Todoist vs TickTick vs Microsoft To Do vs Google Tasks (2026): Full Comparison
These four apps dominate every "best to-do app" list. They're all popular, all different, and choosing the wrong one wastes weeks of setup. This guide covers what each app actually costs in 2026, what the free plans actually include, and who should use each one.
Quick Verdict
| App | Free Plan | Best For | Paid Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | Limited — 5 projects, no reminders | Power users, integrations, NLP input | $36/year |
| TickTick | Limited — 9 lists, no Pomodoro, 3 habits | Calendar + tasks + Pomodoro in one app | $27.99/year |
| Microsoft To Do | Full features, free forever | Microsoft 365 and Outlook users | Free |
| Google Tasks | Full features, free forever | Gmail and Google Calendar users | Free |
Pricing in 2026
Todoist
- Free plan: 5 active projects, 5 collaborators per project, no reminders, no filters, no labels, no activity history
- Pro: $4/month billed monthly, or $3/month billed annually ($36/year)
- Business: $6/user/month
The free plan works for a basic task list, but the missing reminders and filters are real cuts. If you rely on getting nudged about tasks or want to view work by label or priority filter, you'll hit the paywall quickly.
TickTick
- Free plan: 9 lists max, 99 tasks per list, no Pomodoro timer, max 3 habits, no full calendar sync, no location reminders
- Premium: $27.99/year ($2.33/month)
TickTick's free plan feels more limited than Todoist's in practice. The 9-list cap matters if you track multiple areas of life, and the Pomodoro and habit features — two of TickTick's biggest selling points — are locked behind Premium.
Microsoft To Do
- Free: All features, no paid tier
- Included with any Microsoft account (Outlook, Office 365, or a free outlook.com account)
No upsells, no paywalls, no feature gates. Everything Microsoft To Do does is available for free.
Google Tasks
- Free: All features, no paid tier
- Included with any Google account
Same as Microsoft To Do — completely free, no premium version. What you see is what you get.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Todoist | TickTick | Microsoft To Do | Google Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free reminders | ❌ Paid only | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Via Calendar |
| Natural language input | ✅ Best-in-class | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Subtasks | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Steps | ✅ Yes |
| Recurring tasks | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Basic | ✅ Basic |
| Calendar view | ✅ Yes | ✅ Premium | ⚠️ Via Outlook | ⚠️ Via Google Cal |
| Collaboration | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Pomodoro timer | ❌ No | ✅ Premium | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Habit tracking | ❌ No | ✅ Premium | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Email integration | ✅ Gmail plugin | ❌ No | ✅ Outlook sync | ✅ Gmail built-in |
| Offline access | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Native mobile apps | ✅ iOS + Android | ✅ iOS + Android | ✅ iOS + Android | ✅ iOS + Android |
| Third-party integrations | ✅ Extensive | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Microsoft only | ⚠️ Google only |
Who Each App Is For
Todoist — Power Users and Integration Builders
Todoist is the right choice if you need a serious productivity system. Natural language input works better here than anywhere else in this group — type "submit report every Friday at 5pm" and Todoist parses the task, date, and recurrence automatically. The filter system lets you build custom views like "all overdue high-priority tasks across my Work and Personal projects." The integration library is the deepest: Slack, Google Calendar, Outlook, GitHub, Zapier, IFTTT, and dozens more.
Choose Todoist if you:
- Type tasks naturally and want smart parsing
- Build custom views and filters for complex workflows
- Need deep integrations with other tools
- Want a productivity system, not just a to-do list
- Don't mind $36/year for the full experience
Watch out: The free plan blocks reminders entirely. If you need to be notified about tasks, you're paying or switching.
TickTick — Calendar-Focused Users and Pomodoro Practitioners
TickTick is the most feature-complete app in this group. No other to-do app bundles tasks, a Pomodoro timer, habit tracking, and a built-in calendar view in one place. If you're currently running three separate apps for these things, TickTick consolidates them at $27.99/year — a reasonable price for what you get.
The free plan's 9-list cap is a real limitation for anyone tracking multiple projects or life areas. And the Pomodoro and habit features that make TickTick stand out are both locked behind Premium.
Choose TickTick if you:
- Want tasks, habits, and Pomodoro in one app
- Do time blocking or need a calendar view for tasks
- Find Todoist's interface too cluttered, but still want power features
- Are willing to pay for Premium to unlock what makes it good
Watch out: The 9-list limit on the free plan and Pomodoro being Premium-only mean the free version undersells the app significantly.
Microsoft To Do — Microsoft 365 Users
Microsoft To Do is the sleeper pick. Completely free, works on every platform, and integrates natively with Outlook — flagged emails in Outlook automatically appear in a "Flagged Email" smart list. The "My Day" view gives you a focused daily planning surface. Shared lists with other Microsoft accounts work without any extra configuration, which makes it practical for families and small teams already on Microsoft 365.
It's less powerful than Todoist or TickTick for complex workflows, but for everyday task management it covers most of what people actually need at zero cost.
Choose Microsoft To Do if you:
- Use Outlook, Teams, or Microsoft 365
- Want task management with zero subscription cost
- Need a clean daily focus view (My Day)
- Share task lists with family or colleagues on Microsoft accounts
Watch out: Outside the Microsoft ecosystem, most of its value disappears. The Outlook email-to-task sync is its best feature and only works with Outlook.
Google Tasks — Gmail Users Who Want Zero Friction
Google Tasks is the most minimal app here. No projects, no priorities, no labels — just task lists, due dates, and subtasks. The entire proposition is that it lives inside Gmail and Google Calendar with no extra app to open. Convert any email to a task in two clicks. Tasks appear directly on your Google Calendar.
If you don't want another tab and already live in Gmail, Google Tasks is the path of least resistance.
Choose Google Tasks if you:
- Live in Gmail and don't want a separate app
- Convert emails to tasks regularly
- Need the simplest possible option
- Don't need priorities, labels, or any organization beyond basic lists
Watch out: No collaboration, no priorities, no notifications outside of Calendar. If you need any of that, you need a different app.
For Specific Use Cases
For Developers
Todoist is the strongest choice if your work involves GitHub, Jira, or complex project workflows — the integration library and filter system handle developer-specific views like "open PRs I need to review" alongside personal tasks. TickTick works well as a personal task layer alongside dedicated dev tools like Linear or Jira but doesn't integrate with them directly.
If you want Jira integration without the complexity of a full task management platform, TaskSpot integrates with Jira and pulls issues directly into your daily view.
For Families
Microsoft To Do wins for families. Shared lists work with any free Microsoft account, the interface is simple enough for everyone, and the assignment feature ("Assigned to Me") makes splitting chores or grocery lists easy. TickTick's collaboration is solid but requires Premium for full access. Google Tasks has no sharing at all.
For People Who Just Want a Simple Daily To-Do List
None of these four are designed for simple daily planning as their primary use case. Todoist and TickTick are feature-heavy by design. Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks are minimal but don't have a dedicated Today/Tomorrow workflow.
If what you actually want is a fast daily planner without projects, labels, or configuration overhead, TaskSpot is built specifically for that use case — Today, Tomorrow, Backlog, free forever, no setup required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best free to-do app in 2026?
If you want a fully unlimited free experience: Microsoft To Do or Google Tasks. Both are free forever with no feature gates. Microsoft To Do is better if you're in the Microsoft ecosystem; Google Tasks if you live in Gmail. Todoist and TickTick both have useful free plans but with meaningful limits.
Is Todoist worth paying for in 2026?
Yes, if you need reminders, filters, or more than 5 projects. The $36/year Pro plan unlocks the full app and the natural language + filter system justifies the cost for power users. If the free plan covers your needs, there's no reason to upgrade.
What are the limits of TickTick's free plan?
The free plan allows 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, and up to 3 habits. It does not include the Pomodoro timer, full calendar sync, location-based reminders, or more than 2 list collaborators. TickTick Premium at $27.99/year removes all of these limits.
Does Microsoft To Do cost anything?
No. Microsoft To Do is completely free with a Microsoft account. There is no paid plan, no premium tier, and no feature gates.
What is the difference between Todoist and TickTick?
Todoist focuses on a powerful task management system — NLP input, filters, integrations, and project hierarchies. TickTick bundles task management with a Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, and calendar view. Todoist suits complex workflows; TickTick suits people who want all-in-one life management in a single app.
Which of these apps works best on Android?
All four have solid Android apps. TickTick's Android app is generally considered the most polished and feature-complete. Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks are clean and reliable. Todoist's Android app is full-featured but can feel heavy on older devices.
Can I use Microsoft To Do without an Outlook account?
Yes. Any Microsoft account works — including accounts created at outlook.com for free. You don't need a paid Microsoft 365 subscription to use To Do.
Which app is best for GTD (Getting Things Done)?
Todoist, with its project hierarchy, labels, filters, and the ability to build a full GTD system (Inbox, Next Actions, Waiting For, Projects, Someday/Maybe). TickTick can also work for GTD. Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks are too minimal for a complete GTD setup.
Want a simpler option? TaskSpot focuses on one thing: helping you plan today and tomorrow, free forever, with no setup. See how it compares to Todoist, Google Tasks, and the rest of the field.