Todoist is one of the most respected to-do apps around, and its free plan is a fine starting point. The friction appears when you hit its limits: the features that make Todoist genuinely powerful — more reminders, better filtering, higher project counts — sit behind a subscription.
Paying monthly to be reminded to buy milk strikes plenty of people as backwards. Hence this guide: the best free Todoist alternatives in 2026, judged on the things Todoist users actually care about — natural-language input, recurring tasks that don't break, and sync that works across every device you own.
The honest one-line answer: yes, you can get a Todoist-class experience for free — TickTick's free tier and Microsoft To Do cover most people completely. The full verified list lives on our Todoist alternatives page.
Quick picks (TL;DR)
- Closest overall Todoist experience → TickTick free tier (freemium)
- Best fully-free all-rounder → Microsoft To Do (free, proprietary)
- Best if you live in Gmail and Google Calendar → Google Tasks (free)
- Best for developers and deep-work fans → Super Productivity (open source)
- Best on Android, full stop → Tasks.org (open source)
- Best for Apple households → Apple Reminders (free, built-in)
Comparison table
| App | Platforms | License / model | Standout strength | Biggest limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TickTick | All major platforms | Freemium | Natural-language input, Todoist-like polish | Best features gated to paid tier |
| Microsoft To Do | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, web | Free (proprietary) | Fully free, My Day planning, Outlook ties | No natural-language parsing to speak of |
| Google Tasks | Web, iOS, Android | Free (proprietary) | Lives inside Gmail and Google Calendar | Very basic feature set |
| Super Productivity | Windows, macOS, Linux, web | Open source | Time tracking, Jira/GitHub integration | Sync and mobile take setup |
| Tasks.org | Android | Open source | Powerful recurrence, open sync standards | Android-only |
| Apple Reminders | macOS, iOS, watchOS | Free (proprietary, built-in) | Deep system integration, smart lists | Apple ecosystem only |
TickTick — best overall Todoist replacement
TickTick is a freemium task manager that competes with Todoist feature-for-feature, and its free tier is enough for a full personal productivity system: lists, tags, priorities, and the quick natural-language entry Todoist users miss most.
Where it shines:
- Type "pay rent every 1st at 9am" and it parses date, recurrence, and reminder
- Flexible recurring tasks, including patterns like "every weekday"
- Apps on essentially every platform, with reliable free sync
- Extras Todoist doesn't bundle, like a built-in Pomodoro timer and habit tracker
Where it falls short:
- The free tier caps things like list counts and reminders per task; the calendar view is largely a paid feature
- It's a subscription company too — expect regular upgrade prompts
- Closed source, cloud-based sync only
Choose it if: you want the smallest possible adjustment from Todoist without paying. The full breakdown is in our TickTick vs Todoist comparison.
Microsoft To Do — best completely free option
Microsoft To Do is free (proprietary) with no paid tier at all — the rare task app with nothing to upsell. It inherited its planning DNA from a much-loved predecessor app, and it shows in the thoughtful "My Day" workflow.
Where it shines:
- Genuinely 100% free: lists, subtasks, reminders, recurring tasks, sync
- "My Day" encourages planning today instead of drowning in everything
- Shared lists for households and small teams, at no cost
- Tight integration with Outlook and the wider Microsoft ecosystem
Where it falls short:
- Little natural-language parsing — dates are picked, not typed
- No labels/filters system to match Todoist's power organization
- Advanced recurrence patterns are limited
Choose it if: you want a polished, dependable, entirely free task app and can live without power-user filtering. See how it stacks up in our Microsoft To Do vs Todoist comparison.
Google Tasks — best for Gmail and Google Calendar users
Google Tasks is Google's free (proprietary) task app — deliberately minimal, but positioned exactly where many people work: inside Gmail and Google Calendar.
Where it shines:
- Turn an email into a task without leaving Gmail
- Tasks with dates appear directly on Google Calendar
- Recurring tasks and subtasks cover everyday needs
- Zero learning curve; it's just there in your Google account
Where it falls short:
- No priorities, labels, filters, or meaningful views
- No natural-language input worth mentioning
- Desktop experience is a browser panel, not a real app
Choose it if: your life already runs on Google and you want capture-to-calendar simplicity over features.
Super Productivity — best open source pick for focused work
Super Productivity is a free, open source task manager aimed at people who work in front of a keyboard all day. It bolts time tracking, break reminders, and issue-tracker integration onto a solid to-do core.
Where it shines:
- Pulls tasks from tools like Jira and GitHub so work items live in one place
- Built-in time tracking and Pomodoro-style focus sessions
- Local-first data with sync via services you control (like WebDAV or Dropbox)
- Open source, no account, no tracking, no upsell
Where it falls short:
- Sync across devices is do-it-yourself, not one-click
- Mobile experience lags far behind the desktop apps
- Overkill if you just want a grocery list
Choose it if: you're a developer or deep-work devotee who wants tasks, time, and tickets unified — for free.
Tasks.org — best open source option on Android
Tasks.org is an open source task app for Android with a heritage stretching back to a classic early Android to-do app. It's the power-user choice on the platform, especially for anyone who cares about open standards.
Where it shines:
- Exceptional recurrence options, including patterns most apps can't express
- Syncs over open standards (CalDAV and similar), or with Google Tasks
- Location-based reminders, tags, filters, and widgets
- Open source, with a donation/subscription model that stays optional for core use
Where it falls short:
- Android-only — no iOS or desktop app (sync partners fill the gap)
- Utilitarian design compared to TickTick's polish
- Initial sync setup asks a little technical patience
Choose it if: you're on Android and want maximum task power with open standards and no lock-in.
Apple Reminders — best built-in option for Apple users
Apple Reminders is free (proprietary) and preinstalled on every iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. It has matured from an afterthought into a genuinely competent task manager that most Apple users never need to replace.
Where it shines:
- Natural-language sprinkles: type a time or say it to Siri and it lands correctly
- Smart lists auto-group by date, tag, flag, or location
- Location and time reminders, shared lists, and grocery-style sorting
- Free sync via iCloud with zero configuration
Where it falls short:
- Effectively useless outside the Apple ecosystem
- No integrations to speak of beyond Apple's own apps
- Complex recurring patterns and power filters are limited
Choose it if: everyone in your life has an iPhone and you want capable, invisible, free task management.
Decision framework
Choose TickTick if you want Todoist's experience, free, with the fewest habit changes. Choose Microsoft To Do if you want everything free forever and value daily planning. Choose Google Tasks if email-to-task inside Google matters most. Choose Super Productivity if tasks, time tracking, and dev tools should live together. Choose Tasks.org if you're an Android power user. Choose Apple Reminders if you're settled in the Apple ecosystem.
Cross-platform households have the hardest call: TickTick and Microsoft To Do are the two that work well everywhere.
What you give up
Todoist's paid tier still leads in a few areas. Its natural-language parsing remains the benchmark — fast, forgiving, multilingual. Filters and labels form a query system none of the free picks fully match, the karma-and-streaks layer is quietly motivating, and its integrations catalog is enormous. Teams also get solid shared-project workflows that free alternatives handle less gracefully.
If you manage dozens of projects with intricate views, Todoist's subscription may earn its keep — check the official site for current pricing. For everyone else, the free picks above genuinely suffice.
FAQ
Which free to-do app is closest to Todoist?
TickTick, by a comfortable margin. Its natural-language input, layout, and general philosophy track Todoist closely, and the free tier covers typical personal use.
Do any free task apps handle complex recurring tasks?
Yes. Tasks.org on Android offers some of the most flexible recurrence rules anywhere, and TickTick handles patterns like "every weekday" on its free tier. Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks cover simple repetition only.
Can I import my Todoist tasks into these apps?
TickTick offers a direct Todoist import, and several others accept exported files with some manual cleanup. For simple lists, honestly, retyping is often quicker than fighting formats.
Is Todoist's own free plan enough?
For a few projects and basic reminders, quite possibly — it's a good plan. The pressure points are reminder limits, filters, and project caps; if you're bumping into those, the alternatives above remove them without a subscription.
Closing
A to-do app should cost you attention, not money — and in 2026 the free options are strong enough that paying is a choice, not a requirement. Browse our best task management apps roundup to see the full field. Features and pricing change — always check the official site before deciding.