Task App List View & Kanban Board Switch (2026)
Fabio Bergmann
Todoist Pro costs 5× its free tier, $0 to $60 a year, just to unlock board layout. Across the six mainstream task apps that support both list and Kanban, the fastest switch is a single keystroke. Most others still make you open a menu.
Disclosure: Dooit is our product. This comparison includes it alongside competitors.
Key takeaways
- TickTick's Kanban is a display mode of the same list, not a separate structure, a distinction most comparisons skip.
- Dooit switches between list and Kanban with a single keystroke and is built for every action to complete in under 50ms, with no loading spinners.
- Todoist Pro costs 5× its free Beginner plan ($0 to $60/year) to unlock board and calendar layouts.
- Amazing Marvin uses dedicated single-key shortcuts (L for List, C for Column) instead of menu clicks to change views.
- Free-tier limits vary sharply: Todoist Beginner caps you at 5 projects and 3 filter views, while Any.do Free gives unlimited lists and tasks.
Why does switching between list and Kanban view matter so much?
Switching between list and Kanban matters because the real cost isn't the view, it's the momentum you lose changing it. Most apps force a menu click, a page reload, or a separate board workspace that drifts out of sync with your list. The apps worth using make view-switching instant instead of a context-switch that breaks flow.
Freelancers toggle constantly: list view for daily execution, board view for client project status. Keyboard-driven users lose seconds every time a switch demands mouse navigation through nested menus. TickTick sidesteps this by treating Kanban as a display mode of your list, reachable from a three-dot menu, while Amazing Marvin assigns single keys like L and C to jump between views. Render Kanban as a separate data structure and you invite sync lag plus duplicate upkeep.
Which productivity apps actually support both kanban and list mode?
Five mainstream apps here support both list and board layouts natively: Todoist, TickTick, Amazing Marvin, Any.do, and Dooit; Superlist leans list-centric. Coverage differs sharply. Some gate boards behind paid tiers, some limit boards to team or family plans, and one treats Kanban as a filtered view of your list.
- Todoist: board layout is available on Pro and Business, with the free Beginner tier limited on richer board features.
- TickTick: Kanban View is reachable on the free tier via a three-dot menu toggle.
- Any.do: Board tasks require Family or Workspace plans; the free tier gets List View only.
- Amazing Marvin: Kanban comes from manual setup via label groups, not a one-tap toggle.
Is Kanban just a view of your list, or a separate workspace?
Whether Kanban is a view or a workspace decides if your data stays in sync. TickTick states plainly that Kanban View is not a separate feature module but a display mode of your lists, so a task moved on the board updates the same underlying list instantly. Amazing Marvin's board, built from label groups you configure, behaves more like a constructed workspace than a live mirror.
"Kanban View is not a separate feature module but a display mode of your lists." — TickTick Help Center
The practical stakes: separate-workspace models risk drift between what your list shows and what your board shows. TickTick's Kanban and List View read the same task data, so there's no duplication and no second sync path. Amazing Marvin builds boards from label groups you set up by hand and, since January 2026, offers a Bottom Drawer board view for visual-first users. Dooit renders list and Kanban as two views of one task set, switchable instantly with no separate setup.
How do you toggle between kanban and list view in a task app?
The toggle method varies by app. TickTick uses a three-dot menu, Amazing Marvin assigns single-key shortcuts, Todoist changes the layout from a project's view settings, and Dooit switches with one keystroke system-wide. For keyboard-first users, dedicated shortcut keys beat menu navigation every time.
- TickTick: tap or click the three-dot menu on a list, then select Kanban View.
- Amazing Marvin: press L for List View or C for Column View, no menu required.
- Todoist: open a project and change the layout, one of five view options you can switch anytime.
- Dooit: a single keystroke switches the active project between list and Kanban.
Which task apps compare best for list/board switching, pricing, and sync?
Free-tier limits and platform coverage differ more than most comparisons admit. The table below shows what each app gives you before you pay, how you switch views, and where your data syncs. Disclosure: Dooit is our product.
Comparison table: list/board apps at a glance
| App | Board access | View switch method | Free tier | Paid entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | Pro & Business | Project layout settings | 5 projects, 3 filter views | $5/user/mo yearly |
| TickTick | All tiers | Three-dot menu | List, Kanban, Timeline | Paid plan available |
| Amazing Marvin | Single plan | L / C shortcut keys | 14-day trial only | One plan, all 100+ features |
| Superlist | List-centric | List-focused | 5 private + 5 shared lists | $6/mo or $59/yr |
| Any.do | Family & Workspace | View selector | Unlimited lists, List View | $4.99/mo yearly (Premium) |
| Dooit | Included | Single keystroke | 7-day trial only | $9/mo flat |
One number worth pausing on: Todoist Pro's billed-yearly price is 5× the free Beginner plan, climbing from $0 to $60 per year. For a broader field, see our roundup of the best apps for managing tasks in 2026.
Todoist: structured projects with tiered board access
Screenshot: Todoist pricing page, August 2026.
Todoist offers list, board, and calendar layouts, but the richest board and reporting features sit behind Pro ($5–7/month) and Business ($8–10/user/month). The free Beginner tier includes flexible list and board layouts per Todoist's pricing page, though full filtering and reporting need an upgrade. It runs on iOS, Android, web, and desktop.
- Beginner (free): 5 personal projects, flexible list/board layouts, 3 filter views, 1 week activity history.
- Pro: $5/user/month yearly ($7 monthly), 300 projects, calendar layout, task duration, 150 filter views.
- Business: $8/user/month yearly ($10 monthly), shared workspace, 500 team projects, 1,000 members and guests.
The annual math is the tell: Pro costs 5× Beginner's price, $0 to $60/year, mainly to add full reporting and calendar view. See how it stacks up in our Todoist vs Things 3 comparison.
TickTick: a true single-data-set Kanban toggle
Screenshot: TickTick articles page, August 2026.
TickTick gives you three views, List, Kanban, and Timeline, where Kanban is explicitly a display mode, not a separate structure, so nothing gets duplicated or lost in sync. Switching takes a menu tap, and List View adds drag-and-drop with subtask conversion. It runs on the broadest platform list here.
- Three views total, all reading the same underlying tasks.
- Kanban View toggled via the three-dot menu, not a keyboard shortcut.
- List View supports drag-and-drop reordering, and dragging a task onto another makes it a subtask.
- Available on iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, a browser extension, and web.
Amazing Marvin: keyboard shortcuts with manual board setup
Screenshot: Amazing Marvin en page, August 2026.
Amazing Marvin assigns dedicated keys, L for List View and C for Column View, making it the most keyboard-native option here for view switching. Building a Kanban board, though, means creating a label group and setting it to horizontal layout, unlike apps with a built-in toggle. A newer Bottom Drawer feature adds a board view at the screen's bottom.
- L and C shortcuts for instant List/Column switching.
- Kanban board requires manual setup: create a label group, select it, set layout to horizontal.
- The Bottom Drawer (January 2026) adds a board view for visual layout preference.
- Single plan with a 14-day free trial including all 100+ features, no tiered board gating.
Superlist: shared lists with light file collaboration
Screenshot: Superlist en page, August 2026.
Superlist's free plan covers up to 5 private and 5 shared lists with unlimited tasks and notes, plus file uploads up to 25MB each. Its list-centric design leans toward collaborative task lists rather than a dedicated Kanban board, fitting freelancers who coordinate with clients via shared lists over visual pipeline tracking.
- Free: 5 private + 5 shared lists, unlimited tasks/notes, 25MB/file, 500MB total storage.
- Basic: $6/month or $59/year, unlimited lists and sublists, plus Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, Linear, and GitHub integrations.
- Available on iOS, Android, Web, and macOS, no native Windows or Linux app.
A small pricing quirk: Superlist's $59/year Basic plan is $1 cheaper annually than paying $6/month across 12 months. More options in our Superlist alternatives breakdown.
Any.do: board view for families without a business-tier jump
Screenshot: Any.do en page, August 2026.
Any.do's free plan has unlimited personal lists and tasks with List View included, but Board view is gated to Family or Workspace plans, not the free or Premium individual tiers. Family plans start at $8.33/month for 4 members billed annually, an affordable route to boards for household task tracking.
- Free: unlimited personal lists and tasks, no time limit, List View and 7-day view included.
- Board tasks require Family or Workspace plans.
- Premium: $4.99/month billed annually ($7.99 monthly), still no Board access; Family is $8.33/month for 4 members.
- Widest platform reach listed: Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Web, Siri, Safari, Windows, Chrome, Firefox, Apple Watch, Wear OS, Huawei, Desktop.
Dooit: instant keystroke switching without menu hunting
Screenshot: Dooit blog page, August 2026.
Dooit is our product. Dooit switches between list and Kanban view with a single keystroke and is built for every action to complete in under 50ms, with no spinners and no loading lag, backed by 20+ shortcuts with full undo and redo. The tradeoff: one $9/month plan, no free tier, only a 7-day trial.
- Single keystroke toggles list and Kanban views, with Dooit targeting sub-50ms per action.
- Natural language scheduling ("tomorrow," "next Friday," "every Monday") works in both views.
- Goal tracking spans week, month, year, and multi-year horizons alongside daily habit streaks.
- Real-time sync across devices, including a dedicated mobile app interface.
- Limitation: one $9/month plan with a 7-day trial only, no permanently free option like Todoist Beginner or Any.do Free.
For the wider keyboard-first field, see our to-do list maker guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both list view and Kanban board on the same tasks without duplicating data?
Yes, in apps where Kanban is a display mode rather than a separate structure. TickTick builds Kanban as a view of the same list, so tasks stay in sync automatically. Dooit works the same way: one keystroke switches the rendering, not the underlying data. Amazing Marvin's board, built from label groups, needs more manual setup.
Which free task app gives you a Kanban board without upgrading?
TickTick offers Kanban View on its free tier via the three-dot menu. Todoist and Any.do restrict fuller board layouts to paid or Family/Workspace tiers, leaving Todoist Beginner and Any.do Free effectively list-only for board access. Amazing Marvin's single plan includes board setup but requires manual label-group configuration.
Is there a task app where switching views takes just one keystroke?
Dooit switches between list and Kanban board with a single keystroke, and Amazing Marvin uses dedicated keys (L for List, C for Column) for near-instant toggling. Most other apps, including TickTick and Todoist, need a menu or project settings to change the layout rather than a direct shortcut.
Do list and Kanban views sync in real time across mobile and desktop?
Real-time sync depends on the app's platform coverage. TickTick supports iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux; Any.do covers the widest range including Apple Watch and Wear OS; Dooit offers real-time sync across devices with a dedicated mobile app. Confirm your specific device is listed before relying on cross-device sync.
How does Todoist's pricing compare when you need board view specifically?
The full board experience sits behind Todoist Pro or Business; the free Beginner plan doesn't unlock it fully per Todoist's plan comparisons. Pro costs $5/month billed yearly, a 5× jump from Beginner's $0/year to $60/year, just to add calendar layout, task duration, full board access, and more filter views.
What's the difference between Notion, Todoist, and Trello for switching list and board views?
Among the apps compared here, Todoist offers native list and board layout switching within one project, gated by plan tier. Trello is board-first with list view secondary, while Notion's toggle relies on database views rather than a built-in shortcut. None match a single-keystroke switch like Dooit or Amazing Marvin's dedicated keys.
Want a list-and-Kanban switch that's one keystroke, not a menu hunt? Start free with Dooit and see if sub-50ms actions fit your flow.