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The market is flooded with productivity apps for task management and to-do lists. Among them is Superlist, which has a fascinating backstory. You might recall the immensely popular Wunderlist app from a decade ago. Microsoft acquired Wunderlist in 2015 and transformed it into Microsoft To-Do. Christian Reber, the co-founder of Wunderlist, later decided to create a new app reminiscent of Wunderlist, and thus, Superlist was born.
Concept
Superlist primarily functions as a task management app with additional features. However, the creators describe it as a “Home to all your lists.” They emphasize that it’s not just for task management or to-dos, but for any type of list you might need to create. Initially, this seemed like a superficial distinction, but upon reflection, it becomes clear why positioning it as a versatile list app makes more sense.
Checklists, are an exceptional productivity tool. Whether your project is complex or simple, a checklist can help manage it effectively. This straightforward tool can significantly improve any situation or problem-solving process. Once you grasp the power of checklists, you’ll realize their potential to transform your life.
I started incorporating more checklists into my routine: one for packing for trips, another for tasks to complete before logging off on Fridays, and others for monthly tasks and payments. I even have a checklist for clean installing my MacBook from scratch. Whenever you find yourself performing repetitive tasks, it's time to create a checklist for them.
Checklists are incredibly useful because they reduce the cognitive load and energy required for repetitive tasks. If you invest time in thoughtfully crafting a checklist the first time, subsequent executions of the same tasks become effortless. With a checklist, I never postpone, forget, or abandon tasks—they always get done. That’s the true power of a checklist.
Understanding this reveals how transformative Superlist can be in our lives if used effectively.
Features
Superlist, like many apps today, covers all the basics.
- Create lists and tasks.
- Assign dates and tags to tasks.
- Create subtasks.
- Combine multiple lists into a section.
- Quickly capture tasks with an inbox.
- View tasks scheduled for today.
- Share lists and assign tasks to others.
- Comment on tasks.
- Use natural language processing for dates.
At first look, it appears to be a solid productivity app with all the essential features. While there are many more features that could be added (which we’ll discuss shortly), the fundamentals seem to be well in place.
But what’s special about Superlist is that,
- You can create notes alongside tasks.
- Add bulleted lists, numbered lists, images, and attachments.
- Create subtasks under subtasks infinitely.
These features make Superlist more flexible than other to-do list apps. You can create better-organised and more detailed lists. Not all lists are tasks, so having bulleted and numbered lists is very useful. I use it for lists that aren’t tasks, like maintaining a list of books, songs, words, restaurants, and movies. It's a great way to keep all this information in one place.
I also appreciate that the app is cross-platform, available on iOS, Android, Mac, and Web. It's important to me that apps are accessible on multiple platforms, especially via the web, so I can access them on my work laptop if needed.
Besides the usual features, Superlist offers a special feature called "Make with AI." With every list or task, there's a "Make with AI" button at the top. You can click it, provide a prompt, and the AI will generate content, such as adding tasks to your list or breaking down a task into subtasks. However, I found this feature to be more of a gimmick, seemingly included just to highlight that Superlist has AI capabilities. For my use case, this feature isn't useful at all.
Superlist also includes a unique feature for Gmail integration called "AI Task Summarization”. When you link your Gmail account, this feature can automatically create tasks from emails. For example, if an email has several action items, this feature can extract and generate a list of tasks based on the email content. While this might sound useful, but relying on AI to identify crucial tasks isn't the best idea because they can miss important details. Since I still need to review the original email to ensure nothing significant was overlooked, I found it to be somewhat unnecessary. For me, this feature doesn't add much value and feels more like a novelty than a practical tool.
Superlist also works offline. It also has integrations with Gmail, Google Calendar, Microsoft Todo, Slack, GitHub, Linear, and Figma. You can also create tasks by emailing them to task@mail.superlist.com, and they'll show up in your Inbox, which is neat.
They also have a team feature where you can create teams, add members, and share lists. One useful feature is a switch that lets you change between personal and team views. This helps cut down on distractions—you can focus on work tasks during the week and switch to personal tasks on weekends.
Design
Superlist's standout quality lies in its stunning design. The app is exceptionally well-crafted, with a clean and organized layout that's visually appealing. I appreciate the thought put into its information architecture, the choice of fonts, and the use of icons and symbols. Even the app icon glows elegantly on the dock when opened and stylish dividers add to its aesthetic charm. Overall, Superlist fits perfectly with my preference for an app that combines functionality with a beautiful user experience.
Pricing
Superlist offers a free version with most features accessible at no cost. Free users can share lists and access integrations like Gmail and Google Calendar, which is excellent. Additionally, there's a paid "Pro" plan priced at $10 per month or $96 per year. This plan includes advanced features such as "Make with AI," Gmail AI task summarization, more integrations, and increased limits.
For teams, Superlist provides a free plan accommodating up to 5 members and 15 shared lists. There's also a "Pro" plan for teams at $12 per month or $100 per year, offering unlimited members and lists.
Feedback
Superlist currently lacks many features. They need to prioritize adding more functionality quickly. Some important features they should consider include widgets, notifications, additional views like calendar and kanban views, Apple Watch app, priority settings, and potentially a Windows version as well.
In terms of functional design, Superlist falls short in several areas. Basic functionalities like tab movement for cursor, multi-selecting tasks with shift don't work as expected. Until recently, you couldn't order tasks in the Inbox. Like these, there are many small usability improvements needed. Superlist also doesn't have many settings or ways to customize it. They should add more options and settings to make it more user-friendly.
Also, I often encounter issues with the Mac app going offline and displaying a popup about syncing problems. Superlist needs to avoid such basic issues with syncing and connectivity.
Superlist costs twice as much as Todoist, but offers fewer features and stability compared to Todoist. So, they might have to consider introducing a more affordable personal plans to effectively compete with other apps in this space.
Verdict
My experience with Superlist has been a mix of delight and wanting more. I highly value exceptional design and user experience, and I prefer apps that excel in aesthetics and innovation. While Superlist meets my expectations with its outstanding design, it falls short in user experience due to missing basic features and usability issues. Despite these drawbacks, I find myself enjoying the app so much that it has become my primary task management tool. I switched from Things 3 to Superlist because I needed to share lists with my wife, and Superlist accommodates this with its free plan, which I currently use without needing the pro features.
However, Superlist still has a lot of ground to cover compared to its longstanding competitors in the market. Apps like Todoist, TickTick, Things 3, and Apple Reminders have been around for over a decade, offering stability and a comprehensive set of features. Todoist, in particular, sets a high standard with its extensive feature set and recent design updates, making it a leader in the market. Apple Reminders also stands out as a strong free option. For Superlist to compete effectively, it needs to rapidly expand its feature set and improve its offerings to attract more users in this competitive space. If it can do that, Superlist has what it takes to become one of best.
