Why people leave TickTick
TickTick has one of the best free tiers on Android task apps, but the reasons to move on are real:
- Calendar view, custom filters, and duration tracking all sit behind $3/month Premium. The free tier caps you at nine lists.
- Sync frequency across devices can lag. Users on Reddit report tasks taking a minute to appear on the desktop client.
- The habit tracker is a nice bundled extra, but power users often want a dedicated app for that.
- Widget refresh is slow, especially on Android 15+ with battery optimization.
If any of that pushed you to look, here are 7 TickTick alternatives worth trying on Android in 2026.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Paid starts at | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | Natural-language input | Free, 5 projects | $5/mo Pro | Best language parser |
| Microsoft To Do | 365 users | Free full features | In 365 | Outlook + Teams sync |
| Any.do | Voice and family lists | Free, ad-optional | $3/mo Premium | Voice-first entry |
| Google Tasks | Gmail sidecar | Free | In Workspace | Zero setup |
| Google Calendar | Time-blocking lovers | Free | In Workspace | Native calendar tasks |
| Trello | Kanban planners | Free | $5/mo Standard | Board automation |
| ClickUp | Everything-in-one workspace | Free | $7/mo Unlimited | Docs + tasks + chat |
The alternatives
1. Todoist -- best for the best language parser
Todoist is TickTick’s biggest rival. Its natural-language parser (“pay rent every 1st”) is the best on Android. Karma gamifies streaks, filters compose across projects, and the app is fast.
Where it falls short: Free tier caps at five projects and five collaborators. Reminders and themes require Pro. Habit-tracking is not built in.
Pricing:
- Free: 5 projects, basic reminders
- Pro: $5/month or $48/year
- vs TickTick: similar Premium price, sharper input, weaker free tier
Migrating from TickTick: Export TickTick as CSV per list, import into Todoist under Settings → Import. Due dates and priorities move; subtasks may need re-nesting.
Bottom line: Todoist is the pick when you capture tasks by typing sentences.
2. Microsoft To Do -- best for Outlook and Microsoft 365 users
Microsoft To Do is free with all features. Flagged Outlook emails appear as tasks, the ‘My Day’ surface promotes daily planning, and Teams users can assign tasks to each other via Planner sync.
Where it falls short: No natural-language input, no habit tracker, no timer. It is deliberately minimal.
Pricing:
- Free: all features
- Bundled with Microsoft 365
- vs TickTick: no Premium at all, but no habit or Pomodoro extras
Migrating from TickTick: Bulk-add lists after CSV export from TickTick. Wunderlist-style importers still exist for legacy transfer.
Bottom line: Microsoft To Do is the pick if your work runs on Outlook or Teams.
3. Any.do -- best for voice entry and family lists
Any.do puts voice-first entry, a family shared list, and a Moments daily-triage view at the center. Cross-device sync is fast and reliable.
Where it falls short: Free tier now shows occasional interstitial ads. Recurring tasks and location reminders need Premium.
Pricing:
- Free: lists, reminders, ad-supported
- Premium: $3/month
- vs TickTick: same Premium price, more social, less habit-focused
Migrating from TickTick: CSV import from TickTick works. Family lists rebuild manually.
Bottom line: Any.do is the pick for households sharing a grocery and errand list.
4. Google Tasks -- best for Gmail users who want a sidecar
Google Tasks shows up as a sidecar in Gmail, Calendar, and Docs on the web. On Android it’s a small, fast app for checkboxes with dates.
Where it falls short: Very limited. No natural language, no shared lists, no filters, no habits, no widgets worth using.
Pricing:
- Free with a Google account
- Included in Workspace
- vs TickTick: far simpler, but zero friction
Migrating from TickTick: Copy short lists over manually. Best treated as a fresh start, not a migration.
Bottom line: Google Tasks is the pick if you already work out of Gmail all day.
5. Google Calendar -- best for time-blocked planners
Google Calendar treats tasks as first-class citizens now. You can schedule tasks to blocks of time, drag them across the week, and see them alongside Gmail events.
Where it falls short: There is no project/tag hierarchy — everything lives in your Google Tasks lists. Not ideal for anyone who batches errands.
Pricing:
- Free with any Google account
- Included in Workspace
- vs TickTick: different mental model, tasks-as-time-blocks
Migrating from TickTick: Move key tasks to Google Tasks first, then drag them into calendar slots.
Bottom line: Google Calendar is the pick if you already plan every task on a calendar block.
6. Trello -- best for visual project boards
Trello turns projects into boards, columns, and cards. Butler automation runs recurring boards without any paid tier. Great for shared trips and event planning.
Where it falls short: Terrible for daily errand lists. The board view is heavy on a phone.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited cards on up to 10 boards
- Standard: $5/user/month
- vs TickTick: different shape, better for planning than execution
Migrating from TickTick: TickTick lists become boards; sections become columns; tasks become cards. CSV import walks through the mapping.
Bottom line: Trello is the pick if projects mean pipelines, not lists.
7. ClickUp -- best for everything in one workspace
ClickUp rolls tasks, docs, sprints, and chat into one place. The free tier is unusually generous, and the Android app has caught up to the web in the last year.
Where it falls short: It’s a lot of app to load. Quick-capture takes more taps than TickTick’s floating widget.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited tasks and members
- Unlimited: $7/user/month
- vs TickTick: much bigger product, free tier tops TickTick’s
Migrating from TickTick: Native TickTick import in Settings → Import. Custom fields require setup after the fact.
Bottom line: ClickUp is the pick if you want tasks, docs, and team chat under one login.
How to choose
- Pick Todoist if you capture tasks in full sentences. Its parser is still the best.
- Pick Microsoft To Do if your day runs on Outlook. Free, and Teams integration ships built in.
- Pick Google Tasks or Calendar if you time-block your day. Nothing else on this list schedules as cleanly against Gmail.
- Pick Any.do for family sharing. The shared list workflow is genuinely smooth.
- Pick Trello or ClickUp for projects, not errands. Different tool for a different problem.
- Stay on TickTick if the built-in habit tracker and Pomodoro are what you love. No other app on this list bundles both for free.
FAQ
What is the best free TickTick alternative?
Microsoft To Do is fully free with no upsells. Google Tasks is simpler but also free.
Which app is closest to TickTick?
Todoist. Same shape, same daily-task loop, sharper input parser but weaker free tier.
Can I import my TickTick tasks?
Todoist, ClickUp, and Any.do all accept CSV exports from TickTick. Microsoft To Do requires manual list rebuilds.
What TickTick alternative has the best calendar view?
Google Calendar for time-blocking. Todoist for a calendar overlay on tasks (Pro tier).
Is TickTick Premium worth it?
If the calendar view, filters, and duration tracker are central to your workflow, yes. If not, Microsoft To Do or Google Tasks cover 80% for free.
