Nirvana vs OmniFocus

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

OmniFocus

• People managing many projects on Apple devices
• Workflows built around defer dates, tags and regular project reviews
• Buyers who want to choose between a one-time license and a subscription

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.

OmniFocus

• Native apps are for Apple devices only. Web access comes with the subscription or costs $4.99 a month on top of a license.
• Custom perspectives, Focus mode and automation are Pro features and are not in the $74.99 Standard license.
• There is no free plan; after the 14-day trial the app falls back to a viewer mode.
• Education discounts do not apply to subscriptions or to purchases made through the App Store.

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.

OmniFocus

Projects, folders and tags

Actions are grouped into projects and folders and labeled with tags, flags, due dates and defer dates. Repeat schedules handle recurring work.

Forecast

Shows upcoming actions together with calendar events. Calendar integration is available in the native apps but not in the web version.

Review

A review mode steps through projects at a regular interval, such as once a week, so that projects and goals stay current.

Custom perspectives and Focus (Pro)

Pro adds custom perspectives, which are saved views built from filtering and grouping rules in a perspective editor, along with Focus mode.

Automation (Pro)

Pro runs Omni Automation plug-ins and, on Mac, AppleScripts.

Encrypted sync

Syncing through the free Omni Sync Server or a server of your own is described by the vendor as end-to-end encrypted. The web version requires Omni Sync Server.

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.

OmniFocus

• OmniFocus for the Web Subscription$4.99

  per month, or $49.99 per year

  Browser access as an add-on. Requires an existing OmniFocus setup on Mac, iPad, iPhone or Apple Vision Pro.

• v4 Standard License$74.99

  one-time purchase

  Version 4 with all 4.x updates on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, with the standard feature set.

• OmniFocus Subscription$99.99

  per year

  The latest Pro version on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro plus web access, with no charge for major version upgrades.

• v4 Pro License$149.99

  one-time purchase

  Version 4 with all 4.x updates, plus the Pro features: custom perspectives, Focus mode and automation.

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.

OmniFocus

• Lifetime license

  One-time v4 license instead of a subscription

  A v4 Standard ($74.99) or Pro ($149.99) license is bought once and kept, with all 4.x updates included, as an alternative to the $99.99 yearly subscription.

• Education

  Education pricing on licenses

  Staff, faculty and students of accredited educational organizations can buy discounted licenses from Omni's Educational Store. Subscriptions and App Store purchases are excluded.

• Other savings

  Quantity discount on perpetual licenses

  Each license beyond the first in the same transaction takes a further 5% off the whole order, up to 30%. The discount is not available on subscriptions.

• Other savings

  Family sharing through an Omni Account

  A personal license or subscription can unlock the apps for immediate family members living in the same household. OmniFocus for the Web access cannot be shared.

• Other savings

  Upgrade pricing for owners of versions 1 to 3

  The purchase page says upgrade discounts are available. The App Store listing shows upgrades from v1-v3 at $37.49 for v4 Standard and $74.99 for v4 Pro, half the full license prices.