7 Todoist Alternatives When the To-Do List Is the Problem
Brain full? Dumpzen for iPhone won't do your taxes. It will tell you which form to find first.
Let’s be fair to Todoist up front: it’s one of the best task managers ever made. Smart Quick Add is fast, it works on basically every device, and millions of people run their entire lives on it happily.
And yet here you are, searching for alternatives. Usually that’s for one of three reasons:
- The list got too long. You open the app, see 60 tasks (14 overdue, in red), and close it again.
- You never know where to start. Everything is in there. Nothing is getting done.
- It’s more system than you need. Projects, labels, filters, priorities. You just wanted somewhere to put “buy stamps.”
The right alternative depends on which one is you. Disclosure: we make Dumpzen by ProjectAdulting, so it’s first. Every other entry is described using the app’s own public information as of October 2026.
First: maybe fix Todoist instead?
Before you migrate 300 tasks, try this: archive everything older than a month, turn off Karma if the score stresses you out, and make a filter that shows only today. Plenty of people find that’s enough. If it’s not, read on.
1. Dumpzen by ProjectAdulting
Best if: you open your list, feel overwhelmed, and do nothing.
Todoist asks you to file each task into the right project, with the right date and the right priority, at the moment of capture. Dumpzen flips that. You unload everything (bills, errands, chores, calls, paperwork, deadlines) in rough notes or half-sentences, and the app helps organize what you entered. Then, instead of a long list, it points you toward one next move, and it can break stressful tasks into smaller steps.
Other things in the box: an Adulting Inbox for tasks, notes, routines, reminders, and follow-ups; an AI coach you can talk a problem through with; short life-skills lessons; and daily momentum tracking that celebrates small wins without a guilt streak.
Pricing: free to download. Try the brain dump and finish a first task during onboarding, then choose Pro (monthly or annual) if you want it. No free trial.
Not for you if: you need shared team projects, complex recurring schedules, or a desktop app. Dumpzen is a personal iPhone app.
2. TickTick
Best if: you like Todoist’s model and just want more built in.
TickTick is the closest like-for-like swap: natural-language input, lists, tags, and cross-platform sync. It adds a calendar view, a Pomodoro focus timer, and a habit tracker, plus an Eisenhower Matrix view on its premium plan for sorting by urgency and importance.
Not for you if: the problem is that big lists overwhelm you. TickTick can make an even bigger list.
3. Things 3
Best if: you’re all-in on Apple and want calm.
Things is famously beautiful and quiet. Its Today list and Someday area help separate “now” from “not now,” and it doesn’t scream at you about overdue items. It’s sold as a one-time purchase per platform (Mac, iPad, and iPhone separately), with no subscription.
Not for you if: you use Android or Windows, or need collaboration.
4. Sunsama
Best if: you overcommit every single day.
Sunsama is a daily planner built around a guided planning ritual. You pull in tasks, estimate how long each takes, and place them on your calendar, and it pushes back when you’ve planned more than fits in a day. It integrates with calendars and other task tools.
Not for you if: you want something free or lightweight. It’s a paid subscription aimed at work planning.
5. Microsoft To Do
Best if: you want free and simple.
Microsoft To Do’s “My Day” view starts fresh each day, so you choose what to focus on rather than inheriting yesterday’s leftovers. It’s free and syncs across devices.
Not for you if: you want any help with what to do. It’s a clean list, nothing more.
6. Apple Reminders
Best if: you’re on iPhone and want zero setup.
Reminders has quietly become a solid task app, with lists, sections, due dates, location reminders, and auto-sorted grocery lists. It’s free and already installed.
Not for you if: you want sorting, prioritizing, or task breakdown done for you.
7. Goblin Tools
Best if: your tasks are too big to start.
Goblin Tools’ “Magic ToDo” takes a task and breaks it into smaller steps, and you can adjust how granular it gets. The web version is free.
Not for you if: you want a full task manager. It’s a set of small single-purpose tools.
Side-by-side
| Best for | Breaks tasks down | Daily focus | Platforms | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumpzen (ProjectAdulting) | Overwhelm, getting started | Yes | One next move | iPhone | Free download + Pro |
| TickTick | Feature parity+ | Manual | Calendar | Cross-platform | Free + Premium |
| Things 3 | Calm, Apple | Checklists | Today list | Apple only | One-time |
| Sunsama | Overcommitting | Manual | Guided plan | Web, desktop, mobile | Subscription |
| Microsoft To Do | Simple & free | Steps | My Day | Cross-platform | Free |
| Apple Reminders | Zero setup | Subtasks | Today | Apple | Free |
| Goblin Tools | Task breakdown | Yes | No | Web, mobile | Free web |
Switching without losing your mind
- Don’t import everything. Your old backlog is mostly guilt. Start fresh with only what matters this week.
- Brain dump the rest. Do one big dump of everything in your head, then sort it in your new app.
- Keep Todoist for a week. Don’t delete it. If you never open it, you’ve got your answer.
- Judge by doing, not organizing. The question isn’t “is my new system pretty?” It’s “did I get more things done this week?”
The honest bottom line
If Todoist works for you, keep it. If the problem is features, try TickTick. If the problem is calm, try Things. If the problem is overcommitting, try Sunsama. And if the problem is that you look at your list and freeze, try a tool that gives you one next move instead of fifty.
Small wins. Real momentum.