Todoist 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.
Todoist’s free plan is one of the most generous in the task management space. But at $4/month, the Pro plan is also one of the cheapest upgrades. Here’s exactly what you get — and don’t get — at each tier.
Free Plan: What’s Included
Todoist’s free plan gives you:
- 5 active projects (was 80 tasks per project, now unlimited tasks)
- 5 collaborators per project
- 3 filters for custom views
- 1 week of activity history
- Natural language date recognition
- Priority levels (P1–P4)
- Quick Add from any screen
- Cross-platform sync (all devices)
- Basic integrations (Google Calendar, etc.)
That’s genuinely useful for personal task management. The 5-project limit is the main constraint.
Pro Plan ($4/month): What You Unlock
Upgrading to Pro adds:
- 300 active projects (up from 5)
- 25 collaborators per project
- 150 filters (up from 3)
- Reminders (location and time-based)
- Unlimited activity history
- Calendar layout view
- Task duration estimates
- AI-powered features (task suggestions, Smart Schedule)
- Priority support
- Auto-backups
Business Plan ($6/user/month): Team Features
The Business plan adds on top of Pro:
- 500 active projects
- 50 collaborators per project
- Team inbox and shared projects
- Admin and member roles
- Team activity log
- Priority business support
- Centralized billing
Is Pro Worth It?
Yes, if any of these apply:
-
You need more than 5 projects. This is the most common reason to upgrade. If you separate work, personal, and side projects, you’ll hit the limit fast.
-
Reminders are essential. The free plan has no reminders — a surprising limitation. If you rely on time-based or location-based reminders, Pro is mandatory.
-
You use filters extensively. Three filters is restrictive if you build custom views for different contexts (work, errands, urgent, etc.).
-
AI features appeal to you. Smart Schedule and AI suggestions can genuinely save time for heavy Todoist users.
No, if:
- You’re a light user with 5 or fewer projects
- You don’t need reminders (you check Todoist regularly anyway)
- You mainly use it for simple daily to-do lists
Free Plan Limitations That Actually Matter
| Limitation | Impact | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| 5 projects | High — runs out fast | Use sections within projects |
| No reminders | Medium | Use phone calendar reminders |
| 3 filters | Medium | Prioritize your most-used views |
| 1 week history | Low | Most people don’t check history |
How It Compares
At $4/month, Todoist Pro is cheaper than almost every competitor:
- ClickUp: Free plan is more generous, paid starts at $7/user/month
- Asana: Starter plan is $10.99/user/month
- Notion: Plus plan is $10/user/month
Todoist Pro is arguably the best value in task management if you want a focused, fast tool without the complexity of a full project management suite.
The Verdict
Todoist’s free plan works for casual users. But $4/month is low enough that most serious users should just upgrade — the reminders feature alone justifies the cost. If you’re managing multiple areas of your life in Todoist, Pro removes the friction that the free plan creates.
Comparing task managers? See our Todoist vs ClickUp comparison or browse Best Todoist Alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Todoist Free or Paid better?
It depends on your needs. Todoist 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 Todoist Free and Paid together?
Yes, many teams use both. Todoist Free and Paid can complement each other depending on your workflow requirements.
Which is cheaper, Todoist 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.