For the past 18 months, I have practiced the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology, with Evernote as the de-facto home for my Next Action lists. I briefly experimented with a paper system, but I found that the portability of a digital system makes a big difference for me.

In the name of iteration, today I am switching from Evernote to Todoist. Here’s why.

  1. Todoist is built for to-do lists, whereas Evernote is a general notetaking platform. Todoist thus comes with productivity-specific workflows, like planning daily tasks or setting priorities, which Evernote does not.
  2. Evernote’s web interface is clunky. I fell in love with Evernote on Windows and Android. However, from 9-5 I use OS’s which require me to use the web interface. It takes five clicks to select a note and move it to a different notebook, which makes processing my Inbox feel cumbersome. In contrast, Todoist’s web interface is filled with lovely shortcuts.

That’s it! I only have two reasons. Mostly it’s the second one.

I’m not yet deprecating my Evernote folders, but if I still like Todoist after a month, then I’ll make it a hard cutover. Evernote will remain my repository for actual notes, like recipes and friends’ birthdays.

🤞

Update two years later: I’m still using Todoist, and have completely abandoned Evernote. But my GTD workflow is on the fritz again.