Todoist

The to-do list to organize work & life

4.8•54 reviews•

985 followers

The to-do list to organize work & life

4.8•54 reviews•

985 followers

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Productivity

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Project management software

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Calendar apps

Simplify life for both you and your team. The world’s #1 task manager and to-do list app.

The Best Todoist Alternatives

The best Todoist alternatives are TickTick, Things, Akiflow, Sunsama, and Google Tasks.

TickTick

4.7 ·

Choose TickTick if...

✓you want tasks plus calendar and Pomodoro
✓you need great desktop and mobile parity
✓you capture tasks from browser and Gmail fast

See details ↓

Things

4.8 ·

Choose Things if...

✓you live fully in the Apple ecosystem
✓you want a calming, minimalist task experience
✓you rely on keyboard shortcuts and Shortcuts automation

See details ↓

Akiflow

4.6 ·

Choose Akiflow if...

✓you time-block tasks directly on your calendar
✓you want one hub for tasks across tools
✓you prefer a keyboard-first daily planning flow

See details ↓

Sunsama

4.7 ·

Choose Sunsama if...

✓you want a guided daily planning ritual
✓you need realistic workload time estimates
✓you juggle tasks from many work apps

See details ↓

Google Tasks

4.7 ·

Choose Google Tasks if...

✓you want a lightweight to-do inside Gmail
✓you rely on Google Calendar for scheduling
✓you prefer zero setup and no new login

See details ↓

What to Consider

Todoist is a go-to task manager for people who want a fast, flexible to‑do list with strong cross-platform support. But the alternatives landscape is surprisingly diverse: some tools aim to be an all-in-one personal productivity suite (like TickTick with calendar and focus features), others lean into premium “daily planning” with time-blocking rituals (Sunsama, Akiflow), and some win by staying intentionally lightweight and embedded where you already work (Google Tasks in Gmail and Calendar). There are also options that prioritize calm, Apple-native craftsmanship over breadth (Things), trading team features for a polished solo experience.

In evaluating Todoist alternatives, the biggest considerations were how well each app supports day-to-day planning (lists vs time-blocking), the depth and quality of integrations (email, browser capture, calendars, and external task sources), cross-device consistency, and the balance between simplicity and power-user organization. Pricing models and value (subscription vs one-time, free tier limitations), collaboration and sharing needs, and long-term reliability and product momentum also weighed heavily.

TickTick

Simple and effective to-do list and task manager that helps you make schedules, manage time, and organize all aspects of life

4.7 · 23 reviews

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TickTick is the pick when a simple to-do list isn’t enough and you want tasks, calendar, and focus tools living together. Compared with Todoist’s more task-first approach, TickTick feels like a broader personal productivity suite, with built-in scheduling views and focus features that reduce the need for extra apps.

Its calendar mode is a standout for people who plan visually and want to see tasks alongside time commitments. Beyond lists, it also supports helpful organization patterns like tags, filters, and structured views that make it easier to run a personal system across work and life.

Capture is another area where TickTick shines: the browser extension and Gmail-style flows make it quick to turn emails and web pages into actionable tasks. It also maintains strong cross-platform parity, so switching between desktop and mobile doesn’t require relearning the app.

The main trade-off versus Todoist is that some of the best planning views can be locked behind premium, and the app’s design can feel more utilitarian than ultra-minimal alternatives. For people who want an “everything in one place” planner rather than a pure task manager, it’s a compelling upgrade.

Best for

Best for students and busy individuals who want tasks, calendar planning, and focus sessions in one app.

Standout features

✓Calendar view for tasks and schedule
✓Pomodoro timer and focus tracking
✓Tags, filters, and smart lists
✓Browser extension and email capture
✓Cross-platform desktop and mobile parity

Things

Organize your life

4.8 · 25 reviews

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Things is built around a calm, polished experience that prioritizes focus over feature sprawl. Where Todoist often wins on breadth and cross-platform reach, Things stands out by feeling deeply native on Apple devices, with an interface that stays out of the way.

On Mac, it’s especially strong for keyboard-driven productivity, making capture and triage fast during meetings or between tasks. The overall design is intentionally minimal, which can make daily planning feel lighter and more sustainable than systems that encourage constant tweaking.

Things also leans into Apple ecosystem advantages like Siri, Shortcuts, and Apple Watch support, so reminders and quick-add workflows fit naturally into iOS and macOS habits. Email-to-Things adds another low-friction path for converting messages into next actions without living in the inbox.

The key trade-off versus Todoist is collaboration: Things is primarily a personal task manager, not a shared team workspace. It’s a great alternative when aesthetics, reliability, and Apple-first automation matter more than cross-platform access and shared projects.

Best for

Ideal for Apple-first users who want a beautiful, distraction-free personal task manager.

Standout features

✓Apple-native design and smooth sync
✓Fast keyboard shortcuts for quick capture
✓Siri, Shortcuts, and Apple Watch support
✓Email-to-Things task creation
✓Minimalist organization for daily planning

Akiflow

Being always well organised is possible.

4.6 · 18 reviews

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Akiflow centers everything around a single daily planning workflow that merges tasks and calendar time. Unlike Todoist’s list-led experience, Akiflow is designed for time-blockers who want to drag work onto the day, protect focus time, and treat the calendar as the real plan.

A major advantage is consolidation: Akiflow acts as a hub where tasks from multiple tools can flow into one place, reducing the constant context switching that comes with managing separate systems. For people juggling many inputs, this “single inbox for work” approach can be more effective than maintaining perfect project structures.

Speed is part of the product’s identity, with a keyboard-first command bar and fast capture on desktop that makes planning feel lightweight even when the day is packed. It also supports modern extras like AI-assisted capture and offline planning, which can help when processing messages into scheduled work.

The trade-offs versus Todoist tend to be price and portability expectations: it’s a premium daily planner and some users will want stronger export controls or a more mature mobile experience. If the goal is turning an overwhelming task universe into a concrete day-by-day schedule, Akiflow is a strong alternative.

Best for

Best for busy knowledge workers who plan by time-blocking and want a keyboard-first daily planner.

Standout features

✓Tasks and calendar unified in one view
✓Keyboard-first command bar workflow
✓Integrations to consolidate tasks from tools
✓Quick capture from desktop anywhere
✓Offline mode for planning on the go

Sunsama

YC W19. If Google Calendar and Trello had a baby.

4.7 · 21 reviews

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Sunsama is less about managing an infinite task list and more about crafting a realistic day. Compared with Todoist, it’s purpose-built for intentional planning, pairing tasks with time estimates and a calendar-based plan so work feels finite and achievable.

Its signature difference is the daily planning ritual: Sunsama nudges a morning plan, encourages a shutdown routine, and supports weekly reflection to help prevent overcommitment. That structure can be the missing layer for people who already have tasks in multiple places but struggle to turn them into focused execution.

Integrations are a core strength, pulling in tasks from popular work tools and syncing with calendars so the plan reflects real commitments. Workload realism features and timeboxing make it easier to see what fits before the day spirals, which is a different value proposition than Todoist’s flexibility-first approach.

The main trade-off is cost, plus a mobile experience that may not feel as primary as the desktop workflow. For self-directed professionals who want a planning coach and a calendar-driven routine, Sunsama is one of the most distinct alternatives.

Best for

Great for self-directed professionals who want structured daily planning and timeboxing.

Standout features

✓Daily planning and shutdown rituals
✓Time estimates and calendar time-blocking
✓Workload warnings to prevent overcommitment
✓Deep integrations with task and calendar tools
✓Weekly review and reflection workflows

Google Tasks

Manage, capture, and edit your tasks from anywhere, at anytime, with to-dos that sync across all your devices

4.7 · 7 reviews

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Google Tasks wins on zero-friction simplicity inside the tools many people already use all day. While Todoist offers a richer feature set, Google Tasks is compelling when the priority is avoiding another app, another workflow, and another place to check.

Its tight connection to Gmail and Google Calendar makes it easy to convert email follow-ups into tasks and see scheduled items alongside the day’s events. That embedded experience can beat Todoist for Google-centric users because tasks live exactly where planning and communication already happen.

The approach is intentionally lightweight, which keeps setup minimal and reduces the temptation to over-engineer a system. It’s the kind of tool that works best when a straightforward list and simple scheduling are enough.

The trade-off is depth: compared with Todoist, it’s not trying to be a power-user task manager with extensive organization and workflow options. If the goal is effortless, always-there task tracking across Google apps, Google Tasks is a strong alternative.