Alternatives guide

Best Todoist Alternatives
Without Subscription

A task management and to-do list app with natural language processing. But its subscription pricing makes many users look for one-time purchase or open-source alternatives.

Independently verifiedLast checked: June 15, 2026

Todoist is a popular task management app, but at $5/month ($60/year) for the Pro plan, it competes with free alternatives that offer similar functionality. Super Productivity is a free, open-source task manager with time tracking, pomodoro timer, and project organization. Microsoft To Do is free with Microsoft accounts and handles personal task management well. For more complex project management, Trello's free tier or open-source alternatives like Planka offer kanban boards. The core task management features — due dates, priorities, labels, and recurring tasks — are available in every serious alternative. Todoist's natural language input is nice but not worth $60/year.

Why People Look for Todoist Alternatives

Paying $5/month for Todoist adds up to $60/year and $180 over three years. Many users search for alternatives because:

  • -Task management
  • -To-do lists
  • -Project planning
  • -Habit tracking

Cost Comparison

Visit Todoist website

Monthly

$5

Yearly

$60

3-Year Cost

$180

Alternative

Free

Cost Over Time

Todoist (3 years)$180

Comparison Table

Free / Open Source

Best free alternative

PricingOpen Source
MigrationMedium
OwnershipFull ownership
Platform
WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSWeb
OfflineOpen Source

Best self-hosted alternative

PricingOpen Source
MigrationMedium
OwnershipFull ownership
Platform
WindowsLinuxWebSelf-hosted
OfflineOpen SourceAccount required

Key Features to Compare When Choosing a Todoist Alternative

  • 1Task creation with due dates
  • 2Natural language input
  • 3Project and label organization
  • 4Recurring tasks
  • 5Collaboration and shared projects
  • 6Mobile and desktop apps
  • 7Integrations (calendar, email)
  • 8Karma and productivity tracking

Detailed Alternatives

Super Productivity

Top Pick65% Match

Best free alternative

An open-source to-do list and time tracker for developers and power users.

Editor's Note

Super Productivity is great for developers who want time tracking and integrations with development tools.

What you gain

  • +Free and open source
  • +Time tracking built-in
  • +Jira/GitHub integration
  • +Pomodoro timer

What you lose

  • Natural language processing
  • Mobile app polish
  • Collaboration features
Open SourceMigration: MEDIUM

Vikunja

60% Match

Best self-hosted alternative

An open-source to-do and project management app.

Editor's Note

Vikunja is a good choice for users who want to self-host their task management.

What you gain

  • +Free and open source
  • +Self-hostable
  • +Multiple views
  • +API-first

What you lose

  • Natural language processing
  • Mobile app polish
  • Integrations
Open SourceMigration: MEDIUMRequires account

Who Should Switch?

Good candidates for switching

DevelopersTime trackersTask management enthusiastsPrivacy-conscious usersSelf-hosters

Should keep using Todoist

Users needing natural language inputTeams needing collaborationUsers needing many integrations

How to Switch from Todoist: Step-by-Step Guide

  1. 1Export your Todoist data — Settings > Backups > Export as CSV
  2. 2Try Super Productivity or Microsoft To Do — both are free and handle daily task management
  3. 3Import your tasks — most alternatives support CSV import
  4. 4Recreate your project structure — set up projects and labels in the new tool
  5. 5Test for a full week — use only the new tool to discover workflow gaps

Task management is a solved problem. Free tools handle due dates, priorities, and recurring tasks just as well as Todoist. The natural language input is a convenience, not a necessity.

Community Recommendations

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Microsoft To Do a good Todoist alternative?

For personal task management, yes. Microsoft To Do is free, handles due dates, reminders, and shared lists well. It lacks Todoist's natural language input and some advanced features, but covers daily use.

What is the best free open-source task manager?

Super Productivity for a full-featured desktop app with time tracking. Vikunja for self-hosted task management. Tasks.org for Android. Each serves different needs.

Can I use Todoist for free?

Yes, Todoist's free tier allows up to 5 active projects and 5 collaborators. For personal use, this is often sufficient. The Pro plan adds labels, reminders, and more projects.

Ready to stop paying for Todoist?

Super Productivity is completely free. No subscription, no recurring charges.