Todoist vs TickTick Reminders: Which One Actually Alerts You?

Todoist vs TickTick reminders is one of the most common comparisons in productivity circles — both apps are excellent task managers, but they differ meaningfully in how they deliver reminders, handle recurrence, and ensure you actually see the alert. The short answer: TickTick's reminder system is more flexible and built-in; Todoist's reminders work well but require a paid plan. Neither sends SMS. If reliable delivery to any phone matters, neither one fully solves the problem on its own.

Todoist Reminders: What You Get

Todoist is a polished task manager with strong natural language input, project organization, and collaboration features. Its reminder system has these characteristics:

Push notifications only (on most plans). Todoist's standard reminders are push notifications to devices where the app is installed. If you don't have the app open and notifications aren't properly configured, you can miss them.

Location-based reminders. Available on paid plans — you can set a reminder that triggers when you arrive at or leave a location (e.g., "when I arrive at the office, remind me to submit the report").

Email and SMS reminders. Available on the Pro and Business plans. Email reminders arrive as emails; SMS requires setup and works in supported countries.

Natural language input. Todoist's natural language parsing is excellent. Type "buy milk tomorrow at 6pm" and it sets the task with a 6pm reminder for tomorrow automatically.

Recurring task reminders. Strong recurring logic: "every Monday," "every other week," "the last day of the month." Reminders can be set relative to the task's due date (e.g., "1 hour before").

Pricing note: Reminders on Todoist require a Pro plan ($4/month billed annually as of this writing). Check Todoist pricing for current rates — YouGot does not control Todoist's pricing.

TickTick Reminders: What You Get

TickTick is a feature-dense task and calendar app with more built-in reminder flexibility than Todoist, including on the free tier:

Multiple reminders per task. TickTick lets you set multiple notifications on a single task — for example, 1 week before, 1 day before, and 1 hour before a deadline. This is available on the free plan.

Calendar integration. TickTick includes a built-in calendar view, so tasks and calendar events sit in the same interface. Reminders work for both.

Smart lists and habit tracking. TickTick includes built-in habit tracking with recurring reminders — more polished than Todoist's habit features.

Push notifications. Like Todoist, TickTick's primary delivery channel is push notifications. Reliable only if notifications are enabled and the device has internet access.

No SMS delivery. TickTick does not natively send SMS reminders. Reminders go through the app's notification system only.

Pricing note: TickTick Premium unlocks all reminder features for $27.99/year. Check TickTick pricing for current rates.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Todoist	TickTick
Free tier reminders	No	Yes (limited)
Multiple reminders per task	Pro plan	Free + Premium
Natural language input	Excellent	Good
SMS reminders	Pro plan (limited countries)	No
Location-based reminders	Pro plan	Premium
Calendar integration	Limited	Built-in
Habit tracking	Limited	Built-in (good)
Recurring logic	Excellent	Very good
Collaboration	Strong (teams)	Limited
Cross-platform	Excellent	Excellent

The Notification Reliability Problem

Both apps share a common weakness: they rely on push notifications, which are only as reliable as your device's notification settings.

Push notification failure points:

• App is not installed on the device you're looking at
• Notifications are muted or in Do Not Disturb mode
• Device doesn't have internet when the notification fires
• Battery optimization settings kill the app in the background (common on Android)
• You're using someone else's device

For mission-critical reminders — medications, time-sensitive client follow-ups, bill payments — push notification delivery is insufficient. This is why apps like YouGot exist: SMS delivery bypasses all of these failure points. An SMS reaches any phone, anywhere, even without internet or app installation.

When to Use Todoist, TickTick, or YouGot

Choose Todoist if:

• Your primary need is project and task management
• You want excellent natural language input
• You collaborate with a team on projects
• You use Zapier/Make integrations and want deep automation

Choose TickTick if:

• You want a combined task manager + calendar
• You want habit tracking with reminders built in
• You want multiple reminders per task on a free plan
• You're on iOS/macOS and want good native integration

Choose YouGot if:

• You need reminders delivered via SMS or WhatsApp (not just push)
• You want to send reminders to someone else without them installing an app
• You need natural language reminders for personal and family use (medications, appointments, bills)
• You want a dedicated reminder tool without full task management overhead

Many productivity users combine Todoist or TickTick for project management with YouGot for time-sensitive reminders that need guaranteed delivery. They're complementary, not competing.

Try These Reminders in YouGot

Set them at yougot.ai/sign-up. See yougot.ai/#pricing for plan options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Todoist or TickTick better for reminders?

TickTick has a more flexible reminder system available on the free tier, including multiple reminders per task. Todoist's reminders are excellent but require a paid plan. Neither offers SMS delivery. For mission-critical reminders that need guaranteed delivery to any phone, a dedicated SMS reminder tool like YouGot complements either app.

Does Todoist send SMS reminders?

Todoist Pro and Business plans include email and SMS reminders in supported countries. SMS availability depends on your region. For reliable global SMS delivery that works on any phone without app installation, YouGot handles this more consistently.

Does TickTick have reminder notifications?

Yes — TickTick sends push notifications for task reminders. The free tier allows multiple reminders per task. Premium unlocks location-based reminders and additional features. TickTick does not send SMS notifications natively.

What's better than Todoist and TickTick for simple reminders?

For pure reminders without full task management — a to-do list, projects, or team features — a dedicated reminder app like YouGot delivers a simpler experience. Natural language input, SMS/WhatsApp delivery, and recurring reminders without the overhead of a task manager.

Can I use Todoist or TickTick for medication reminders?

Both apps can set daily recurring reminders for medications via push notification. For higher reliability — SMS delivery if the phone isn't actively checking notifications, or to send reminders to a family member's phone — a dedicated tool like YouGot is more appropriate for medication use cases.