The best Todoist alternatives in 2026 (especially if you've outgrown task management)
Todoist is an excellent task manager. Fast, clean, reliable. If your productivity needs begin and end with managing tasks, Todoist may be all you need. But if you have started feeling its limits — no habit tracking, no skill development, no real project structure beyond task lists — you are not alone.
This guide covers six alternatives to Todoist, each with different strengths. The right choice depends on what you have outgrown about Todoist specifically.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Habits | Skills | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EvyOS | Personal OS beyond tasks | Yes | Yes | $9.99/mo | Web, Mobile |
| Things 3 | Apple-only task management | No | No | $49.99 one-time | Apple only |
| TickTick | Tasks + basic habits | Basic | No | $35.99/yr | All platforms |
| Linear | Dev team issue tracking | No | No | Free-$8/mo | Web |
| Asana | Team project management | No | No | Free-$10.99/mo | Web, Mobile |
| Basecamp | Team project communication | No | No | $15/user/mo | Web, Mobile |
1. EvyOS — for people who need more than tasks
Best for: Individuals who want projects, tasks, habits, and skill tracking in one system.
EvyOS is not a task manager with extras bolted on. It is a personal operating system that treats tasks as one component alongside projects, habits, and skills. If you have been using Todoist and wishing you could also track your reading habit, log your learning progress, and see how daily tasks connect to larger goals, EvyOS is designed for exactly that gap.
What Todoist doesn't have that EvyOS does:
- Habit tracking with streaks, heatmaps, and completion rates
- Skill development tracking with logged practice hours and progression levels
- Goal management that connects to projects and tasks
- Progress analytics across all four dimensions (projects, tasks, habits, skills)
Where Todoist is still better:
- Natural language task input ("Buy groceries tomorrow at 3pm")
- Collaborative task sharing with other users
- More mature third-party integrations
- Faster task capture for quick to-dos
Pricing: Free plan (3 projects, 5 habits, 3 skills) or $9.99/month ($99/year) for unlimited everything plus AI daily planner and mobile app.
Who should switch: People who have been using Todoist alongside a separate habit tracker and goal-setting spreadsheet. EvyOS replaces all three.
Read the comparison: EvyOS vs. Todoist
2. Things 3 — for Apple users who want beautiful task management
Best for: People in the Apple ecosystem who want a premium task manager with no subscription.
Things 3 is widely considered the most beautifully designed task manager available. It has a calm, focused interface that makes task management feel pleasant rather than stressful. The one-time purchase price means no recurring subscription.
Strengths:
- Exceptional design and user experience
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- Deep Apple ecosystem integration (Siri, Apple Watch, widgets)
- Areas and projects provide good task organisation
- Headings within projects create natural task grouping
Limitations:
- Apple only — no Android, no Windows, no web app
- No habit tracking
- No skill development features
- No collaboration features
- No time tracking
- Syncs only via Things Cloud (no third-party sync)
Pricing: $49.99 Mac, $19.99 iPad, $9.99 iPhone (one-time purchases).
Who should switch: Apple-only users who want a cleaner, calmer task experience than Todoist and are willing to pay upfront instead of subscribing.
3. TickTick — for tasks with basic habit tracking
Best for: People who want Todoist's task management plus a built-in habit tracker.
TickTick is the most direct Todoist competitor that also includes habit tracking. It covers tasks, calendar, Pomodoro timer, and habits in one app. If your main complaint about Todoist is the lack of habits, TickTick solves that without requiring a completely different system.
Strengths:
- Very similar to Todoist in task management capability
- Built-in habit tracker with basic streaks
- Pomodoro timer integrated into task workflow
- Calendar view with task and habit integration
- Cross-platform (iOS, Android, Web, Desktop)
Limitations:
- Habit tracking is basic — no heatmaps, limited analytics
- No skill development tracking
- No goal management beyond basic lists
- Free plan is limited (no calendar view, limited habits)
- Design is functional but not as refined as Todoist or Things 3
Pricing: Free (limited) or $35.99/year for Premium.
Who should switch: Todoist users who want to add basic habit tracking without changing their task management workflow significantly.
4. Linear — for developers who need issue tracking
Best for: Software developers and engineering teams who want a fast issue tracker.
Linear is not a general productivity tool. It is an issue tracker designed for software teams. If you are a developer using Todoist for work task management, Linear is purpose-built for the software development workflow.
Strengths:
- Extremely fast, keyboard-driven interface
- Built for software development workflows (sprints, cycles, backlogs)
- GitHub and GitLab integration
- Excellent for teams with proper project management features
- Beautiful design, minimal friction
Limitations:
- Only suitable for software development work
- No personal productivity features (habits, skills, goals)
- Overkill for solo task management
- Team-oriented — less useful for individuals
Pricing: Free for small teams, $8/user/month for Standard.
Who should switch: Developers or dev teams using Todoist for software project management who want a purpose-built tool.
5. Asana — for team project management
Best for: Teams that need project management with task assignments, timelines, and reporting.
Asana is a team project management tool. If you are using Todoist in a team context and finding it insufficient for project-level planning, Asana provides the project structure that Todoist lacks.
Strengths:
- Robust project management with multiple views (list, board, timeline, calendar)
- Task dependencies and milestones
- Team collaboration with assignments, comments, and status updates
- Reporting and portfolio views for managers
- Extensive integrations (Slack, Google, Microsoft)
Limitations:
- Designed for teams, not individual productivity
- No habit tracking
- No skill development features
- Can feel heavy and complex for personal use
- Free plan limited to 10 users with basic features
Pricing: Free (basic), $10.99/user/month for Premium.
Who should switch: People using Todoist for team collaboration who need proper project management features.
6. Basecamp — for teams who value simplicity and communication
Best for: Teams that want project management combined with team communication.
Basecamp combines project management with messaging, file sharing, and scheduling. It is opinionated about simplicity — fewer features, less configuration, more focus on getting work done.
Strengths:
- Simple, opinionated interface that avoids feature overload
- Built-in team messaging eliminates separate chat tools
- Hill Charts for visual project progress
- Flat pricing regardless of team size (on Business plan)
- Automatic check-ins replace status meetings
Limitations:
- No personal productivity features
- No habit or skill tracking
- Limited task management compared to dedicated tools
- Not designed for individual use
- Fewer integrations than competitors
Pricing: Free for personal, $15/user/month for Business.
Who should switch: Small teams using Todoist alongside Slack who want to consolidate project management and communication.
How to choose
Choose EvyOS if: You want tasks, habits, skills, and goals in one system. You are an individual who has outgrown pure task management and wants a personal operating system.
Choose Things 3 if: You are in the Apple ecosystem, want beautiful task management, and prefer a one-time purchase.
Choose TickTick if: You want Todoist with basic habits added. You want the smallest possible change from your current workflow.
Choose Linear if: You are a developer or dev team that needs a purpose-built issue tracker.
Choose Asana if: You need team project management with proper collaboration features.
Choose Basecamp if: You want to combine team project management with team communication in one simple tool.
If you are ready to move beyond task management and manage your projects, habits, and skills in one place, start with the EvyOS free plan. You get 3 projects, unlimited tasks, 5 habits, and 3 skill tracks to explore the full system.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good alternative to Todoist?
The best alternative depends on what you need beyond tasks. For personal productivity with habits and skills, EvyOS is designed for that gap. For beautiful Apple-native design, Things 3. For tasks plus basic habits, TickTick. For team project management, Asana.
Which productivity app should I use instead of Todoist?
If you are an individual who wants more than task management — habits, skills, goals, and connected progress tracking — EvyOS replaces Todoist plus your habit tracker plus your goal spreadsheet. If you just want better task management, Things 3 or TickTick are closer alternatives.
What is the best Todoist alternative with habit tracking?
TickTick offers basic habit tracking alongside Todoist-style task management. EvyOS offers comprehensive habit tracking with heatmaps, streaks, and completion analytics as part of a full personal operating system.
Is there a Todoist alternative that tracks goals too?
EvyOS is the strongest option for goal tracking alongside tasks. Goals connect to projects which connect to tasks, creating a clear chain from daily actions to long-term aspirations. Most other Todoist alternatives focus on tasks without goal management.
Related reading
- EvyOS vs. Todoist: when you need more than tasks — a detailed feature-by-feature comparison
- How to build a personal operating system — a complete framework for going beyond task management
- Why one app beats five — the case for consolidating your productivity tools
- How to track goals and habits in the same system — why goals and habits belong together
- Building habits that actually stick — a systems approach to habit design
- Best Notion alternatives for personal productivity — if you are also evaluating Notion replacements