8 Best Todoist Alternatives in 2026
Hand-tested replacements for every reason you might be leaving — free tiers compared honestly
Todoist is the safest to-do app recommendation on the internet — clean, fast, everywhere. But 'safe' isn't 'perfect': reminders are Pro-only, and depending on how your brain works, a different metaphor (time-blocking, boards, plain text) may fit dramatically better.
Why people look for Todoist alternatives
- Reminders — a basic feature — require the paid plan.
- Flat lists struggle once projects get genuinely complex.
- No native time-blocking: tasks stay abstract until they meet your calendar.
Todoist alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | Free tier | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| TickTick | most people leaving Todoist | Free with reminders | Calendar, Pomodoro and habits built in |
| Things 3 | Apple users who value calm | One-time purchase | The most beautiful GTD app ever made |
| Sunsama | deliberate daily planning | 14-day trial | A calm daily planning ritual |
| Motion | letting AI schedule your tasks | Trial only | Tasks auto-placed on your calendar |
| Superlist | modern team + personal todos | Solid free tier | Tasks and notes in one inbox |
| Routine | tasks merged with calendar | Free plan | Command-bar driven planning |
| Trello | visual thinkers | Free tier | Kanban boards, zero learning curve |
| Obsidian + Tasks | plain-text purists | Free | Todos living inside your notes |
The 8 best Todoist alternatives, reviewed
TickTick
Free with reminders Best for: most people leaving TodoistEverything Todoist charges for, free: reminders, a real calendar view, Pomodoro timer and habit tracking in one polished cross-platform app.
Things 3
One-time purchase Best for: Apple users who value calmNo subscription, no clutter — a serene, opinionated take on Getting Things Done that Mac and iPhone users describe as the app they never left.
Sunsama
14-day trial Best for: deliberate daily planningPulls tasks from everywhere (email, Asana, Trello) into a guided each-morning planning session with realistic time estimates. The mindful anti-todo-list.
Motion
Trial only Best for: letting AI schedule your tasksGive it tasks, deadlines and meetings; it builds and continuously rebuilds your daily schedule. Tasks stop being a list and become a plan.
Superlist
Solid free tier Best for: modern team + personal todosFrom the makers of Wunderlist — the spiritual successor with real-time collaboration, notes inside tasks and integrations that feel 2026-native.
Routine
Free plan Best for: tasks merged with calendarTasks, notes and calendar in one keyboard-first app — capture anything in two keystrokes, drag it onto your day.
Trello
Free tier Best for: visual thinkersIf lists never worked for you, boards might: drag cards through columns and see status at a glance. Still the friendliest kanban anywhere.
Obsidian + Tasks
Free Best for: plain-text puristsWith the Tasks community plugin, your notes become the task system — queries, due dates and recurrence in files you own. For people who think in text.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to Todoist?
TickTick — its free plan includes reminders, calendar view and Pomodoro timers, all paid features in Todoist. For Apple users willing to pay once, Things 3 costs less over two years than a Todoist Pro subscription.
What's better than Todoist for time-blocking?
Sunsama (guided manual planning), Motion (fully automatic AI scheduling) and Routine (fast drag-to-calendar) all treat 'when will I do this?' as the core question — the one thing plain to-do lists never answer.
Is Things 3 worth it over Todoist?
On Apple devices, usually yes: a one-time ~$50 purchase replaces a $48/year subscription, and its design consistently tops rankings. Skip it if you need Windows, Android or shared projects.
Why do people leave Todoist?
Paywalled reminders is the #1 complaint; after that, flat-list fatigue on complex projects and the absence of built-in time-blocking. Every alternative above fixes at least one of those directly.
More guides
Part of the Tooldex directory — 1,000+ hand-picked tools across 37 categories. Every alternative here is independently tested. Last updated July 3, 2026. Know a better option? Submit it.