Your inbox is full of emails about projects, someone asks for an update via Slack, and meanwhile you forget half of your tasks. Nozbe wants to replace that chaos with one system where tasks and communication come together. The tool is built on the Getting Things Done method and mainly targets teams that want to stop endless emailing.
Who is behind Nozbe?
Nozbe was founded in 2007 by Michael Sliwinski, a Polish entrepreneur who became frustrated with the lack of good digital tools for David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology. He wanted to be able to manage his own productivity system without relying on paper lists or complicated spreadsheets. Because the available tools at the time didn’t meet his needs, he decided to build a web-based application himself.
The company, officially Nozbe sp. z o.o., has its headquarters in Gdynia, Poland. What makes Nozbe special is that it has been a fully remote company from the start – no one works in an office. The team was also a pioneer with the introduction of the four-day work week, which they call “Mighty Fridays.” That philosophy of flexible working is woven into how the tool itself is designed.
More than 700,000 people worldwide now use Nozbe. The company has not raised external funding and has not been acquired, which means it has grown completely independently. You can see that independence reflected in the product vision: Nozbe remains true to GTD principles instead of following every new trend.
Who is Nozbe for?
Nozbe mainly targets small to medium-sized teams looking for a clear way to organize projects and tasks. Remote teams often find it a good match because the tool combines communication and task management without having to constantly switch between different apps. If you already apply or want to learn the Getting Things Done methodology, then Nozbe is a logical choice because the entire interface is built around it.
The tool is less suitable for large enterprises that need complex project visualizations such as extensive Gantt charts or resource management. If your organization works with complicated dependencies between tasks and detailed timelines, you’ll likely run into Nozbe’s limitations. It’s intentionally kept simple, which is an advantage for some teams but a limitation for others.
What can Nozbe do?
The free version of Nozbe offers basic functionality for up to three users with three projects. For more extensive capabilities such as unlimited projects, more storage space, and advanced integrations, you need a paid plan. Here are the main features:
- Project management: You organize work in projects with tasks, subtasks, and sections. The structure is deliberately kept flat so you don’t get lost in endless subfolders. You can share each project with specific team members.
- Task-focused chat: Instead of general chat channels like in Slack, you conduct conversations directly at the relevant task. That prevents important information from disappearing in an endless chat stream. You can respond to tasks with comments that everyone with access can see.
- Incoming tasks (Inbox): All new tasks first land in your Incoming view, a core principle of GTD. There you decide what to do with them: assign to a project, give a deadline, or handle immediately. That triage step ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
- Calendar view: You see your tasks in a calendar overview based on deadlines. That gives a visual picture of what’s coming. You can also link your external calendars to see everything in one place.
- Email to task conversion: Each user gets a unique email address to which you can forward messages. Those emails are automatically converted into tasks in your inbox. Handy if you get a lot of work via email and want to centralize it.
- Tags and categories: You can label tasks with hashtags to easily find them later. Think of #urgent, #waiting-on, or #office. You just work those tags into the task name, no separate field needed.
- Reminders and deadlines: Set notifications for important tasks. You can choose push notifications on your phone or email reminders. Deadlines automatically become visible in your calendar view.
- Offline functionality: The mobile and desktop apps store your data locally. You can just keep working without an internet connection and everything synchronizes as soon as you’re back online. That makes the tool reliable for people who are on the go a lot.
- Cross-platform availability: Nozbe runs on the web, iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. There is no Linux version, but for most users all important platforms are covered. Synchronization between devices is fast and reliable according to users.
What does Nozbe cost?
Nozbe has a free plan called Nozbe Free that is suitable for small teams of up to three people. You get three projects, three sections, and 500MB of storage space. That’s enough to try out the tool and see if it fits your way of working. There is no time limit on the free plan, so you’re not stuck with an expiring trial.
The Premium plan costs 10 dollars per month with monthly payment, or 8 dollars per month if you pay a year in advance (96 dollars total). This gives you unlimited projects, more storage space, and access to all integrations. The Business plan costs 15 dollars per month (or 12 dollars per month with annual payment, 144 dollars total) and adds additional administrative features such as team reports and priority support.
There is no traditional trial period for the paid plans, but Nozbe does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied, you’ll get your money back. That’s a reasonable safety net, although a free trial might feel more accessible for people who want to test.
What should you watch out for?
A common complaint is that Nozbe is pricey compared to competitors, especially as your team grows. With ten team members, you’re already paying 100 to 150 dollars per month, which some users find on the high side for the functionality offered. Alternatives like Todoist or ClickUp offer comparable capabilities for less money.
There is confusion between Nozbe Classic and the newer version simply called Nozbe. Existing users have to choose whether to migrate, and that process is not always clear. Some features from the old version are missing in the new one, which causes frustration among power users who were used to certain workflows.
The integrations are limited. For example, there is no native OneDrive connection, which is annoying if your organization works with Microsoft tools by default. You can upload files manually, but that’s less convenient than a direct sync. Natural language input is also missing – you can’t type “call Jan tomorrow at 2:00 PM” and expect Nozbe to automatically create a task with a deadline from that.
In the new version, users miss the “Time Needed” field that was present in Nozbe Classic. That field helped estimate how much time a task would take, useful for planning. It’s unclear whether that feature will return. For people who plan their day meticulously, that’s a loss.
Nozbe alternatives
If Nozbe doesn’t quite fit, there are alternatives that solve similar problems but with different emphases:
- Todoist: Choose this if you primarily manage personal tasks and have less need for team chat. Todoist is cheaper and has a stronger focus on individual productivity with natural language input and extensive filters.
- Asana: Go for Asana if you need complex project visualizations like timelines, portfolio views, and Gantt charts. It’s more powerful for large teams but also more complex to use than Nozbe.
- Slack: Choose Slack if you only want to chat without linking tasks. Slack is purely communication, while Nozbe integrates chat and tasks. You can combine Slack with a separate task tool, but then you’re working in multiple systems again.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to questions that often come up for people considering Nozbe:
Is there a free trial?
Nozbe doesn’t offer a traditional trial, but does have a completely free plan for small teams of up to three people. For paid plans, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you’re not satisfied you’ll get your money back. That gives you the space to test the tool thoroughly.
Where is my data stored?
Nozbe’s main servers are located in Germany, specifically in Nuremberg. There are backups in Ireland and Japan for additional security. If you’re in the EU and value local data storage, that’s a plus.
Does Nozbe work offline?
Yes, the mobile and desktop apps store your data locally so you can continue working without internet. As soon as you have a connection again, everything synchronizes automatically. That makes the tool reliable if you’re often on the go or working in areas with poor connectivity.
Conclusion
Nozbe is a solid choice for small to medium-sized teams looking for a clear way to combine tasks and communication. The Getting Things Done philosophy is deeply woven into the tool, which is an advantage if you embrace that method but may feel less natural if you’re used to a different workflow. The offline functionality and cross-platform availability are strong points.
The price is on the high side compared to competitors, and the limited integrations can be a stumbling block for teams that rely heavily on specific tools like OneDrive. The confusion between the old and new version is also something to keep in mind. For teams that consciously choose simplicity over complexity, and want to apply the GTD approach, Nozbe offers a well-thought-out system. For large organizations with complex project requirements, there are probably better alternatives.
