LifeUp vs Todoist

LifeUp

• Android users who want a to-do list with RPG-style rewards
• People who want to design their own reward system
• Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
• Tinkerers who want an API and local data exports

Todoist

• People who want one task list on every device they own
• Fast capture: typing a task with its date in a single line
• Households and small teams sharing a few projects

LifeUp

• Android only: there is no web, desktop or iOS version. The makers point iOS users to a separate app, ulives, which is bought separately.
• It is a paid download on Google Play. The 7-day trial is a standalone APK from GitHub that needs a Google or Facebook login.
• The documentation warns that the depth of customization means initial setup and learning take some time.
• Reminders and the Pomodoro timer may need extra background-running settings on some phones.

Todoist

• The free plan stops at 5 personal projects and keeps only 1 week of activity history.
• Calendar layout, task durations and custom reminders all need Pro or Business.
• Personal projects are capped at 5 people, even on paid plans.

LifeUp

Tasks and habits with rewards

One-off to-dos and repeating habits earn experience points and coins when completed, and a missed deadline can cost experience or coins at a rate you set.

Custom attributes and skills

You define your own skills, such as fitness or writing, attach tasks to them and level them up as experience accumulates.

Shop, loot boxes and crafting

Coins buy rewards you define in a personal shop, such as a 30-minute break. Items can be set up as loot boxes with random rewards or combined through crafting recipes.

Achievements

Dozens of built-in achievements are joined by custom ones that track task completions, levels and item usage counts automatically.

Pomodoro timer

A built-in Pomodoro timer hands out a virtual tomato after each session, which can be exchanged for experience, coins or other items.

Offline storage, backups and API

Data stays on the device and the app works offline. Backups go to exported files, WebDAV, Google Drive or Dropbox, and a documented API supports automation.

Todoist

Quick Add

Capture tasks in natural language as they come to you, including recurring due dates and reminders.

List, board and calendar layouts

Switch any project between a list, a kanban board and a calendar. The calendar layout needs a paid plan.

Filters, labels and priorities

Saved filter views pull tasks from across projects: 3 on the free plan, 150 on Pro and Business.

Shared projects

Share a project to assign tasks and comment on them. Personal projects allow up to 5 people on every plan.

Team workspace

Business adds public and private team projects, folders, roles and permissions, and shared templates.

Ramble and Task Assist

Ramble turns spoken thoughts into tasks; free accounts get limited sessions. Task Assist is included from Pro.

LifeUp

• LifeUp Pro$4.99

  one-time purchase

  Lifetime access to every feature with no ads and no subscription. The vendor says no features are sold as in-app purchases.

Todoist

• Beginner$0

  5 personal projects, task reminders, list and board layouts, and 3 filter views.

• Pro$5

  per user / month, billed yearly ($60)

  300 projects, calendar layout, task durations, custom reminders, 150 filter views and Task Assist.

• Business$8

  per user / month, billed yearly ($96)

  Everything in Pro, plus a shared team workspace with up to 500 team projects, roles and central billing.

LifeUp

• Other savings

  Included with Google Play Pass

  Google Play Pass subscribers can download LifeUp at no extra cost and use every feature for as long as the subscription is active.

Todoist

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with yearly billing

  Todoist's pricing page lists a 20% saving on Pro and Business when billed yearly instead of monthly.