What’s the best productivity tool that’s NOT Notion, Obsidian, or Roam?
Notion, Obsidian, and Roam are great, but they’re not for everyone. Maybe you found something simpler, faster, or just less overwhelming. What’s the one productivity tool you actually stick with—the one that makes life easier instead of adding more work?
Replies
I’d go with Todoist—it’s simple, fast, and actually helps me get things done instead of just organizing tasks endlessly. The best part is the natural language input (like “Submit report next Monday at 10 AM”), which saves time. I’ve used it to keep track of multiple work projects without feeling overwhelmed. If you want something lightweight but powerful, it’s a solid pick!
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@tomina_veronika @Todoist is such a classic for me. I used it for years!
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@tomina_veronika +1 for Todoist. It is one the best designed software products out there.
@tomina_veronika +1 to Todoist.
I want to add one use case, recording my random thoughts when I am not at my desk.
It has fastest sync compared to notion etc. And I can either write an article on that or take backup to VS Code (And github) using Todoist API for later. Not pretty but random notes are meant to be messy and throwaway. At least I have the backup and can access later if needed.
@tomina_veronika might check our launch today re: voice to todoist 🙏
https://www.producthunt.com/posts/epiphany
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@tomina_veronika @troy_gasnier I did a write up about @Epiphany in yesterday's newsletter. really enjoyed trying it out!
minimalist phone: creating folders
Personally, for me, it is Apple Reminders. No need to install anything, just writing tasks for myself :)
Product Hunt
@busmark_w_nika I've recently started using reminders after avoiding it for so long, it's kind of the perfect compliment to notes for me
@busmark_w_nika Me too! I just command things to Siri to add it and say remind when I arrive at "location" or on a specific date. Don't even need to type it anymore!
minimalist phone: creating folders
Fair enough. I use it like a tasker for my other tasks (just in case I forget about my work) :D
minimalist phone: creating folders
Wait! Does Siri make changes in your Apple notes?
minimalist phone: creating folders
@ajinsunny Oh my god, I discovered America :D I didn't know that Siri can do it : D
@TextExpander and/or @Text Blaze are both unsung heroes for me. They both offer text snippet expansion but TextBlaze does it inside Gmail which allows you to automate a bunch of repetitive email stuff.
@Lindy is pretty good at email automation drafting based on a knowledge base
@Pomofocus I use a lot as a really lightweight pomodoro timer
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@steveb Oh I really like @Pomofocus!
Honestly, I’ve stopped chasing the ‘perfect tool’ and started optimizing the layer before the tools — mental clarity.
Most productivity failures aren’t because the app sucks. It’s because we don’t know what we’re actually trying to get done (or why).
These days, I use whatever’s boring and stable — because the real unlock was reducing decision noise, not switching tools.
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@goshatirov That's such a good point. I guess that's why I've always stuck with Apple Notes, I don't have to think about what I accomplish since it's so basic
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@goshatirov 100000000% ^^ Love you pulling us back to look at the bigger picture. For me, it's the blocks of time set aside for deep work, weekly (or other cadence) reflection, prioritization without getting bogged down with all the noise!
Though @aaronoleary if I have to choose a few tools, I do have to say that I always end up back with the basic tools (all currently open in my dock).
Apple notes for quick notes and urgent tasks (alongside @Flat for longer term project and task planning)
I love @Tandem since unlike Zoom, it automagically creates Tandem rooms for any meeting we set up.
I also like @Clipboard History IO chrome extension because there have been so many times that I've cut something only to forget to paste it and then I lost the text forever (I know there are several that launched that do this but I just stuck with this one since it's simple and it just works!)
@Horse browser because I NEVER have to worry about favoriting/bookmarking anything again and I can write up as many notes as I please and drag and drop all the pages I've visited in whatever fashion that works for my brain...
and of course, shameless plug, my @Product Hunt Favorites chrome extension too since I use it to save notes on the awesome products I find on our site everyday!
I'm really intrigued by @Raycast and their whole collection of tools and feel like that could be a game changer, but haven't set aside time to explore it yet.
Honestly @GoogleDocs with the new tabs feature is limited but surprisingly usable -- I think especially when collaborating with less technical people, it's the one thing they're already using and comfortable with
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@GoogleDocs @uri_bram1 Interesting I haven't tried that yet. I'm gonna give it a whirl, I didn't expect to see google docs in here haha
@GoogleDocs @aaronoleary One of the most productive people I know just has one big googledoc for everything in her life. But much like the Karpathy "one massive Apple Note" system, I'm not sure if this means it's good for productivity or just that these people are superhumans
I'm biased but Saga checks all boxes.
It's a fast and simple workspace for notes and tasks. Strong focus on performance and simplicity, so that you can focus on your work.
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@fstanev Going to give this a whirl!
Using @Taskade from this year due to its project management and team communication in one place with multiple views, chat, video call, and work together on tasks in real time and also faster & It combines task management, mind mapping, note-taking, and team communication into a single app and also simple than Asana and trello
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@Taskade @ajay27324 I've heard great things about Taskade!
TimeAlign
Productivity is super broad, but I've gotta go with @n8n
Having the power to connect all of my tools/AI AND self host for free?! It almost feels illegal haha.
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@matty_reed oooh haven't seen this one yet!
Stacklist
I've been using @Sunsama and have really enjoyed it. After using Todoist for years (and years) I found myself needing a bit more with the guided process of helping me think about actually structuring my day. For the longest time I've just added "stuff" to the backlog of "things to be done" and inevitably the list grows and grows, older stuff thats not important just gets shuffled around.
I love the branding and simplicity of @Sunsama but more than anything it doesn't make my backlog of items to be done feel like a "to-do list." Instead it turns it into more of a daily process of quickly prioritizing and accomplishing just what's possible based on how long each task will take, coupled with what's on my calendar.
Kudos to the Sunsama team. It's hard to break into my daily-routine product list, but you did it. Gracefully.
Product Hunt
@kylemhudson Thanks for sharing this! I just checked Sunsama out and love that it syncs with existing tools the team already uses (e.g. it says you can pull in tasks assigned to you in Asana, ClickUp, Github, Jira, Linear, Monday, Notion, Todoist, Trello within Sunsama and add them to your cal using time block method). I will def give this a try!
Chronicle: Cursor for Presentations
It has to be Granola for me.
It’s an AI-powered meeting assistant that automatically records meetings, generates precise notes, and neatly summarizes action items. As someone juggling multiple meetings daily, it’s become a genuine lifesaver.
Unlike other note-taking tools that require active management or endless tweaking, Granola works silently in the background, ensuring I never miss an important point—even if my mind briefly wanders.
It has saved me hours each week that I previously spent organizing notes, clarifying follow-ups, or re-watching recordings to catch details. Now, I can instantly pull clear, actionable summaries to stay aligned with my team or revisit critical discussions.
I'm in no way associated with@Granola.
Simplicity wins: a reliable to-do list app, or even just a good notebook
What I’ve been noticing lately:
most tools ask users to become their own systems designers.
But most people don’t want tools.
They want support.
I think the next shift isn’t in faster task apps.. it’s in layered systems that reduce cognitive load across communication, knowledge, and decisions.
RecordAi. I wouldn’t call it an assistant—it’s more like a friend who helps you with reminders every day. It talks to you like a real person, not in that typical robotic tone. And the best part? It all happens on WhatsApp! You can set reminders using text, voice notes, or even images. You can even connect Google Calendar—how crazy is that? Managing everything straight from WhatsApp! recordai.app
Apple Notes + Reminders is the ultimate stack I've found after trying numerous productivity apps. Notion came close, but it's just so cumbersome, and most of the time you don't need to structure everything
Collabwriting
Even though it might seem subjective, I have to go with @Collabwriting It keeps things simple, helps me stay organized without the overwhelm, and actually makes research easier instead of turning it into another task. 😁
Yes, I completely understand—Notion, Obsidian, and Roam are wonderful, but sometimes you feel like it's too much. Personally, I find myself going back to Google Docs. It's plain, distraction-free, and it just works without making things overly complicated. No finicky setups, no learning curve—just open and write. At the end of the day, the greatest tool is the one you end up sticking with.
This is so under your nose it’s going to sound weird/ridiculous… Apple Reminders + Apple Notes!
It’s free, it syncs across all your Apple devices, and it just works.
Notes in column view = instant Kanban board.
Reminders… well, actually reminds you.
No fluff, no setup overwhelm. Just simple, fast, and effective.
Try Tana – it's a powerful, flexible tool for structured notes and task management. Great for organizing projects without the complexity of Notion or Roam!
My team and I are using @actiTIME for productivity and project management
🚀 Just launched! This might be the fastest note-taking web app you've ever used.
I originally built it for myself, but it turned out too good not to share! 😃 If you love speed and simplicity, you’ll love this.
Check it out & let me know what you think! https://www.producthunt.com/posts/noteux