Why people look for TickTick alternatives
TickTick is a gem in the productivity space, packed with features and loved by millions. But here's the thing: it might not gel with everyone. Maybe you found it too cluttered with all those themes and personal features? Or maybe you needed something more work-focused?
Here are some of the most common reasons people share with us about why TickTick didn't work out:
Not Work Focused Enough: The themes, habit tracking, and pomodoro timers make TickTick feel personal rather than professional. If you're managing work projects or need to share tasks with colleagues, all those fun features can feel out of place in a business context.
Lacks AI Superpowers: While TickTick is adding some AI features, it's not as advanced as newer competitors. No AI scheduling, limited smart suggestions, and basic automation compared to tools built with AI-first approaches.
Interface Can Feel Busy: With habit trackers, pomodoro timers, calendar views, themes, and task management all in one app, some people find the interface overwhelming. Sometimes you just want a clean task list without the extras.
TickTick does have a lot going for it: low price for premium ($3/month annually), easy to use, and everything bundled into one app. But you're here for alternatives, so let's dive into what else is out there that might fit your workflow better.
Common reasons to seek TickTick alternatives
Understanding what you actually need
Before jumping into specific tools, let's break down the main reasons people leave TickTick. Understanding your pain points helps narrow down what you actually need:
Too Personal for Professional Use: TickTick's fun themes (space, nature, minimalist) are great for personal productivity but can feel unprofessional when sharing projects with coworkers or clients. The habit tracking and pomodoro features reinforce this personal productivity vibe.
Limited Team Collaboration: While you can share projects in TickTick, the collaboration features are basic compared to dedicated team tools. No advanced permissions, no detailed activity logs, limited commenting. If you need robust team features, TickTick falls short.
No AI-Powered Scheduling: Newer tools use AI to automatically schedule tasks based on your calendar, priorities, and work patterns. TickTick still requires manual planning. For busy professionals drowning in tasks, this automation gap is significant.
Mobile-First Can Be Limiting: TickTick started as a mobile app and it shows. The desktop experience is good but not as powerful as tools designed desktop-first. Power users who live in keyboard shortcuts might feel constrained.
Data Privacy Concerns: TickTick is based in China, which raises data privacy concerns for some users, especially those handling sensitive work information. The company has good security practices, but location matters to some people.
Want More Integration Power: TickTick has integrations, but not as many as some competitors. If your workflow revolves around connecting everything together, you might hit limitations.
Price vs Features: At $3/month (annual), TickTick is cheap. But some people would rather pay more for a tool that does exactly what they need, rather than having features they don't use.
The point is, TickTick is excellent for what it does, but it's not trying to be everything to everyone. Let's look at alternatives that might better match your specific needs.
What makes a good TickTick alternative?
Key features to prioritize
So what should you look for in a TickTick alternative? Here's the breakdown based on real user priorities:
Professional vs Personal Vibe: Decide if you want a tool that feels more business-appropriate. Tools like Todoist, Akiflow, and Motion have cleaner, more professional interfaces. If you liked TickTick's personal touch, Griply or Things 3 maintain that vibe.
AI Capabilities: If you want AI to do heavy lifting, look at Motion (AI scheduling), Akiflow (AI assistant), or Todoist (AI features for writing task descriptions). These go beyond TickTick's current AI offerings.
Team Collaboration: For work teams, prioritize tools with robust sharing, permissions, and activity tracking. Todoist Business, Asana, or ClickUp are stronger here. If you're solo, you can ignore this entirely.
Bundled Features vs Specialized: TickTick bundles tasks, habits, pomodoro, and calendar. Some alternatives specialize (Things 3 is pure tasks), others bundle even more (Akiflow adds email and Slack integration). Decide if you want an all-in-one or best-in-class for specific needs.
Pricing Model: TickTick is $3/month (annual). Alternatives range from free (Microsoft To Do) to $19/month (Akiflow). Higher price doesn't always mean better, but often means more power features. Budget accordingly.
Platform Availability: TickTick works everywhere. Make sure your alternative does too, especially if you use Windows, Android, or web apps frequently. Some tools (Things 3) are Apple-only.
Customization: TickTick has themes and some customization. If you want more, look at tools with advanced filtering (Todoist), custom views (Notion), or complete flexibility (Obsidian with tasks plugin).
Natural Language Input: TickTick has decent natural language parsing. If this is critical, Todoist is the gold standard. If you don't care, it opens up more options.
The perfect alternative depends on which TickTick features you actually use daily versus which ones sit unused. Be honest about your real workflow.
Todoist
Best Like for Like Alternative
Todoist is probably the closest like-for-like alternative to TickTick. It's easy to get on with, has a more work-focused UI, and similar core features. People tend to move to Todoist when they want something that feels professionally appropriate but still personal enough for individual use.
The interface is cleaner and more minimal than TickTick. No themes with space backgrounds or nature scenes. Just a well-designed task manager that looks good in screenshots and screen shares with colleagues. This matters more than you'd think for work use.
Feature-wise, Todoist covers the basics really well: adding tasks, organizing projects, sharing with others, calendar views, and Kanban boards. The natural language input is honestly better than TickTick's. Type "meeting with Sarah every other Tuesday at 3pm starting next month" and Todoist parses it flawlessly.
Where Todoist pulls ahead: the AI features are more developed. You get AI-powered task suggestions, smart scheduling recommendations, and better automation. The integrations are also more extensive, with 80+ connected apps versus TickTick's smaller ecosystem.
What you lose: habit tracking isn't native (you can hack it with recurring tasks, but it's not the same). No pomodoro timer built-in. And the price is higher at around $4-5/month annually, though still very reasonable.
The collaboration features are stronger in Todoist. You can assign tasks, set permissions, see activity feeds, and generally work with teams more smoothly. If you're sharing projects with coworkers, Todoist feels more professional.
The calendar mode in Todoist is cleaner to navigate than TickTick's, in my opinion. The month/week views are more intuitive, and the integration with external calendars works better.
Todoist also has a bigger community and more third-party tools built around it. If you want to connect your task manager to other apps or workflows, Todoist's ecosystem is stronger.
Downsides? No habit tracking means if you used TickTick for that, you'll need another app. The pomodoro timer absence is annoying for focus sessions. And while $4-5/month is cheap, it's still 50% more than TickTick's premium.
From our testing, Todoist is more stable and reliable than TickTick. Fewer bugs, faster sync, better mobile performance. The polish shows.
Verdict: Switch to Todoist if you want a cleaner, more professional task manager with better AI and integrations. You'll miss the habit tracking and timers, but gain a tool that works better for professional contexts and team collaboration.
Akiflow
Best for Consolidating Tasks from Multiple Sources
Akiflow is a premium solution for task management, and that's reflected in the price compared to TickTick. At $19/month (annual), it's about 6x more expensive. But for the right person, it's absolutely worth it.
Think of Akiflow as the landing strip for all your tasks. It imports tasks from ClickUp, Notion, Asana, Linear, GitHub, Slack, email, and more. Everything flows into one unified inbox where you can plan your day using time-blocking.
This is completely different from TickTick's approach. TickTick is self-contained, you create tasks within TickTick. Akiflow assumes you already have tasks scattered across tools and helps you consolidate and schedule them.
The time-blocking experience is stupidly good. You drag tasks onto your calendar, Akiflow suggests optimal times based on your schedule, and you can quickly rearrange as things change. For people who get 50+ tasks a day from different sources, this is life-changing.
Akiflow also has an AI chat assistant that helps you plan your workload. Ask "What should I focus on today?" and it analyzes your tasks, deadlines, and calendar to suggest a plan. TickTick has nothing close to this level of AI assistance.
The timer function is there for tracking time on tasks, similar to TickTick's pomodoro but more flexible. You can track however you work, not just 25-minute blocks.
Comparing this to TickTick is like comparing a Jaguar to a Honda. The Jaguar is faster, more powerful, better engineered, but costs way more. The Honda gets you there reliably for much less money.
Who should consider Akiflow? Busy professionals who get tasks from multiple sources (Slack, email, project management tools) and struggle to consolidate them. People who value time-blocking as their primary planning method. Those willing to pay for premium tools that save significant time.
What you lose from TickTick: habit tracking (Akiflow doesn't do this). The fun themes and personal productivity features. The low price, obviously. Multi-device support is there but mobile apps are more limited than desktop.
The learning curve is steeper than TickTick. Akiflow has more features and requires setup to connect all your tools. Budget 2-3 hours to get it configured properly.
But once it's set up? The time savings are real. If you're currently spending 30 minutes daily sorting through tasks across different tools, Akiflow pays for itself in saved time.
Verdict: Go with Akiflow if you're a busy professional consolidating tasks from multiple sources and willing to pay for premium features. Skip it if you're happy creating tasks in one place or if $19/month feels steep.
Blitzit
Best for Focused Task Execution with Timer
Blitzit is perfect for Mac users who want a focused approach to tasks and time tracking. It's very different from TickTick's comprehensive feature set, instead choosing to do a few things exceptionally well.
Many people love Blitzit for the one-time pricing option. Instead of subscribing forever, you can buy it outright. For people suffering from subscription fatigue, this is refreshing.
The core concept: Blitzit throws you into focus mode for one task at a time. You complete the task, get rewarded with confetti and GIFs (surprisingly motivating), then it queues up the next task. This linear approach works incredibly well for people with ADHD or those who get overwhelmed by long task lists.
The focus mode is what makes Blitzit special. It blocks distractions, starts a timer, and keeps you locked into one task until you mark it done or explicitly move on. TickTick has pomodoro timers, but Blitzit's whole interface is built around this focused workflow.
Blitzit also imports tasks from Notion and Google Calendar, which is handy if you plan in those tools but want a better execution environment. The import is automatic, so tasks show up in Blitzit without manual entry.
The embedded Mac experience is great. It lives in your menu bar, integrates with Mac keyboard shortcuts, and feels native in a way web apps never do. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, Blitzit feels at home.
Downsides? It's Mac only, while TickTick works everywhere. No habit tracking. No collaborative features. And the focus is purely on tasks and timer, so if you liked TickTick's calendar views and project organization, you'll feel the absence.
Pricing has both one-time purchase (around $50-70) and monthly options. The one-time pricing is the main draw for reducing ongoing costs.
This tool is popular with people who have ADHD because the forced focus mode and reward system (confetti!) provide structure and positive reinforcement. TickTick can feel overwhelming with its many features, while Blitzit's simplicity is calming.
Verdict: Choose Blitzit if you're on Mac, want focused task execution with timers, and prefer one-time pricing. Skip it if you need cross-platform support or TickTick's broader feature set.
Griply
Best for Life OS and Goal Tracking
Griply is probably the closest to TickTick for people who like having tasks and habits together, but want a broader life planning perspective. It lets you see habits, tasks, goals, and your life areas all in one place.
The pricing is very reasonable at $29.99 per year, slightly cheaper than TickTick's premium, and it's accessible on pretty much all devices.
What sets Griply apart is the life OS approach. Instead of just managing tasks, you organize around life areas (health, career, relationships, etc.) and set goals within each area. Tasks and habits connect to these goals, giving you context for why you're doing things.
This zoom-out capability is what TickTick lacks. TickTick is great for managing today's tasks, but Griply helps you see how today's tasks connect to bigger goals. For people who feel like they're always busy but not progressing on what matters, this perspective shift is valuable.
The habit tracking is actually better than TickTick's, in my opinion. The interface is cleaner, tracking is more visual, and it connects to your goals so you understand why the habit matters.
The task management itself is solid but simpler than TickTick. No pomodoro timer, no themes, no calendar integration. Just tasks with due dates, priorities, and connections to your goals.
Griply is relatively new compared to TickTick, but the user base loves it. The development team is responsive and actively shipping new features.
Who should choose Griply? People who want to connect daily tasks to bigger life goals. Those who found TickTick too focused on the trees and want to see the forest. Users who value goal tracking and life area planning alongside task management.
What you lose from TickTick: no timer abilities for tracking work sessions. Fewer views and organizational options. No calendar mode for time-blocking. Less mature integrations.
But what you gain: a system that helps you prioritize based on goals, not just urgency. Better habit tracking. A clearer sense of whether you're making progress on what actually matters.
The app looks good too, with a modern design that's clean without being boring. It's approachable like TickTick but feels a bit more thoughtful.
Verdict: Choose Griply if you want tasks, habits, and goal tracking connected in a life OS system. It's cheaper than TickTick premium and offers a different perspective on productivity. Skip it if you need pomodoro timers or extensive calendar features.
Things 3
Best for Mac and iOS Users
If you're a Mac or iOS user, Things 3 might be the perfect upgrade from TickTick. Things 3 is like a sturdy, reliable rock in the productivity space. The last major update was in 2017, but it's still one of the most beloved task managers ever made.
They built a timeless to-do list app that people adore. The design is beautiful, the interactions are smooth, and it just works without fuss or complexity.
Compared to TickTick, Things 3 is much more focused. No timers, no habit tracking, no calendar abilities, no themes. It's pure task management, executed perfectly. For people overwhelmed by TickTick's feature bloat, this simplicity is relief.
Things 3 is also personal-only, no sharing abilities. This is intentional. It's designed for individual use, which means the UI can be optimized for one person's workflow without compromise.
The project planning features are excellent. You can set deadlines for projects, break them into areas, and use checklists within tasks. It's good for personal projects that have complexity but don't need team collaboration.
The interface is faster and smoother than TickTick, especially on Mac and iOS. The animations, the gestures, the keyboard shortcuts, everything feels refined. Using Things 3 is genuinely pleasant in a way most productivity apps aren't.
The catch? Higher upfront cost. Things 3 uses one-time pricing: around $50 for Mac, $20 for iPad, $10 for iPhone. If you get it on all devices, you're looking at $80-100 total. That's more than 2+ years of TickTick premium.
But it's one-time. No subscriptions ever. For people tired of paying monthly for productivity tools, this is compelling. Calculate how many years you'd use it and the math often works out favorably.
Things 3 is Mac/iOS only, which is a dealbreaker if you use Windows or Android. TickTick's cross-platform support is a significant advantage if you're not all-in on Apple.
Who should choose Things 3? Apple ecosystem users who want the best-looking, smoothest personal task manager. People tired of subscription models. Those who value simplicity and polish over features.
What you lose: everything TickTick bundles (habits, timers, calendar). Team collaboration. Cross-platform support. Third-party integrations.
What you gain: a task manager so well-designed that using it is actually enjoyable. One-time pricing. Privacy (data stored locally, optional cloud sync). An app that won't change dramatically or get worse over time.
Verdict: Choose Things 3 if you're Mac/iOS only, want the most polished personal task manager available, and prefer one-time pricing. Skip it if you need TickTick's bundled features or use non-Apple devices.
Which TickTick alternative should you choose?
Decision guide based on your needs
Alright, time to cut through the options and help you actually decide. Here's the real lowdown:
For a similar but more professional experience: Go with Todoist. It offers a lot in the free plan, similar to TickTick, but feels more appropriate for work contexts. The AI features are better, integrations are more extensive, and team collaboration works smoothly. You'll miss habit tracking and built-in timers, but gain a tool that ages well as your professional needs grow.
For a totally free alternative: Look at Microsoft To Do. It's free forever, works across all platforms, and covers basic task management well. It's not as feature-rich as TickTick, but it's solid for straightforward task lists without subscriptions.
For AI-powered task planning: We'd recommend Akiflow or Motion. Both do AI extremely well. Motion is best-in-class for AI scheduling and automatically planning your day. It's more expensive (around $34/month), but the time savings are real. Akiflow is cheaper and focuses on consolidating tasks from multiple sources.
For a lesser-known gem: Try BeforeSunset. It's AI-powered daily planning with a focus on realistic workload management. The interface is beautiful, the AI is smart, and it helps you plan achievable days rather than overwhelming yourself.
For long-term life planning: Griply is the best TickTick-like alternative that goes deeper on goal setting and life areas. Also check out Timestripe and Sunsama, both help you zoom out from daily tasks to see bigger patterns. Sunsama especially is great for mindful task management.
For Apple users who want premium: Things 3 is unmatched for polish and design. The one-time pricing saves money long-term, and it's simply the best-feeling task manager to use daily.
For Windows/Android users: Todoist is your safest bet for reliability across platforms. TickTick's main competitor that works everywhere.
For people with ADHD or focus issues: Blitzit's forced focus mode or tools designed specifically for ADHD will serve you better than TickTick's many features.
My personal recommendation? If you're leaving TickTick because it feels too personal for work, go Todoist. If you're leaving because you want more AI power, try Motion or Akiflow (budget depending). If you're leaving because you want life planning, not just task management, choose Griply or Sunsama.
The best approach is to try the free tier or trial of 2-3 options for a week each. Your actual usage will tell you more than any review.
How to migrate from TickTick
Making the switch smoothly
Okay, you've picked an alternative. Now let's talk about actually making the switch without losing tasks or your mind:
Export from TickTick First: Go to Settings and export all your tasks. TickTick lets you export to CSV or their own format. Do this before canceling premium or deleting anything. Keep a backup.
Importing to Your New Tool: Most alternatives can import from CSV. Todoist has direct TickTick import (Settings → Integrations → Import from TickTick). Others might require some formatting. Test with a small batch first.
Habit Tracking Replacement: If you used TickTick for habits, you'll need a separate habit tracker for most alternatives. Tools like Habitica, Streaks, or Productive work well. Or use a dedicated habit tracker and let your task manager focus on tasks.
Pomodoro Timer Replacement: If you relied on TickTick's timer, grab a standalone pomodoro app. Session, Be Focused, or even just a browser timer. Honestly, dedicated timer apps are often better than built-in ones anyway.
Reorganize Your Projects: This is a good time to clean house. That project from 2 years ago you never finished? Maybe let it go. Review what's actually active and only migrate that.
Recreate Recurring Tasks Carefully: Pay attention to recurrence patterns when migrating. Some get lost in translation. Double-check that your recurring tasks (weekly reviews, bill payments, etc.) transferred correctly.
Update Calendar Integrations: If you had TickTick connected to your calendar, set up the new tool's calendar integration. Test it with a few tasks before relying on it.
Mobile App Setup: Don't forget to set up mobile apps for your new tool. Many people do everything on desktop and then wonder why tasks aren't showing on their phone.
Give Yourself Transition Time: Run both TickTick and your new tool for a week. Add new tasks to the new tool, but check TickTick for anything you haven't migrated yet. Once you're confident everything's moved, uninstall TickTick.
Adjust Your Workflow: Your new tool will work differently. Don't try to replicate your exact TickTick workflow. Embrace the new tool's strengths and adjust how you work.
The migration is honestly not that bad. Most people finish it in 2-3 hours and wish they'd switched sooner.
Common questions about TickTick alternatives
FAQ
Which TickTick alternative is most similar?
Todoist, hands down. Similar price point, feature set, and philosophy. The main differences are Todoist lacks habit tracking and pomodoro timers, but has better AI features and a more professional interface. If you want nearly identical functionality with a cleaner look, Todoist is your move.
Is there a completely free alternative to TickTick?
Yeah, Microsoft To Do. It's free forever, works on all platforms, and covers basic task management. It's not as feature-rich as TickTick, but it's solid for straightforward lists without paying anything. Apple Reminders is also good if you're Mac/iOS only.
Which alternative is best for teams?
Todoist Business has the best team features among task managers. But honestly, if team collaboration is your primary need, consider dedicated project management tools like Asana or ClickUp. They're built for teams from the ground up.
Do any alternatives have habit tracking like TickTick?
Griply does, and arguably better than TickTick. Otherwise, most task managers skip habit tracking entirely. You're better off using a dedicated habit tracker alongside your task manager.
Which tool has the best AI features?
Motion for AI scheduling, hands down. It automatically plans your day based on priorities and calendar availability. Akiflow has a great AI chat assistant for planning. Todoist has good AI for task suggestions. TickTick's AI is still pretty basic compared to these.
What if I want to stick with something affordable like TickTick?
Griply is $29.99/year, slightly cheaper than TickTick premium. Todoist is $4-5/month, not much more. Things 3 is one-time pricing that saves money long-term. Microsoft To Do is completely free. Lots of affordable options exist.