Dona vs TickTick
We give Dona a 3.0 GPA and TickTick a 3.6, out of 4.0. Dona grades higher on value for money and the free plan. TickTick grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TickTick
To-do list with a calendar, habit tracker and Pomodoro timer built in
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
How we grade them
| 3.0GPADonaVery good | 3.6GPATickTickExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt's free. The homepage says "Try for free", the sign-up link says "Sign up for free", and the site names no paid plan at all. There's no pricing page, so if limits exist they aren't written down. | BPremium is $49.99 a year, about $4.17 a month, which is right around what paid to-do apps start at. It buys 299 lists, multiple calendar views, task durations and 299 habits. The site sells it by the year only. The App Store also lists $4.99 monthly. |
| Free plan and trial | AA free account gets you the whole web app, as far as its pages show. No trial, no card, no upgrade button to dodge. Sign in with an email or with Google. | BFree for good, with sync across devices, list and kanban views and a basic calendar. But it's capped at 9 lists, 99 tasks a list, 5 habits, 2 reminders a task and 1 attachment a day. Fine to start on, tight once you spread out. |
| Features | CLists, due dates, notes, search and a JSON export. That's roughly it. The site and the app's own text mention no reminders, no repeating tasks and no sharing. Fine for a short list, thin next to most to-do apps. | AType a task and it picks out the date, or just say it out loud. Show a list as a board, a timeline or an Eisenhower matrix. Then there's the calendar, the habit tracker, the Pomodoro timer and shared lists with tasks assigned to people. That's the whole job and then some. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating is on record, since there's no app. It runs in the browser with nothing to install, and there's very little to learn. There's no help centre either, mind, just a homepage and an about page. | A4.9 from about 46,000 App Store ratings, which is about as high as these go. Dates and times are recognised as you type, so adding a task doesn't feel like filling in a form. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. The site links to the web app and lists no desktop or mobile apps, no integrations and no API. The interface comes in English and German. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, and it connects to Notion and Google Calendar. One small catch: location-based reminders are listed as iOS only. |
| Best for | a plain, pretty to-do list in the browser | tasks, habits and a focus timer in one app |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Dona and TickTick. How we grade
Where they differ
- Dona is free. TickTick starts at $49.99 per year (about $4.17 per month).
- Only TickTick lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only TickTick lists a browser extension.
- TickTick also covers natural-language input, calendar, kanban boards, Pomodoro timer and habit tracking.
In commonFree planWebTasks
At a glance
| Dona | TickTick | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $49.99 per year (about $4.17 per month) |
| Free plan | Accounts are free: the homepage button reads Try for free and the web app's sign-up link reads Sign up for free. The site has no pricing page and names no paid plan. | 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, 5 habits, 2 reminders per task and 1 attachment per day, with list and kanban views, a basic calendar view and sync across devices. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Dona | Appest Inc. |
| Price read from | dona.ai | ticktick.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Dona
- People who want a plain to-do list in the browser
- Users who care about interface polish and theming
- Keyboard users who like to set their own shortcuts
TickTick
- People who want tasks, habits and a focus timer in a single app
- Keeping the same lists on Windows, Mac, Linux, phones and the web
- Students and school staff, who can apply for a discount on Premium
Worth knowing
Dona
- The site links only to the web app at app.dona.ai and lists no desktop or mobile apps.
- There is no pricing page: the site says only Try for free and Sign up for free, so any limits or future paid plans are undocumented.
- The marketing site is a homepage and an about page with a footer dated 2023, and has no help center, changelog or feature documentation.
- The site and the web app's interface text mention no reminders, recurring tasks or sharing with other people.
TickTick
- The free plan is capped at 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, 5 habits and 1 attachment per day.
- Multiple calendar views, task duration and email reminders are listed as Premium features.
- The pricing page shows Premium only as a $49.99 annual plan; a $4.99 monthly option appears on the App Store listing.
- Location-based reminders are listed as iOS only.
Key features
Dona
- Lists with emoji and colors
- Tasks are organized into lists, and each list can be given its own name, emoji and color. The onboarding text describes the lists as fully customizable.
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- The shortcuts for creating a task, creating a list and switching between lists can be reassigned, and a setting shows the shortcut hints, hides them or reveals them on hover.
- Light, dark and black themes
- The interface comes in light, dark and black themes, with an automatic option in the settings, plus a compact view for denser lists.
- Due dates and notes
- A task can be scheduled with a due date and carry a written note. Settings offer three date formats and a choice of the day the week starts on.
- Search and JSON export
- The web app's interface includes a search with a results view and an Export as JSON action alongside the actions for clearing and deleting a list.
- Email or Google sign-in
- Accounts are created with an email address and password or with Continue with Google, and the interface language can be set to English or German.
TickTick
- Typed and spoken task capture
- Dates and times are recognized as a task is typed. Voice Capture turns speech into one or more tasks and uses AI to pull out dates and priorities.
- Calendar views
- Yearly, monthly, weekly, multi-day, multi-week and agenda views show tasks alongside subscribed calendars. The free plan has a basic calendar view; Premium lists multiple views.
- Kanban, timeline and matrix
- A list can be shown as a kanban board, as a timeline for tasks that have a duration, or as an Eisenhower matrix that sorts tasks by urgency and importance.
- Pomodoro timer
- Work on a task in 25-minute focus intervals. Statistics report focus time next to completed tasks and habit logs.
- Habit tracker
- Habits are logged and charted in the same app as tasks. The free plan allows 5 habits and Premium allows 299.
- Shared lists
- Share a list with other people and assign tasks to them. The member count is 2 on the free plan and 29 on Premium.
Plans
Dona
Free$0
The web app with a free account. The site publishes no pricing page, plan limits or paid tier.
TickTick
Free$0
9 lists with 99 tasks each, list and kanban views, date recognition as you type, task reminders and cross-platform sync.
Premium$49.99
per year
299 lists with 999 tasks each, multiple calendar views, task duration, email reminders, themes and 299 habits.
Ways to pay less
Dona
No public discounts listed.
TickTick
- Education
25% off Premium for students, faculty and staff
Eligible students, faculty and staff can apply with proof of status for 25% off one year of Premium. TickTick lists the price after the discount as $37.99.
- Annual discount
Annual billing costs about 17% less than monthly
The App Store listing shows Premium at $4.99 monthly or $49.99 annually, so a year paid up front costs about 17% less than 12 monthly payments ($59.88).
