project management tool · head to head
Todoist vs Wrike
Comparison Summary
Wrike scored 5.8 and Todoist scored 5.5 on our project management tool test script.
Wrike: Wrike is a deep, enterprise-style tool: five user types, real recurrence, dependencies, a Gantt chart and a fast importer for hundreds of tasks. But everyday work takes more effort than in the other apps we tested: no multi-line paste, weekend due dates moved to Monday by default, and an importer that only takes its own Excel template. Its AI got the task count wrong and could not create subtasks, and the free plan is limited to a board and a table.
Todoist: Todoist is the quickest way we found to type a project in: one paste turned 40 lines into dated, prioritised tasks, repeating tasks are effortless, and the Windows app is light and starts in under two seconds. But it is a task list, not a project tool. The free plan stops at 5 projects and 300 tasks per project, our ordinary CSV was rejected, there is no automation, Gantt or dependencies, the calendar layout and AI are paid, and every free-team invitee becomes an admin.
Editor's Verdict
Choose Wrike if…
Best for: Larger teams that need strict roles, Gantt planning and reporting, and will pay for Business or above.
- Fast import: 200 rows in under a minute and 500 in under 20 seconds, with dates and descriptions
- Five user types, from Admin to view-only Viewer, plus custom roles
- Proper recurrence settings and a working status automation
Choose Todoist if…
Best for: Individuals and very small teams who want a fast, tidy task list with dates and repeats.
- One paste turned 40 lines into tasks with the right dates and priorities
- Natural-language dates and repeats, such as “every monday”
- Light, fast desktop app: window in 1.6 s, under 1 GB of memory
Head to Head
Task by task
The same prompts, pasted word for word into each app on a clean Windows 11 PC. On the 8 tasks both apps were graded on, Todoist completed 1 and Wrike completed 1.
| Task | Todoist | Wrike |
|---|---|---|
| P1 · Build a project | Pass≈ 8 min | Partial≈ 20 min |
| P2 · Views | Partial≈ 3 min | Partial≈ 3 min |
| P3 · Rules | Partial≈ 5 min | Partial≈ 10 min |
| P4 · 200-row import | Fail≈ 5 min | Partial≈ 10 min |
| P5 · Scale | Fail≈ 3 min | Pass≈ 2 min |
| P6 · Permissions | Partial≈ 6 min | Partial≈ 4 min |
| P7 · AI | Fail– | Partial≈ 4 min |
| P8 · Leave | Partial≈ 5 min | Partial≈ 4 min |
Measured on the same PC
| Measurement | Todoist | Wrike |
|---|---|---|
| Installer | 224 MB | 175 MB |
| Admin rights | No | Optional |
| On disk | 636 MB | 403 MB |
| Starts with Windows | No | No |
| 40-task project | ≈ 8 min | ≈ 20 min |
| Views on the free plan | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 |
| 200-row import | Rejected | 200 / 200 |
| 500-row import | 0 / 500 | 500 / 500 |
| Cold start | 1.6 s | ≈ 9 s |
| Memory | 0.8 – 0.9 GB | 1.3 – 1.8 GB |
| Automation rule | None | ≈ 2–3 s |
| Left after uninstall | ≈ 214 MB | ≈ 112 MB |
Pros and cons
Todoist
+ What works
- One paste turned 40 lines into tasks with the right dates and priorities
- Natural-language dates and repeats, such as “every monday”
- Light, fast desktop app: window in 1.6 s, under 1 GB of memory
- Did not add itself to startup or the firewall
- Pro is cheap at $5 a month billed yearly
− What falls short
- The CSV import only accepts Todoist's own template; our spreadsheet was rejected
- Free plan: 5 projects and 300 tasks per project; a 500-row import brought in nothing
- No automation rules, no dependencies and no Gantt or timeline view
- Calendar layout, AI (Task Assist) and backups are paid
- On a free team every invitee becomes an admin; the Member role is paid
- CSV exports use relative dates by default
Wrike
+ What works
- Fast import: 200 rows in under a minute and 500 in under 20 seconds, with dates and descriptions
- Five user types, from Admin to view-only Viewer, plus custom roles
- Proper recurrence settings and a working status automation
- Instant, complete Excel export of every task, folder and field
- Valid code signature and an optional install without admin rights
− What falls short
- The importer only accepts Wrike's own Excel template: no CSV, and your status names must match
- Pasting a list creates one task, not one per line
- “Working Days Only” is on by default, so weekend due dates silently move to Monday
- Dependencies did not reschedule our tasks; the Gantt chart only showed a conflict
- Copilot miscounted completed tasks and cannot create subtasks
- Free plan: board and table only, no Gantt, no automation, no AI
Privacy and security
What we saw on our own test PC. Each review also lists what the vendor states about data handling, training and certifications.
Todoist
Signed installer
Signed by Doist Inc. with a DigiCert certificate.
No startup entry or firewall rules
“Launch at startup” is off by default, and no firewall prompt appeared.
Admins by default
On a free team every invitee is an admin, and a team join link is on by default.
Extension permissions
Task Assist asked for access to read and update all tasks, projects, labels and filters.
Wrike
Signed installer
The MSI is signed by Wrike, Inc. with a valid certificate.
No background services
The app added no startup entry, services or listening ports.
Detailed roles
Five user types, from Admin to view-only Viewer, plus custom roles and per-item access levels.
EU data centre
Our account ran on Wrike's EU servers (app-eu.wrike.com).
Features & Pricing
| Todoist | Wrike | |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Paid from | $5/mo | $10/mo |
Todoist plans
- Beginner$0
- Pro$5/mo
- Business$8/user/mo
From Todoist's pricing page, checked Oct 31, 2026.
Wrike plans
- Free$0
- Team$10/user/mo
- Business$25/user/mo
- PinnacleContact sales
- ApexContact sales
From Wrike's pricing page, checked Oct 30, 2026.
Who makes them
- Company
- Todoist:Doist Inc. (Todoist)
- Wrike:Wrike, Inc.
- Headquarters
- Todoist:Remote-first company, incorporated in Delaware, USA
- Wrike:San Diego, California, USA
- Founded
- Todoist:2007
- Wrike:2006
- Funding
- Todoist:Developed without formal venture funding.
- Wrike:Acquired by Citrix in 2021; part of Cloud Software Group since 2022.
Timelines, official links and sources are in each review: Todoist · Wrike.
Read the full reviews
This page compares the two side by side. Each full review has the complete test log, every screenshot, the scoring notes, pricing, security and company details.
Todoist reviewSituational 5.5 Todoist is the quickest way we found to type a project in: one paste turned 40 lines into dated, prioritised tasks, repeating tasks are effortless, and the Windows app is light and starts in under two seconds. But it is a task list, not a project tool. The free plan stops at 5 projects and 300 tasks per project, our ordinary CSV was rejected, there is no automation, Gantt or dependencies, the calendar layout and AI are paid, and every free-team invitee becomes an admin. Read the full review → Wrike reviewSituational 5.8 Wrike is a deep, enterprise-style tool: five user types, real recurrence, dependencies, a Gantt chart and a fast importer for hundreds of tasks. But everyday work takes more effort than in the other apps we tested: no multi-line paste, weekend due dates moved to Monday by default, and an importer that only takes its own Excel template. Its AI got the task count wrong and could not create subtasks, and the free plan is limited to a board and a table. Read the full review → Project Management Alternatives
ClickUp Recommended Small teams that want lists, boards, Gantt charts, automations and AI in one free workspace and do not mind a busy, heavy app 7.4 Read reviewReview 
Notion Situational Individuals and small teams who want tasks living next to their docs and wiki, and who are happy to build their own setup 6.9 Read reviewReview 
Airtable Situational Teams who want a flexible database behind their projects, with automations and reliable CSV in and out 6.8 Read reviewReview 
