Your to-do list grows faster than you check off tasks. Every app you try feels either too complex (hello Notion) or too simple (notes app on your phone). TeuxDeux promises to find the middle ground: a digital version of your paper planner. I used it for two months and can tell you exactly whether that’s true.
TeuxDeux: the company
TeuxDeux was founded by designers who got frustrated with bloated productivity tools. They wanted something simple. Something that feels like a piece of paper on your desk, but with the benefits of digital.
The result is a tool that deliberately leaves things out. No labels, no priorities, no colors. Just a weekly overview with your tasks. That minimalist approach is both their greatest strength and their biggest limitation.
The company remains small and independent. No venture capital, no growth ambitions to become the next Asana. They build for people seeking calm in their task management, not for project managers who need Gantt charts.
Who is TeuxDeux actually for?
TeuxDeux is perfect for people who mainly manage personal tasks. Think of freelancers who want to plan their day, students tracking assignments, or just someone who wants to get a handle on daily chores.
It works well if you like visual overviews. You can see at a glance what needs to happen this week. Tasks you don’t check off? They automatically roll forward to tomorrow. Just like on paper, but without crossing out and rewriting.
Who is it not for? Teams that need to collaborate. Project managers with complex workflows. People who want to link their tasks to their calendar. Or anyone who wants to start free without limitations – the free version only works on mobile.
If you organize your tasks with labels, priorities, and subtasks, you’re going to feel constrained here. TeuxDeux is deliberately simple. That’s their thing.
TeuxDeux features
Let’s look at what you get for your money:
- Week overview – You see Monday through Sunday side by side. Handy for planning your week without thinking too far ahead. Some people find this limiting (where’s my month view?), but it helps you focus on what’s important now.
- Automatic task rollover – This is the feature that makes TeuxDeux what it is. Don’t check off a task today? Then it’s automatically back on your list tomorrow. No hassle with manual moving. But confronting when tasks keep rolling over for weeks.
- Someday lists – A place for ideas and tasks without a deadline. “Take that course someday”, “maybe buy that lamp” – it doesn’t belong in your weekly planning, but you don’t want to forget it either. This list becomes your digital scratch pad.
- Markdown support – Type bold and it becomes bold. Use italic for emphasis. Add links with text. For those used to markdown, this feels natural. For others, it’s an extra thing to learn.
- Recurring tasks – Exercise every Monday? Do laundry weekly? Set it up once and the task automatically returns. Works well for routines, but the options are basic compared to Todoist, for example.
- Drag & drop functionality – Drag tasks between days. Drag them within a day to adjust the order. It feels intuitive, though you sometimes miss the speed of keyboard shortcuts.
- Daily email digest – Every morning an email with your tasks for that day. Some people swear by it, others find it spam. Fortunately, you can turn it off.
That automatic rollover deserves some extra attention. It’s both brilliant and confronting. Brilliant because you never forget tasks – they keep coming back until you check them off or delete them. Confronting because after a few days you see which tasks you constantly postpone. That “really need to do this” task that’s been rolling forward for a week? Maybe it’s time to be honest: are you really going to do it or can it go?
The Someday list is also a standout. Many to-do apps force you to give everything a date. But some things aren’t tasks, more like thoughts. “Maybe visit that museum sometime”, “learn that skill someday” – it doesn’t belong among your groceries and deadlines, but you don’t want to lose it either. TeuxDeux gives that a place.
TeuxDeux pricing
The mobile apps are free to use. Sounds good, right? But there’s a catch: you can only use the mobile apps. No access to the web version. For many people, that’s a dealbreaker – you want to be able to manage your tasks on your laptop.
For full access you pay $ 4 per month or $ 36 per year (which comes to $ 3 per month). There’s a 7-day trial period, which is tight to really get to know a tool. Two weeks would be fairer.
Is it worth it? That depends on how much value you place on simplicity. Microsoft To Do is free and can do more. Todoist has a free version that already offers quite a lot. For $ 3-4 per month with TeuxDeux you mainly get peace of mind and a beautiful design.
Compare it to a cup of coffee per month. If that minimalist interface really helps you be more productive, it’s not a crazy amount. But if you’re unsure whether you’ll use it often enough, there are plenty of free alternatives that do 80% of the same thing.
What should you watch out for?
The price tag is a stumbling block for many people. Not because $ 3 per month is extremely expensive, but because you get relatively little functionality for that money. Other apps offer much more features for the same money or less.
No calendar integration is a miss. You can’t connect your tasks to Google Calendar or Outlook. That means you have to use two systems side by side: one for appointments, one for tasks. For some people that works, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
The mobile app feels more limited than the web version. Some things you do easily on desktop are harder on mobile. And if you only use the free mobile version, you miss features that are only available on web.
Working offline is also a problem. No internet? Then you can’t access your tasks. In 2024 that feels outdated. Yes, we’re usually online, but in those moments when you’re not (airplane, poor connection), that’s when you want to be able to access your to-do list.
No collaboration features means you can’t use this for family tasks or team projects. It’s purely personal. Want to share a shopping list with your partner? That has to be through another app.
And then the limited view. Only a week overview. No monthly calendar, no year overview. For some people that’s liberating (less overwhelming), for others limiting (I want to be able to plan further ahead).
What do others think?
The opinions about TeuxDeux are nuanced positive. People who use it are often real fans, but it’s not for everyone.
What users appreciate: that Someday list is constantly mentioned as a favorite. The automatic rollover of tasks gets a lot of love – people like that they don’t have to drag manually. The simple interface without bells and whistles gives many users peace of mind. And then there’s that flying cat animation when you complete a task. Sounds silly, but it makes people happy.
What users find frustrating: the price keeps coming up. People find it too expensive for what you get. The lack of calendar sync is often mentioned as a dealbreaker. The mobile app feels like a watered-down version for many people. And no offline access is a reason for some to quit.
In YouTube reviews TeuxDeux is often compared to Todoist. TeuxDeux wins on design and simplicity. Todoist wins on functionality and value for money. It depends on what you’re looking for.
It’s notable that people who use TeuxDeux have often already tried several other apps. It’s rarely someone’s first to-do app. It’s where you end up when you’re tired of complexity and just want it to be simple.
TeuxDeux alternatives
Doesn’t this quite fit what you’re looking for?
- Todoist – Has many more advanced features like projects, labels, and filters. Choose this if you manage complex projects and need extensive task organization. The free version is already pretty complete.
- Trello – Uses a Kanban board structure instead of a weekly agenda. Choose this if you want to work visually with columns and cards for project management. Also good for teamwork.
- Microsoft To Do – Is completely free and integrates deeply with Microsoft 365. Choose this if you already work in the Microsoft ecosystem and are looking for a free alternative. Less beautiful, but functional.
Frequently asked questions
Is TeuxDeux free?
The mobile apps for iOS and Android are free to use without a subscription. But then you only have access to the mobile version. If you also want to use the web version (and you probably do), then after the 7-day trial period you need a paid subscription.
What happens to tasks I don’t check off?
Those automatically roll over to the next day. It’s called the ‘rollover’ feature and it’s one of TeuxDeux’s core features. You don’t have to do anything – unchecked tasks move themselves. Convenient, but also confronting when you see the same task rolling over for a week.
Can I share tasks with others?
No. TeuxDeux is purely personal and doesn’t support collaboration features. No shared lists, no assigning tasks to others, nothing. If you want to work with a team or family, you’ll need to use a different tool.
Does TeuxDeux work offline?
No, you need an internet connection to access your tasks. That’s a common complaint. Other modern to-do apps do offer offline access.
Can I connect TeuxDeux to my Google Calendar?
Unfortunately not. There’s no integration with external calendars. Your tasks and appointments remain separate systems. For some people, that’s a dealbreaker.
Conclusion
TeuxDeux does exactly what it promises: a simple, visual to-do list that feels like paper but works digitally. If you’re tired of bloated productivity tools and just want to plan your week without hassle, this might be your thing.
But it’s not for everyone. The price is on the high side for what you get. The lack of calendar integration is a loss. And the limited functionality means you’ll quickly hit limits if you want something more complex.
My advice: try the free mobile version first. Use it for a week. Do you feel the calm of that minimalist approach? Do you miss any features? Then the paid version is probably worth it. Do you notice you’re running into limitations? Then check out Todoist or Microsoft To Do.
I still use TeuxDeux myself for personal tasks. Not because it’s perfect, but because that simplicity helps me focus. Some days you don’t need fancy features. Just a list. And a flying cat when you’re done.
