You're drowning in tasks. Deadlines are piling up, and sticky notes are everywhere. You need a task manager, but you don't want to pay a monthly subscription. That's where free plans come in.
Both Todoist and TickTick offer free versions that promise to organize your life. But which one actually delivers? I've spent months testing both platforms, and the differences are massive.
Let's break down everything you need to know about these two productivity powerhouses.
Before we dive deep, here's what you need to know: TickTick's free plan is significantly more generous than Todoist's. You get more features, more flexibility, and more value without spending a cent. Todoist locks essential features behind its paywall, while TickTick gives you breathing room to actually organize your life.
But that doesn't mean Todoist is worthless. Its simplicity and clean interface win over many users who feel overwhelmed by feature-heavy apps.
Todoist keeps things minimal. Their free tier includes:
The 5-project limit stings. If you're managing work tasks, personal errands, home projects, fitness goals, and learning objectives, you've already hit your cap. You can't separate different areas of your life without upgrading.
The activity history limitation means you can't review what you completed last month. That's frustrating if you want to track your productivity or look back at completed work.
TickTick's free plan feels like a premium product:
The Pomodoro timer alone makes TickTick worth it. You can work in focused 25-minute sprints without switching apps. The habit tracker helps you build routines, something Todoist completely lacks in its free version.
TickTick also gives you 2 reminders per task. That means you can set a reminder for the day before and the day of a deadline. Todoist only allows location-based reminders on the free plan, which is practically useless for most digital work.
Todoist looks clean. Really clean. When you open the app, you see your tasks without visual clutter. The design philosophy is "get out of your way," and they succeed.
Creating a task is instant. Type in the task field, hit enter, and you're done. The natural language processing understands phrases like "tomorrow at 3pm" or "every Monday," automatically scheduling tasks without you clicking through menus.
The inbox concept works beautifully. Everything starts in your inbox, then you organize it into projects. This matches how our brains work---capture first, organize later.
But the simplicity comes at a cost. The interface can feel too bare. You don't get visual variety or customization options. Every project looks the same: white background, black text, orange checkboxes.
TickTick packs more into every screen. You get a calendar view, a Pomodoro timer button, a habit tracking section, and your task lists all accessible from the sidebar.
Some users find this overwhelming. There's more to learn, more buttons to understand, and more features to explore. The onboarding experience takes longer.
But once you learn where everything lives, TickTick feels more powerful. You can switch between list view and calendar view instantly. The built-in calendar shows your tasks alongside your appointments, giving you a complete picture of your day.
The color customization is fantastic. Each list can have its own color and icon. Your work list can be blue with a briefcase icon, while your personal list is green with a home icon. This visual distinction helps your brain switch contexts faster.
Both apps let you create tasks quickly, but they handle details differently.
In Todoist, you type your task and use natural language. "Submit report Friday" creates a task due Friday. "Call dentist every 3 months" sets up a recurring task. The parsing is accurate about 90% of the time.
TickTick also supports natural language, but it's less aggressive. You might need to manually set some dates and recurrences. However, TickTick gives you more options when creating tasks. You can add:
The duration feature is brilliant. When you estimate a task takes 30 minutes, TickTick can schedule it in your calendar view, showing you if you actually have time for everything today.
This is where the platforms diverge significantly.
Todoist supports subtasks, but on the free plan, they're hidden by default in the list view. You need to click on the parent task to see its subtasks. This makes planning multi-step projects frustrating. You can't see your full scope at a glance.
TickTick displays subtasks inline. When you expand a task, you see all 19 possible subtasks right there. You can check them off without opening a separate view. The visual hierarchy makes complex projects manageable.
If you're a student planning a research paper, TickTick lets you create the main task "Write History Paper" with subtasks for research, outline, first draft, editing, and final submission. You see your entire workflow at once.
Todoist integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar through two-way sync---but only on paid plans. The free version doesn't offer calendar integration.
You get a "Today" view and an "Upcoming" view, but no visual calendar. The upcoming view lists tasks by date, but you don't get a monthly overview or the ability to drag tasks to different dates visually.
This limitation is painful if you think visually or need to see how your tasks fit around meetings and appointments.
TickTick includes a full calendar view on the free plan. You can switch between day, week, and month views. Tasks appear on their due dates, and you can drag them to reschedule.
The calendar pulls in events from your Google Calendar or Outlook (2 calendar subscriptions on free plan). This means you see your complete schedule: work meetings, tasks, appointments, and deadlines all in one place.
The timeline view shows your day hour-by-hour. If you estimated task durations, TickTick displays them as blocks, similar to calendar events. This helps you visualize if you're overcommitted or if you have free time.
Both apps handle recurring tasks, but with different levels of sophistication.
Todoist's natural language makes recurring tasks easy. Type "water plants every Saturday" and it works. You can create complex patterns like "every 3rd Tuesday" or "every weekday."
The system understands "after completion" syntax too. "Review notes 3 days after completion" means the next occurrence appears 3 days after you check off the current one, not on a fixed schedule.
However, the free plan limits your ability to snooze or reschedule recurring tasks easily. If you miss a recurring task, it just piles up, showing overdue instances that clutter your view.
TickTick offers similar recurring patterns through a visual interface. You click through menus rather than typing in natural language. This takes more clicks but removes ambiguity.
The "repeat from completion date" option works like Todoist's "after completion" syntax. If you check "exercise" off today instead of yesterday, the next occurrence is calculated from today, not from the original due date.
TickTick also handles recurring subtasks. If you have a weekly cleaning task with subtasks for each room, all the subtasks regenerate each week. Todoist doesn't support this on the free plan.
The Todoist mobile app mirrors the desktop experience: clean, fast, and minimal. The app loads instantly and never lags. Creating tasks on your phone is as fast as on desktop.
The quick add widget for iOS and Android is excellent. You can add tasks without opening the app. The widget shows your today list, letting you check off tasks from your home screen.
Voice entry works well. You can dictate tasks, and Todoist's natural language processing handles them correctly most of the time.
The free plan includes push notifications for task reminders, which is essential. However, you only get time-based notifications, not location-based ones (that's a premium feature).
TickTick's mobile app does more, which means it's slightly heavier. The app takes a second longer to load, but once open, it's responsive.
The mobile app includes the Pomodoro timer. You can start a focus session from your phone, which is perfect when working from a coffee shop or during commutes.
The habit tracker is also available on mobile. You can check off your daily habits as you complete them throughout the day. The visual streak counter motivates you to maintain consistency.
TickTick's widgets are more varied. You can choose from small, medium, or large widgets showing different information: today's tasks, your calendar, your habits, or the Pomodoro timer.
The app supports Siri Shortcuts and Google Assistant integration even on the free plan, making voice control more flexible than Todoist.
Todoist allows 5 collaborators per project on the free plan. You can invite people to shared projects, assign tasks to team members, and leave comments on tasks.
The collaboration works well for small teams or family planning. Everyone sees updates in real-time, and you get notifications when someone completes a task or adds a comment.
However, file uploads are limited to 5MB, which means you can't share detailed documents or large images. You're mostly limited to text-based collaboration.
TickTick's free plan restricts you to 1 shared list. This is more limiting than Todoist if you need to collaborate on multiple projects.
That one shared list supports 99 members though, which is absurdly generous. You can manage a large group project or family list without running into limits.
Task assignment works the same way: you can assign tasks to specific members. Comments and mentions work too. The file size limit isn't publicly specified but seems similar to Todoist's constraints.
For most free users who just want to share a grocery list with a partner or coordinate a small project with a few friends, one shared list is enough. If you need multiple shared spaces, Todoist wins.
Todoist includes a karma system that gamifies productivity. You earn points for completing tasks on time, reaching daily goals, and maintaining streaks. It's surprisingly motivating.
The karma levels (from Beginner to Enlightened) give you targets to hit. Many users report that seeing their karma score drop motivates them to stay on top of tasks.
Filters and labels help organize tasks across projects. On the free plan, you get 3 filters. This lets you create custom views like "All urgent tasks" or "Work tasks due this week."
The problem? Three filters isn't many. Power users quickly hit this limit and feel constrained.
TickTick's built-in Pomodoro timer is a game-changer. You click on any task, start a Pomodoro session, and work for 25 minutes. The timer tracks your focus time, showing you how many Pomodoros you complete daily.
The habit tracker helps build routines. You can track 2 habits on the free plan, setting daily, weekly, or custom frequencies. The visual streaks and completion graphs motivate consistent behavior.
TickTick also includes basic statistics. You see how many tasks you completed this week, which tags you used most, and your productivity trends. This data helps you understand your work patterns.
The Eisenhower Matrix view (four quadrants for urgent/important tasks) is available on all plans. This helps prioritize when everything feels important.
Todoist's search is fast and comprehensive. You can search by project, label, date, or priority. The search syntax supports advanced queries like "#Work @urgent" to find all urgent work tasks.
The 3 free filters let you save common searches. You might create filters for:
Three filters sounds limiting, but most users only need a few core views. The bigger issue is that you can't filter by multiple criteria easily without using up your saved filters.
TickTick's search is equally powerful. You can search across all lists or within specific lists. The app highlights matching text instantly.
The filtering system uses tags and smart lists. Tags are unlimited on all plans, letting you categorize tasks infinitely. You might tag tasks by context (@computer, @phone), energy level (low-energy, high-focus), or time commitment (5-minutes, 1-hour).
Smart lists auto-filter based on criteria you set. While advanced smart lists are a premium feature, the free plan includes basic sorting and grouping options.
The "All" view shows every task across all lists, which is helpful when you need a bird's-eye view of everything pending.
Todoist works everywhere:
The browser extensions let you create tasks from any webpage. Watching a YouTube video and want to remember to watch the rest later? Click the extension, and it creates a task with the video link.
The desktop apps are essentially wrapped web apps. They work fine but don't feel truly native to your operating system.
TickTick matches Todoist's platform coverage:
The wearable support is a bonus. You can check off tasks from your smartwatch, which Todoist technically supports but with less polish.
TickTick's desktop apps feel slightly more native, with better keyboard shortcuts and system integration.
Both apps sync instantly across platforms. You create a task on your phone, and it appears on your computer within seconds.
Todoist stores your data on secure servers. They use encryption in transit and at rest. The company is based in California and complies with GDPR and other privacy regulations.
Your free account data isn't sold to third parties. Todoist makes money through premium subscriptions, not by monetizing your task lists.
You can export your data anytime in CSV or JSON format. This makes switching to another app possible without losing your history.
Todoist requires internet connectivity for syncing, but you can work offline. Your changes sync once you reconnect.
TickTick is developed by Appest Limited, based in Hong Kong. They also use encryption and follow standard security practices.
The privacy policy is transparent about data collection. Like Todoist, they don't sell user data. The free plan is supported by premium subscriptions, not advertising.
You can export your data in multiple formats. The export includes tasks, subtasks, comments, and attachments.
Offline mode works similarly to Todoist. You can create and modify tasks without internet, syncing when you reconnect.
Todoist's onboarding is smooth. You create an account, and the app walks you through creating your first project and task. Within 5 minutes, you understand the basics.
The natural language processing is the main feature to learn. Once you understand how to type dates and recurrences, you're using Todoist effectively.
The help documentation is excellent. Videos, articles, and templates guide you through productivity workflows like Getting Things Done (GTD) or Agile Results.
Most users feel productive within their first day using Todoist.
TickTick has more features, so the learning curve is steeper. The initial setup asks about your work style and suggests features you might use.
You need time to explore the calendar view, Pomodoro timer, and habit tracker. Each feature has its own interface and settings.
The help center is comprehensive, but you'll need to invest more time reading guides to use TickTick's full potential.
For users who want a simple task list immediately, Todoist is friendlier. For users willing to spend an hour learning a more powerful system, TickTick rewards that investment.
Todoist excels when you want:
Simple task management: If you just need a digital to-do list without complexity, Todoist's clean interface keeps you focused.
Fast task capture: The quick add shortcut and natural language processing mean you capture tasks in seconds, perfect for busy professionals who need to brain-dump quickly.
Minimal daily tasks: If you only manage 10-20 tasks at a time across a few life areas, the 5-project limit isn't restrictive.
Collaboration on specific projects: Working with a small team on 1-3 shared projects? Todoist's 5 collaborators per project works perfectly.
TickTick shines when you need:
Visual planning: The calendar view and timeline features help you see your week at a glance, perfect for students balancing classes and deadlines.
Focus work sessions: The built-in Pomodoro timer means you don't need a separate app for focused work time, ideal for remote workers or anyone with deep work requirements.
Habit building: The habit tracker with streak visualization helps you build routines, great for personal development goals.
Complex project management: With 19 subtasks per task and inline subtask viewing, you can manage multi-step projects without feeling lost.
Time blocking: If you estimate task durations and visually schedule your day, TickTick's duration features and calendar integration are invaluable.
Both apps are stable and reliable. In months of testing, neither app crashed or lost data.
Todoist loads slightly faster, especially on slower internet connections. The minimalist design means less data to download and render.
TickTick occasionally lags for a split second when switching between calendar and list views, likely due to rendering more visual elements.
Sync speed is comparable. Both apps sync across devices within 2-3 seconds, assuming decent internet connectivity.
Battery usage on mobile is similar. Neither app drains your phone battery significantly, even with all-day use and push notifications enabled.
Todoist offers email support for all users, including free accounts. Response times vary from a few hours to a day.
The help center answers most questions. The community forum is active, with experienced users answering beginner questions.
Premium users get priority support, but free users aren't abandoned. The documentation is detailed enough that you rarely need to contact support.
TickTick also provides email support for free users. Response times are similar to Todoist, usually within 24 hours.
The help center is comprehensive, covering every feature in detail. Video tutorials walk through complex workflows.
The user community is smaller than Todoist's but still helpful. Reddit's r/ticktick subreddit is active with tips and troubleshooting.
The Todoist Pro plan costs $4/month (billed annually) and adds:
Most users hit the 5-project limit first. If you need to separate more areas of life or manage more complex work, you'll need Pro.
The price is reasonable for the value, but the free-to-paid jump is significant. You go from very limited to fully featured with nothing in between.
TickTick Premium costs $2.99/month (billed annually) and includes:
The price point is lower than Todoist Pro. The free plan is generous enough that you might never upgrade for personal use.
You'd upgrade primarily for more shared lists (if collaborating on multiple projects), additional calendar integrations (if you need to subscribe to many external calendars), or unlimited habit tracking.
The answer depends on your needs and work style.
Choose Todoist free if you:
Choose TickTick free if you:
For most free users, TickTick offers better value. The extra features---Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, calendar view, more lists---make it a more complete productivity system without spending money.
Todoist's strength is its simplicity. If extra features feel like clutter and you want the fastest possible task capture system, Todoist might fit your brain better.
Both Todoist and TickTick are excellent task managers. The free plans differ dramatically in what they offer.
Todoist keeps things minimal, almost too minimal. The 5-project limit pushes many users toward the paid plan. If you value simplicity above all else and your needs are modest, Todoist works beautifully.
TickTick gives you significantly more for free. The built-in Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, calendar views, and generous list limits make it feel like a premium product. Most users can build a complete productivity system without ever upgrading.
I use TickTick personally. The calendar integration helps me see my entire week, the Pomodoro timer keeps me focused, and the habit tracker reminds me to maintain healthy routines. The free plan does everything I need.
But I recommend Todoist to friends who feel overwhelmed by productivity apps. Its simplicity makes it approachable for people who've never used a task manager before.
Try both. They're free, after all. Spend a week with each app and see which one fits your workflow. The best task manager is the one you'll actually use every day.
Your productivity journey starts with choosing the right tool. Now you have all the information you need to make that choice confidently.
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