Goalist vs Lunatask (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lunatask grades higher than Goalist: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Goalist grades higher on value for money. Lunatask grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Goalist
One-goal to-do list that stores your data on your device
Lunatask
Encrypted to-do list with habits, mood tracking, journal and notes
Which one is for you
Pick Goalist if
- Fits if you want to focus on one goal and keep your data on your own device
- Works for people happy with a single browser or device
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want sync across devices for free, as that's paid
- Not for you if you lose things: lose the 12-word code and you lose the data
- Skip it if you want native apps, as it's a web app only
- Watch out: the $5 price has no stated billing period
Pick Lunatask if
- Fits if you want tasks, habits, mood and a journal in one app
- Works for people who want notes and journal entries encrypted before they sync
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, with 2 areas of life, 7 daily habits and 30 relationships
- Skip it if you want your tasks in a browser, as there's no web app or official extension
- Pricey if you're comparing on price, at $6 a month annually, $8 monthly or $300 for lifetime
- Watch out: Premium has no free trial and no refunds, and the lifetime deal isn't sold in the mobile or Mac App Store apps
- Watch out: task status, priority and dates are stored unencrypted, and calendar integrations and weekly habits need Premium
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAGoalistFair | 2.2GPALunataskFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$5 for the licence, but the page doesn't say whether it's one-time or recurring, so we can't compare it with the category's one-time or monthly figures. | D$6 a month paid annually, $8 if you pay monthly, against a $3.99 middle and a $5.00 dearer quarter in this category. The parts you'd actually want, calendar integrations, the Eisenhower Matrix and weekly habits, all sit up there. No trial, no refunds, and Lifetime is $300. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree to use with no sign-up, but device sync and daily reminders are paid, and a licence button keeps showing until you pay. | CFree forever and no card needed, with time blocking, timers, notes, the mood tracker and journaling in it. But 2 areas of life is the cap, and 7 daily habits. Work and home, and you're full on day one. |
| Features | COne goal at a time, a Resistance List, side quests and recurring tasks, working offline. A smaller job than most to-do lists, with keyboard shortcuts still being built. | BIt covers the category's job: tasks that prioritise themselves with a work-in-progress limit, time blocking on a daily calendar, habits with streaks, a mood tracker, a journal, Markdown notes and a tracker for keeping up with friends, all with encryption on by default. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A web app with a 12-word code to keep safe and a method of its own to learn. | CNo store rating on record, and there's a lot under one roof: tasks, habits, mood, journal, notes and a personal CRM, with workflows like work-in-progress limits to understand before the lists sort themselves out. Expect a settling-in week. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, a progressive web app you can add to your home screen. No native apps or integrations. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus Zapier, a public API and Google, Outlook and iCloud calendars on Premium. The missing piece is the browser: no web app and no official extension, so there's no tasks-at-a-strange-computer option. |
| Best for | working on one goal at a time with a ranked task list | tasks, habits and a journal in one private 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: Goalist and Lunatask. How we grade
Where they differ
- Lunatask is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Goalist also covers goals.
- Lunatask also covers notes, daily notes, time blocking, habit tracking and mood tracking.
At a glance
| Goalist | Lunatask | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5, price basis not stated | $6 per month, paid annually; $8 paid monthly |
| Free plan | Usable without sign-up; shows an Activate License button, and device sync and daily reminders are paid. | Free forever: 2 areas of life, 7 daily habits and 30 relationships, with automatic prioritization, time blocking, task timers, notes, mood tracker and journaling. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Goalist | Michal Krejci |
| Price read from | goalist.app | lunatask.app |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Goalist
- It is a web app that can be added to a home screen; no native apps are listed.
- Losing the 12-word code means losing access to the data, which the site says is kept on your device.
- The page does not say whether the $5 is a one-time or a recurring charge.
- Device sync and daily reminders are paid, and keyboard shortcuts are still in progress.
Lunatask
- The Free plan stops at 2 areas of life, 7 daily habits and 30 relationships, and calendar integrations and weekly habits need Premium.
- There is no web app and no official browser extension; saving web pages relies on a bookmarklet or community-built extensions.
- Task metadata such as status, priority and dates is stored unencrypted, and the API cannot read end-to-end encrypted content.
- Premium has no free trial and a no-refund policy. The lifetime purchase is not sold in the mobile apps, and discount coupons do not work in the Mac App Store version.
Key features
Goalist
- One goal at a time
- The app asks you to focus on a single main goal, based on a goal-setting approach it credits to a Huberman Lab toolkit.
- Resistance List
- A to-do list where each task is given a difficulty level, which helps you see which ones you are avoiding.
- Side quests
- Secondary tasks and spontaneous ideas go on a separate list so they do not pull focus from the main goal.
- Local-first data
- Built on Evolu, so data is kept on your device and the app works without a connection. A 12-word code stands in for a login.
- Device sync and reminders
- Syncing across devices with the secret code, and daily reminders, are marked as paid features.
Lunatask
- Task lists that prioritize themselves
- Tasks are prioritized automatically, with a work-in-progress limit, timers and time estimates. The Eisenhower Matrix and Must/Should/Want workflows need Premium.
- Daily calendar and time blocking
- Planned tasks and habits can be dragged onto a daily calendar to block time. Connecting Google, Outlook or iCloud calendars to see events alongside is a Premium feature.
- Habit tracker
- Habits have customizable recurrence, current and record streaks and reminder notifications. Free covers 7 daily habits; weekly habits need Premium.
- Mood tracking and journal
- A mood and emotion tracker sits alongside a journal with a customizable entry template and PIN protection. Energy and stress trackers are Premium.
- Notes and relationships
- Notes and notebooks support Markdown, sharing and PIN protection. A personal CRM keeps details about friends and family with reminders to get back in touch.
- End-to-end encryption and API
- Text is encrypted on your device before it syncs, and encryption is always on. A public API and Zapier can create and update items but cannot read encrypted data.
Plans
Goalist
Free$0
One goal at a time, Resistance List, side quests, recurring tasks and offline use.
License$5
billing period not stated on the page
Removes the Activate License button and enables device sync, daily reminders and more.
Lunatask
Free$0
2 areas of life, 7 daily habits and 30 relationships, with time blocking, timers, a work-in-progress limit, notes, journaling and Zapier.
Premium$6
per month, paid annually; $8 paid monthly
Unlimited areas, habits and relationships, calendar integrations, Eisenhower Matrix, Must/Should/Want, weekly habits and note templates.
Lifetime Premium$300
one-time payment
Premium for a single payment. Sold in the Windows, Linux and Mac DMG apps, not in the mobile apps or the Mac App Store version.
Ways to pay less
Goalist
No public discounts listed.
Lunatask
- Annual discount
25% off Premium when paid annually
Premium costs $8 a month when paid monthly or $6 a month when paid annually, which is 25% less.
- Education
50% off for students and teachers
A 50% discount coupon for the monthly and yearly plans is sent on request to a school-issued email. It does not apply to the lifetime purchase or the Mac App Store version.
- Nonprofit
Discount extended to selected nonprofits
Lunatask says it extends the 50% discount on request to selected nonprofit organizations supporting charitable causes and to emergency workers.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Premium for a one-time $300
A lifetime Premium license costs a single payment of $300, bought in the Windows, Linux or Mac DMG apps. It is not offered in the mobile apps or the Mac App Store version.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Goalist or Lunatask?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Goalist starts at $5, price basis not stated, and Lunatask starts at $6 per month, paid annually; $8 paid monthly.
Which has a free plan, Goalist or Lunatask?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Goalist and Lunatask have a free plan.
Which platforms do Goalist and Lunatask run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Goalist lists a web app and only Lunatask lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.