Google Tasks is a barebones checklist tucked inside Gmail and Google Calendar. Orbit is a simple AI-powered CRM with a full GTD task system: Inbox, Today, Next, Waiting, and Someday, plus unlimited tasks, contacts, and a calendar, all free. If you want a quick list next to Gmail, Google Tasks fits. If you want structure and a CRM, Orbit fits.
Google Tasks wins on being right there. If you live in Gmail and Google Calendar, it is one click away, free, and needs zero setup. Add a task, give it a due date, check it off. For simple personal reminders inside the Google world, that is often enough.
It is deliberately minimal: a few lists, due dates, and subtasks, with tight ties to Gmail and Calendar. If you want the lightest possible checklist and never plan to leave Google, it does exactly that. Check Google's site for current details, since features can change.
Side by side on structure, plus the CRM layer Google Tasks does not have.
| Orbit | Google Tasks | |
|---|---|---|
| GTD lists (Inbox, Today, Next, Waiting, Someday) | Basic lists only | |
| Unlimited tasks | Free | Simple lists, check their site |
| Projects and contexts | ||
| Tasks linked to contacts and deals | ||
| Built-in CRM (contacts and pipeline) | 250 contacts and 1 pipeline free | |
| Calendar with drag-to-schedule | Shows in Google Calendar, check their site | |
| Needs a Gmail account to use | No, works on its own | Yes, part of Google |
| AI assistant | Hiro, with free monthly credits | |
| Free plan | $0 forever, no card | Free with a Google account |
| Price | Free, or Pro $14/mo | Free, check their site |
Google Tasks is a checklist. Orbit is a system. The gap shows the moment your list gets real: you want to sort tasks into Next versus Waiting, group them by project, tie a follow-up to a specific client, and see it on that person's timeline. Google Tasks was never meant to do that, and it does not pretend to.
Orbit gives you the full GTD method built in, plus a free CRM for 250 contacts and one pipeline. And no Gmail connection needed: email is built in, 100 messages a month free, so you can send and receive from your own Orbit address. If you want a structured to-do list app that lives with your contacts, that is Orbit.
Google Tasks is a checklist inside Gmail. Orbit is a full GTD system with a CRM, no Gmail needed.
Yes, if you have outgrown a basic checklist. Orbit is a free CRM with a full GTD task system: Inbox, Today, Next, Waiting, Someday, plus projects and contacts. Google Tasks is fine for simple lists inside Gmail, but it has no CRM, projects, or GTD structure.
No. Orbit works on its own and has a built-in email inbox, 100 messages a month free, so you send and receive from your own Orbit address with no Gmail connection needed. Google Tasks, by contrast, lives inside a Google account.
Yes. Tasks, projects, and GTD lists are free on every Orbit plan, with no limit and no credit card. The free plan also includes up to 250 contacts, one pipeline, a calendar, notes, and 100 emails a month from a built-in inbox.
A full GTD system (Inbox, Today, Next, Waiting, Someday), projects and contexts, a real CRM with 250 contacts and a pipeline, a built-in email inbox, and an AI assistant. Google Tasks is a minimal checklist tied to Gmail and Calendar. Check their site for current features.
Orbit is free forever with no credit card. Pro is $14 a month or $112 a year and adds two-way Google Calendar sync, the Chrome extension, unlimited contacts and pipelines, and more. AI credits are included free every month on every plan.
People running a business mostly alone: founders, consultants, freelancers, and small teams who need more than a Gmail checklist. If you only want simple lists inside Google and no CRM, Google Tasks may fit better.
Create a free workspace in two minutes. A full GTD system and a CRM, no Gmail needed, no card.
Free forever plan. No credit card. No spam.