Alcove vs TickTick: focused and calm, or everything in one app?

Short answer

TickTick puts tasks, calendar views, kanban, habits, a Pomodoro timer and an Eisenhower matrix into one app on almost every platform, with Premium at $35.99 a year. Alcove does less on purpose: a calm day in the Mac menu bar, boards and notes that calculate, on Mac, iPhone and iPad, for $29.99 once.

TickTick is the Swiss Army knife of to-do apps: tasks, calendars, habits, a focus timer and more, on almost every device. Alcove is the opposite on purpose. Here's how they compare, checked on 28 September 2026.

At a glance

AlcoveTickTick
Price$29.99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad, after a 14-day free trialFree plan, or Premium at $35.99 a year (listed as a limited-time price, down from $49.99)
PlatformsMac, iPhone, iPadWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and more
Menu barPopup with today, lists, the month and notes; lists can float on topMini window with your tasks
Quick add⌥ Space, reads day, time, length, list, tag, priority and repeatGlobal add shortcut, smart date parsing
ViewsLists, boards, month calendarLists, kanban, timeline, several calendar views
ExtrasNotes that calculate, tables and budget rowsHabit tracker, Pomodoro timer, Eisenhower matrix, countdowns
SharingNoShared lists and assigned tasks
AccountNone; your own iCloudTickTick account

Where TickTick is stronger

Where Alcove is stronger

Which should you choose?

Choose TickTick if you want habits and a focus timer with your tasks, use Android or Windows, or share lists.

Choose Alcove if you'd rather have a calm, focused app on your Apple devices, want notes and tasks together, and prefer to pay once.

Sources

Checked on 28 September 2026:

Questions people ask

Is Alcove a good TickTick alternative?

If you want fewer features and more calm, one purchase and notes that calculate, yes. If you use habits, the focus timer or Android and Windows, TickTick fits better.

Do both apps work from the Mac menu bar?

Yes. TickTick has a menu bar mini window with your tasks. Alcove is built around its menu bar popup, which shows today, your lists, the month and your notes, and any list can float above other apps.

How much does TickTick cost compared with Alcove?

TickTick has a free plan, and its site listed Premium at $35.99 a year (a limited-time price, down from $49.99) when we checked. Alcove is free for 14 days, then $29.99 once.

Does Alcove have a habit tracker or Pomodoro timer?

No. Alcove keeps to tasks, notes, boards and the calendar.

See it in motion. The four-minute demo shows quick add, notes, boards, the menu bar, widgets and the iPhone and iPad apps.

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