Ticktick Free and Paid are both popular tools in their category, but they serve different needs and audiences. This guide compares their features, pricing, and best use cases to help you choose the right one.
TickTick is one of the most popular task management apps, and for good reason — it works beautifully across every platform. But the question many users face is: is the free plan enough, or do you need Premium?
After using both versions extensively, here’s an honest breakdown.
TickTick Free Plan: What You Get
The free plan is genuinely useful and more generous than competitors like Todoist’s free tier. Here’s what’s included:
- Up to 9 lists (enough for most personal users)
- Up to 99 tasks per list
- Basic recurring tasks (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Cross-platform sync (iOS, Android, Web, Mac, Windows)
- Basic calendar view
- Collaboration on up to 2 shared projects with 2 collaborators each
- Basic widgets and integrations
For someone managing personal to-dos, grocery lists, or a light project, the free tier covers the essentials well.
TickTick Premium: What You Unlock
TickTick Premium costs $35.99/year (about $3/month) — one of the most affordable premium tiers among major task apps.
Premium adds:
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Lists | 9 | Unlimited |
| Tasks per list | 99 | Unlimited |
| Calendar view | Basic | Full (subscribe to external calendars) |
| Custom filters | ❌ | ✅ (save complex queries) |
| Habit tracking | Basic | Unlimited habits + heatmap |
| Tags | Basic | Unlimited tags |
| Task duration & timeline | ❌ | ✅ |
| Collaboration | 2 projects | Unlimited shared lists |
| File attachments | 5 MB/file | 100 MB/file |
| Themes & fonts | Default | 10+ themes, custom fonts |
| Reminder options | Basic | Location-based, time-range reminders |
| Pomo timer | Basic | Statistics + focus reports |
| Kanban view | ❌ | ✅ |
The Features That Actually Matter
Custom Filters are the biggest premium differentiator. Being able to save queries like “high priority + due this week + tagged #work” transforms how you use TickTick. Power users who manage multiple projects will feel this limitation hard on the free plan.
Calendar integration — Premium lets you subscribe to Google Calendar, Outlook, or iCal inside TickTick. For people who live in their calendar, this alone justifies the upgrade.
Habit tracking with heatmaps is genuinely best-in-class for a task app. If you’re working on building streaks (exercise, reading, writing), the visual heatmap is highly motivating.
Kanban view surprises many users — TickTick isn’t just a list app. The premium Kanban is perfect for small project management without switching to a heavier tool.
Who Should Upgrade?
Upgrade to Premium if you:
- Have more than 9 active lists
- Want to combine your calendar and tasks in one app
- Use habit tracking seriously
- Need saved filters for complex task views
- Collaborate on 3+ shared projects
- Want Kanban boards for project management
Stay on Free if you:
- Manage fewer than 9 lists of personal tasks
- Don’t need calendar integration
- Use TickTick only for simple daily to-dos
- Are already paying for another productivity app
TickTick Premium vs Competitors
At $35.99/year, TickTick Premium is cheaper than:
- Todoist Pro: $48/year
- Notion Plus: $120/year
- Asana Starter: $132/year
For pure task management, TickTick delivers more features per dollar than almost anything else. See our full TickTick vs Todoist comparison if you’re deciding between the two.
Verdict
TickTick Premium is worth it — but mainly for power users. At $3/month, the cost is trivially small, and the feature unlock is substantial. The custom filters, unlimited lists, and calendar sync alone justify the upgrade for anyone using TickTick as their main productivity system.
If you’re on the fence, start with the free plan. You’ll know within a week whether you’re hitting the limits.
Check our full TickTick review for 2026 for a deeper dive into the app as a whole.
Compare TickTick side by side with other task managers → See all comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ticktick Free or Paid better?
It depends on your needs. Ticktick Free and Paid excel in different areas — compare features, pricing, and use cases above to find the best fit for your workflow.
Can I use Ticktick Free and Paid together?
Yes, many teams use both. Ticktick Free and Paid can complement each other depending on your workflow requirements.
Which is cheaper, Ticktick Free or Paid?
Check the pricing comparison table above for current plans. Both offer free tiers, but paid plan pricing varies significantly based on team size and features needed.