Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes
Asana vs Shortwave vs Todoist
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Teams of 5 to a few hundred who need clear ownership and deadlines across projects and departments.
Pick it if: Busy Gmail and Google Workspace users who want AI to search, sort and draft their email.
Pick it if: Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.
Overview
| Attribute | Asana | Shortwave | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Project and task management with AI teammates that move work forward. | AI email app for Gmail that searches, sorts, drafts and acts on your inbox for you. | A simple to-do list that works everywhere and understands plain-English due dates. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $10.99/user/mo | $18/mo | $7/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | No | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Asana | Shortwave | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.3Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Asana | Shortwave | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | – | Yes |
| API access | Yes | – | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | – | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | – | – | No |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | – | – | No |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | No |
| Learns your brand or style | – | Yes | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 11/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Asana | Shortwave | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Personal Free One or two people organising their own tasks. | Free Free Trying it on your Gmail inbox. | Beginner Free Anyone with a simple list. |
StarterOur pick $10.99/user/mo billed yearly ($13.49 monthly) Small teams that need timelines and basic automation. | ProOur pick $18/mo Individuals who use the AI daily. | ProOur pick $7/mo, or $5/mo billed yearly Anyone who wants more projects and the calendar view. | |
Advanced $24.99/user/mo billed yearly ($30.49 monthly) Teams managing many projects and goals. | Business $30/seat/mo Teams who share threads and need more AI. | Business $10/user/mo, or $8/user/mo billed yearly Small teams sharing a workspace. | |
Enterprise Custom Large organisations with security needs. | Premier $45/seat/mo Heavy users with complex email workflows. | ||
Max $120/seat/mo People who live in email all day. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Starter covers most small teams and is noticeably cheaper paid yearly. Move to Advanced if you manage a portfolio of projects or need workload views. Budget extra if you plan to lean on AI agents, since requests past the included limit are charged per use. | Start on Free for a week to see if you like the app. Pro is enough for most individuals; pick Business only if you share threads with a team. Every paid plan has a 14-day free trial. | Beginner is fine until you hit the five-project wall. Pro on the yearly plan is the obvious move after that. Business is for teams who want a shared space; it is not a substitute for a real project tool. |
Key features
| Attribute | Asana | Shortwave | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Asana | Shortwave | Todoist |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Asana | Shortwave | Todoist |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Asana, Shortwave or Todoist?
Todoist scores highest overall in our ratings (Asana 4.0/5, Shortwave 4.2/5 and Todoist 4.3/5). Asana is best for tracking projects across a team and marketing and campaign calendars. Shortwave is best for finding old emails by describing them and clearing a cluttered Gmail inbox quickly. Todoist is best for personal task management and recurring reminders.
Which is cheaper, Asana, Shortwave or Todoist?
Asana: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10.99/user/mo. Shortwave: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $18/mo. Todoist: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $7/mo.
Which is easier to use, Asana, Shortwave or Todoist?
Todoist rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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