OmniFocus is the most powerful personal task manager ever built. Custom perspectives, sequential and parallel project types, defer dates, review cycles, context-based filtering, AppleScript automation — it’s a system designed for people who think in systems.
It’s also a product that regularly defeats the people who try to use it.
The learning curve isn’t a gentle slope. It’s a wall. OmniFocus assumes you’ve read David Allen’s Getting Things Done, that you understand the difference between “next actions” and “projects,” and that you’re willing to spend hours configuring perspectives before you check off your first task. The GTD methodology it’s built around is powerful but rigid, and if your brain doesn’t think that way, the tool fights you at every turn.
Then there’s the Apple lock-in. Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — no Windows, no Android, and the web version requires a subscription ($9.99/month). The Pro license is $149.99 as a one-time universal purchase. And if you want to share a task with a colleague? OmniFocus has no collaboration features whatsoever.
People don’t leave OmniFocus because it’s bad. They leave because it asks too much for what they actually need.
Quick Comparison
| Alternative | Price | Best For | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Things 3 | $49.99 Mac / $9.99 iPhone | OmniFocus elegance without OmniFocus complexity | Same ecosystem, vastly simpler |
| Todoist | Free – $5/mo | Cross-platform, natural language, balance of power/simplicity | Works everywhere, learns in minutes |
| TickTick | Free – $35.99/yr | Feature-rich with calendar and habits built in | All-in-one approach at a fraction of the cost |
| 2Do | $14.99 iOS / $59.99 Mac | Power users who want depth without GTD | Flexible structure without methodology lock-in |
| GoodTask | $39.99 Mac / $19.99 iOS | Apple Reminders power-up | Adds perspectives to Apple's built-in system |
Deep Dives
Things 3
Things 3 is the most common destination for OmniFocus refugees, and there’s a reason. It’s on the same Apple platforms. It’s beautifully designed. And it takes the core concepts of OmniFocus — projects, areas, today view, upcoming view — and strips away everything that made OmniFocus hard.
No custom perspectives. No sequential vs. parallel projects. No review cycles. No AppleScript. Just areas, projects, headings, tags, and a clean separation between “today,” “upcoming,” and “anytime.” Mac is $49.99, iPhone is $9.99, iPad is $19.99 — all one-time purchases with free cloud sync.
The trade-off is real power. If you actually used OmniFocus’s custom perspectives daily, Things 3 will feel like going from a fully tuned race car to a well-built sedan. Smooth, enjoyable, but you’ll notice the missing horsepower. If you built elaborate perspectives that you rarely opened, you won’t miss them at all.
Things 3 is the right move for OmniFocus users who realized they were configuring their task manager more than using it.
Todoist
Todoist gives you something OmniFocus never could: your tasks on every device you own, regardless of who made it. Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, web, email plugins, browser extensions — all synced, all with the same interface.
At $5/month ($4/month annual) for Pro, it’s dramatically cheaper than OmniFocus. Labels, filters, and custom views approximate OmniFocus’s perspectives — not as powerful, but capable enough that 90% of users won’t notice the difference. Natural language input (“Call landlord every first Monday p1 #errands”) creates tasks with dates, priorities, and labels in one keystroke.
What you lose: OmniFocus’s deep project types. Todoist has projects and sections, but no sequential/parallel distinction. No defer dates (only due dates). No formal review cycle. If your OmniFocus workflow depended heavily on those features, Todoist will feel shallow.
But here’s the honest question: did you actually use sequential projects and review cycles? Or did you set them up once, feel sophisticated, and then ignore them? Most OmniFocus users I’ve talked to fall into the second category. Todoist is built for people who want to do things, not configure things.
TickTick
TickTick is an interesting OmniFocus alternative because it solves a different problem: the “I need my calendar, habits, and tasks in one place” problem that OmniFocus never even attempted.
Free tier is generous. Premium at $35.99/year gets you calendar integration, custom smart lists, and extended features. That annual price is less than what OmniFocus charges for four months of its subscription.
TickTick doesn’t have OmniFocus’s depth of project structure. No perspectives, no defer dates, no sequential projects. But it compensates with breadth: built-in calendar view, habit tracking, Pomodoro timer, Kanban boards, and an Eisenhower matrix — all cross-platform.
The fit depends on why you’re leaving OmniFocus. If it’s “too complex and Apple-only,” TickTick is a strong answer — simpler, cheaper, everywhere. If it’s “not powerful enough for my GTD workflow,” TickTick won’t help. It’s less structured than OmniFocus, not more.
2Do
2Do is the hidden gem for OmniFocus users who want depth without the GTD straitjacket. It offers nested projects, checklists, and task groups (similar to OmniFocus’s action groups), plus tags, smart lists, and location-based alerts. But it doesn’t impose a methodology. You can use GTD inside 2Do, or Eisenhower, or your own system.
iOS is $14.99 (universal, works on iPhone and iPad). Mac is $59.99. Both one-time purchases. There’s also an Android version, which immediately differentiates it from OmniFocus.
2Do’s smart lists are its killer feature. They’re essentially saved searches — filter by tag, list, priority, location, date range, or any combination. They’re not as sophisticated as OmniFocus’s custom perspectives, but they’re more intuitive to set up and still very flexible.
The risk: 2Do is a smaller operation. Updates have historically been irregular. The app is well-built and stable, but if you need confidence that your task manager will still be actively developed in three years, Todoist or TickTick offer more certainty.
GoodTask
GoodTask takes an unusual approach: it’s a power-user interface built on top of Apple’s Reminders database. Your tasks are actually stored in Apple Reminders, but GoodTask gives you smart lists, custom views, quick actions, and templates that Reminders lacks.
Mac is $39.99. iOS is $19.99. Both one-time purchases are available, with an optional supporter subscription. Because it uses Apple’s Reminders backend, your tasks sync via iCloud and are visible in the built-in Reminders app even if you uninstall GoodTask.
For OmniFocus users, GoodTask’s smart lists scratch a similar itch to perspectives. You can filter by list, tag, date range, and priority, then save those views for one-tap access. The template system lets you create multi-step task templates — similar to OmniFocus’s project templates.
The limitation: GoodTask is Apple-only (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch). No web, no Windows, no Android. And since it depends on Apple Reminders, you’re limited by Reminders’ underlying data model — no sequential projects, no defer dates separate from start dates, no review cycles. But if you’re already invested in Apple’s ecosystem and want perspectives-like power without OmniFocus’s complexity, GoodTask is a clever middle ground.
Who Should Switch (and Who Shouldn’t)
Switch if:
- You’ve spent more time configuring OmniFocus than completing tasks in it
- The GTD methodology doesn’t match how your brain works, and you’ve been fighting it
- You need your tasks on Windows or Android devices
- The cost ($9.99/month subscription or $149.99 for Pro) feels disproportionate to the value you’re getting
- You want collaboration features — sharing tasks, assigning work, working with a team
Stay with OmniFocus if:
- You genuinely use custom perspectives, sequential projects, and review cycles as part of a working GTD system
- You’re all-in on Apple and the platform limitation doesn’t affect you
- The complexity is a feature — you’ve mastered the tool and it gives you capabilities no alternative matches
- AppleScript or Shortcuts automation is part of your workflow
OmniFocus is the right tool for maybe 5% of task management users. The problem is that it attracts 20%. If you’re in the 15% gap — drawn to the idea of OmniFocus but never fully productive inside it — one of these alternatives will serve you better.
FAQ
Can I export my OmniFocus data to another app?
OmniFocus supports CSV export and has its own backup format. Todoist and TickTick both accept CSV imports, so the basic structure (tasks, projects, due dates, notes) transfers. What doesn’t transfer: custom perspectives, project types, defer dates, tags-as-contexts, and review schedules. Plan on spending an hour or two restructuring your system in the new tool.
Is Things 3 too simple for an OmniFocus user?
It depends on which OmniFocus features you actually used. If you relied on three custom perspectives and the rest of OmniFocus was overhead, Things 3 will feel liberating. If you used sequential projects, defer dates, and review cycles daily, Things 3 will feel like downgrading from a professional tool to a consumer one. Try the Things 3 trial and see if you miss what’s missing.
What’s the best cross-platform alternative to OmniFocus?
Todoist. It has the best balance of power and simplicity across every platform. TickTick offers more features (calendar, habits) but less task management depth. 2Do has an Android version and more structural depth than Todoist, but less development momentum. If “works on everything” is your priority, Todoist is the answer.
Should I try GTD with a simpler tool instead of leaving the methodology?
That’s a fair question. GTD isn’t wrong — it’s just overbuilt for most people’s actual needs. If the core principles resonate (capture everything, clarify next actions, review regularly), you can practice GTD in Todoist or Things 3 without needing OmniFocus’s enforcement. Use labels or tags for contexts, set up a weekly review reminder, and process your inbox daily. The methodology doesn’t require the most complex tool that supports it.