Alcove vs Todoist: menu bar calm or everywhere teamwork?
Todoist runs on nearly every platform, is great for shared projects and has many integrations, with a free plan and Pro at $5 a month billed yearly. Alcove is for Mac, iPhone and iPad only, lives in the Mac menu bar, has notes that calculate and costs $29.99 once with no subscription.
Todoist is one of the most popular to-do apps in the world, and for good reason: it's everywhere, it's fast, and it's built for working with other people. Alcove makes different choices. Here's how they compare, checked on 28 September 2026.
At a glance
| Alcove | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad, after a 14-day free trial | Free plan (5 personal projects), Pro $5 a month billed yearly or $7 monthly |
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and more |
| Quick add | ⌥ Space from any app, plain-language parsing | Global Quick Add shortcut and a menu bar icon, plain-language parsing |
| Menu bar | Popup with today, lists, the month and notes; lists can float on top | Quick Add from the menu bar icon |
| Boards | Yes | Board layout |
| Calendar | Month view in the app and the menu bar | Calendar layout in Pro |
| Notes | Notes that calculate, with tables and budget rows | Task descriptions and comments |
| Sharing | No | Shared projects, comments and assigned tasks |
| AI | Local MCP server for assistants like Claude | Task Assist and other AI features in Pro |
| Account | None; your own iCloud | Todoist account |
Where Todoist is stronger
- Every platform. Todoist runs on the web, Windows, Android and more, so it follows you off Apple devices.
- Teams. Shared projects, comments, assigned tasks and a Business plan for workplaces.
- Integrations. Todoist lists more than 90 integrations.
- A free plan. Enough for up to five personal projects.
Where Alcove is stronger
- The menu bar. Alcove's popup is a full view of your day, not only a way to add tasks, and any list can float above your work. See the menu bar guide.
- Notes that calculate. Notes live beside your tasks and do the sums, with tables and budget rows. See notes that do the maths.
- No subscription. One purchase covers Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- No account, no tracking. Your data stays on your devices and in your own iCloud.
Which should you choose?
Choose Todoist if you use Windows or Android, share projects with other people, or depend on integrations.
Choose Alcove if you work alone on Apple devices, want your day in the Mac menu bar, keep notes with your tasks and would rather pay once.
Sources
Checked on 28 September 2026:
Questions people ask
Is Alcove a good Todoist alternative?
For one person on Apple devices who'd rather pay once, yes. If you need Windows, Android, the web or shared projects, Todoist is the better fit.
How much does Todoist cost compared with Alcove?
Todoist has a free plan limited to five personal projects, and Pro costs $5 a month billed yearly ($60 a year) or $7 month to month. Alcove is free for 14 days, then $29.99 once.
Do both have natural language quick add?
Yes. Both turn a sentence into a task with its date and more. Alcove reads the day, time, length, list, tag, priority and repeat, and opens with Option-Space from any app.
Can Alcove work with a team like Todoist?
No. Alcove is built for one person and has no shared lists.