Simple Memo vs TickTick
Which Should You Choose?
The biggest difference between Simple Memo and TickTick is scope. TickTick is an all-in-one productivity suite combining tasks, habits, Pomodoro timer, and calendar. Simple Memo does one thing perfectly: capture a thought in 0.4 seconds and email it to you.
After three months of hands-on testing with TickTick's free plan, I found its habit tracker and Pomodoro useful, but the number of steps required to jot down a quick thought was a bottleneck.
What is TickTick?
TickTick is a productivity app by Appest Inc. that combines task management with habit tracking, Pomodoro timer, calendar view, and Eisenhower matrix. The free plan allows up to 9 lists, while Premium costs $35.99/year. Popular as a Todoist alternative, its rich feature set means more loading time and more steps to navigate.
All-in-One Convenience vs Cognitive Overhead
Opening TickTick reveals a bottom tab bar with task lists, calendar, habit tracker, and Pomodoro timer. Tasks can be viewed in four formats: list, kanban, timeline, and Eisenhower matrix. This feature richness appeals to users who want "one app for everything," but when you just need to jot something down, it creates cognitive overhead: "Where should I enter this?" Adding a note in TickTick involves selecting a list, deciding on subtasks, and facing priority/due-date fields. Simple Memo eliminates all these choices -- just type and send.
TickTick's Premium plan ($35.99/year) unlocks the full calendar view, custom filters, and task time tracking -- but these are all advanced task management features unrelated to note capture. The free plan's 9-list limit also constrains users who want systematic task management. Simple Memo's free plan has only a 3 sends/day limit with zero feature restrictions. Rather than expecting a memo app to also manage tasks, choosing the right tool for each job leads to better long-term productivity.
Comparison Table: Simple Memo vs TickTick
| Feature | Simple Memo | TickTick |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Speed | 0.4s (type immediately) | 2-4s (loads task list) |
| Email Send | one-tap direct send | None (in-app storage) |
| Free Tier | 3 sends/day, no feature gates | 9 lists, feature limits |
| Offline Support | Outbox auto-resend (free) | Offline support available |
| Encryption | AES-GCM (on-device) | Server-side encryption |
| Habit Tracker | No | Yes |
| Pomodoro Timer | No | Built-in |
| UI Complexity | Minimal | All-in-one / complex |
4 Productivity Tool Differences
- 1Tasks + Calendar vs Memo Sending
TickTick integrates a calendar view with task management, letting you schedule tasks visually. Simple Memo has no calendar or schedule — it sends memos via email. For capturing thoughts that do not need scheduling, fewer features means more speed. - 2Pomodoro & Habit Tracker vs Single Function
TickTick has a built-in Pomodoro timer and habit tracker. Great for holistic productivity management, but overkill as a memo tool. Simple Memo commits to a single function: type and send. - 3Cross-Platform vs iPhone + Email
TickTick runs on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, and macOS. Simple Memo is iOS-only, but sent emails are readable on any platform. Effectively platform-independent through email. - 4Information Flow: Accumulate vs Transfer
TickTick accumulates tasks, habits, and notes within the app, requiring you to open it to process them. Simple Memo transfers text as email, plugging into your existing email workflow. For those who already process email daily, the transfer model creates less friction.
Task Management and Memo Sending Use Different Mental Processes
When using an all-in-one app like TickTick, even recording a fleeting thought triggers classification: "Is this a task? A memo? A habit?" These few seconds of deliberation are actually the biggest bottleneck in thought capture. Cognitive science calls this "Decision Fatigue" -- as options increase, decision quality drops, and eventually you record nothing at all. Simple Memo eliminates choices. Type text and send. That is all.
Let us compare the brain's processes concretely. Recording a memo in TickTick: launch app, select list, decide input mode (task/memo/checklist), type, save. During these 5 steps, the freshness of your original idea rapidly fades. With Simple Memo: launch app, type, send. Three steps, zero decision points. TickTick's feature richness is a strength at the "organize" stage, but it creates friction at the "capture" stage.
The most efficient approach is to completely separate capture from task management. During the day, send all thoughts to email via Simple Memo. Keep TickTick exclusively for processed, organized tasks. Use your email inbox as an "unprocessed buffer" and periodically sort items into TickTick. This separation keeps TickTick's task lists permanently organized, maximizing the effectiveness of its Pomodoro timer and habit tracker features.
Who Should Choose Which?
- Need to capture ideas instantly
- Want memos delivered to your email
- Don't need task management
- Value simplicity above all
- Need a sustainable free tier
- Want tasks, habits, and time in one app
- Need a Pomodoro timer
- Require calendar view
- Want habit tracking
- Share tasks with a team
FAQ
Is TickTick's built-in notes feature the same as Simple Memo?
TickTick has a note feature, but it is secondary to its task management system and requires navigating through lists to create one. Simple Memo starts input in 0.4 seconds and sends via email with one tap. For pure note speed, Simple Memo is overwhelmingly faster.
How can I combine TickTick's habit tracker with Simple Memo?
Use TickTick for habit management while capturing daytime thoughts with Simple Memo via email. TickTick handles "recurring behavior management" while Simple Memo handles "instant thought capture." This division keeps TickTick's task lists clean of random memos.
How do TickTick and Simple Memo subscriptions compare?
TickTick Premium costs $35.99/year for the full calendar view and custom filters. Simple Memo is free for 3 sends/day, with Premium at $5/month ($50/year) for unlimited sends. If memo capture is your only goal, Simple Memo's free tier is sufficient.
Can I use Simple Memo during a TickTick Pomodoro session?
Yes. When an idea strikes during a Pomodoro focus session, capture it with Simple Memo in 0.4 seconds and return to your session without breaking flow. The idea waits in your email for review after the Pomodoro ends.
Should I switch from TickTick to Simple Memo entirely?
No. TickTick and Simple Memo serve different purposes. TickTick is an all-in-one for tasks, habits, and Pomodoro. Simple Memo is a dedicated capture tool. Using both keeps TickTick's task lists clean while maximizing your memo capture speed.
