Freelance writing is chaos by design. One day you’re juggling three client deadlines, the next you’re pitching five new ideas while trying to remember which client prefers AP style and which one wants Oxford commas. 

Throw in invoicing reminders, research rabbit holes, and the constant battle to focus, and you’ve got a recipe for dropped balls.

I’ve tried the usual suspects for managing my work, from Notion to Trello to various other productivity tools. Notion felt like building a spaceship when I just needed a car. Google Tasks was too basic. Trello worked until I had seven boards and couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

Then I found TickTick, and something clicked.

I’ve been using it for the past year to manage my freelance writing business, everything from client projects, article pipelines, invoicing reminders, and deep work sessions. 

This review covers how I use it day-to-day, what works brilliantly, and what still frustrates me.

Bottom line upfront: TickTick has become my command center for freelance writing. It’s the first task manager that’s flexible enough to handle my chaos without creating more of it.

What is TickTick?

TickTick is a task management and productivity app that combines to-do lists, calendar views, habit tracking, and focus tools in one place. It’s designed for people who need more power than Apple Reminders but don’t want the complexity of full project management software like Asana.

The platform works across every device you own—iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, web, and even Apple Watch. 

Screenshot from Apple Watch

Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari let you quickly add tasks from any webpage without opening the full app.

Everything syncs instantly, which matters when you’re capturing article ideas on your phone at 11 PM and need them on your laptop the next morning.

For freelance content writers—especially those working with B2B SaaS clients—TickTick sits in a sweet spot.

It’s structured enough to manage multiple clients and deadlines, but flexible enough to adapt to how you actually work. You’re not building databases (like Notion) or managing Gantt charts (like Monday.com). 

Instead, you get to organize your tasks, block focus time, and get reminders when it’s time to invoice your clients, not that you need the reminder 😅.

Most task apps make you choose between simplicity and power. TickTick gives you both—a clean interface that reveals more capabilities as you need them. You can start with basic to-do lists and gradually adopt features like smart lists, calendar view, and Pomodoro timers as your needs grow.

TickTick consistently receives favorable ratings from independent reviewers, including a 4.6/5 score on G2,  4.7 stars out of 153K reviews on the Google Play Store, and 4.8/5 on the Apple Store.

How I use TickTick as a freelance writer

Here’s my setup, the one I open every morning before I start writing.

One project per client

When I sign a new client, I create a dedicated project or “List” in TickTick. Simple as that. Each project becomes a container for everything related to that client—article tasks, deadlines, notes, and reminders.

Inside each client project, I add individual tasks for every article I need to write. So if I’m working with three clients and each needs four articles this month, I’ve got twelve discrete tasks spread across three projects. This keeps everything separated and prevents those “wait, which client was this for?” moments.

Client notes at the top

The first thing I do in any new client project is create a note pinned at the top. This is where I dump everything I need to remember about their style preferences: Do they want AP or Chicago style? What’s their preferred article length? Any topics to avoid? Which editor do I send drafts to?

Having this visible at the top of the project means I don’t waste time digging through old emails or Slack messages. It’s just there when I need it.

Client style guides and preferences are pinned at the top of each project to eliminate the need for constant email searches.

Recurring invoicing reminders

This might be my favorite feature, and it’s so simple it’s almost boring. I set a recurring reminder to invoice each client on the 30th of every month, the last working day, or whatever day I’ve set with the client.

Ngl, before TickTick, I sometimes forgot to send my invoices on time. 

Recurring invoicing reminders ensure freelancers never forget to bill clients on time.

Calendar sync: Everything in one view

I’ve connected both my Google Calendar and Apple Calendar to TickTick. The connection means I can see my tasks and calendar events in a single unified view. Client calls, article deadlines, co-working sessions, doctor appointments—all on the same calendar.

Planning my day is easier now. I can see that I have a client call at 2 PM, an article due at 5 PM, and a gym session at 6 PM, and I can block time appropriately instead of overcommitting.

Pomodoro timer for deep work

Writing requires uninterrupted blocks of focus. TickTick has a built-in Pomodoro timer that I use for every writing session. I adjust it depending on the work, sometimes 30 minutes of focus with 5-minute breaks, sometimes 45 minutes with 10-minute breaks.

When I start a writing session, I fire up the timer, put my phone face down, and write. The timer keeps me honest about focusing instead of “researching” (aka scrolling Twitter) for hours.

The built-in Pomodoro timer helps maintain focus during writing sessions without switching apps.

The timer tracks how many Pomodoros you complete per task, giving you data on how long different types of work actually take.

Stats and analytics for accountability

TickTick’s stats and analytics section shows me how much time I’m spending on each project and gives me productivity graphs over time. It’s like a fitness tracker for work.

I check it weekly to see whether I’m balanced across clients, or if one client is eating up 60% of my time while paying only 30% of my work. This kind of visibility is crucial for effective time management as a freelancer—knowing where your hours go helps you make better decisions about client work and pricing. 

It’s also satisfying to see the “completed tasks” graph climb when you’re feeling unproductive. Visual proof that you’re actually getting things done matters more than I expected.

Stats and analytics track time spent per project, helping freelancers identify where their hours go.

TickTick features that matter for writers

Let me break down the specific features that make TickTick a good fit for writing work.

Smart recognition

You can create tasks by typing naturally: “Write SEO article for Client A, Friday 5pm.” TickTick parses it and automatically sets the due date and project. This is perfect when you’re in a client call and need to capture action items fast without clicking through menus.

The smart recognition processing understands dates (“tomorrow,” “next Monday,” “in 3 days”), times (“at 2pm,” “by 5pm”), priorities (“!1”), and even recurring patterns (“every Monday,” “monthly”). It saves dozens of clicks per day.

Multiple views

TickTick gives you four ways to see your work:

• List view for daily task grinding
• Calendar view for visualizing deadlines across the week or month
• Kanban view for tracking article stages (pitch → draft → revision → published)
• Timeline view (Premium only) for seeing projects stretched over time
• Eisenhower Matrix for prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance (four quadrants: urgent/important, urgent/not important, not urgent/important, not urgent/not important)

I live in list view during the day and calendar view when planning my week.

TickTick offers multiple ways to visualize your work, from simple lists to Kanban boards and timelines.

I occasionally use the Eisenhower Matrix when I’m feeling overwhelmed and need to separate what’s actually urgent from what just feels urgent. Being able to switch between these views depending on what I need keeps me from feeling locked into one way of thinking.

Smart lists

Smart lists auto-filter tasks based on the criteria you set.

I have one for “This Week” (all tasks due in the next seven days), one for “High Priority” (urgent client work), and one for each client (so I can focus on one relationship at a time).

Custom smart lists with advanced filtering are a Premium feature, but the free plan includes several pre-built smart lists that cover everyday use cases.

These updates are automatic. When a task’s due date approaches, it appears in my “This Week” smart list without me having to do anything. It’s like having an assistant who reorganizes your to-do list.

Priorities and tags

You can set priority levels (High, Medium, Low, None) and add custom tags to tasks. I use priorities sparingly, saving them only for genuinely urgent work. Either everything is high priority, or nothing is.

Tags help me categorize work by type: #research, #draft, #revision, #admin. This way, I can batch similar tasks together when I’m in a specific mental mode. For example, I’ll knock out all my #research tasks on Monday mornings when my brain is fresh, then shift to #draft work in the afternoon.

Time tracking with a Pomodoro timer

After a few weeks, I learned that research articles take me 12 Pomodoros (writing + research) while opinion pieces take 5-6. Articles requiring expert interviews typically require 10+ Pomodoros, including time for scheduling, conducting, and transcribing the interviews. This helps me estimate timelines more accurately.

This article, for instance, would take me about eight pomodoros.

Reminders

TickTick supports multiple reminders per task. I use this for article deadlines. It looks something like this:

• First reminder: 3 days before (time to start research)
• Second reminder: 1 day before (finish the draft)
• Third reminder: Morning of deadline (final review and submit)

You can also set location-based reminders (trigger when you arrive/leave a place) and persistent reminders (repeat every minute until dismissed). I don’t use location reminders since I work remotely, but they’re useful for people who work in offices or coffee shops.

Habit tracker

TickTick includes a dedicated habit tracker to help build consistent routines. You can set daily, weekly, or custom schedules and track streaks over time.

I’ll be honest: I don’t use this as much as I probably should. My writing work is too variable and deadline-driven to maintain rigid daily habits.

But for writers trying to build a consistent practice (like “write 500 words every morning”), this feature comes in handy. It tracks streaks, sends reminders, and gives you visual progress charts.

Third-Party integrations

TickTick plays well with other tools, though the integration library isn’t as extensive as some competitors.

You get integrations with:

• Google Calendar / Apple Calendar: Sync your calendars into TickTick’s calendar view to see events and tasks together
• Amazon Alexa: Create tasks via voice commands
• Siri: iPhone users can create tasks hands-free
• Slack: Get task notifications in Slack channels (useful for team projects)
• Zapier: Connect TickTick to 5,000+ apps with custom automations
• IFTTT: Create conditional automations between TickTick and other services

What’s missing:

No native integrations with writing-specific tools like Google Docs, Grammarly, Scrivener, or content management systems like WordPress. You’ll need to use Zapier or manual workflows to bridge these gaps.

For my workflow, the calendar sync covers 80% of what I need. The rest I handle with browser bookmarks and copy-paste. It’s not elegant, but it works.

How easy is TickTick to use?

TickTick has one of the cleanest interfaces I’ve encountered in task management apps. Unlike tools that hide features behind three menus, TickTick puts everything at your fingertips with one click.

When you first open the app, you see your task list front and center. The left sidebar holds your projects, smart lists, and tags. The right sidebar (only appears when needed) shows task details. Nothing feels cluttered.

You can easily create tasks too. All you need to do is type in the main input bar, hit enter, and you’re done.

Want to add a due date or priority? Click the task and adjust. The drag-and-drop calendar makes rescheduling feel natural.

The learning curve is gentle. I had the basics down in 10 minutes. More advanced features (custom smart lists, timeline view) revealed themselves as I needed them. There’s no overwhelming onboarding wizard forcing you through 20 steps.

Mobile apps (iOS and Android) match the desktop experience. Everything syncs instantly. I can add a task on my phone during a client call and see it on my laptop seconds later.

The only friction point: finding some advanced settings requires digging into menus. For example, customizing Pomodoro timer intervals is buried in Settings → Pomodoro → Custom. But this is minor and only affects the initial setup.

TickTick pricing

TickTick offers a free plan and a premium option.

The free plan allows you to create nine lists and 99 tasks per list. You also get 19 subtasks and two reminders per task.

For casual users or people just trying it out, the free plan is generous. You can genuinely use TickTick for months without paying a cent.

TickTick’s premium plan costs $35.99 annually (or $2.99/month)

With a premium plan, you get:

• Full calendar functionality. This gives you access to more calendar views and lets you subscribe to third-party calendars
• Customize filters
• Activity log/Version history. You can now view previous changes for all tasks and lists
• Historical Statistics. You can check the progress of each task and view productivity statistics over time
• Unlimited limits (unlimited folders, lists, tasks, check items)
• Reminders for check items
• Calendar widgets
• Estimated Pomo
• Premium themes (10+ themes)
• Premium white noises
• Quick Ball for Android (lock screen widget)

Interestingly, TickTick costs only 8530 Naira for me (roughly around $7 per year).

TickTick’s pricing in Naira

Is it worth upgrading?

If you’re managing multiple clients with dozens of active tasks, yes.

At $35.99/year, it’s cheaper than two cups of coffee. If you’re billing clients $300+ per article, the ROI is obvious. It pays for itself the first time it reminds you to invoice someone.

Compared to competitors:

• Todoist Premium: Starts around $60/year
• Any.do Premium: $5.99 per month. $35.99 if billed annually.
• Microsoft To Do: Free (but very basic, lacks power features)

TickTick is competitively priced and offers more features than most alternatives at this price point.

Free trial: TickTick doesn’t offer a traditional free trial, but you can request a refund within 14 days if the Premium features don’t work for you. Alternatively, the free plan is generous enough to test TickTick’s core functionality before committing.

My recommendation: Start with the free plan for 2-4 weeks. If you hit the task limit or need features like custom smart lists or timeline view, upgrade to Premium. The $35.99/year investment is minimal compared to the time you’ll save.

How TickTick compares to popular alternatives

I’m not doing a complete comparison here (that deserves its own article), but since people always ask “Why not just use Todoist?” or “What about Google Tasks?”, here’s the quick answer.

TickTick vs. Todoist

Todoist is TickTick’s main competitor. Both are excellent task managers with similar core features—projects, due dates, priorities, recurring tasks.

Key differences:

• Price: TickTick Premium is $35.99/year. Todoist Premium starts around $60/year. TickTick is typically cheaper (though pricing may vary by region).
• Features: TickTick includes a calendar view, a Pomodoro timer, and a habit tracker in Premium. Todoist charges extra for calendar view and doesn’t have native timer or habit tracking built in.
• Free plan: TickTick allows 99 tasks per list across nine lists. Todoist allows five active projects, each with five collaborators. Both are usable but limited.
• Integrations: Todoist has a significantly larger integration library with dozens of native connections. TickTick offers essential integrations but fewer options overall.

Bottom line: If you want all features in one package at a lower price point, choose TickTick. If you need deeper integrations with business tools, choose Todoist.

TickTick vs. Google Tasks

Google Tasks is dead simple and free. If you just need basic reminders and live entirely in Gmail/Google Calendar, it works fine.

What it lacks:

• Pomodoro timer
• Habit tracking
• Kanban or timeline views
• Smart lists or advanced filtering
• Extensive collaboration features

Google Tasks is fine for casual users. TickTick is for people who need a real productivity system.

TickTick vs. Notion

People ask this constantly, and it’s comparing apples to oranges. Notion is a note-taking and documentation tool that also includes task databases, while TickTick is a task manager that includes basic notes.

Many writers use both:

• Notion for client wikis, style guides, content calendars, and documentation
• TickTick for daily task execution, reminders, and focus sessions

I tried using Notion as my only tool. It felt like overkill for simple tasks and slowed me down. TickTick is faster for “what do I need to do today?” at least for me.

TickTick vs. Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do is free and integrates well with the Microsoft ecosystem (Outlook, Teams, etc.). It has a clean interface and handles basic task management.

What TickTick offers that To Do doesn’t:

• Calendar view
• Pomodoro timer
• Habit tracking
• Timeline/Gantt view
• More powerful smart lists
• Better cross-platform experience

If you’re already deep in Microsoft 365 and only need basic tasks, To Do is fine. For more advanced features, choose TickTick.

Other tickTick alternatives worth considering if TickTick doesn’t quite fit include:

• Any.do: Clean design, focuses on daily planning, less powerful for projects
• Trello: Visual Kanban boards, great for content pipelines, lacks calendar view
• Asana: Full project management, overkill for solo writers, better for teams
• Monday.com:  Visual project management, expensive, too complex for freelancers

Want a comprehensive comparison of all top to-do list apps? I tested 9 task managers and ranked them by use case. Check out my guide to the best to-do list apps for 2026 for detailed comparisons, pricing breakdowns, and recommendations based on your specific needs.

Who should use TickTick?

TickTick is best for:

• Freelance writers managing 3+ clients who need project separation and deadline visibility
• Writers juggling multiple article stages (pitch, draft, revision, published) and need visual tracking
• People who need a calendar + tasks in one view instead of switching between apps constantly
• Writers building focus habits who want built-in Pomodoro timers and productivity stats
• Writers who work across devices and need everything synced everywhere
• Writers trying to track billable hours who want simple time tracking per project

TickTick is NOT for:

• Writers who live entirely in Google Docs or Notion and want task management baked into their writing environment
• Teams needing heavy collaboration features like threaded comments, file sharing, or approval workflows. Use Asana or ClickUp instead
• Writers with extremely simple needs who only need basic reminders. Use Apple Reminders or Google Tasks
• People who want invoicing or CRM features built into their task manager. TickTick is focused on tasks, not business management
• Large agencies (10+ people) needing resource management, budgets, and complex permissions
• Writers who need extensive third-party integrations with specialized tools

My honest verdict

TickTick has genuinely changed how I run my freelance writing business. That sounds like marketing copy, but it’s true. Before TickTick, I was scattered—missed deadlines, forgot invoices, and constantly switched between apps. Now I have one system that actually works with how my brain operates.

The client-as-project structure, recurring reminders, and calendar sync are the trifecta that keep my business running smoothly. The Pomodoro timer and stats section are bonuses that help me stay focused and accountable.

Is it perfect? No. I wish it were integrated with Google Docs and invoicing tools. But these are “nice to have” frustrations, not dealbreakers.

For freelance writers specifically, TickTick checks all the boxes:

• Organizes multiple clients without complexity
• Visualizes deadlines in calendar view
• Tracks time spent per project
• Automates recurring business tasks
• Includes focus tools like Pomodoro and Eisenhower Matrix without add-ons
• Works seamlessly across devices
• Costs less than one article per year

If you’re a freelance writer managing multiple clients and constantly juggling deadlines, TickTick is worth trying. The free plan is generous enough to test it for as long as you want. If it clicks, upgrade to Premium for $35.99/year. That’s less than one article’s pay, and it’ll probably save you from dropping at least one ball this year.

For me, that math works. Try TickTick for free.

Frequently Asked Questions about TickTick

Can you manage multiple clients in TickTick?

Yes. I create one project per client and add individual article tasks within each project. You can have unlimited projects on the Premium plan (9 on the free plan). This keeps client work separated and prevents confusion.

You can also use tags to categorize across clients (e.g., #urgent or #research) and create smart lists that automatically filter by client name.

Does TickTick integrate with Google Docs?

Not natively. You can paste Google Doc links into task notes, but there’s no automatic syncing or document status tracking. This is my biggest wishlist item for future updates.

Workaround: Use Zapier to create automations between TickTick and Google Docs, though this requires a separate subscription and some setup.

Is the free plan enough for freelance writers?

It depends on your volume. The free plan caps you at nine lists, each with 99 tasks. If you’re managing 2-3 clients with a dozen active articles, you’ll probably hit that limit quickly.

For testing purposes or lighter workloads, the free plan is totally usable. Start there and see if you hit the ceiling.

How does TickTick compare to Notion for writers?

TickTick is focused on tasks and daily execution. Notion is focused on notes, docs, and knowledge management. Many writers use both Notion for client wikis and project documentation and TickTick for task management and deadlines.

They complement each other rather than compete. If you have to choose one, pick TickTick if you’re deadline-driven and need task reminders. Pick Notion if you need long-form documentation and databases.

Can you track article drafts and revisions in TickTick?

Yes, using the Kanban (column) view. Create columns for each stage—Pitch, Research, Draft, Revision, Published—and move tasks across as articles progress.

You can also use subtasks to break down larger articles:

• Main task: “Write 2,000-word SEO article”
• Subtask 1: Research keywords and outline
• Subtask 2: First draft
• Subtask 3: Client revision round 1
• Subtask 4: Final edits and submit

Does TickTick work offline?

Yes. You can view and edit tasks offline on all platforms. Changes sync automatically when you reconnect to the internet. This is useful when writing in coffee shops with spotty Wi-Fi or during flights.

Note: Calendar sync requires an internet connection, so calendar events won’t update until you’re back online.

Is TickTick suitable for large teams?

Not really. TickTick is designed for individuals and small teams (2-5 people). If you’re managing a team of 50+ with complex hierarchies, resource allocation, and budget tracking, you need dedicated project management software like Asana or Monday.com.

For freelancers or small agencies, it’s perfect. For enterprises, it’s too lightweight.

How reliable is TickTick’s syncing across devices?

In my experience, syncing is near-instant. I’ve used it across iPhone, Mac, and web for the past year and haven’t encountered sync conflicts or lost tasks. Changes appear on other devices within 1-2 seconds.

Occasionally, if you’re offline for extended periods and make changes on multiple devices, you might see a sync delay when reconnecting. But this is rare and resolved quickly.

Does TickTick work on smartwatches?

Yes, TickTick has an Apple Watch app that lets you view tasks, mark them complete, and create new tasks via voice input. It’s useful for quick task capture when you’re away from your desk. 

Can you add tasks from your phone’s lock screen?

Yes, on Premium. You can create a lock screen widget that lets you quickly add tasks without unlocking your phone. This is perfect when you’re mid-walk or mid-conversation and need to capture an idea fast.

Does TickTick support location-based reminders?

Yes. You can set reminders to trigger when you arrive at or leave a location. 

Ready to try TickTick? Start with the free plan and see if it fits your freelance writing workflow. If you’re managing multiple clients and tired of scattered tasks, it might be the command center you’ve been looking for.

Try TickTick for free.