The short answer
If you want more features for the money, try TickTick: a list, a calendar, habits and a Pomodoro timer in one app. If you only use the basics, Microsoft To Do, Google Tasks and Apple Reminders are free. If you are all-in on Apple and prefer paying once, Things 3. If your real problem is that overdue tasks just turn red and get snoozed, OGARNIAK, the app we make, puts something at stake.
Disclosure: Świt Studio makes OGARNIAK and it is marked as ours. Nobody paid to be included. Prices are US prices seen in October 2026 and differ by country.
OGARNIAK is free to try: App Store · Google Play.
Why people look for a Todoist alternative
- The free plan. It has 5 projects; Pro is about $5 a month billed yearly.
- Paying for basics. Many people use a list, dates and reminders, which free apps also do well.
- Nothing happens when you miss a date. The task turns red and moves to tomorrow. For people who procrastinate, that is exactly where it stops working.
What Todoist does best is worth keeping in mind: natural-language dates ("every Monday 9am") and apps on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and the web.
Compared at a glance
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | natural-language dates, projects | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, web | Free (5 projects); Pro about $5/mo yearly |
| TickTick | list, calendar, habits and Pomodoro in one | all platforms | Free with limits; Premium $49.99/yr |
| Microsoft To Do | a simple free list everywhere | all platforms | Free |
| Google Tasks | people who live in Gmail and Calendar | iOS, Android, web | Free |
| Apple Reminders | iPhone and Mac only | Apple only | Free |
| Things 3 | a calm design, Apple only | Apple only | $9.99 iPhone, $49.99 Mac, one-time |
| OGARNIAK (ours) | people who postpone: a missed deadline costs a pet a heart | iOS, Android | Free trial, then a subscription |
The alternatives
TickTick: more in one app
Closest to Todoist, with a calendar, habit tracking and a focus timer built in. The free plan has limits (9 lists, 2 reminders per task); Premium is $49.99 a year. Runs on every platform.
Microsoft To Do: free, everywhere
A clean list with due dates and reminders, free on every platform with a Microsoft account. The best pick if you only paid for Todoist out of habit.
Google Tasks and Apple Reminders: already on your phone
Google Tasks lives in your phone and the Gmail and Calendar sidebars; Reminders is built into iPhone and Mac. Both are free and basic, which is exactly right if your only problem is forgetting.
Things 3: pay once, Apple only
The calmest design here. $9.99 for iPhone and $49.99 for Mac, one-time, with no Android, Windows or web version.
OGARNIAK: for when tasks keep sliding to tomorrow
Every app above is good at remembering. None of them makes skipping cost anything. OGARNIAK is a to-do list where every task has an hour, and if you miss it, your pixel pet loses a heart (never more than one a day). Lose all three and it is gone; keep three clean days and it grows.
- Tasks with a time and a reminder an hour before, added by typing or by voice.
- Hearts come back: one for every clean day, one for every hour in the built-in Pomodoro.
- Habits with a history grid, a bucket list, and today's tasks on the iPhone lock screen and in a widget.
- No account needed: everything stays on your phone.
The honest drawbacks: after the free trial OGARNIAK needs a subscription, and it runs on phones only, with no web or desktop app. If deadlines stress you out, losing hearts can feel like pressure; Finch, a gentle self-care pet app, is the kinder choice then.
Still not sure which kind of app you need? The best procrastination apps, by why you procrastinate, or for ADHD brains, the best to-do list apps for ADHD.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Todoist?
Microsoft To Do is free on every platform. Google Tasks and Apple Reminders are free too. TickTick's free plan goes a long way if you want more features.
Is TickTick better than Todoist?
TickTick packs a calendar, habits and a Pomodoro timer into one app, while Todoist is stronger at natural-language dates and projects. If you want everything in one place, TickTick; if you mostly capture tasks, Todoist.
Is there a Todoist alternative for Android?
TickTick, Microsoft To Do, Google Tasks and OGARNIAK all run on Android. Things 3 and Apple Reminders are Apple only.
Is there a to-do app that makes you actually do your tasks?
OGARNIAK takes a heart from your pixel pet for every missed deadline, so skipping costs something. For money stakes, Beeminder charges you when you go off track.