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Apps that break tasks down into small steps: Goblin Tools, Tiimo, Todoist and more
Last checked 11 September 2026. Written by the Divergent Products team. How we pick.
Is there an app that breaks down tasks into steps?
Yes. Goblin Tools' Magic ToDo is the simplest app that breaks tasks down: type a job and AI lists the steps, free on the web. Tiimo adds AI task breakdown to a visual day planner, and Todoist Pro's Task Assist splits tasks into sub-tasks. TickTick and Structured let you write the steps yourself, with reminders and timers.
Our picks
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Best for: Turning one scary job into steps, free
Goblin Tools (Magic ToDo)
By Goblin Tools, sold by goblin.tools
Type the job and press one button; the spiciness setting controls how many steps it makes. Free on the web and 99p on iPhone, but it is guessing, so cross out steps that do not fit your life.
Affiliate link -
Best for: Seeing broken-down tasks laid out on today
Tiimo
By Tiimo, sold by App Store
A colour-coded visual timeline with timers, widgets and AI help to break tasks down. From about £6.49; the free version limits the AI, so the full thing is a subscription.
from £6.49See it at App StoreAffiliate link -
Best for: Big projects that live in one list
Todoist Pro
By Todoist (Doist), sold by Todoist
Sub-tasks and reminders are free; Pro, about £6.99 a month, adds Task Assist, which can split a task into sub-tasks. You have to set Task Assist up in a web browser or the desktop app.
£6.99a monthSee it at TodoistAffiliate link -
Best for: Writing your own steps with nagging reminders
TickTick Premium
By TickTick (Appest), sold by TickTick
Lists, sub-tasks, a calendar and a Pomodoro timer in one app, and the free plan allows two reminders per task. Premium is listed at US$49.99 a year on TickTick's own site.
$49.99a year, US priceSee it at TickTickAffiliate link -
Best for: Fitting each step onto a timeline
Structured
By unorderly GmbH, sold by App Store
Drag steps onto a visual timeline so you can see whether they fit the day. Free to start, with Pro from £2.99 a month or £59.99 for life; the App Store listing covers Apple devices only.
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Best for: Putting a countdown on each small step
Llama Life
By Llama Life, sold by App Store
Once the steps exist, give each a time and work through them with a timer running. About £6 a month after a 7-day trial; it will not write the steps for you.
£6a monthSee it at App StoreAffiliate link
How do apps break tasks down?
Apps break tasks down in one of two ways: AI writes the steps for you, or the app gives you sub-tasks and you write them yourself.
The AI kind is new and quick. You type "clean the bathroom" and get back a list: clear the sink, spray the bath, wipe the mirror, and so on. The DIY kind is older and more reliable, because you know your own bathroom. You can also combine them: AI for the first draft when the job feels impossible, your own edits once you can see it.
This guide compares the apps on our shelves. We have not tested them; the details below come from each maker's own pages and App Store listings, checked on 11 September 2026.
What to look for in an app that breaks tasks down
Seven questions sort these apps quickly:
- Who writes the steps? Goblin Tools, Tiimo and Todoist Pro can generate them. TickTick, Structured and Llama Life expect you to.
- Can you control the step size? Magic ToDo's spiciness setting asks how hard the task feels and makes more steps the higher you set it. You can also break any single step down again.
- Is there time on each step? A step with a time attached is easier to start. Goblin Tools has an Estimator; Llama Life gives every task its own countdown; Structured places steps on a timeline.
- Will it remind you? Todoist includes reminders on its free plan. TickTick's free plan allows two reminders per task. Goblin Tools is a list, not an alarm.
- How generous is the free plan? Todoist's free plan gives 5 personal projects. TickTick's free plan allows 9 lists of up to 99 tasks each.
- Which devices? Goblin Tools runs in any browser and has iPhone and Android apps. Structured's App Store listing covers Apple devices. Tiimo's listing mentions Apple Watch.
- Where does your text go? AI tools send what you type to a model somewhere. goblin.tools says it uses models from various providers.
| App | Price | How steps are made | Free plan | Drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblin Tools Magic ToDo | Free on the web, 99p iPhone app | AI, with a spiciness setting | Whole website | No reminders |
| Tiimo | From about £6.49 | AI suggestions on a visual timeline | Basic tools, limited AI | Best features are paid |
| Todoist Pro | About £6.99 a month | Your sub-tasks, or Task Assist on Pro | 5 projects, reminders, sub-tasks | Task Assist needs setting up |
| TickTick Premium | US$49.99 a year | Your own sub-tasks | 9 lists, 2 reminders per task | No AI step writer |
| Structured | Free, Pro from £2.99 a month | You place steps on a timeline | Basic planning and widgets | Apple devices only on its listing |
| Llama Life | About £6 a month | You add tasks, it times them | 7-day trial only | Will not write steps |
Is AI task breakdown any good?
AI task breakdown is good at a first draft and bad at knowing your life.
Ask it to break down "sort the car insurance" and it will produce sensible, generic steps: find the renewal letter, check the price, compare quotes. It will not know that your renewal letter is in the other house, or that you pay monthly. goblin.tools is honest about this. Its own About page says nothing its tools return should be taken as a statement of truth, only guesswork.
That is still useful. The hard part of a big job is often facing the blank page, and a draft list removes the blank page. Read what comes back, cross out what does not apply, and do the first line. If the first line is still too big, feed that single line back in.
If you would rather not use AI
Plenty of people do not want an AI in their to-do list, and the DIY route works fine.
The rule of thumb is to write steps you could do in 2 to 10 minutes, each starting with a verb you could film: find, open, write, ring, print. "Sort out the garden" becomes "find the gloves", "fill one bag with leaves", "put the bag by the gate".
In Todoist or TickTick, add those as sub-tasks under the big job, so the big job disappears from view and only the next step shows. In Structured, drag each one onto the day so you can see whether the whole thing fits before 6pm. On paper, a tear-off pad works: one job at the top, steps underneath, tear it off when done. Our planners guide covers paper options.
Things to know
- Keep private details out of AI tools. Describe the task, not your medical records, passwords or anyone else's personal information.
- Watch for copycat apps. Search the App Store for Goblin Tools and several look-alikes appear. The official iPhone app is sold by Skyhook for 99p, with an optional Pro subscription of £3.99 a month for syncing and templates.
- Prices are often shown as ranges. Tiimo's in-app purchases run from £6.49 to £39.99 on the UK App Store, and Structured Pro from £2.99 to £5.99 a month. Check which plan you are buying.
- TickTick prices in dollars on its own site. Premium is listed at US$49.99 a year there. The App Store price in pounds may differ, so compare before you pay.
- Tiimo won Apple's 2025 iPhone App of the Year, according to its listing. Awards say nothing about whether it suits your brain, so use the free version first.
- Apps change quickly. AI features in particular get added, renamed and moved between plans. Check the current plan page before you pay.
Questions people ask
- What does the spiciness setting do in Magic ToDo?
- It tells the tool how hard or stressful you find the task. The spicier you set it, the more steps it tries to break the job into.
- Is Goblin Tools safe to use?
- It is made by Bram De Buyser, a software and AI engineer, and uses AI models from various providers. Describe the job without personal details such as account numbers or health information.
- Does Todoist break tasks down automatically?
- Only on Pro or Business. Task Assist can suggest sub-tasks, but you have to switch it on in Todoist in a web browser or the desktop app first.
- Is there a free app that breaks down tasks?
- The goblin.tools website is free with no ads. Todoist's free plan has sub-tasks for writing steps yourself, and Tiimo's free version includes a limited amount of AI help.
- Does Structured work on Android?
- The UK App Store listing covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. Check Google Play if you use Android; we did not confirm an Android version.