Todoist Problems & Issues
Real user-reported problems, complaints, and limitations for Todoist. Based on analysis of 13 signals.
Overall score: 65/100
Issues by Category
Calendar view, custom reminders and AI locked behind Pro
Free users now get basic task reminders, but custom reminders, the calendar layout, deadlines, task duration, full activity history, automatic backups and most AI assist features (Task Assist, Email Assist, unlimited Ramble) require Pro. Users moving from free competitors see a large gap between the free and paid experience.
No start dates or task dependencies
Todoist still has no start dates or task dependencies; you only get due dates and, on Pro, deadlines and task duration. People planning when to begin work or chaining dependent tasks must rely on workarounds or move to ClickUp or Asana. It remains a task manager rather than a project management tool.
Limited customization for power users
Power users say Todoist's views and layouts are rigid compared with tools like TickTick or Notion: only list, board and calendar layouts, 20 sections per project and few display options. Calendar color-coding by project or label only arrived in August 2026, after years of requests.
Aggressive upgrade banners everywhere
Todoist displays upgrade banners throughout the app that users find overwhelming and distracting, especially when using the app daily. The constant upselling pressure creates a negative user experience for free tier users.
Tasks vanish after moving a parent task with many subtasks
Todoist officially lists this as a known limitation: moving a parent task with a large number of subtasks can throw a sync error, and if the error is dismissed the task and all its subtasks can disappear from every platform. Todoist says it may be addressed by the end of 2026.
Todoist not syncing between devices
Users report changes not appearing on other devices, a yellow sync warning, or tasks reverting after reload. Common triggers are browser extensions, VPNs/firewalls, plan limits, outdated apps and two devices logged into different accounts. Todoist's 2026 changelog shows repeated sync fixes (failed moves jamming later syncs, archived tasks reappearing), so the problem is real but being worked on.
Todoist reminders not working on phones
Missed reminders are one of the most common to-do app complaints, and Todoist is no exception: Android battery optimization, Focus/Do Not Disturb, Windows Focus Assist and closed desktop apps silently block notifications. Todoist added Android 'urgent reminders' that bypass Do Not Disturb in 2026 and fixed several reminder bugs, but reliability still depends on device settings.
Todoist down: outages and Google login failures
Todoist had several incidents in 2026, including a nearly three-hour web app disruption on January 3 tied to a domain change and a June 9 outage where some users signing in with Google could not log in. Outages are short but leave users without their task list.
40% price increase in December 2025
On December 10, 2025 Todoist raised Pro from $5 to $7 per month (+40%) and the annual plan from $48 to $60 (+25%); Business is now $10 per user monthly or $8 billed yearly. Pro Legacy subscribers kept their old price but do not get features released after the change. The hike pushed many long-time users to compare TickTick and other cheaper apps.
Todoist free plan limited to 5 projects
The free Beginner plan allows only 5 active personal projects, 3 filter views, 5 MB file uploads and one week of activity history. Users evaluating Todoist often hit the project cap within days and must archive projects or upgrade. The 300 active tasks per project cap applies to every plan, including paid ones.
Slow customer support during peak times
Customer support becomes slow during peak times. Some users report tickets going unresolved for 2+ weeks when trying to fix minor bugs. There's no phone support available - only email-based support through the help center.
Todoist Google Calendar sync limitations
Tasks only sync to Google Calendar if they have a date and time (or 'Sync all-day tasks' is on), always go to a separate Todoist calendar, and only one Google account can be connected. Google Calendar events are read-only inside Todoist, Google Tasks don't sync at all, and archiving a project removes its events.
Account deletion and spam email issues
Users report difficulty getting accounts deleted - receiving only data download options instead of actual deletion. After providing email addresses, users experience an 'unstoppable barrage of spam' with no easy unsubscribe option and no one to contact about the issue.
Regret Patterns
Common reasons users regret choosing Todoist.
Upgraded to Pro just for reminders
Users regret upgrading when they realize they primarily needed the reminder feature, which competitors offer for free. They feel locked into paying for a feature that should be basic.
Hit the 5-project limit during evaluation
Users trying to evaluate Todoist hit the restrictive 5-project limit before fully testing if it fits their workflow. They upgrade prematurely, only to realize the app doesn't match their needs.
Discovered missing project management features after onboarding team
Teams onboard to Todoist expecting project management capabilities, then discover it lacks task dependencies, start dates, Gantt views, and proper resource planning. Migration to another tool becomes painful.
Annual subscription renewed at higher price
Long-term users on legacy pricing are surprised when their annual subscription renews at the new, higher rates (up to 40% increase). The lack of advance warning about personal impact creates frustration.
Downgraded and projects turned view-only
After cancelling Pro or Business, everything beyond the free limit becomes view-only (only the 5 newest projects stay editable), filters beyond 3 hide their data, and history shrinks to 7 days. Users have to archive or delete projects to get working again.
Lost a task tree after moving it
Users who moved a large parent task with many subtasks hit a sync error and, after dismissing it, lost the whole tree. Todoist documents this as a known limitation and recommends moving subtasks in small groups.
When Todoist Breaks Down
Specific scenarios where Todoist fails or underperforms.
Project complexity grows beyond basic tasks
When projects require task dependencies, start dates, duration tracking, or Gantt views, Todoist's limitations become apparent. Users find themselves using workarounds that defeat the purpose of a task manager.
Team grows beyond 5 people
Per-seat pricing becomes expensive quickly, and the lack of SSO, limited admin controls, and basic collaboration features make larger team management difficult. Most teams outgrow Todoist at this size.
Need reliable notifications for time-sensitive tasks
When missing a task notification has real consequences, Todoist's documented notification reliability issues become a deal-breaker. Users needing bulletproof reminders often switch to alternatives.
Require deep calendar integration
The single calendar limitation for all projects and inconsistent 2-way sync breaks down for users who rely heavily on calendar-based planning and need project-specific calendars.
A project grows past 300 active tasks
Every plan, including Business, caps a project at 300 active tasks (sub-tasks and recurring tasks count) and 20 sections. Large backlogs must be split across projects.
You use more than one Google account
Todoist connects to only one Google Calendar account, so work and personal calendars can't both sync directly; the workaround is subscribing one calendar into the other.