Firetask vs Nirvana

Firetask

• People who follow GTD on iPhone, iPad and Mac
• Users who like to review their tasks on a kanban board
• People who want tasks kept in their own iCloud with no separate account

Nirvana

• People who follow Getting Things Done and want its lists ready-made
• Solo users who want one task system on web, desktop and phone
• Connecting an AI client such as Claude or Cursor to a to-do list

Firetask

• Apple only: there are apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac, and sync runs through iCloud. No web, Windows or Android version is offered.
• After the one-month trial a Firetask Pro subscription is needed: $3.99 a month or $24.99 a year on the US App Store.
• Firetask 5 is a new app: Firetask 4 data must be exported and imported, and the free upgrade leaves out attachments, journal entries and status notes.
• CSV import is in the Mac app only; the manual says it will come to the iOS version.

Nirvana

• Basic accounts are capped at 5 projects, 3 reference lists and 2 areas, and recurring to-dos need Pro.
• Pro has no free trial, and the vendor gives no refunds and does not prorate a cancelled billing period.
• The AI assistant is a beta for Pro early-access members on the web and desktop apps, and it has no calendar integration.
• No Linux app is listed. The apps page names Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web browser.

Firetask

GTD focus lists

An Inbox with a badge count for unprocessed items, an In Focus list for today, a Waiting For list grouped by assignee and a Someday list follow a GTD-style flow.

Kanban boards

Drag-and-drop boards arrange tasks by status, focus, due date or priority, so a review can be done by moving cards between columns.

Task calendar

Monthly and weekly calendar views are built around tasks instead of events, with drag-and-drop rescheduling and repeating due dates.

Projects, portfolios and templates

Tasks are grouped into projects and projects into portfolios, and templates store reusable task lists. To-dos act as lightweight subtasks inside a task.

Command tagging and quick capture

Typing /tomorrow sets a due date and @John delegates a task while it is being created. A share extension and a global Mac hotkey add tasks from other apps.

Pomodoro timer

Effort can be estimated in Pomodoros, with a built-in timer and a running Pomodoro count for the tasks in focus.

Nirvana

Built-in GTD lists

To-dos move between Inbox, Next, Waiting, Scheduled and Someday lists, and a Focus list collects the ones you star for attention now.

Projects, areas and reference lists

Projects group related to-dos, areas of focus separate parts of your life, and reference lists hold material that is not actionable. Basic accounts cap all three.

Tags, contexts and filters

Filter to-dos by tags, areas, contacts, energy and time required to see what is practical for where you are and how much time you have.

Capture and Focus by email

Forwarding an email to your Nirvana address turns it into a to-do, and the Focus list can be emailed to you on chosen days of the week.

Scheduled and recurring to-dos

Scheduled to-dos stay out of the actionable lists until their start date, and due dates can be set on to-dos and projects. Recurring to-dos need Pro.

AI assistant and MCP server

A built-in assistant, in beta for Pro early-access members, runs guided reviews. An MCP server lets clients such as Claude and ChatGPT read and create tasks; updating them needs Pro.

Firetask

• Firetask Pro Monthly$3.99

  per month

  One subscription that unlocks every feature on iPhone, iPad and Mac, billed monthly through the App Store.

• Firetask Pro Yearly$24.99

  per year

  The same subscription for iPhone, iPad and Mac, billed once a year through the App Store.

Nirvana

• Free$0

  The GTD lists, tags and contexts, notes and checklists, sync and email capture, with up to 5 projects, 3 reference lists and 2 areas.

• Pro$3

  per month, billed annually ($36); $5 billed monthly

  Everything in Free, plus unlimited projects, areas and reference lists, recurring to-dos and priority support.

Firetask

• Annual discount

  Yearly plan costs less than twelve months

  On the US App Store, Firetask Pro Yearly is $24.99, while Firetask Pro Monthly at $3.99 adds up to $47.88 over twelve months.

• Other savings

  Free upgrade for Firetask 4 App Store customers

  Existing Firetask 4 App Store customers can unlock Firetask 4-level functionality in Firetask 5 at no charge. Features new in version 5 still need the subscription.

Nirvana

• Annual discount

  40% off Pro with yearly billing

  Pro costs $5 a month billed monthly or $36 a year, which works out to $3 a month. The pricing page labels the yearly option as 40% off.