Alcove vs OmniFocus: a calm daily list or a full GTD system?
OmniFocus 4 is a full Getting Things Done system with contexts, defer dates, custom perspectives and reviews, sold as a $74.99 or $149.99 universal licence or $99.99 a year. Alcove is a simpler daily list in the Mac menu bar, with boards, a calendar and notes that calculate, for $29.99 once. Choose OmniFocus for depth, Alcove for speed and calm.
OmniFocus is the most powerful task manager on Apple devices and the reference app for Getting Things Done. Alcove is built for a different person: someone who wants their day one click away and would rather not maintain a system. Here's how they compare, checked in October 2026. I make Alcove, so weigh that, but I've tried to be fair.
At a glance
| Alcove | OmniFocus 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad, after a 14-day free trial | $74.99 Standard or $149.99 Pro universal licence, or $99.99 a year (with web); 14-day trial |
| Runs on | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, and the web with the subscription |
| Quick add | ⌥ Space from any app; one sentence sets day, time, length, list, tag, priority and repeat | Quick Entry from a keyboard shortcut |
| Menu bar | Popup with today, lists, the month, notes and boards; lists float | No list in the menu bar |
| Structure | Lists, folders, tags, boards | Projects, action groups, tags, sequential and parallel projects |
| Planning | Calendar with Day, Week and Month, an hour grid and a Plan panel | Forecast with calendar events, defer and due dates |
| Views | Today, Upcoming, lists, tags, boards, calendar | Custom perspectives (Pro) |
| Reviews | Progress shows what you finished against what you added | Built-in Review with per-project intervals |
| Notes | Notes that calculate, with tables, beside your tasks | Notes on each item |
| AI assistants | Local MCP server, with your approval | Omni Automation scripting |
| Account | None; your own iCloud | Omni Sync Server account, or your own WebDAV server |
Where OmniFocus is stronger
- Depth. Sequential projects, defer dates that hide work until it's relevant, review intervals per project, and custom perspectives let you build exactly the system you want.
- Automation. Omni Automation lets you script almost anything.
- More devices. Apple Watch, Vision Pro, and the web with a subscription.
Where Alcove is stronger
- Speed and calm. Your day is in the Mac menu bar, one click from any app. There's nothing to set up or maintain before it's useful.
- Price. $29.99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad, with Family Sharing.
- Notes beside your tasks. A notebook with headings, checklists, code and tables that do the maths. See notes that do the maths.
- Boards and an hour grid. Move work across a kanban board, or plan your day on a calendar. See time blocking with an hour grid.
- Reminders that ring. Choose quiet, a notification or an alarm for each reminder; on iPhone with iOS 26 an alarm rings through silent mode and Focus.
- No account. Everything syncs through your own iCloud.
Which should you choose?
Choose OmniFocus if you practise GTD seriously, use defer dates and reviews every week, and enjoy shaping your own perspectives.
Choose Alcove if you've tried OmniFocus and spent more time on the system than on the work, or if you want something quick that lives in the menu bar, with notes and boards in the same place. See a simple GTD setup in Alcove.
Sources
Checked in October 2026:
Questions people ask
Is Alcove a good OmniFocus alternative?
For people who find OmniFocus more than they need, yes. Alcove keeps your day in the Mac menu bar with lists, tags, boards and a calendar, and adds notes that do the maths, for $29.99 once. If you rely on defer dates, perspectives and reviews, OmniFocus is the better tool.
How much does OmniFocus 4 cost?
OmniFocus 4 sells a universal perpetual licence at $74.99 (Standard) or $149.99 (Pro), or a $99.99 yearly subscription that includes the web version. There's a 14-day free trial.
Does Alcove support Getting Things Done?
It supports a light version of GTD: capture from any app with Option-Space, an Inbox for tasks with no list, lists and tags for projects and contexts, start dates, and boards and a calendar for planning. It doesn't have defer-until visibility rules, custom perspectives or a built-in review.
Can OmniFocus show my tasks in the Mac menu bar?
OmniFocus has Quick Entry from a keyboard shortcut but doesn't keep your list in the menu bar. Alcove's menu bar popup shows today, every list, the month, notes and boards.
Which one has a web version?
OmniFocus, with its subscription. Alcove runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad only.