Nirvana vs Todoist

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

Todoist

• People who want one task list on every device they own
• Fast capture: typing a task with its date in a single line
• Households and small teams sharing a few projects

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.

Todoist

• The free plan stops at 5 personal projects and keeps only 1 week of activity history.
• Calendar layout, task durations and custom reminders all need Pro or Business.
• Personal projects are capped at 5 people, even on paid plans.

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.

Todoist

Quick Add

Capture tasks in natural language as they come to you, including recurring due dates and reminders.

List, board and calendar layouts

Switch any project between a list, a kanban board and a calendar. The calendar layout needs a paid plan.

Filters, labels and priorities

Saved filter views pull tasks from across projects: 3 on the free plan, 150 on Pro and Business.

Shared projects

Share a project to assign tasks and comment on them. Personal projects allow up to 5 people on every plan.

Team workspace

Business adds public and private team projects, folders, roles and permissions, and shared templates.

Ramble and Task Assist

Ramble turns spoken thoughts into tasks; free accounts get limited sessions. Task Assist is included from Pro.

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.

Todoist

• Beginner$0

  5 personal projects, task reminders, list and board layouts, and 3 filter views.

• Pro$5

  per user / month, billed yearly ($60)

  300 projects, calendar layout, task durations, custom reminders, 150 filter views and Task Assist.

• Business$8

  per user / month, billed yearly ($96)

  Everything in Pro, plus a shared team workspace with up to 500 team projects, roles and central billing.

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.

Todoist

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with yearly billing

  Todoist's pricing page lists a 20% saving on Pro and Business when billed yearly instead of monthly.