Compare digital task lists by testing whether important tasks, history, recurrence, hierarchy, notes, links, ordering, sharing, and ownership can leave the app and be restored. A simple CSV of unfinished titles may look portable while losing completed history, recurring rules, subtasks, timestamps, attachments, comments, and list relationships.
Define the task data model
Inventory accounts, workspaces, lists, sections, tasks, subtasks, stable IDs, titles, descriptions, status, creation and completion times, due dates, start dates, recurrence, priority, stars, tags, links, attachments, comments, assignees, list ordering, filters, saved views, templates, reminders, notifications, automations, archived items, and deleted-item retention.
Separate task data from calendar events, email flags, team projects, and habit tracking. A vendor may display them together but export them through different services. Identify primary owner, administrators, billing, recovery, sharing, and permissions without recording secrets.
Inspect export coverage
Google Tasks' export documentation lists IDs, list and parent relationships, descriptions, due dates, recurrence, creation and completion timestamps, sort order, links, task type, starred state, and completion status. It also states that deleted user data cannot be exported. This illustrates why the field inventory and retention timing matter.
For every candidate app, document export format, scope, plan and role requirements, how long generation takes, whether attachments are files or links, and whether completed, archived, shared, and deleted items are covered. Open the archive independently and preserve its original contents.
For board-style task systems, Atlassian's Trello export guidance shows that JSON, CSV, workspace scope, comments, raw attachments, and re-import capability can differ by plan and export method. Test the exact product and subscription rather than generalizing from the presence of an export menu.
Run a round-trip test
Create fictional lists for personal, household, and small-team use. Include a plain task, recurring task, nested subtask, completed task, future task, overdue task, link, note, attachment, assigned task, custom order, and shared list. Export through the normal interface and count objects by type.
Import into a clean destination or neutral table. Compare title, description, hierarchy, dates, time zones, recurrence, completion, order, links, files, assignee, and list membership. Then edit and complete restored tasks to confirm they function. A read-only archive is useful evidence but not a successful round trip.
Test duplicate imports, recurrence across daylight-saving changes, inaccessible characters, large notes, broken attachment links, and source account deactivation. Document manual mappings and errors. Do not use real household, employee, health, or customer tasks in a portability test.
Evaluate ownership and collaboration
Determine who controls each list and what happens when its creator leaves. Test transfer or succession where supported, guest access, revocation, export rights, account recovery, and an administrator's visibility. Sharing should not require a public link or a shared password.
Assess whether data is usable after a subscription downgrade or integration removal. Confirm that deleting an account or list is reversible only when the provider says so. Stop before account transfer, bulk deletion, billing change, or other consequential action unless authorized.
Score fit, accessibility, and continuity
Compare daily capture, keyboard and screen-reader use, mobile and offline behavior, reminders, calendar integration, collaboration, privacy, export completeness, re-import, API, backups, recovery, cost, and required expertise. Weight portability based on actual reliance: a private grocery list has different recovery needs from a team's operational checklist.
Set a periodic export and restore-review schedule. Keep owner succession and emergency access documented. Record list counts, completion history, export size, generation time, restoration time, and unresolved exceptions on every exercise. Recheck integrations and attachment links because an archive can remain readable while external dependencies silently expire. Mark untested claims as unknown.
The comparison is complete when an authorized user can export representative tasks, explain omissions, reconstruct critical lists, preserve meaningful history, recover ownership, and continue work after the source is unavailable. Save the acceptance matrix beside the purchasing or adoption decision. Choose the task list whose everyday fit and tested exit path match the real use case.
Sources
- Export your data from Google Tasks — Google Tasks Help
- Export data from Trello — Atlassian Support