Google Tasks turns a mail into a line in a list you have to remember to open. Gadfly turns it into a to-do that finds you: a deadline read from the mail, a band that gets hotter, a push before it is due, and the lock screen.
Good at: Add to Tasks from any mail; AI suggested to-dos on some Workspace plans.
Where it stops: Tasks live in a side panel or another app; one notification; no deadline from the mail itself.
Platforms: Everywhere. Price: Free.
| Feature | Gadfly | Gmail + Google Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Turn an email into a to-do | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Every to-do gets a deadline automatically | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partly |
| Deadline re-read when the thread changes | ✓ Yes | — No |
| Deadline shows the sentence it came from | ✓ Yes | — No |
| Pressure rises as the deadline nears | ✓ Yes | — No |
| Push before a to-do is due | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partly |
| To-dos on the iPhone lock screen | ✓ Yes | — No |
| To-do widget on the home screen | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partly |
| Starred mail becomes to-dos | ✓ Yes | — No |
| Follow up if no reply | ◔ Coming | ◐ Partly |
| Any IMAP account (iCloud, Fastmail, your domain) | ✓ Yes | — No |
| Mail and to-dos in one app | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partly |
| No ads, mail is not the product | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partly |
| Price | €9/mo | Free |
✓ yes · ◐ partly · ◔ coming · ? not documented · — no. From each product's own docs and pricing pages, checked November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we fix it.
Pressure that rises until it is done Only in Gadfly Every to-do sits in a band set by its deadline: calm, hot a week out, burning two days out, critical once overdue. As the date nears it climbs, and critical ones break through your quiet hours. Other apps remind you once; Gadfly keeps the pressure on.
Lock screen and home screen widgets Only in Gadfly Your hottest to-dos on the iPhone lock screen and home screen, critical first, plus unread count. Private on a locked phone: band and short title only.
Deadlines that follow the conversation Only in Gadfly When a new message arrives, the deadline is read again from the whole thread. "We will get back to you next week" moves it; a contract expiry stays put. A date you set is never touched.
Every to-do has a deadline Only in Gadfly The date the mail states, else an estimate from what is asked and who is waiting, else a default by importance. No to-do can silently rot without a date.
Deadlines with evidence Only in Gadfly A deadline taken from the mail shows the sentence it came from. No mystery dates.
Gadfly. Like Gmail + Google Tasks, it is a full mail client, but every email you need to act on becomes a to-do with a deadline read from the mail, and Gadfly keeps the pressure on (bands, nudges, lock-screen widgets) until it is done.
Gadfly Pro is €9/month or €79/year after a 30-day free trial. Gmail + Google Tasks: Free (checked November 2026).
Yes. Gadfly connects to the accounts you already have: Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, iCloud, Fastmail and any IMAP server. Nothing moves; your mail stays with your provider.
Early sign-ups get 3 months of Pro free, not 1.