Loading…
TickTick vs Todoist
Which is the better task management for Mac in 2026?
We compared TickTick and Todoist across 5 key factors including price, open-source status, and community adoption. Both TickTick and Todoist are excellent task management. Read our full breakdown below.
TickTick
To-do & task list manager
Free
VS
Todoist
To-do list and task manager
Free
Visual Comparison
Todoist
Todoist — Official Website
Our Verdict
Both TickTick and Todoist are excellent task management. TickTick is better for users who prefer polished experiences, while Todoist excels for those who value established ecosystems.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | TickTick | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Monthly Installs | N/A | N/A |
| GitHub Stars | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
Quick Install
TickTick
brew install --cask ticktickTodoist
brew install --cask todoistLearn More
In-Depth Overview
What is TickTick?
TickTick is a comprehensive task management and productivity application that goes well beyond simple to-do lists to offer an all-in-one productivity suite. Developed by Appest Inc., TickTick has grown into a feature-rich platform available on every major platform — macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web, Apple Watch, Wear OS, and browser extensions — making it one of the most broadly available task managers on the market. What distinguishes TickTick from focused task managers like Todoist is its bundled productivity features: a full built-in calendar with time blocking that lets you drag tasks onto time slots to plan your day visually, a habit tracker for building and monitoring recurring personal goals with streak tracking and completion statistics, a Pomodoro timer with customizable work/break intervals and white noise integration for focused work sessions, a Markdown note editor for longer-form writing, and an Eisenhower Matrix view for priority-based task triage that organizes tasks into urgent/important quadrants. The task management core is robust, supporting multiple views including list, Kanban board, timeline, and calendar, along with subtasks, tags, priorities (five levels), smart lists with filter rules, and real-time collaboration with shared projects and task assignment. TickTick's natural language input handles dates and times well, and additional convenience features include voice input on mobile, location-based reminders triggered by geofencing, and a browser extension for quick capture. In 2026, TickTick has refined its interface with a cleaner design language, improved cross-platform consistency, AI-powered suggestions for optimal task scheduling, and enhanced calendar views with better integration of external calendars from Google and Outlook. Pricing is competitive: a Free tier with limited lists, collaboration, and features, and a Premium tier at $35.99/year (approximately $3/month) that unlocks everything including calendar views, custom smart lists, the full habit tracker, and additional Pomodoro customization options. TickTick's value proposition is clear: instead of using separate apps for tasks, calendar, habits, and focus timing, you get everything in one polished package.
What is Todoist?
Todoist is one of the world's most popular and enduring task management applications, trusted by over 40 million users worldwide with a clean, focused approach to personal and team productivity. Founded by Amir Salihefendić in 2007 — originally built as a side project — Todoist has evolved over nearly two decades into one of the most mature, reliable task management platforms available, with a design philosophy that emphasizes doing one thing exceptionally well: helping you capture, organize, and complete tasks with minimal friction. Its natural language input is universally regarded as the best in the industry, capable of parsing dates, times, priorities, projects, labels, and assignees from a single typed sentence with remarkable intelligence. Type 'Review Q1 report every last Friday at 3pm p1 #Work @Review' and Todoist instantly creates a properly scheduled, categorized, and labeled recurring task. The app supports hierarchical projects with sections for logical grouping, labels for flexible cross-cutting organization (a task can belong to one project but carry multiple labels for different contexts), powerful filter queries using Boolean logic and date operators for creating custom views, and a karma-based productivity tracking system that gamifies task completion. Todoist's integration ecosystem is among the broadest in the task management category, with over 70 native integrations and deep connections with Google Calendar (full two-way sync), Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, IFTTT, Alexa, Google Assistant, and many more. The design is intentionally minimalist — focused and consistent across macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web, and browser extensions. Todoist intentionally keeps its scope narrow; it does not include a calendar, habit tracker, or Pomodoro timer, preferring to integrate with specialized tools for those functions rather than building inferior versions. In 2026, Todoist has added Kanban board views, improved calendar integration, AI-powered task scheduling suggestions, and a refreshed design. Pricing: Free (5 active projects), Pro at $4/month or $48/year (unlimited projects, filters, reminders), and Business at $6/user/month for team features.
Detailed Feature Comparison
Built-in Calendar and Time Blocking
HighTickTickExcellent
TickTick includes a full calendar with time-blocking capabilities. Drag tasks onto calendar slots to schedule your day. View tasks alongside calendar events from Google Calendar or Outlook. This integrated approach eliminates the need for a separate calendar app for scheduling.
TodoistFair
Todoist has a basic 'Upcoming' calendar view but not a full time-blocking calendar. It integrates with Google Calendar as a two-way sync, but the calendar is external — you leave Todoist to manage it.
Verdict: TickTick's built-in calendar with time-blocking is a significant advantage for schedule-oriented users.
Natural Language Input
HighTickTickGood
TickTick parses dates and times from natural language input. However, it doesn't parse projects, tags, or priorities from text as comprehensively as Todoist.
TodoistExcellent
Todoist's natural language parsing is the best in the industry. 'Buy groceries tomorrow at 5pm p1 #personal @errands' is parsed into a complete task with date, time, priority, project, and label — all from one string.
Verdict: Todoist's natural language input is more comprehensive and faster for power users.
Habit Tracking
MediumTickTickExcellent
TickTick has a built-in habit tracker with streak tracking, completion statistics, and customizable goals. Track habits like 'Exercise 30 min' or 'Read 20 pages' with visual progress charts.
TodoistLimited
Todoist does not have a habit tracker. Recurring tasks can approximate habit tracking, but there are no streak counts, statistics, or visual progress tracking.
Verdict: TickTick's dedicated habit tracker is a unique advantage for personal development.
Pomodoro Timer
MediumTickTickExcellent
Built-in Pomodoro timer with customizable work/break intervals, white noise integration, and per-task time tracking. Start a Pomodoro session directly from any task.
TodoistLimited
No built-in timer. Users rely on third-party Pomodoro apps that integrate via API or browser extensions.
Verdict: TickTick's integrated Pomodoro timer eliminates the need for a separate focus app.
Filter and Smart List Power
HighTickTickGood
TickTick supports smart lists with filter rules based on dates, tags, priorities, and lists. The Eisenhower Matrix view (urgent/important quadrant) is unique and useful for triage.
TodoistExcellent
Todoist's filter query language is the most powerful in the task management space. Complex Boolean queries like '(overdue | today) & #work & !@waiting' create precise custom views.
Verdict: Todoist's filter syntax provides more precise control over custom task views.
Integration Ecosystem
HighTickTickGood
TickTick integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, Siri, Alexa, Zapier, and IFTTT. The ecosystem is solid but smaller than Todoist's.
TodoistExcellent
Todoist integrates with 70+ tools including Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, IFTTT, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Its API is well-documented and widely used.
Verdict: Todoist's integration ecosystem is broader and more mature.
Design and Visual Polish
MediumTickTickGood
TickTick's interface is well-organized and functional, with a clean sidebar navigation between tasks, calendar, habits, and settings. The design has improved significantly in recent years but can feel slightly busy due to the density of features and views available.
TodoistExcellent
Todoist's design is minimalist and refined, with consistent visual language across all platforms. The interface reduces cognitive load by focusing on tasks without visual clutter. Subtle animations and thoughtful typography create a premium feel.
Verdict: Todoist's cleaner, more focused design provides a less overwhelming task management experience.
Who Should Choose Which?
1The GTD Practitioner
Todoist
Todoist's project-based organization, label system, and powerful natural language input align perfectly with the Getting Things Done methodology. You can create projects for each area of responsibility, use labels as GTD contexts (like @office, @phone, @errands), and the Inbox serves as your capture bucket for unprocessed tasks. The filter system lets you build custom GTD views like 'Next Actions by Context' or 'Waiting For' lists. Todoist's API also integrates with dozens of automation tools for routing tasks from email, Slack, and web clipping.
2The Student With a Packed Schedule
TickTick
TickTick's built-in calendar view, Pomodoro timer, and habit tracker create a complete academic productivity system in a single app. Students can view their assignments alongside class schedules on a timeline, use the Pomodoro timer to maintain focused study sessions, and track daily study habits with streak monitoring. The Eisenhower Matrix view helps prioritize assignments by urgency and importance. The generous free tier means students do not need to pay for essential features that Todoist locks behind its Pro subscription.
3The Freelancer Managing Client Projects
Todoist
Todoist's clean interface, powerful project sharing, and extensive third-party integrations make it ideal for freelancers who need to manage tasks across multiple client engagements. You can create a project per client, share specific projects with clients for visibility, and use Todoist's integration with tools like Toggl for time tracking, Zapier for automation, and Google Calendar for deadline visualization. The productivity tracking features help freelancers understand their completion patterns and optimize their workflows.
4The Habit Builder and Wellness Enthusiast
TickTick
TickTick's built-in habit tracker is a genuine differentiator. You can create recurring habits with customizable frequency (daily, weekly, specific days), track completion streaks, and view habit analytics alongside your task list. This integration means you do not need a separate app like Streaks or Habitica. For users who want to build morning routines, exercise habits, or reading goals alongside their task management, TickTick's unified approach saves time and reduces app switching.
5The Minimalist Who Wants Clean Design
Todoist
Todoist's interface is widely regarded as one of the cleanest in the productivity space. The design philosophy prioritizes white space, clear typography, and minimal visual noise. Every element serves a purpose, and the natural language input means you can add complex tasks with due dates, priorities, and labels in a single typed sentence. For users who are overwhelmed by feature-heavy interfaces and want a tool that feels calm and focused, Todoist's aesthetic discipline is a significant advantage.
6The Power User Who Wants Everything in One App
TickTick
TickTick bundles task management, calendar, Pomodoro timer, habit tracking, Eisenhower Matrix, Kanban boards, and note-taking into a single application. For users who dislike maintaining subscriptions to multiple separate productivity tools, TickTick's all-in-one approach means one app, one subscription, one place for everything. The Premium tier at approximately $35.99 per year is also significantly cheaper than subscribing to Todoist Pro plus separate habit and timer apps.
7The Team Collaborator
Todoist
Todoist's collaboration features are more mature, with shared projects, task comments, file attachments, activity logs, and @mention notifications. The Todoist Business plan adds team workspaces, centralized billing, and admin controls. For teams that need to assign tasks, track progress, and communicate within the context of shared projects, Todoist's collaboration infrastructure is more developed than TickTick's.
Migration Guide
Ticktick → Todoist
Export TickTick tasks as CSV. Import into Todoist. Lists map to Projects, tags map to Labels. TickTick's habits and Pomodoro data have no Todoist equivalent. Calendar events remain in your external calendar service.
Todoist → Ticktick
Export Todoist as CSV. Import into TickTick. Projects map to Lists, Labels map to Tags. Todoist's complex filter syntax has no direct equivalent — recreate as TickTick smart lists. You'll gain calendar, habits, and Pomodoro but lose filter query depth.
Pro Tips
Try both free tiers simultaneously for a week before committing. The biggest differentiator is whether you value all-in-one features (TickTick) or focused precision (Todoist).
Final Verdict
Overall Winner
Todoist
8.9/10
Winner
8.6/10
Runner-up
Todoist wins by a narrow margin for its superior natural language input, more powerful filters, cleaner design, and larger integration ecosystem. TickTick is a compelling alternative that offers more features per dollar, especially for users who value the built-in calendar, habit tracker, and Pomodoro timer.
Bottom Line: Choose Todoist for focused task management with best-in-class input and filters. Choose TickTick for an all-in-one productivity app with calendar, habits, and focus timer built in.
Video Tutorials
How to Organize Your To-Dos with Todoist (Tutorial)
Peter Akkies • 142.5K views
Ultimate Todoist Setup For 2025 - Get Organised Now!
Carl Pullein • 77.9K views
How to get thoughts out of your head (and your notes app) and into Todoist
Todoist • 20.7K views
Top 3 free to-do list apps #todolist #todoist #productivity #habits #motivation #inspiration
Andre Nazare • 147.2K views
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your needs. TickTick offers more features in a single app (calendar, habits, Pomodoro). Todoist offers better natural language input, more powerful filters, and a larger integration ecosystem. Neither is objectively better — they serve different preferences.
About the Author
Explore More on Bundl
Browse task management apps, read our complete guide, or discover curated bundles.
Related Technologies & Concepts
Pomodoro TechniqueEisenhower MatrixNatural Language ProcessingDoistAppestGoogle CalendarZapierKarma System
Pomodoro Technique (Time management method built into TickTick.), Eisenhower Matrix (Priority framework available as a view in TickTick.), Natural Language Processing (Used by both apps for parsing task input.), Doist (Company behind Todoist.), Appest (Company behind TickTick.), Google Calendar (Integrates with both apps for calendar sync.), Zapier (Automation platform integrating with both apps.), Karma System (Todoist's gamification of task completion.)
Related Topics
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Feb 15, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Todoist has over 40 million users.[cite-todoist-official]
- TickTick Premium costs $35.99/year.[cite-ticktick-pricing]
- 1Todoist
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 2Todoist Pricing
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 3TickTick - Todo list, habit tracker & Pomodoro
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 4TickTick Pricing
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 5Todoist Integrations
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
Research queries: TickTick vs Todoist 2026 comparison; TickTick features calendar habits; Todoist natural language input