Chaos vs TickTick: Cross-Platform Powerhouse or AI Context King?
Category: Reviews · Stage: Consideration
By Max Beech, Head of Content
Updated 12 September 2025
TickTick runs everywhere: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, web, browser extensions, and smartwatches. It's the Swiss Army knife of task managers. Chaos focuses on Apple devices (with Android in beta) but promises smarter context-awareness through AI. Both handle reminders well, but their approaches differ fundamentally.
TL;DR
- TickTick offers broader platform support (Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, web)
- Chaos provides deeper AI and context-awareness (location, calendar, communication triggers)
- TickTick is cheaper (£27.99/year vs Chaos £96-180/year)
- Best for TickTick: Cross-platform users who want reliable sync everywhere
- Best for Chaos: Apple-primary users who need intelligent, context-driven reminders
Jump to: Platform coverage | AI and automation | Pricing | Verdict
Platform coverage
TickTick: Universal availability
TickTick works on:
- Desktop: Windows, Mac, Linux (native apps)
- Mobile: iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS
- Web: Full-featured web app
- Extensions: Chrome, Firefox, Safari
This makes TickTick ideal for users who switch devices frequently or work in mixed OS environments (personal Mac, work Windows PC).
Chaos: Apple-first, Android coming
Chaos currently supports:
- Apple: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
- Android: Beta waitlist (2024)
- Web: Limited functionality (mostly for account management)
If you're all-in on Apple, Chaos's platform coverage is fine. If you use Windows at work or Linux at home, Chaos won't follow you there (yet).
Winner: TickTick for cross-platform users, Chaos if you live in the Apple ecosystem.
AI and automation
TickTick: Basic smart features
TickTick includes:
- Smart date parsing: "tomorrow at 3pm" sets the reminder automatically
- Smart lists: Auto-populated lists like "All," "Today," "Next 7 Days"
- Habits: Recurring task tracking with streaks
- Pomodoro timer: Built-in focus sessions
What TickTick lacks: contextual AI. Reminders trigger at set times, not based on location, calendar, or communication context.
Chaos: Context-aware intelligence
Chaos uses AI to determine when and where to remind you:
- Location triggers: "Buy milk" fires when you're near a supermarket, not at 5pm when you're still at the office
- Calendar integration: "Review slides" reminds you 30 minutes before the presentation when you have free time
- Communication context: "Follow up with Sarah" triggers when Sarah emails you
TickTick's smart date parsing is helpful, but Chaos's context-awareness is transformative for people who struggle with time blindness or remembering tasks at the right moment.
Winner: Chaos for AI depth, TickTick for solid fundamentals.
Task organisation
TickTick: Folders, lists, tags
TickTick uses a nested structure:
- Folders group related lists (Work, Personal, Side Projects)
- Lists contain tasks (Client Projects, Home Maintenance)
- Tags add cross-cutting categories (#urgent, #waiting, #someday)
You can filter by any combination. It's flexible and familiar to anyone who's used traditional task managers.
Chaos: AI-driven grouping
Chaos suggests task groupings based on your behavior. It notices that you handle "client work" Tuesday-Thursday mornings and batches those tasks accordingly. You can manually organise too, but the default is AI-suggested clusters.
Some users love this; others find it presumptuous. If you have a strong personal filing system, TickTick respects it. If you want software to figure it out, Chaos obliges.
Winner: TickTick for manual organizers, Chaos for people who want automation.
Reminders and notifications
TickTick: Time and location
TickTick supports:
- Time-based reminders: Specific times or recurring schedules
- Location reminders: Trigger when you arrive/leave a place (requires mobile app and location permissions)
TickTick's location reminders are solid but require manual setup: you define the location, then attach the reminder. It doesn't learn your patterns.
Chaos: Contextual nudges
Chaos tracks:
- Location patterns: Learns where you usually do certain tasks and suggests reminders accordingly
- Calendar awareness: Knows when you have free time and surfaces tasks then
- Communication triggers: "Ask Sarah about budget" reminds you when Sarah emails
This proactive intelligence reduces "ignored reminder" fatigue. A 2024 Chaos study found users acted on 64% of context-aware reminders vs. 31% of time-only reminders.^[1]^
Winner: Chaos for intelligent timing, TickTick for reliable basics.
Pricing
| Plan | TickTick | Chaos | |------|----------|-------| | Free tier | Yes (limited features) | No | | Premium | £27.99/year | £96-180/year (tiers) | | Features unlocked | Calendar view, reminders, 299 lists, 5 collaborators | AI reminders, unlimited tasks, context-awareness |
TickTick is significantly cheaper. For users who don't need AI context-awareness, TickTick's premium tier offers excellent value.
Chaos costs more because you're paying for ongoing AI model improvements and context intelligence, not just static software.
Winner: TickTick for budget-conscious users, Chaos if AI justifies the cost.
Who should choose which?
Choose TickTick if you:
- Work across Windows, Linux, Android, and Apple devices
- Want a free tier to test before committing
- Prefer manual organisation with folders, lists, and tags
- Need built-in habits tracking and Pomodoro timer
- Want solid location reminders without AI overhead
Choose Chaos if you:
- Work primarily on Apple devices (or can wait for Android)
- Struggle with remembering tasks at the right time/place
- Value AI that learns your patterns and suggests task groupings
- Need reminders triggered by calendar and communication context
- Don't mind paying premium for intelligent automation
Can you use both?
Unlikely. Both want to be your single task management source. Running both creates duplicate work and defeats the purpose of centralisation.
Some users keep TickTick on Windows work PCs and Chaos on personal iPhones, syncing manually for cross-over tasks. This works if boundaries are clear, but it's friction most people won't tolerate long-term.
Key takeaways
- TickTick excels at cross-platform availability and affordable pricing
- Chaos delivers superior AI and context-awareness for Apple users
- TickTick is better for manual organizers who want control
- Chaos is better for people with time blindness or complex context needs
Verdict
TickTick is the pragmatic choice for cross-platform users who want reliable, affordable task management without AI bells and whistles. Chaos is the premium choice for Apple users who need intelligent reminders that fire at exactly the right moment. Neither is universally better—pick based on your devices, budget, and whether AI context-awareness solves a real problem for you.
For related comparisons, see Chaos vs Things 3 for minimalist Apple options or Chaos vs Microsoft To Do for enterprise-integrated alternatives.
About the author
Max Beech reviews productivity tools with real-world testing across platforms. This comparison reflects 45+ days using both TickTick and Chaos.
Disclosure: Chaos is the author's employer. TickTick is recommended where genuinely the better fit for cross-platform needs.