TickTick alternatives for simple daily task management
TickTick's free tier is more generous than most, but if you're only using it as a daily task list, there are simpler and completely free options that don't need an account at all.
What TickTick is good at
TickTick is genuinely well-designed. The free tier is more generous than Todoist's, the interface is clean, and the Pomodoro integration is a nice touch for anyone who works in timed blocks. It's a reasonable first stop for someone looking for a task manager.
The subscription question comes up when you start wanting calendar sync, advanced filters, or the full habit tracker. At $2.79/month (billed annually), it's not expensive — but it's a commitment for a task manager, and it requires an account and cloud sync regardless of whether you use the cross-device features.
If your actual usage pattern is "open TickTick in a browser tab, write what I need to do today, check things off" — you're paying for sync and mobile functionality you might not need.
The no-account alternative for browser use
Easy Todo Note is a Chrome side-panel extension that stays local to your browser. There's no account, no email, no sync setup, and no subscription. Click the toolbar icon, write tasks, check them off.
What it includes beyond a plain list:
- Nested subtasks: break a bigger task into steps without creating a separate item
- Per-task timers: 5, 15, 25, or 60-minute countdown timers attached to individual tasks — TickTick's Pomodoro concept without leaving the list
- Scratch notepad: a freeform text area below the task list for notes, URLs, quick captures during browsing
Everything is stored in the browser's local storage. Nothing is uploaded. Nothing is synced.
The limitation: tasks exist only in that browser on that device. If you need cross-device access, ETN isn't the right tool.
For planning beyond a task list: DayViewer
If the reason you were using TickTick was to manage projects and schedule work — not just a daily list of things to check off — DayViewer offers more planning structure. It's a business planning and information management platform with calendars, scheduling, tasks, and dashboards built in.
The key difference: TickTick is task-centric (a list you can add calendar context to), while DayViewer is planning-centric (a calendar-based system that integrates tasks). If you found yourself wishing TickTick connected better to your actual schedule, DayViewer addresses that directly.
A practical setup: Easy Todo Note for the running daily task list you work from in the browser, DayViewer for project scheduling and anything with a time dimension.
Other TickTick alternatives worth considering
Microsoft To Do: Completely free with a Microsoft account. Recurring tasks, step-by-step subtasks, integration with Microsoft 365. Good cross-platform apps. The Microsoft account is the friction point.
Apple Reminders: Free on Apple hardware. Recurring tasks, location reminders, smart lists, iCloud sync. Excellent if you're in the Apple ecosystem; not useful otherwise.
Todoist free tier: More limited than TickTick's free tier — only 5 projects — but the interface is polished and natural language date input is good. Worth comparing if you haven't tried it.
Notion or Obsidian: Only worth considering if you wanted Notion-style databases or linked notes alongside tasks — significantly more overhead than TickTick.
How to decide
- Use Easy Todo Note if: your main use was a browser task list, you don't need cross-device sync, and you'd rather not have an account or subscription.
- Use Microsoft To Do if: you need recurring tasks, reminders, and cross-device sync for free, and a Microsoft account is acceptable.
- Use DayViewer if: you want calendar integration and project scheduling beyond what a task list provides.
- Stay on TickTick if: you're actively using the Pomodoro integration, habit tracker, or calendar sync — the premium tier is fairly priced for those features.
Common mistakes
Switching without identifying what you actually used. TickTick has many features. Identify the two or three you opened it for daily before looking for an alternative — otherwise you'll pick a tool that looks similar but misses the one thing you actually cared about.
Choosing based on the feature list rather than the daily workflow. A task manager you open 10 times a day needs the lowest possible open cost. Pick the one that's fastest to access for your specific workflow, not the one with the most impressive feature comparison table.
Ignoring the privacy difference. TickTick syncs your tasks to its servers. Easy Todo Note keeps them in your browser. If the content of your task list is sensitive — client names, personal commitments, anything private — the no-sync option has real value beyond just cost.
Related reading
- Free Todoist alternatives with no account required
- How to do deep work in 25-minute blocks
- Easy Todo Note — side-panel task list for Chrome
FAQ
What does TickTick's free plan include?
TickTick's free tier is more generous than most — you get unlimited lists, unlimited tasks, basic recurring tasks, and a simple calendar view. The premium tier ($2.79/month) adds calendar integration with Google Calendar, custom filters and tags, habit tracking with statistics, timeline view, and Pomodoro timer integration. If you're not using those features, the free tier is workable.
Is Easy Todo Note a full TickTick replacement?
For browser-based daily task lists, yes. ETN handles tasks, nested subtasks, countdown timers, and a scratch notepad, all locally in Chrome. It won't do recurring tasks, due date reminders, or cross-device sync. If those are the features you relied on in TickTick, look at Microsoft To Do or Apple Reminders instead.
What if I was using TickTick's Pomodoro timer feature?
Easy Todo Note has per-task countdown timers built in — 5, 15, 25, or 60-minute presets. They're not as full-featured as a dedicated Pomodoro app, but they cover the basic work-block timing without leaving the task list. If you want more control over Pomodoro intervals and break tracking, a dedicated extension like Pomofocus is worth considering alongside a simpler task list.
What's the best TickTick alternative that also works on mobile?
Microsoft To Do is free across all platforms and requires only a Microsoft account. Todoist's free tier is limited but cross-platform. Apple Reminders is free on Apple hardware. For browser-native desktop use without mobile sync needs, Easy Todo Note is the lowest-friction option.