For whom is OmniFocus the best choice?
If you’re completely in the Apple ecosystem and GTD (Getting Things Done) isn’t just a method but a life philosophy, then OmniFocus is still the gold standard. The tool is built for people who process 50+ tasks daily, with multiple projects that have complex dependencies. Think of project managers working on 8 different client projects, or consultants who need separate contexts, perspectives, and review cycles for each project.
Also, if you’re someone who really wants control over every detail of your system, then you pay for that flexibility. OmniFocus allows you to build perspectives that show exactly what you want to see: all tasks with tag “waiting-for” that have been open for more than a week, sorted by project and filtered by energy level. You won’t find that level of customizability anywhere else.
And honestly? If you already have a MacBook, iPad, and iPhone, and you mainly work solo on your own projects, then the price is less painful. You pay one time for the apps, no subscription. For someone who uses their system for years without hassle about cross-platform or collaboration, that can be worth the investment.
Why would you look for an OmniFocus alternative?
The Apple Tax is the biggest problem. As soon as you have even one Windows laptop or Android phone in your life, you’re excluded. Do you work together with a partner who works on Windows? No OmniFocus for you. Want to check your tasks at the office on a Windows machine? Too bad. You’re literally forced to buy expensive Apple hardware for every device on which you want to see your task list. That just feels outdated in 2024.
Then there’s the complexity fatigue. OmniFocus gives you so many options that you can spend hours tinkering with your perfect system. Building perspectives, combining tags, setting up review cycles, understanding defer dates versus due dates. For some, that’s delightful, but for many it becomes a second job. You spend more time maintaining your system than actually checking off tasks. You especially notice this when you haven’t been actively working with it for a few weeks: then you’re facing a mountain of unorganized tasks and have to clean up first before you can be productive again.
And collaboration? Forget it. OmniFocus is built as a solo tool. As soon as you want to share tasks with your partner, teammate, or assistant, you hit a wall. You can’t delegate a project, keep a shared list, or assign tasks. For freelancers working with a VA or couples managing their household together, that’s a dealbreaker.
In conclusion
Are you an Apple purist but want less complexity? Things 3 gives you that beautiful design without the overwhelming options. Are you working on a mix of Windows and Apple? Todoist is the most reliable cross-platform option. For productivity nerds who want to build their own system but don’t want to be locked into Apple: Amazing Marvin offers even more customization options. Students and freelancers on a tight budget will find surprisingly robust functionality in TickTick for a fraction of the price. And small teams that want to apply GTD together? Nozbe is specifically built for that.
Personally, I’d go with Things 3 if I’m fully on Apple and just want my system to work without hassle. Or Todoist if I use even one non-Apple device. But it really depends on how much time you want to invest in your system versus how much time you want to spend actually getting things done.
