nudge.

Nudge vs Todoist

One-time purchase. No accounts. A single .md file. Or: $48/year, cloud sync, collaboration, and a decade of polish.

The short answer:

Todoist is the better app for teams, mobile users, and anyone who wants a full-featured task manager with reminders, labels, and collaboration. Nudge is the better app for solo workers who want a lightweight, always-visible HUD that never breaks focus and never charges again. If you work alone on a Windows machine and want your tasks visible without alt-tabbing, Nudge wins. If you collaborate, need mobile access, or want feature depth, Todoist wins.

Pricing

1 Year 3 Years
Todoist Pro $48 $144
Nudge $15 $15

Nudge is a one-time purchase. Todoist is a subscription. After 4 months of Todoist Pro, you've already paid more than Nudge costs. After 3 years, Todoist has cost you $144 and Nudge still cost $15. With BETA40 code, Nudge drops to $9.

Features

Feature Nudge Todoist
Always-on-top HUD Yes No
Mobile app No Yes
Cloud sync No Yes
Collaboration No Yes
Task reminders No Yes
Auto-hide strip Yes No
Markdown-based Yes Partial
LLM formatting Yes No
Global keyboard shortcut Yes Yes
Install size 15.6 MB 387 MB

Privacy & Data Ownership

Everything you type in Nudge lives in a single .md file on your machine. Nudge reads it in-place. No server holds your data. No account required. No cloud sync. Your tasks are a local file you control.

Todoist stores your tasks on their servers. You need an account. Your data is in the cloud. This enables collaboration, mobile sync, and web access. It also means you depend on Todoist's infrastructure and privacy policy.

If data ownership matters to you, Nudge is the clearer choice. If sync and access-everywhere matter, Todoist is.

Who should choose which

Choose Nudge if

  • You work solo on Windows
  • You want tasks visible without alt-tabbing
  • You hate subscriptions
  • You want a tiny install that never bloat
  • You already use .md files (Obsidian users)
  • You need a cognitive anchor during deep work

Choose Todoist if

  • You collaborate with a team
  • You need mobile access
  • You want task reminders and notifications
  • You need cross-platform sync
  • You manage complex projects with labels and filters
  • You use natural language date parsing heavily

Nudge is for people who want their tasks on screen and their money in their pocket.

Try Nudge free for 7 days

$15 one-time. 14-day refund. No questions.