TickTick alternatives for Mac and iPhone
Good TickTick alternatives are Todoist if you need every platform and sharing, Microsoft To Do if you want it free, Things 3 for a calmer Apple-only planner, OmniFocus for deep GTD, and Alcove for a Mac menu bar app with boards, a calendar and notes, paid once at $29.99 for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
TickTick does a lot for its price: tasks, calendar views, kanban, habits, a Pomodoro timer and an Eisenhower matrix, on every platform. People move on when they want something calmer, something that feels native on a Mac, or to stop paying every year. I make Alcove, one of the options below; prices were checked in October 2026.
At a glance
| App | Price | Runs on | Choose it if you want |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | Free plan, or Pro at $5 a month billed yearly | Every platform | The closest cross-platform match, with sharing |
| Microsoft To Do | Free | Every platform | Free, with Outlook |
| Things 3 | $49.99 Mac, $9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad, each once | Apple devices | A calm, polished planner |
| OmniFocus 4 | $74.99 or $149.99 universal licence, or $99.99 a year | Apple devices and the web | Deep GTD |
| Alcove | $29.99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad, after a 14-day free trial | Mac, iPhone, iPad | The Mac menu bar, boards, a calendar and notes, paid once |
If you want calmer
TickTick shows a lot at once. Things 3 and Alcove both lean the other way. Alcove keeps today in the Mac menu bar, so the list is one click away rather than in a busy window, and its Progress screen shows what you finished with no streaks or scores.
If you want to stop subscribing
TickTick Premium is $49.99 a year. Alcove is $29.99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad; Things 3 is bought once per device; OmniFocus 4 sells a perpetual licence. See to-do apps without a subscription.
If you want to keep kanban and a calendar
Alcove has boards (a card dropped in Done is finished everywhere) and a calendar with Day, Week and Month views and an hour grid. Todoist has a board layout and a calendar layout in Pro. Things 3 has neither.
If you need every platform
Todoist is the natural move, and Microsoft To Do is free. The Apple-only apps won't work on Windows or Android.
What you'd lose
- Habits and a Pomodoro timer built in.
- The Eisenhower matrix view.
- TickTick's price for all of that on every platform.
Sources
Checked in October 2026:
- TickTick Premium
- Todoist pricing
- Things 3 on the App Store
- OmniFocus 4 pricing
- Microsoft To Do on the Mac App Store
Questions people ask
How much is TickTick Premium in 2026?
$49.99 a year, after a limited-time price of $35.99 ended. The free plan allows 9 lists of 99 tasks each, with limits on reminders, habits and calendar views.
What's a TickTick alternative with no subscription?
Alcove ($29.99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad), Things 3 (sold once per device) and OmniFocus 4 (a universal licence from $74.99). Microsoft To Do and Apple Reminders are free.
Is there an alternative with a habit tracker and a Pomodoro timer?
Few apps bundle both like TickTick. If you need them, keep TickTick or pair a to-do app with a dedicated habit app and focus timer. Alcove, Things 3 and Todoist don't include them.
Which alternative is closest to TickTick on every platform?
Todoist. It runs on Windows, Android, the web and Apple devices, with natural-language quick add, filters, a board layout and sharing.