Microsoft To Do vs TickTick
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
It's a near tie: both score 8.4, with Microsoft To Do ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Microsoft To Do wins on 3 of the 5 scores, TickTick on 2.
Windows and Outlook users who want a free, no-fuss to-do list
Students and planners who want tasks, a calendar, habits and focus in one app
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Microsoft To Do | TickTick |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Productivity & Notes |
| Category rank | #11 of 17 | #14 of 17 |
| Developer | Microsoft | Appest Limited |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | — | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Microsoft To Do better than TickTick?
It's a near tie: both score 8.4, with Microsoft To Do ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Microsoft To Do wins on 3 of the 5 scores, TickTick on 2.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft To Do or TickTick?
Microsoft To Do: Free with a Microsoft account; no paid tier. TickTick: Free plan; Premium $49.99/year, or $4.99/month in the iPhone app. On value for money, Microsoft To Do scores higher.
Do Microsoft To Do and TickTick work on the same devices?
Only TickTick runs on Linux.
Which is more private, Microsoft To Do or TickTick?
Microsoft To Do scores higher on privacy (7.4/10). App Store label: no tracking. Location, contact info, task content, IDs, usage and diagnostics may be linked to you. Google Play says no data is shared with third parties.
Strengths and weaknesses
Microsoft To Do
- Completely free, with no ads
- Apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the web
- Works hand in hand with Outlook and Microsoft 365
- Recent updates are mostly bug fixes
- No calendar or board view for planning your week
- Needs a Microsoft account to sync
Microsoft To Do is a clean, free to-do list from the team behind Wunderlist. Each morning, My Day helps you pick what to tackle, with suggestions from your other lists. Break tasks into steps, set repeating reminders, share lists with family, and see emails you flagged in Outlook. It runs on almost everything. Recent updates have mostly been bug fixes, so don't expect big new features.
Full Microsoft To Do review
TickTick
- Tons of features in a single app
- Free plan is useful, with habits and a focus timer
- Apps for every big platform, even Linux
- So many features make it feel busy
- Premium got a lot pricier in 2026
- Free plan stops at nine lists
TickTick packs more into one app than almost any other to-do app. Beyond lists, you can type tasks in plain words. You also get calendar views, a habit tracker, a Pomodoro focus timer and an Eisenhower matrix. It all runs on every major platform. A new AI assistant can break projects into tasks. The free plan is unusually useful. The trade-offs: it looks busier than Todoist, and Premium now costs $49.99 a year.
Full TickTick review
