Productivity

Can I replace Todoist?

A shorter to-do list. A smaller bill.

ReplaceOur take

A simpler option could do the job.

For straightforward personal task tracking, start with a free tier. Paid features earn their place when you actively rely on them.

Consider switching if

Simple personal lists and a few ongoing projects.

Keep it if

Advanced views, reminders, or higher project limits are essential.

A different way to do it

3 options

Choose an option to see the savings scenario.

Todoist BeginnerFree

Freemium

Stay with the same task manager on its free tier.

Project limits and advanced features differ from Pro.

Explore Todoist Beginner

Microsoft To DoFree

Free

Manage personal tasks and basic shared lists.

Does not replicate Todoist filters, integrations, and power-user workflows.

Explore Microsoft To Do

Trello FreeFree

Freemium

A shared board for cards, checklists, and simple team planning.

Workspace limits and fewer views and automation runs than paid plans.

Explore Trello Free

Build your own

Good fit

A personal tasks and habits app

Lists, due dates, and a daily view make a useful first project. Notifications and flawless device sync need more work.

Build effort: One weekend for a prototype
Ongoing cost: $0 recurring for local-only use on hardware you already own. Optional hosting, coding tools, and APIs are extra.

Keep the scope small

Projects and recurring tasks
Today and overdue views
JSON backup and restore

What you won’t replace

Reliable background notifications
Shared tasks and cross-device sync

Planning estimates for a personal prototype, not a tested build or a full clone. Coding tools, paid APIs, hosting, backups, and your time can add costs. These estimates are separate from the savings calculator.

Get the vibe-coding prompt

Paste this brief into your preferred coding assistant. Start with sample data and review the result before using it.

Create an original personal tool: A personal tasks and habits app.

Purpose
Build a personal task app with projects, due dates, priorities, completion history, and a Today view. Support simple daily and weekly recurrence without duplicating tasks. Test month boundaries and local date handling.

Boundaries
This replaces one narrow use case, not Todoist as a whole. Do not copy proprietary code, branding, or assets. Exclude: Reliable background notifications; Shared tasks and cross-device sync.

Implementation
Use a small maintainable app with a responsive, keyboard-accessible interface. Start local-first with fictional sample data. Explain the chosen storage and its limits; do not imply browser storage is an encrypted vault or a backup. Add deliberate export/import, schema validation, a restore preview, and confirmation for destructive actions. Handle empty states, malformed imports, unsupported features, and storage failures. Keep credentials out of client code and source control. No analytics or external writes by default.

Finish
Test the main workflow, data round-trip, and failure paths. Include a README with local setup, limitations, backup/restore, and any recurring costs. Deliver a working prototype, then list what would be required before hosting it or using it with other people. Do not claim production readiness or guaranteed cost savings.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SWITCH

What you might miss

Free is only a good deal if it still does what you need.

Some paid views and reminder features
Higher project and collaboration allowances
Longer activity history

Your switch, in small steps

Easy

Add this subscription to your stack to track your progress.

List active projects, reminders, filters, and shared tasks.
Move one project into the free tier or Microsoft To Do and test recurring tasks.
Export tasks and verify dates, recurrence, and completed-task history in the new workflow.
Review renewal dates and any commitment terms, then change your plan with the provider.

Sources & assumptions

Something out of date? Send a correction →

Editorial comparison based on official product and plan information, not a hands-on migration test. Pricing status is shown separately. Free tiers, eligibility, regional catalogs, and limits can change. Build scopes and effort are our planning estimates, not tested builds.

Sources checked 2026-09-28 · Editorial assessment, not a hands-on test

Todoist · official plans Todoist · plans and product details Todoist Beginner · official information Microsoft To Do · official information Trello Free · official information

Can I replace Todoist?

A simpler option could do the job.

A different way to do it

Build your own

A personal tasks and habits app

Keep the scope small

What you won’t replace

What you might miss

Your switch, in small steps

Sources & assumptions

While you’re rethinking things…

Notion

Grammarly

Microsoft 365