Microsoft shut down Wunderlist — 5 tools you can use instead!

Summary

The article discusses five task management tools that can serve as alternatives to the now-defunct Wunderlist.

Abstract

The author of the article expresses a personal quest to find a replacement for Wunderlist, a popular to-do list app that was discontinued by Microsoft. After reviewing various task management tools, the author narrows down the list to five top contenders: Google Tasks, Todoist, TickTick, Notion, and Zenkit To-Do. Each tool is evaluated for its unique features, such as Google Tasks' integration with the Google suite, Todoist's 'Productivity view', TickTick's Pomodoro timer and habit tracker, Notion's project management capabilities, and Zenkit To-Do's similarity to Wunderlist. The author concludes by recommending Zenkit To-Do as the closest replacement to Wunderlist, while also inviting readers to share their current task management tools and consider a Medium membership.

Opinions

Wunderlist is fondly remembered and its discontinuation left a void in the author's task management process.
Google Tasks is praised for its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with Google services.
Todoist is recognized for its comprehensive features, including syncing with calendars and a detailed productivity tracking system.
TickTick is acknowledged for its additional functionalities like the Pomodoro timer and habit tracker, but the author notes a minor inconvenience with task notifications.
Notion is described as a powerful tool for larger projects, offering a Kanban-like view for tracking task progress.
Zenkit To-Do is highlighted as the most similar replacement for Wunderlist, with the author expressing satisfaction in finding it.
The author encourages readers to explore the suggested tools and to support the author's work by subscribing to Medium or the author's newsletter.

What do you use when it comes to managing your to-do list?

Wunderlist: My love, my most used app, and the only thing helping me remember everything I needed to do, has now gone.

In 2015, Microsoft purchased Wunderlist, fast-forward 5 years and they’ve shut it down. Wunderlist was one of the most popular to-do list apps out there and since the announcement, I’ve been on a mission to find a replacement. I’ve been reviewing alternative task management tools to get me back to managing my to-dos as smooth and easy as I was with Wunderlist. In particular, I’ve been looking for those simple and powerful functions that Wunderlist provided.

If you love to keep your day organised with to-do lists on your phone and laptop, rather than writing them down on a piece of paper, I’m sure you’ve used or have at least heard of Wunderlist (I guess you wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t missing it). There are alternatives out there, I promise. If you’re missing Wunderlist as much as I am, keep reading — I’ve narrowed it down to 5 of the best task management replacements.

1. Google Tasks

Google Tasks has an easy user interface with full visibility of your to-do’s throughout your day. This tool can be integrated with the rest of the Google suite, with easy access via a side menu. It can be synced to all of your devices but in order to use Google Tasks, you need a Gmail account and you would always need to be logged into it too.

2. Todoist

Todoist is an all-rounder task management tool. It allows you to import all of your old lists from Wunderlist. You’re able to sync your calendar with the due date feature and has a more in-dept reminder feature too. A unique feature that Todoist offers is the ‘Productivity view’ which allows you to measure your progress on tasks you’ve completed, on a daily or weekly basis. You’re able to visually view your productivity stats vs your goals and deadlines too. It’s a fantastic tool with a range of features and functions.

3. TickTick

TickTick is a task management with many features, aside from the to-do list function, due dates, reminders and note-taking. There is also Pomodoro timer where you’re able to set timers on certain tasks to keep you engaged. TickTick also has a habit tracker function with reminders and a view of these stats. The only annoying thing I found with TickTick is that every time I had two or more tasks that shared the same due date, they would show up as one notification rather than separate which became harder to keep track of multiple tasks.

4. Notion

Notion’s to-do tool shares a similarity with Trello (a project management tool). It allows you to track the progress of your to do’s, in stages. You’re able to see tasks that haven’t started yet, those in progress, and the ones you’ve completed, in a somewhat Kanban view. It’s a powerful project management tool where you’re able to track your to-do lists, notes, habit tracking, and anything else you want! It’s an awesome tool for larger scale end-to-end projects. If you’re looking for a like for like replacement of Wunderlist, there is a less complex tool, which leads me to my final suggestion.

5. Zenkit To-Do

Here we have it, it’s basically Wunderlist, with different branding. It allows you to organise your to-do list in groups, set deadlines, due dates and write notes against each to-do. It even has the star function and share list function — as I said, it’s the same as Wunderlist. The tool I’ve been looking for!

Hope you’ll give some of these tools a try to help you find a tool that works for you. For me, this is hands-down Zenkit To-Do.

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