros and Cons
Todoist: Pros & Cons
When it comes to Todoist, here’s how it feels in daily use:
Pros
- I love how it’s a powerful task manager. You can create projects, subtasks, labels, and filters; it’s built for people who want detailed organization.
- The collaboration features are excellent. Sharing projects, assigning tasks, and tracking progress make it a great fit for teams.
- With over 90 integrations, it plugs into almost any workflow, like Google Calendar, Slack, Outlook, and more.
- It works everywhere: web, desktop, and mobile. Your tasks sync seamlessly across all devices.
- Natural language input is surprisingly smooth (“meeting tomorrow at 10am” just works).
Cons
- The free plan feels restrictive; many essential features are locked behind Premium.
- If you only want personal planning, it can feel overwhelming with too many options.
- There’s no built-in timeline view or focus timer, which makes it less useful for daily time blocking.
Structured: Pros & Cons
Structured takes a different approach; it’s all about daily visualization. Here’s what stands out:
Pros
- I love the timeline-first design. Seeing my entire day laid out hour by hour makes planning effortless.
- Drag-and-drop scheduling is super intuitive. Rescheduling is as easy as sliding tasks around.
- It comes with a built-in focus timer and widgets that help you actually stick to your plan.
- The design is simple and clutter-free, making it great for personal planning.
- The one-time Pro upgrade is affordable, with regional pricing that feels fair.
Cons
- Collaboration is very limited; you can’t really use it for teams.
- Fewer integrations compared to Todoist.
- It’s Apple-only, no Android or web app yet, which locks out a lot of people.
Which One Should You Choose?
If you want a professional-grade task manager that works for both personal and team projects, go with Todoist. It’s flexible, powerful, and integrates into almost any workflow. I’d recommend it if you thrive on structure, labels, and advanced task organization.
If your goal is to simplify daily planning and reduce decision fatigue, Structured is the better choice. Its visual timeline and drag-and-drop interface make your day feel manageable instead of chaotic. For personal use, it’s hard to beat.
But for me, Todoist is the better choice. It gives me everything I need in one place: task hierarchy, collaboration tools, integrations, and flexibility across all devices. Even if it feels a bit heavy at first, once I got used to it, it became the most reliable system for keeping my personal and work projects under control.
Focuzed: A Better Alternative to Todoist & Structured
If both Todoist and Structured feel like they’re missing something, Todoist being a bit too complex and Structured being a little too rigid, then Focuzed is the alternative I’d actually recommend.
Instead of just listing tasks like Todoist or locking you into time blocks like Structured, Focuzed helps you plan with your natural energy levels and focus on the work that matters most. It’s built to keep you productive without overwhelm or burnout.
Why Focuzed Stands Out
- Energy-Aware Scheduling: Tasks automatically align with your high-energy hours, so you’re working when you’re sharpest.
- Health-Integrated Daily Planning: Syncs with Apple Watch, Fitbit, Oura, and other wearables to adjust your schedule based on real energy data.
- Minimalist Focus Bar: Keeps only one task visible at a time so you don’t get distracted by long lists.
- Adaptive Pomodoro & Timeboxing: Work and break cycles adjust to your energy flow instead of being fixed.
- Seamless Integrations: Works with Google Calendar, Notion, Trello, Asana, and more to bring your tasks into one place.
Features Todoist and Structured Don’t Offer
- AI-powered energy optimization for daily task planning
- Real-time wearable integration for smarter scheduling
- A distraction-free focus-first design
- Adaptive planning that changes with your energy, wellness, and productivity trends
Focuzed is perfect for professionals, students, and anyone balancing multiple projects who wants a simpler, healthier way to stay productive.
Unlike Todoist or Structured, it doesn’t just manage your tasks or schedule your hours, it helps you work with your body and mind, so you can stay productive without draining yourself.
With Focuzed, you’re not just checking off tasks; you’re planning your day around focus and energy.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which app is easier to use, Structured or Todoist?
Structured is simpler with its drag-and-drop timeline, while Todoist feels more natural for typing tasks quickly.
- Does Structured have recurring tasks like Todoist?
Yes, Structured supports recurring tasks, but Todoist’s natural language input makes recurring schedules faster and easier to set up.
- Which app is easier to use, Structured or Todoist?
Structured is simpler with its drag-and-drop timeline, while Todoist feels more natural for typing tasks quickly. Focuzed.io combines both; natural language task input with drag-and-drop daily planning.
- Can Structured or Todoist work offline?
Yes, both apps work offline and sync when reconnected. Focuzed.io also syncs across devices, with offline mode in development.
- Which is better for team projects?
Todoist is best for collaboration and team workflows. Structured is mainly for personal planning. Focuzed.io focuses on personal productivity first, but integrates with tools like Notion, ClickUp, Trello, and Asana.
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