Zenkit To Do wants to be a Wunderlist killer, but comes up short in the end

If you’re a Wunderlist user, you probably know that the app is set to disappear next month. I have been using it personally for years and I swear. I tried replacing Microsoft at home, but it was not good enough for me, so I had to switch to another solution. However, there is a new player in the market that can be The perfect replacement for Wunderlist, called Zenkit To Do. In fact, it looks so much like Wunderlist that you might think it’s just an update.

Just like Wunderlist, signing up for Zenkit To Do is easy, as you can create an account using your Apple ID, Microsoft, Facebook or Trello account. Similarly, importing your items from Wunderlist requires only a few clicks to play all the lists and tasks.

Zenkit To Do homepage (left) looks more welcoming than Wunderlist’s (right)

If you are switching from Wunderlist, you are probably familiar with its sleek interface and will be happy to find that Zenkit To Do has a very similar customizable background. Lists are organized just like in the Wunderlist, including smart ones grouping starred items together, tasks due this week, and more. There is even an Inbox, as in the Wunderlist, but, surprisingly, my imported items ended up in a new list called Inbox, instead of merging with the main one.

Fortunately, not everything is the same. Like most productivity applications, there is an option to organize folders in folders. These are limited to 20 with a free subscription, but that should be enough for most people. However, there is a limit of 2,400 to the number of jobs that can be created (including completed), which can be much more annoying depending on your usage. Also, although I was looking almost everywhere, I did not understand how to create, rename or delete folders on my phone.

Zenkit To Do list view (left) is a bit more complete than Wunderlist (right)

In terms of list view, the layout is again very similar to Wunderlist, with the completed items displayed in a separate section under the pending tasks, as well as an option to quickly add one using the field at the top. There is a good option to email or print the list at the bottom, as well as share it with other people. For each task, you can set deadlines and reminders, add side tasks, notes, comments, and attachments, just like in the Wunderlist – even the layout for adding them is the same. When using subtasks, the main list lets you visually see how completed it is as the bar becomes a progress bar, another feature reminiscent of the desktop version of Wunderlist. When you complete a task, the app plays a bang to congratulate you – or let you know that you have accidentally marked it as complete, just like another popular German app that is about to die.

The working details of Zenkit To Do (left) look almost exactly like the Wunderlist (right)

At this point, Zenlist To Do looks like a simple copy of Wunderlist, but that’s not necessarily bad for those who loved the non-functional application – although the product group was probably not very inspiring. Unfortunately, there are some warnings that make the application not live up to expectations. First, there is no widget, which should be common sense for any list management application. Then one of the things that made Wunderlist so easy to integrate with third-party applications is its ability to handle email lists, a feature that Zenlist says soon, but only for paid subscribers. Similarly, many other features not yet available in Wunderlist, such as date analysis, tags, smartwatch support, calendar embedding, etc. More annoyingly, the experience of the application itself is not enjoyable: you feel like using a built-in website instead of a real application, the lists take time to load, the animations are delayed, etc.

When I learned that there was a possible replacement for Wunderlist, I was excited about it and thought I would find my new favorite task manager application. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with Zenkit To Do, as it more or less tries to copy Wunderlist without offering the seamless user experience I enjoyed. In fact, this is not the first time Zenkit has tried to market itself as a replacement for Wunderlist has already done so with its standard offer in November, but now thought it would be a smart move to copy a dying app.

Zenkit To Do – or rather, as most of these features have not yet been released – will have a big argument against some competitors: Its ability to integrate with the Zenkit Base solution, allowing project managers to coordinate complex matrix designs with Kanban views, while users with less know-how can use the Pending Tasks application to control their tasks in a simplified way.

I still suggest you try the app if the Wunderlist is missing, but it probably won’t be annoyed by Zenkit To Do. For my part, I have been using Todoist for a few months now, and I am relatively happy with it, although I would have preferred to use Wunderlist if I had the chance. Until I find a better solution, I will continue to use Todoist, as it is easy to integrate with other applications, while maintaining an intuitive user interface.