7 Best Todoist Alternatives in 2026
(That Actually Reduce Manual Work)
Todoist is a solid task manager. But every task still has to be typed in by you. If you're looking for a Todoist alternative because you want tasks to appear automatically from your email, meetings, and calendar, not just a different place to type them, here are 7 tools worth considering.
What is the best Todoist alternative in 2026?
- alfred_ ($24.99/month): if you want tasks extracted automatically from emails and meetings with no manual entry.
- TickTick (free-$3/month): best if you want habits alongside tasks in one app.
- Microsoft To Do (free): best free option with no feature gating, plus native Outlook integration.
- Things 3 ($49.99 one-time): best for Apple users who value premium design.
Why People Look for Todoist Alternatives
Todoist has been around since 2007 and has earned its reputation: it's fast, reliable, and beautifully designed. Millions of people use it. But there are real reasons people start looking for something else:
- •Everything is manual entry: every task must be typed in by you. If you forget to add it, it doesn't exist. There's no way for Todoist to discover tasks on its own
- •No email integration: most of your action items arrive via email, but Todoist doesn't connect to your inbox. You have to manually copy tasks from emails into the app
- •No AI task discovery: Todoist doesn't read your emails, scan your meetings, or surface things you need to follow up on. The intelligence is entirely yours
- •No calendar management: Todoist shows tasks on a calendar view, but it doesn't manage your actual calendar. Schedule conflicts, meeting prep, and time blocking are your problem
- •Limited automation: outside of basic recurring tasks and IFTTT integrations, Todoist doesn't automate workflows. It's a list that waits for your input
The alternatives below range from free list apps to AI-powered task automation. Here are the 7 best options in 2026.
alfred_
The task list that builds itself from your emails and meetings.
alfred_ is an AI executive assistant that flips the task management model entirely. Instead of you typing every task into a list, alfred_ reads your emails, monitors your calendar, and extracts tasks automatically. Follow-ups you need to send, commitments you made in meetings, deadlines buried in email threads: they show up in your task list without you lifting a finger. It also triages your inbox, drafts replies, and delivers daily briefings so you start each day knowing exactly what needs attention.
Pros
- Automatic task extraction: pulls action items from emails and meetings without manual entry
- Email triage and draft replies: AI reads, prioritizes, and drafts responses to your inbox
- Follow-up tracking: flags emails that haven't received a reply so nothing drops
- Daily briefings: every morning a summary of your meetings, pending tasks, and schedule conflicts
- Works with Gmail and Outlook
Cons
- Individual-focused: not a team project management platform
- More expensive than Todoist Pro at $24.99/month vs $5/month
TickTick
Task management plus habit tracker plus Pomodoro timer, all in one app.
TickTick combines task management with habit tracking, a built-in Pomodoro timer, and a calendar view, all in one app. If Todoist is a focused task list, TickTick is a task list plus a productivity toolkit. It handles the same core features (projects, priorities, due dates, collaboration) but layers in tools for building routines and staying focused.
Pros
- Built-in habit tracker with streaks, check-ins, and goal setting
- Pomodoro timer integrated directly into the task view
- Full calendar view with tasks, events, and habits in one timeline
- Eisenhower matrix view for priority-based task sorting
- Cheaper than Todoist Pro at $3/month equivalent
Cons
- Still fully manual: you type every task yourself
- No email integration or task auto-discovery
- More cluttered than Todoist's minimal interface
Things 3
Award-winning design built exclusively for macOS, iOS, and Apple Watch.
Things 3 is an Apple-only task manager that is widely considered the best-designed productivity app on iOS and macOS. It uses a GTD-inspired structure (Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Someday) with an interface so refined it won design awards. No web version, no Android, no Windows. It's built for Apple users who care deeply about design quality.
Pros
- Award-winning design: the most refined task manager on Apple platforms
- GTD structure: Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, Logbook
- Quick Entry via keyboard shortcut: capture tasks from any app instantly
- Seamless iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
- One-time purchase: no ongoing subscription
Cons
- Apple-only: no Android, Windows, or web
- No collaboration features
- No email integration or task auto-discovery
Microsoft To Do
Completely free with native Outlook integration and no meaningful restrictions.
Microsoft To Do is a completely free task management app that integrates deeply with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It inherited the DNA of Wunderlist (which Microsoft acquired and sunset) and connects natively with Outlook, Teams, and Planner. The 'My Day' feature encourages you to plan each day by pulling in tasks from your full list.
Pros
- Completely free: no premium tier, no feature gating
- Native Outlook integration: flagged emails become tasks automatically
- My Day planning view for daily focus
- Cross-platform: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web
- No project limit (Todoist free tier limits you to 5 projects)
Cons
- Less powerful filtering and labels than Todoist
- Less polished than Todoist for pure task management
- No AI task discovery
Any.do
Task management stripped to the essentials, with a daily planning nudge each morning.
Any.do is a lightweight task manager that focuses on simplicity above all else. It combines tasks, a daily planner, and a calendar in a clean, uncluttered interface. The 'Moment' feature prompts you each morning to review and plan your day's tasks, a gentle nudge toward intentional planning that Todoist doesn't offer.
Pros
- Clean, minimal interface designed to reduce overwhelm
- Daily 'Moment' planner that prompts morning task review
- Built-in calendar view alongside tasks
- WhatsApp integration for adding tasks via chat
- Good for personal and household tasks alongside work
Cons
- Less powerful than Todoist for filtering, labels, and project management
- Still fully manual: no task auto-discovery
- Premium at $5.99/month is more expensive than Todoist Pro
Asana
Full-scale project management for teams: Kanban, timeline, portfolios, and workload management.
Asana is a full-scale project management platform built for teams. Where Todoist is a personal task list that supports collaboration, Asana is a team workspace that supports individual tasks. It offers list views, board views, timeline (Gantt) charts, portfolios, and workload management: tools designed for managing cross-functional projects at scale.
Pros
- Multiple views: list, board, timeline, and calendar
- Project portfolios for tracking multiple initiatives at once
- Custom fields, rules, and workflow automation
- Workload management to balance team capacity
- Free plan for up to 10 users
Cons
- Overkill for personal task management
- Starter $10.99/user/month, more expensive than Todoist
- More complex setup and onboarding than Todoist
Notion
Tasks, notes, wikis, and databases all in one workspace. Infinitely flexible.
Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines documents, databases, wikis, and task management. You can build a custom task management system using Notion databases (with views, filters, relations, and formulas) that lives alongside your notes, meeting docs, and project briefs. It's infinitely flexible, which is both its strength and its learning curve.
Pros
- Custom task databases with board, list, calendar, and gallery views
- Documents and wikis alongside task management in one workspace
- Templates for GTD, Kanban, sprint planning, and more
- Notion AI for summarizing, writing, and generating content within pages
- Free plan for individual use
Cons
- Requires significant setup to build a reliable task management system
- Less opinionated than Todoist: consistency depends on self-discipline
- No email integration or task auto-discovery
| Feature | alfred_Best Overall | TickTick | Things 3 | Microsoft To Do | Any.do | Asana | Notion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Task Discovery | Full (emails + meetings) | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Email Integration | Yes (triage + drafts) | No | No | Outlook flags | No | Email-to-task | No |
| Calendar Mgmt | Yes (daily briefs) | Calendar view | Calendar event display | No | Calendar view | Timeline view | Calendar database |
| Collaboration | Individual | Shared lists | None | Shared lists | Shared lists | Full team platform | Full workspace |
| Price | $24.99/mo | Free-$3/mo | $49.99 (one-time) | Free | Free-$6/mo | Free-$25/user | Free-$18/user |
How to Choose the Right Todoist Alternative
The right alternative depends on what's actually frustrating you about Todoist:
- •Tired of manual entry? alfred_ ($24.99) extracts tasks from your emails and meetings automatically. The task list builds itself instead of waiting for your input
- •Want habits alongside tasks? TickTick (free-$3) combines task management with habit tracking and a Pomodoro timer in one app
- •Apple user who wants polish? Things 3 ($49.99 one-time) is the best-designed task manager on macOS and iOS, hands down
- •Want a solid free option? Microsoft To Do is completely free with no feature gating, plus native Outlook integration
- •Find Todoist too complex? Any.do (free-$6) strips task management to the essentials with a clean daily planner
- •Managing a team? Asana (free-$25/user) is a full project management platform built for cross-functional collaboration
- •Want tasks + docs in one place? Notion (free-$18/user) combines task databases, documents, and wikis in a single workspace
Our Verdict
alfred_ is the best Todoist alternative for professionals whose tasks mostly arrive via email and meetings, never written down.
Todoist is a well-built task manager that has earned its place in millions of workflows. But at its core, it's still a manual list. You type tasks in. You check them off. And when something slips through because you forgot to add it, that's on you. If you want the task list to build itself, alfred_ is the only tool on this list that extracts tasks from your emails and meetings automatically. It doesn't just organize your work. It discovers it. Email triage, follow-up tracking, daily briefings, and calendar management included. The other tools each have clear strengths: TickTick is the best all-in-one productivity app. Things 3 is the most beautifully designed. Microsoft To Do is the best free option. Asana scales for teams. Notion replaces multiple tools.
Best for
- Professionals tired of manually entering tasks they already knew about from email
- Anyone who regularly drops commitments because they forgot to add them to their list
- Outlook users who want deeper integration than Todoist provides
Not for
- Teams needing full project management (use Asana or ClickUp)
- Apple-first users who value premium design above automation (use Things 3)
- Budget-first users who just need a free list (use Microsoft To Do)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free Todoist alternative?
Microsoft To Do is the best free Todoist alternative. It's completely free with no premium tier or feature gating: shared lists, My Day planning, reminders, and cross-platform sync are all included. It also integrates natively with Outlook, so flagged emails become tasks automatically. TickTick and Any.do also offer solid free plans, but Microsoft To Do has no meaningful restrictions at all.
Is TickTick better than Todoist?
TickTick offers more features for the price: habit tracking, a Pomodoro timer, an Eisenhower matrix view, and a richer calendar, all included in the free plan or its $3/month premium. Todoist has a cleaner interface and better third-party integrations through Zapier and IFTTT. TickTick is the better value. Todoist is the more polished experience. Both are still fully manual task managers.
Does alfred_ replace Todoist?
alfred_ replaces the need for Todoist by approaching task management from a completely different angle. Instead of waiting for you to type tasks in, alfred_ extracts them automatically from your emails, meetings, and calendar. It also handles email triage, draft replies, follow-up tracking, and daily briefings. For professionals whose tasks mostly come from email and meetings, alfred_ eliminates the manual entry that Todoist requires. $24.99/month with a 30-day free trial.
Can Todoist integrate with email?
Todoist has limited email integration. You can forward emails to a project-specific address to create tasks, and there are browser extensions that add tasks from Gmail or Outlook. But Todoist doesn't read your email, extract action items automatically, or track follow-ups. You still have to manually decide what becomes a task. alfred_ is the only alternative that actively scans your inbox and extracts tasks without manual intervention.
Which Todoist alternative is best for Apple users?
Things 3 is the best Todoist alternative for Apple users. It's designed exclusively for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Apple Watch with native performance and an award-winning interface. It syncs via iCloud, supports Quick Entry from any app via keyboard shortcut, and uses a GTD-inspired structure. The one-time purchase ($49.99 Mac + $9.99 iPhone) makes it cheaper than Todoist Pro over time.
What is the best Todoist alternative for teams?
Asana is the best Todoist alternative for teams. It offers multiple project views (list, board, timeline, calendar), custom fields, workflow automation, workload management, and portfolios for tracking multiple projects. Todoist supports basic collaboration with shared projects, but it's fundamentally a personal task manager. Asana is built from the ground up for cross-functional team collaboration at scale.
Try alfred_
Stop Typing Tasks. Let alfred_ Find Them for You.
Todoist waits for your input. alfred_ reads your emails, scans your meetings, and builds your task list automatically. Follow-up tracking, email triage, daily briefings, and calendar management: one AI assistant for your entire workflow. $24.99/month with a 30-day free trial.
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