Catchlight vs Todoist.

Todoist is a deep task manager that keeps your notes elsewhere, runs on an account, and isn’t end-to-end encrypted. Catchlight keeps your notes and tasks together on your device, private because of how it’s built rather than what its policy promises.

Let’s be frank, if you’re looking for an in-depth, do-everything, task manager, Todoist is great. Catchlight is not trying to be that. This comparison is for the other person, the one juggling a powerful to-do app, plus separate notes and reminders apps. The person who would happily trade some power for one private, calm place.

At a glance. The short version.

Todoist pricing and features verified July 2026, check todoist.com for current plans. Todoist is not end-to-end encrypted. Catchlight is pre-launch, its feature set is subject to change before launch.

Saying it plainly. Catchlight is not a project manager.

Todoist has projects, sub-tasks, labels, filters, collaboration and natural-language input. It is a genuinely powerful system, and people run their working lives on it. Catchlight has none of that, on purpose.

Catchlight is built for the moment a thought arrives, and getting it down in one place without deciding which app it belongs to. If you need to manage complex projects with a team, Todoist is the better tool and we would say so.

The trade. One private place instead of three apps.

The case for Catchlight is not more features. It is fewer apps and more privacy. Your note, your task and your reminder stop being three products and become one Take. And unlike Todoist, it is zero-knowledge with no account, your data is encrypted on your device with a key only you hold, not stored, readable, on a company’s servers. If encrypted in transit and at rest sounds like enough, what encryption actually is explains the difference.

For a lot of people, the honest truth is that a powerful task manager was always more than they needed, and the cost was their notes and their privacy living somewhere else.

Being fair. Where Todoist is the better choice.

Todoist is the better choice if you genuinely manage projects, collaborate with others, and want power features like filters, labels and sub-tasks, across every platform. For serious task and project management, it is excellent, and there is a capable free tier.

Where Catchlight is the better choice.

Catchlight is the better choice if a powerful task manager was always more than you needed, if you would rather a note, a task and a reminder were one thing, and if you want it private by architecture, with no account and nothing on anyone’s server.

Quick answers. Common questions.

Is Todoist end-to-end encrypted?

No. It encrypts data in transit and at rest, but it is not end-to-end encrypted. The company can access your data. Catchlight is zero-knowledge, only you hold the key.

Can Catchlight replace Todoist?

For complex project management, no, and we would not claim it. For the person who wants one simple, private place to capture notes, tasks and reminders, yes, that is exactly what it is for.

Do I have to sign up for Catchlight?

No account, no email, no sign-up. A 12-word Privacy Phrase on first launch is your key.

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